At a glance
| Broom | CleanMyMac | |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-disk visual map | 8 views: sunburst, treemap, flame graph and more | Space Lens |
| Search every file by name | Instant, stays current without rescanning | — |
| App caches | 260+ apps and developer tools | ✓ |
| Build folders (node_modules, target, Pods…) | Only when the project file is still next to them | — |
| Duplicate files | Exact copies only, shared copies not counted | ✓ |
| Uninstall apps with leftovers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Launch agents and login items | ✓ | ✓ |
| Malware scanning, RAM and speed tools | — | ✓ |
CleanMyMac pricing and plans change often; check macpaw.com for current figures.
Choose CleanMyMac if you want a maintenance suite
CleanMyMac bundles malware scanning, performance tweaks, privacy cleanup and an updater alongside its cleaning tools. If you want one app that does a bit of everything and you're happy with a subscription, it covers more ground than Broom.
Choose Broom if you want your space back and to see where it went
Broom scans your disk quickly (1.78 million files in 8.4 seconds on an M4 MacBook Air) and shows the result eight ways, from a sunburst to a flame graph. You can search every file by name as you type, and the index stays current as files change.
Its cleanup list is built for people who write code as well as everyone else: Xcode DerivedData, simulators, package manager caches, and build folders like node_modules and target, which Broom only offers when the project's package.json or Cargo.toml still sits next to them.
Safety: nothing is deleted outright
Everything Broom removes goes to the Trash, and Broom records where each item came from. Activity keeps a history of every cleanup with a Put back button, so a mistake costs you a click. Deleting permanently is a setting you have to turn on.
Questions
Is Broom a good CleanMyMac alternative?
If you use CleanMyMac mainly to free up disk space, yes. Broom covers caches, app leftovers, duplicates and developer files with recoverable deletes, and adds a disk map and instant file search. It doesn't do malware scanning or RAM tools.
Can I run both?
Yes. They don't conflict. Many people use a dedicated disk analyzer next to a general maintenance app.