Tidy My Mac
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Tidy My Mac vs MacKeeper
MacKeeper is one of the oldest Mac cleaners, and one of the most argued about. Here is what happened, whether it is safe today, what it costs, and how Tidy My Mac compares, feature by feature.
macOS 26 Tahoe or later · No credit card · Everything runs on your Mac
The short answer: today's MacKeeper is not malware. It is notarized by Apple and has passed AV-TEST's antivirus tests, and its bad name comes mostly from how it was sold before 2016. It has a cleaner, real-time antivirus, an ad blocker and a VPN. Tidy My Mac has the same cleanup and antivirus, and adds ransomware protection, an outgoing firewall and Web Protection against phishing sites, but no VPN. Choose MacKeeper if you want a VPN in the same subscription, or your Mac runs a macOS older than 26 Tahoe.
| Feature | Tidy My MacCleanup + security | MacKeeperCleaner + security |
|---|---|---|
| Price and trial | ||
| First year | $19.99 | $71.4012-month plan |
| Years after | $59.99a year | Not published |
| Covers | 1 Mac | 1 Mac |
| Free trial | 7 daysno card | Free scanone free fix per tool |
| Monthly plan | None | $10.95a month |
| More Macs | One subscription per Mac | 3 Macs$89.40 a year |
| Money back | 30 days | 14 days30 for yearly plans, by its FAQ |
| Runs on | macOS 26 Tahoe or later | macOS 10.15 or later |
| Clean up | ||
| One scan for the whole Mac | YesCleanup and security score | Yes |
| Junk and cache cleaner | YesIncludes developer junk | Yes |
| Large and old files | Yes | Not stated by the vendor |
| Visual disk map | YesTreemap | Not stated by the vendor |
| Duplicate files | YesMatched byte for byte | Yes |
| Similar photos | Yes | Yes |
| Applications | ||
| Uninstaller that removes leftovers | Yes | Yes |
| App updates | YesSecurity fixes first | Yes |
| Startup items and launch agents | YesWith boot time | Yes |
| Protection | ||
| Real-time antivirus | YesNew files in Downloads and Desktop | Yes |
| Malware scan on demand | YesQuick, Normal and Deep | Yes |
| Ransomware protection | YesBy behavior and decoy files | No |
| Adware and browser hijackers | YesProfiles, policies and proxies | Yes |
| Per-app outgoing firewall | Yes | No |
| Blocks phishing and malware sites | YesEvery browser and app | No |
| Blocks ads and trackers | YesEvery browser and app | YesStopAd extension |
| Scam message checker | YesOn-device, Apple Intelligence | No |
| VPN | No | Yes |
| Security and privacy checks | ||
| macOS security settings, scored | YesSIP, Gatekeeper, FileVault and more | No |
| Alerts for apps with known vulnerabilities | Yes | No |
| Camera and microphone access | YesGrants and live alerts | No |
| Browser history and cookies cleanup | Yes | Not stated by the vendor |
| Browser extensions check | YesRated by access, 7 browsers | PartlyRemoves unused ones |
| Wi-Fi security check | Yes | No |
| System | ||
| CPU and memory monitor | YesPlus battery and SSD health | PartlyMemory only |
| Maintenance tasks | YesDNS, Spotlight, font caches | Not stated by the vendor |
Each vendor's own pricing and feature pages, checked October 29, 2026. Prices change often and many apps sell at a discount; check the vendor's site before you buy. Tell us about anything out of date at info@tidymymac.com and we will fix it. Product names are trademarks of their owners, who do not endorse this page.
Why MacKeeper has a bad reputation
MacKeeper was released in 2010 by ZeoBIT. For years it was advertised with pop-up and pop-under ads that warned of problems on your Mac, and affiliates were paid to push it, some through adware. Its free scan reported problems to sell the paid version.
- 2015: ZeoBIT settled a US class action for $2 million, without admitting wrongdoing. The suit said MacKeeper reported security and performance problems to sell fixes people didn't need, and buyers could ask for their money back.
- 2015: a security researcher found a MacKeeper customer database open on the internet, with the details of more than 13 million accounts. Kromtech, which owned MacKeeper by then, closed it quickly.
- 2019: Clario Tech bought MacKeeper, rebuilt it and has had it tested by AV-TEST since 2020.
Is MacKeeper safe today?
Yes, in the sense that it is not malware and won't harm your Mac. Apple notarizes it, which means Apple has checked it for malicious code, and its antivirus has scored well in AV-TEST's recent tests. Its cleanup shows what it found before it removes anything.
Two things are worth knowing. The free download is a sales tool: it scans and shows problems, then asks you to buy to fix them. And its Memory Cleaner frees up RAM, which does little on current macOS; see what actually speeds up a Mac.
What MacKeeper costs
- 12 months, 1 Mac: $71.40, which MacKeeper shows as $5.95 a month. Its pricing page doesn't say what the plan costs when it renews.
- 12 months, 3 Macs: $89.40.
- Monthly, 1 Mac: $10.95 a month.
Every plan has every feature, VPN included. The pricing page promises a 14-day money-back guarantee, and its FAQ says yearly plans can be refunded within 30 days. Tidy My Mac is $19.99 for the first year and $59.99 a year after that, for one Mac, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Is MacKeeper free?
No. The free download scans your Mac and lets you fix one thing with each tool; everything else needs a plan. Tidy My Mac's 7-day trial unlocks every section with only your email address, and simply ends. To clean up without paying, these guides show how to do it with what macOS already has: free up disk space, uninstall apps completely and clear the cache.
Where they are the same
Both have a one-scan checkup, a junk cleaner, duplicate finder, an uninstaller, app updates and login items, real-time antivirus with on-demand scans, an adware cleaner and an ad blocker.
Where Tidy My Mac does more
- Ransomware protection that watches for files being encrypted, which MacKeeper doesn't list.
- A per-app outgoing firewall; see why the built-in one doesn't block apps.
- Web Protection, which blocks phishing, scam and malware sites in every browser and app, not only ads.
- A scam message checker, a score for your macOS security settings, camera and microphone access, a Wi-Fi check, a disk map and alerts for apps with known vulnerabilities.
Where MacKeeper does more
- A VPN is included in every plan.
- ID Theft Guard watches your email addresses for password leaks.
- It runs on macOS 10.15 Catalina and later; Tidy My Mac needs macOS 26 Tahoe.
- A monthly plan and a 3-Mac plan, and support by chat around the clock.
How to uninstall MacKeeper
- If you have a subscription, cancel it in your MacKeeper account first, so it doesn't renew.
- Turn off its VPN, then quit MacKeeper, including its icon in the menu bar.
- Drag MacKeeper from Applications to the Trash, and enter your password if macOS asks. Then remove its ad blocker extension from your browsers.
- Check System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions for anything left behind. Tidy My Mac's Uninstaller finds and removes the app with its helpers and leftover files in one step.
Prices and features were checked on MacKeeper's own website on October 29, 2026; the history comes from news reports of the time. We make Tidy My Mac, so read this page with that in mind. See the full comparison for CleanMyMac, Intego, Malwarebytes and the other apps.
Questions about MacKeeper
Yes. Today's MacKeeper is notarized by Apple and its antivirus is certified by AV-TEST. Its bad reputation comes from aggressive advertising and misleading scans before 2016, which ended in a $2 million settlement.
It isn't a virus. It was long called scareware because its ads and free scan exaggerated problems to sell the paid version. If MacKeeper ads or pop-ups keep appearing in your browser, that is usually adware on your Mac or a site's ads, not MacKeeper itself.
No. The free download scans and fixes one thing per tool. The full version costs $10.95 a month or $71.40 for 12 months for one Mac.
If you want a cleaner, an antivirus and a VPN in one subscription, it can be. If you'd rather have ransomware protection, a firewall and protection from phishing sites, and don't need a VPN, Tidy My Mac costs less in the first year.
Do it with Tidy My Mac
Try every section free for 7 days.
Just your email, no credit card. Then $19.99 for your first year, $59.99 a year after that.
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