Best Uninstaller for Mac

The traditional way of uninstalling an app from your Mac is to drag its icon to your trash, but this isn’t quite as complete as it should be. Often, apps will leave behind files and folders, spread all over your Mac’s system drive. So, if you want to remove this redundant data, you’ll need to delete it manually—if you can find it, of course.

That’s where a dedicated app uninstaller for Mac can pay off. Instead of just removing the main part of an app, these tools will also find and delete any extra files or folders that the app has stored on your Mac. No longer do you have to let this old, junk data clutter up your machine.

There are many of these tools on the market, but here’s our top five of the best app uninstallers for Mac.

Before we start

 

You can say goodbye to unwanted Mac apps fast with MacKeeper’s Smart Uninstaller. With just a few clicks, you can delete everything from apps to widgets. Here’s how:

1. Open MacKeeper, and select Smart Uninstaller from the sidebar.
2. Click Start Scan.
3. When the scan is done, select what you want to delete, and click Remove Selected.
4. Click Remove to confirm.

That’s all it takes to zap an app with MacKeeper. It’ll delete not only the app itself, but any related junk it would otherwise leave behind. Don’t just take our word for it, though—download MacKeeper and try it for yourself.

How to choose the best Mac uninstaller

Choosing the right uninstaller tool for your Mac comes down to a combination of several factors, including:

• Ease of use: Ideally, whichever software you choose, it should be easy to use, while giving you full visibility of what you’re removing.
• Scope of the remover: Many deleter tools don’t just remove apps, but will also rid you of unwanted widgets, plugins, and browser extensions.
• Additional functions: Mac application remover tools are often just one part of multipurpose solutions, which may have other tools you’re interested in.
• Value for money: Think about how much you want to spend because some uninstallers are free, while others have one-off or subscription fees.
• Customer support: If you run into any issues, you may need help. Check whether you’re able to get it with a particular freeware app remover.

What other methods can you use to remove apps? Check out our guides on how to uninstall apps on Mac and how to clean up Mac systems.

Top 5 app removers for Mac

With all that in mind, let’s take a closer look at our top five app uninstallers for Mac:

• MacKeeper
• App Cleaner & Uninstaller
• CleanMyMac X
• Osx Uninstaller
• AppZapper

Ready to choose the best app remover for Mac? Let’s dive in.

1. MacKeeper

MacKeeper is an all-in-one cleaning, optimization, privacy, and security program for Apple Macs. Among its list of features, it has a Smart Uninstaller tool, which can remove apps and leftover files, browser extensions, widgets, preference panes, and plugins.

After scanning your Mac, you can browse through the results to find more information. For example, you can expand sections to see what additional files and folders an app has stored on your Mac. Right-click anything in the list to reveal it in Finder. Plus, you can sort the results by size, frequency of usage, and name.

Removing apps and other data with MacKeeper is simple. Just do a scan, select what you want to remove, and then click Remove Selected. MacKeeper will safely delete unwanted apps, without leaving behind any leftovers.

As an all-in-one tool, Smart Uninstaller is just one reason to consider MacKeeper. It’s definitely worth giving it a try to see what all the other functions do and how they can help you protect and optimize your Mac.

Note from our team: 

 

MacKeeper’s Smart Uninstaller isn’t its only cleaning feature. This software also offers a Safe Cleanup mode, which can rid your Mac of all kinds of junk, including old log files, unneeded language files, old mail attachments, and more.

2. App Cleaner & Uninstaller

Nektony’s App Cleaner & Uninstaller is available as a separate tool or as part of the company’s MacCleaner Pro bundle. Here, we’re going to focus on the standalone app, which lets you remove applications, startup programs, extensions, and remaining files.

App Cleaner & Uninstaller also lets you change or remove file associations. In other words, you can choose which application opens when you open a particular kind of file.

Removing applications is easy—just select what you want to delete and click Remove. Put this program into Expert Mode, and you’ll see exactly what’s stored on your Mac and where it’s located. Helpfully, this tool shows you full file paths, so you can quickly see where things are stored on your Mac.

3. CleanMyMac X

Another all-in-one tool, CleanMyMac X offers a bunch of features and functions, including Uninstaller. This is focused solely on the removal of apps, but you’ll find tools elsewhere in CleanMyMac X to also delete plugins, browser extensions, and more.

Using the Uninstaller tool, you’ll see your Mac’s apps are sorted using a selection of filters. For instance, you can filter by App Store apps, vendors, or unused apps.

As with other app removers, CleanMyMac X lets you drill down into the results to see files and folders associated with each app. Right-clicking on items lets you reveal files in Finder or open them up in the macOS Quick Look mode.

Deleting apps is easy with CleanMyMac X, but you should try out the rest of the app’s functions before considering a subscription. If you’re only after an installer, you might not need a multipurpose tool like this.

4. Osx Uninstaller

If you’re looking for a straightforward, no-fuss uninstaller, then Osx Uninstaller should fit the bill. There are no extra functions here, just a tool that’s completely focused on removing apps and their data from your Mac.

Osx Uninstaller works differently from other app removers for Mac. You select an app from the list, then click Run Analysis. The software will then scan your Mac and find any files or folders that are associated with that app, with full file path information.

When you scan an app with Osx Uninstaller, it’ll also give you an Uninstall Difficulty rating. This refers to how hard it would be to manually remove that particular app from your Mac. In any case, when you’re done, just click Complete Uninstall, and you’re done.

Osx Uninstaller has a bit of a clunky interface, and you can’t expand or resize its window, but it does a good job of removing unwanted apps.

5. AppZapper

In the top-right corner of AppZapper, you’ll find a toggle button. Click this, and the problem alternates between two different modes of removing apps and their data.

One mode lets you drag and drop apps into AppZapper, and the tool will then display all the items related to that app. You can then select what you want to remove and click Zap to get rid of it.

The other mode of AppZapper is more like other app deleters for Mac. You can choose between apps, widgets, preference panes, and plugins, then you can add filters like file size and usage frequency. To delete an app, just select it from the list, and click Zap!

AppZapper is quick and easy to use, and the one-off cost is an added bonus. If you just want a simple uninstaller for your Mac, it should do the trick.

What is the best app uninstaller for Mac?

All the apps our team has looked at here will safely delete apps and remove leftover files after uninstall on Mac. Whether you have an iMac, Mac mini, or MacBook Pro, these tools can help you keep your system clear of junk.

Which is best for you? If you only want to remove apps from your Mac, then either Osx Uninstaller or AppZapper would be a good choice. They’re simple but capable tools and have the bonus of being available for a one-time cost.

If you want an app uninstaller that can also remove other types of junk from your Mac, then MacKeeper is the best disk cleaner for you. As well as letting you safely remove apps, it lets you search for leftovers, widgets, plugins, and more, so you can regain storage in a flash. Besides, it’s packed with other features that help to keep your Mac in tip-top condition.