CCleaner is a cleanup utility first released in 2004 by the British company Piriform, which Avast bought in 2017 and which now sits within Gen Digital. There is a free version for personal use and a paid Professional version, on desktop and on mobile.
What CCleaner is for
CCleaner deletes temporary files, browser caches and history, the recycle bin contents and other clutter to free up disk space. It can also uninstall programs and control what launches at startup. The Pro version adds a software updater, a driver updater, a performance optimiser that puts idle apps to sleep, and real-time monitoring. On Android and iOS the app focuses on finding large files, duplicates and similar photos.
Who is it for?
CCleaner is for home users who want to tidy up a cluttered PC without digging through temp folders by hand. Go easy on the registry cleaner, which offers little benefit on recent versions of Windows. The software has had its share of controversy too: in 2020 Microsoft Defender flagged the free version as a potentially unwanted application because of bundled offers in the installer.
Download CCleaner safely
Only download CCleaner from ccleaner.com for Windows and Mac, from Google Play on Android and from the App Store on iPhone. Pro licences are sold on the official site. Free Pro versions, keygens and cracks posted on file-sharing sites put your computer at risk of malware.
