{"slug": "appcleaner", "name": "AppCleaner", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "", "recommenders": 5, "commenters": 5, "warners": 0, "score": 4.432, "rising": -0.31, "first": "2025-11-14", "latest": "2026-08-08", "why": "I've had success with AppCleaner[0] and Pearcleaner[1].", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 5, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "I've had success with AppCleaner[0] and Pearcleaner[1].", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": "freemacsoft.net", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["AppCleaner"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 787513200, "item_id": 49219575, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49219575", "by": "FacelessJim", "date": "2026-08-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Been using the great and free AppCleaner", "excerpt": "Been using the great and free AppCleaner[1] since I have memory. It's so good I just forget it's there. It autodetects when you delete an app from the Applications folder runs a quick scan and suggests which other files you might want to delete (So you might save savedata or settings if needed) [1]https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/", "context": "", "use_case": "Removing leftover app files", "switched_from": "", "story": "As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program"}, {"id": 782279216, "item_id": 48892451, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48892451", "by": "mft_", "date": "2026-07-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've had success with AppCleaner[0] and Pearcleaner[1].", "excerpt": "A tangent, but for full clean removals of apps in MacOS (because I'm old-school and despite having plenty of GBs of storage, I hate the idea of dregs lying around) I've had success with AppCleaner[0] and Pearcleaner[1]. Pearcleaner is multi-functional; AppCleaner just sits in the background looking for app bundles to appear in the recycle bin. [0] https://appcleaner.macupdate.com/ [1] https://github.com/alienator88/P", "context": "macOS user", "use_case": "removing macOS apps cleanly", "switched_from": "", "story": "An Infuriating Goodbye to Photoshop"}, {"id": 762095040, "item_id": 47630940, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47630940", "by": "ValentineC", "date": "2026-04-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use AppCleaner: https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/", "excerpt": "I use AppCleaner: https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ Raycast has a built-in uninstaller as well.", "context": "", "use_case": "uninstall Mac apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "Samsung Magician disk utility takes 18 steps and two reboots to uninstall"}, {"id": 762075696, "item_id": 47629731, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47629731", "by": "jdeibele", "date": "2026-04-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "which does a good job of removing preferences as well as the application.", "excerpt": "Me, too. There is Mac Cleaner https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ which does a good job of removing preferences as well as the application.", "context": "", "use_case": "Removing macOS app leftovers", "switched_from": "", "story": "Samsung Magician disk utility takes 18 steps and two reboots to uninstall"}, {"id": 734945520, "item_id": 45934095, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45934095", "by": "ohm", "date": "2025-11-14", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Use this app to uninstall it", "excerpt": "Use this app to uninstall it https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ it should remove all traces of the app from computer", "context": "", "use_case": "Uninstall apps on macOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Unofficial Microsoft Teams client for Linux"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [{"by": "mft_", "context": "macOS user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48892451", "date": "2026-07-13"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["removing leftover app files", "removing macos apps cleanly", "uninstall mac apps", "removing macos app leftovers", "uninstall apps on macos"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47567222", "title": "Samsung Magician disk utility takes 18 steps and two reboots to uninstall", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49164184", "title": "As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48891200", "title": "An Infuriating Goodbye to Photoshop", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45808407", "title": "Unofficial Microsoft Teams client for Linux", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 787513200, "item_id": 49219575, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49219575", "by": "FacelessJim", "date": "2026-08-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Been using the great and free AppCleaner", "excerpt": "Been using the great and free AppCleaner[1] since I have memory. It's so good I just forget it's there. It autodetects when you delete an app from the Applications folder runs a quick scan and suggests which other files you might want to delete (So you might save savedata or settings if needed) [1]https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/", "context": "", "use_case": "Removing leftover app files", "switched_from": "", "story": "As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program"}, {"id": 782279216, "item_id": 48892451, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48892451", "by": "mft_", "date": "2026-07-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've had success with AppCleaner[0] and Pearcleaner[1].", "excerpt": "A tangent, but for full clean removals of apps in MacOS (because I'm old-school and despite having plenty of GBs of storage, I hate the idea of dregs lying around) I've had success with AppCleaner[0] and Pearcleaner[1]. Pearcleaner is multi-functional; AppCleaner just sits in the background looking for app bundles to appear in the recycle bin. [0] https://appcleaner.macupdate.com/ [1] https://github.com/alienator88/P", "context": "macOS user", "use_case": "removing macOS apps cleanly", "switched_from": "", "story": "An Infuriating Goodbye to Photoshop"}, {"id": 762095040, "item_id": 47630940, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47630940", "by": "ValentineC", "date": "2026-04-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use AppCleaner: https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/", "excerpt": "I use AppCleaner: https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ Raycast has a built-in uninstaller as well.", "context": "", "use_case": "uninstall Mac apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "Samsung Magician disk utility takes 18 steps and two reboots to uninstall"}, {"id": 762075696, "item_id": 47629731, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47629731", "by": "jdeibele", "date": "2026-04-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "which does a good job of removing preferences as well as the application.", "excerpt": "Me, too. There is Mac Cleaner https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ which does a good job of removing preferences as well as the application.", "context": "", "use_case": "Removing macOS app leftovers", "switched_from": "", "story": "Samsung Magician disk utility takes 18 steps and two reboots to uninstall"}, {"id": 734945520, "item_id": 45934095, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45934095", "by": "ohm", "date": "2025-11-14", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Use this app to uninstall it", "excerpt": "Use this app to uninstall it https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ it should remove all traces of the app from computer", "context": "", "use_case": "Uninstall apps on macOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Unofficial Microsoft Teams client for Linux"}]}