Sweep vs MacBooster: Which Mac Cleaner Should You Pick?

MacBooster has been on the App Store for years and has a loyal following — and a vocal group of critics who say it cleans too aggressively. Sweep is newer and takes a deliberately conservative approach. If you’re trying to decide between them, here’s the actual comparison.

I tested both on a 14” M3 MacBook Pro running macOS 14 Sonoma and a 2018 Mac mini running macOS 14 as well, doing a full scan with each app on the same machines a week apart.

The companies behind them

MacBooster is made by IObit, a Chinese software company that’s been making Windows utilities since 2004 and expanded to Mac. They have other products like Advanced SystemCare on Windows and a fairly aggressive marketing style.

Sweep is made by an independent team focused on a single Mac product. No Windows version, no antivirus, no driver updater — just the Mac cleaner.

Different companies, different philosophies. Worth knowing because it shapes the apps.

Feature comparison

MacBooster covers more categories. Sweep covers fewer but goes deeper on what it does, especially the privacy audit.

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Pricing

MacBooster runs around $49.95/year for one Mac, $59.95/year for three. Lifetime licenses appear in promotions but the standard offer is yearly.

Sweep offers monthly, yearly, and one-time licenses for one Mac or five Macs. The one-time option includes free updates forever, which MacBooster does not match. Both honor a 30-day money-back guarantee.

If pay-once matters to you, Sweep wins on this axis. If you don’t mind subscriptions, the per-year cost is comparable for the yearly tier.

The aggressiveness question

This is where the two apps part ways most clearly.

In testing, MacBooster’s “Turbo Boost” mode flagged a category called “Outdated Caches” that included Xcode DerivedData, npm caches, and Homebrew downloads. Removing them is technically safe — they’ll regenerate — but it cost me 12 minutes of rebuild time on the next compile. MacBooster doesn’t warn you about this; it just shows a green checkmark when done.

Sweep’s scan flagged the same files but grouped them under “Developer caches — large rebuild on next use” and required a click to confirm. That’s the philosophical difference: MacBooster optimizes for the green-checkmark feeling, Sweep optimizes for you knowing what just happened.

Neither approach is wrong. If you’re not a developer, MacBooster’s behavior is fine. If you are, you’ll want the warning.

UI and experience

MacBooster’s interface follows the IObit house style: lots of color, animated meters, a security score out of 100, big “Fix” buttons. If that’s your aesthetic, it’s well executed. Some users find it noisy — particularly the way the score drops dramatically when you don’t run a scan for a few weeks, which can read as manufactured urgency.

Sweep’s interface is calmer. A single window, a list of categories, sizes shown clearly, no score, no urgency badges. Less drama, less visual reward — depends on what you want from a utility.

Where MacBooster genuinely wins

Being fair:

• More categories. Duplicate file finder, photo cleanup, large file scanner. Sweep doesn’t include these.
• Malware scanner. Bundled in. Sweep deliberately doesn’t try to be one (we recommend just trusting macOS XProtect for most users).
• Free version. MacBooster’s free tier gives you basic scans, which is genuinely useful if you’re price-sensitive.

If you want a single app that covers ten categories of Mac maintenance, MacBooster is more comprehensive.

Where Sweep wins

• Conservative defaults. Sweep won’t nuke your Xcode caches without asking.
• Privacy audit. Sweep’s permission audit is more thorough than MacBooster’s. Camera, mic, full disk access, contacts, calendars, location — all in one view with revoke buttons.
• Cleaner pricing. One-time licenses with free updates forever vs subscription-only.
• No upsell pressure. No security score reminding you to renew, no “Recommended” badges nudging upgrades.
• Made for Mac only. The app feels native because it is. Some MacBooster screens still feel slightly Windows-y in their density.

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Performance on older Macs

This matters because cleaners are often run on older Macs. On the 2018 Mac mini with 8 GB RAM, MacBooster’s idle background process used about 180 MB of RAM. Sweep’s idle footprint was 45 MB. During scans both spike, but MacBooster’s residual presence is heavier.

If you’re cleaning a 2015 or 2016 MacBook to give it another year, the lighter app is easier to live with.

Privacy auditing in detail

This is Sweep’s standout feature versus MacBooster.

Sweep’s privacy module shows you every app that has been granted access to:

• Camera
• Microphone
• Screen recording
• Full disk access
• Files in Documents, Desktop, Downloads
• Contacts
• Calendars
• Reminders
• Photos
• Location

You can revoke any of them in one click. macOS lets you do this in System Settings, but it’s spread across nine different panels. Sweep collapses them into one list.

MacBooster has a privacy module focused on browser tracker removal — useful, different feature. If you specifically want to audit app permissions, Sweep is the tool.

Customer support and trust

MacBooster has had some complaints about cancellation and refund processes over the years. They do honor the 30-day MBG, but users have reported friction. Worth being aware of.

Sweep is smaller and replies faster on average, partly because there are fewer customers. That’ll change as we grow.

Bottom line

Pick MacBooster if:

• You want a comprehensive cleaner with duplicate finder, photo cleanup, and malware scanning bundled
• You’re comfortable with subscription pricing
• You don’t mind a busier interface

Pick Sweep if:

• You want a focused cleaner that won’t surprise you
• Privacy auditing matters
• You’d rather pay once than yearly
• You want a calmer, Mac-native interface

Both have free trials. Try whichever calls — refund window covers you either way.

See what Sweep finds on your MacFree scan, no credit card. Decide if it’s worth keeping after. Download Sweep →