The short answer. AppCleaner is the one that has been doing this longest: drop an app on it and it finds the preference files, caches and support folders that belong to it. Pearcleaner is the open-source, source-available equivalent, and App Uninstaller is the lightweight one built with SwiftUI that accepts a drag and drop. MacOSCleaner and Mole include uninstalling as one function among several. The dividing question is not which one finds more files; it is whether you can see the list before it removes anything, because an uninstaller that guesses wrong deletes another app’s data and an uninstaller that guesses conservatively leaves the thing you were trying to get rid of.
This guide covers 5 app uninstallers for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment. Last verified 2026-10-05.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Uninstaller | app uninstaller | Open source | MIT | 1.0.2 |
| AppCleaner | app uninstaller | Free | Proprietary; the site carries an ‘All rights reserved’ notice and publishes no licence text | 3.7 |
| MacOSCleaner | Mac cleaner | Open source | not published | 2.3.0 |
| Mole | Mac cleaner | not published | not published | 1.16.0 |
| Pearcleaner | Mac cleaner | Open source | not published | 5.4.3 |
What actually decides this
- How it decides what belongs to the app. Bundle identifier matching is reliable and narrow. Name matching is broad and occasionally catastrophic. The tool does not usually tell you which it uses, so the preview list is the only evidence you get.
- Whether there is a preview. Every file should be visible before removal, with a path. A tool that shows a count and a button is asking you to trust an algorithm you cannot inspect.
- Whether removal is reversible. Trash versus unlink. If the answer is Trash, a mistake costs a restore. If it is unlink, a mistake costs the data. This is worth more than any interface feature.
- What it does with helpers and launch agents. The reason a deleted app keeps running is a launch agent or a privileged helper that survived. A thorough uninstaller finds those; a drag to the Trash never does.
- Whether it handles the App Store case. Apps installed by the App Store are protected and cannot be removed by moving the bundle. A tool that claims otherwise is either using a privileged path or overstating what it can do.
Our picks
- AppCleaner — Its record describes thoroughly uninstalling apps, which is the find-the-leftovers case. Choose it when you want the long-standing tool that finds the leftovers.
- Pearcleaner — Its record describes a free, source-available app cleaner, which is the auditability case. Choose it when you want the same job from an open, source-available tool.
- App Uninstaller — Its record describes a lightweight app uninstaller with drag-and-drop support, which is the minimal case. Choose it when you want something small that accepts a drag and drop.
- Mole — Its record describes app management alongside cleanup and disk analysis, which is the combined case. Choose it when uninstalling is one part of a broader cleanup.
The apps
App Uninstaller
App Uninstaller is an app uninstaller for macOS. Lightweight app uninstaller with drag-and-drop support. Built with Swift and SwiftUI. It is released under MIT.
What it does. Drag & Drop: Simply drag any .app file onto the window to uninstall. Deep Cleaning: Automatically finds and removes related files. Native UI: Beautiful SwiftUI interface that fits right in with macOS. Smart Permissions: Automatically requests admin privileges only when needed.
App Uninstaller is listed with current version 1.0.2.
Full profile and verified facts for App Uninstaller →
AppCleaner
AppCleaner is an app uninstaller for macOS. Thoroughly uninstall apps. It is released under Proprietary; the site carries an ‘All rights reserved’ notice and publishes no licence text. It is free.
Strengths. Free: the site lists no price and offers the download directly, with an optional PayPal donation and no paid tier described. According to the developer, single-purpose and simple — drop an application on the window and it finds the related files so they can be deleted with one button. Builds are still published for older systems: 3.6.8 for macOS 10.14 to 15.6, 3.6 for macOS 10.13 and 3.4 for macOS 10.10 to 10.12.
Trade-offs. The current version 3.7 requires macOS 15 or later, so users on older systems must download an older build. The site publishes no manual, release notes or architecture information, so version history and Apple Silicon support cannot be established from the developer. Apple Silicon support is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks. No menu-bar item, background agent or login item is described.
Not for. Windows or Linux users — AppCleaner is macOS only. Anyone who needs more than uninstalling — AppCleaner removes whole applications, unlike a maintenance suite such as CleanMyMac. Users who want to read the source — AppCleaner is proprietary.
What it does. Thorough uninstallation of apps with their related files. Drag-and-drop an application onto the window to find its leftovers. Deletes preference files, caches and other supporting files. Separate builds for older macOS versions.
AppCleaner is listed with current version 3.7.
Full profile and verified facts for AppCleaner →
MacOSCleaner
MacOSCleaner is a Mac cleaner for macOS. Free, open-source macOS cleaner with disk analyzer, app uninstaller, and smart cleanup. It is open source.
MacOSCleaner is listed with current version 2.3.0.
Full profile and verified facts for MacOSCleaner →
Mole
Mole is a Mac cleaner for macOS. Native Mac maintenance utility for cleanup, app management, disk analysis, and system monitoring. Its pricing is not published.
What it does. Mole is a native Mac app for cleaning caches and AI tool data, uninstalling and updating apps, analyzing disk space, and checking system status. Pay once, get free updates.
Mole is listed with current version 1.16.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Mole →
Pearcleaner
Pearcleaner is a Mac cleaner for macOS. A free, source-available and fair-code licensed mac app cleaner. It is open source.
What it does. Drag/drop apps, CLI support, and deep link automation view. List or Grid view with badges for web/iOS apps. Finder Extension for right-click uninstall. Pearcleaner self-uninstall and other options.
Pearcleaner is listed with current version 5.4.3.
Full profile and verified facts for Pearcleaner →
How to choose
- Free of charge. AppCleaner — no payment is required.
- No licence fee, source available. App Uninstaller, MacOSCleaner and Pearcleaner — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
- Pricing not published in our data. Mole — check the developer’s own site before assuming anything about cost.
Open source: App Uninstaller, MacOSCleaner and Pearcleaner (3 of 5).
Common mistakes
- Dragging an app to the Trash and assuming it is gone. The support folder and the launch agent are still there.
- Removing files by name match when two apps share a vendor prefix.
- Uninstalling an App Store app by moving its bundle, which macOS will restore or refuse.
- Deleting a shared framework because one app listed it. The next app to launch will explain the mistake.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Verified 2026-10-05.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these app uninstallers?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 5 app uninstallers: App Uninstaller, AppCleaner, MacOSCleaner, Mole and Pearcleaner. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these app uninstallers free?
Pricing across this group: open source (App Uninstaller, MacOSCleaner and Pearcleaner), free (AppCleaner) and not published (Mole). Where we list pricing as not published, the developer does not state a model we could verify — check their own site before assuming anything about cost. We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these app uninstallers are open source?
App Uninstaller (MIT), MacOSCleaner (not published) and Pearcleaner (not published) are open source.
Do these app uninstallers support Apple Silicon?
Our data does not carry an explicit Apple Silicon statement for any app in this group, so we do not claim one. The absence of a statement is not the same as the absence of support.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
Who should not use these apps?
AppCleaner each list an audience they are explicitly not aimed at. Those notes come from the same verified records as the rest of this guide, and they are worth reading before you install anything.
When was this data last verified?
The facts in this guide were last confirmed on 2026-10-05. Every app page carries its own verification dates and source list, so you can check any individual claim.
