10 Best PC Cleaner and Optimizer Tools in 2024

To keep your PC running smoothly and quickly, you need a powerful cleaning and optimizing tool.

13:27 15 March 2024

A slow and cluttered PC is frustrating to use. Over time, your PC collects unnecessary temporary files, cache, logs, cookies, and Registry errors that slow it down and take up valuable storage space. To keep your PC running smoothly and quickly, you need a powerful cleaning and optimizing tool.

This article evaluates 10 top-rated PC cleaner and optimizer utilities to help you find the best option for speeding up your computer and decluttering your drive. We tested each program's ability to remove junk files, optimize system settings, speed up startups, and protect privacy.

Here are our top picks for the best PC cleaner tools and optimizer tools in 2024.

1. AVG Antivirus

You might already have heard about AVG Antivirus if you’re searching for the best PC cleaner tool. It is an efficient PC cleaner software — ideal for removing junk, temporary browser files, and caches. The tool comes up with a free trial for both Android and Mac.

AVG offers an automatic PC maintenance facility and you can get it done with just a few clicks. Moreover, its built-in Disk Cleaner feature quickly finds and removes all unnecessary files while you’re using your PC. 

All in all, AVG offers Browser Cleaner, Disk Cleaner, Automatic Maintenance, and Sleep Mode features at a very reasonable price. 

2. Advanced SystemCare

IObit Advanced SystemCare is one of the most full-featured and practical all-in-one PC tune-up utilities. It utilizes powerful scanning engines to detect junk files, invalid Registry entries, encryption vulnerabilities, broken shortcuts, and more.

Advanced SystemCare also includes tools to optimize startup programs, uninstall programs, wipe browser history/cookies, defrag disk, and more.

The up-to-date malware protection and real-time scanning help keep your device protected. Advanced SystemCare is lightweight yet robust. It found and removed many junk files during our testing, visibly improving system speed and freeing up over 10GB of disk space on our test machine.

Advanced SystemCare is highly effective yet easy for novices to use. Its reasonable pricing makes it one of the best overall PC optimizer tools.

3. CCleaner

CCleaner is a well-known name for PC cleaning and optimization software. It thoroughly scans for and safely removes temporary files, browser history/cookies, tracking data, and invalid Registry entries. CCleaner's uninstall feature lets you review installed apps and selectively uninstall those you no longer need, along with leftovers.

The intuitive interface is beginner-friendly, yet you can customize scans and access advanced cleaning options. CCleaner sped up our test PC noticeably and reclaimed several gigabytes of storage space. The free version offers the core cleaning features, while paid tiers unlock additional protection like a firewall and extra optimization tools.

4. Ashampoo WinOptimizer

Ashampoo WinOptimizer is also a full-featured yet straightforward optimizer utility available. Its interface aggregates PC diagnostics like disk usage, privacy leaks, and repair/optimization modules into one place for a summarized overview.

WinOptimizer includes cleaners for junk/duplicate files, temporary Windows files, and an SSD optimization module. Its Registry/startup repair tools help correct invalid entries and optimize startup programs for faster boots.

When tested on our PC, WinOptimizer effectively cleared the cache, optimized system settings, and improved startup times. Its multi-browser cookie manager even found tracking cookies CCleaner had missed. 

On the other hand, the premium version unlocks extra tools like an uninstaller and process manager.

5. PC Cleaner

PC Cleaner is a free and powerful system optimization utility that simplifies PC cleanup. Its scanning engine removes temporary and cache files, cookies, log files, and invalid Registry entries. PC Cleaner's tools optimize system settings, fix file associations, clean privacy traces, and speed up boot times.

The easy-to-use interface focuses on necessary cleaning and repair actions to declutter a system without confusing extras. PC Cleaner removed junk files and noticeably improved overall system performance during testing. It also freed up over 5GB of storage space on our test PC right away.

For a fully-featured yet free optimizer, PC Cleaner is an excellent choice.

6. CleanMyPC

CleanMyPC comes from trusted Mac cleaning experts MacPaw and offers a full set of PC optimization tools. It scans thoroughly to find and remove cache, log files, temporary files, unused programs, and invalid Registry entries.

CleanMyPC cleanly uninstalls apps in one step, along with leftover files. Its startup optimizer diagnoses programs slowing boots and lets you disable them. The privacy cleaner wipes cookies and history from all browsers with a click.

The tool also offers secure file deletion and browser extension control. While not free, it remains very reasonably priced.

7. Razer Cortex

Razer Cortex is a free performance optimizer geared towards gamers, packs scanning tools, optimizer mods, and firewall protection. It removes cache, logs, game mods, and browser activity to clear up SSD/HDD space.

Cortex optimizes system settings to enhance gaming performance. Its Game Booster prioritizes resources towards active games. The Game Defragmenter improves load times by optimizing file placement on the drive.

While simple, Cortex noticeably enhanced loading times and framerates during gameplay on testing PCs after a cleanup. Its intuitive interface makes optimizations accessible even for less tech-savvy gamers.

8. Fortect

Fortect is a free optimization utility powered by Cyren scanning technology with automated repair functions and real-time protection. It thoroughly scans and removes temporary files, invalid registry keys/values, and corrupted OS files through its fixed repair engine.

Additional modules optimize startup programs and system services/settings for efficiency and tweak page files/virtual memory. Fortect repaired various system errors on our test machine, improving overall performance and stability. Its easy-to-understand results dashboard guides users to necessary optimizations.

9. McAfee

McAfee AntiVirus Plus is a reliable optimizer bundled with leading antivirus software. Using McAfee's Stinger scanning engine, the optimizer finds cache, logs, application errors, and invalid entries in the Windows Registry.

Additional modules let users disable unused startup programs, fragment disk drives, tweak virtual memory/page files, and uninstall unused desktop apps. Its secure file deletion and wipe tool removes sensitive data beyond recovery.

McAfee AntiVirus Plus offers multipurpose optimization and cleaning among best-in-class antivirus protection. The unified security package fits within mainstream household and business products at affordable pricing.

10. Norton

Norton 360 Premier bundles a competent optimizer with advanced antivirus, firewall, password manager, secure VPN, and dark web monitoring. Its junk file cleaner wipes cache, temporary files, and browser history.

Additional modules optimize startup programs, processes, and system services. The Secure Erase feature permanently wipes files beyond forensic recovery. Its easy-to-navigate dashboard summarizes scan results and optimization progress.

While basic, the optimizer within Norton 360 delivers necessary cleaning alongside an extensive security suite. Automated and manual optimization tools help uncover issues affecting system performance. Its protection features secure systems during and after optimization.

CLOSING WORDS!

These cleaning/optimizing utilities from Advanced SystemCare, Ashampoo, CCleaner, and CleanMyPC offer the most full-featured standalone optimization tools. Meanwhile, optimization utilities bundled within antivirus suites from McAfee, Norton, and Avast remain capable options when purchased alongside security software.

Choose the option that fits your specific needs and budget best. Regularly using any of these optimizer and PC cleaner tools helps maximize PC speed and usability over time.