PureMac: free up space on your Mac without a subscription
PureMac is a free, open-source Mac cleaner that removes junk, fully uninstalls apps, and never tracks you or tries to scare you.
The problem it solves
Your Mac says the disk is almost full. You did not save that much. So where did the space go?
Often it is hidden junk. Old cache files (saved copies apps keep to load faster). Log files. Leftovers from apps you deleted years ago. On a Mac with a small drive, this adds up fast. And you usually cannot add more storage later.
Many Mac cleaner apps want a yearly subscription. Some flash big red warnings to scare you into paying. PureMac was built to be the opposite.
What it is
PureMac is a free, open-source Mac care app. Open source means anyone can read the code that runs it. It cleans up junk, fully removes apps, helps you see what fills your disk, and runs a few safety checks.
Its makers make a clear promise in the README. No subscription, no trial, no account. No tracking of any kind. No fake "your Mac is at risk" alarms. It also will not claim to "speed up your Mac" or "boost RAM," because, as the README says, no app can reliably do that.
Who it's for
- Anyone whose Mac keeps nagging about low storage.
- People with a base-model Mac and a small drive.
- Video makers, photographers, and designers with lots of big files.
- Developers whose coding tools leave huge caches behind.
- Anyone tired of paying yearly for a cleaner.
What you can do with it
- Fully uninstall apps. It finds the settings files, caches, and logs an app spread around your Mac, so you can remove them all at once. You can even right-click an app in Finder and pick "Uninstall with PureMac."
- Find orphan files. These are leftovers from apps that are already gone.
- Run a Smart Scan. It checks system junk, user caches, mail attachments, Trash bins, and large or old files (over 100 MB or older than a year, never picked for you automatically).
- Clean up after AI and coding tools. It knows where Ollama, LM Studio, Xcode, Homebrew, npm, and Docker leave their caches.
- Explore your storage. Space Explorer shows which folders are biggest.
- Find duplicate files. It keeps one safe copy and moves extras to the Trash only after you confirm.
- Spot similar photos. It shows likely matches side by side. It never deletes photos on its own.
- Check your safety settings. It looks at things like FileVault (disk encryption) and the firewall. It is not an antivirus.
- Watch performance. See which apps use the most CPU and memory.
- Update apps. It can update apps you installed with Homebrew (a free app installer).
- Schedule cleaning. Optional automatic cleanups, from hourly to monthly.
- Use it in many languages. Including Arabic, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese.
How to start, step by step
You need a Mac running macOS 13 or newer.
- Go to the PureMac Releases page on GitHub and download the
.dmgfile. It is signed and checked by Apple, so you should not see scary security warnings. - Open the file and drag PureMac into your Applications folder.
- Open PureMac. A short welcome guide shows you how to give it Full Disk Access (permission to see all your files). It even shows the exact switch to flip.
- Run a scan. Look over what it found.
- Choose what to clean or uninstall, and confirm.
If you already use Homebrew, you can install it with one line in Terminal instead:
brew install --cask puremac
Good to know
- It is free. No paid plan, no account, no trial.
- No tracking. The README says it sends no analytics, no crash reports, and no data about your files. Scans and cleanup work offline. Only app updates need the internet.
- Some cleanups are permanent. Uninstalls, orphan removal, and duplicate removal go to the Trash first. But category cleanups, scheduled auto-clean, and emptying the Trash can delete files for good. Read your selection before you click.
- Matching is a best guess. When it hunts for an app's leftover files, review the list before you remove anything.
- It needs deep access. Full Disk Access is a big permission. That is why the code is open for anyone to check.
- "Purgeable" space is not junk. PureMac shows it but will not pretend to free it. macOS handles that space itself.
- License: MIT. You are free to use it, change it, and even use it in a business. Just keep the copyright notice.
The bottom line
PureMac is an honest, free way to win back space on your Mac. It cleans junk, removes apps completely, and finds big and duplicate files, all without a subscription or scare tactics. Just review what you delete, since some cleanups are permanent.
Get it: github.com/momenbasel/PureMac
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