At a Glance:
Pearcleaner is a free, source-available Mac app cleaner inspired by AppCleaner, offering uninstalls, orphaned file searches, a CLI, a Finder Extension, and utilities like an architecture stripper and Sentinel Monitor for automatic trash-triggered cleanup.
Overview:
Pearcleaner is a free, source-available macOS application cleaner designed for app uninstallation, orphaned file management, and development environment cleanup. Inspired by Freemacsoft's AppCleaner, the project was built as a learning exercise in macOS app handling and Swift development. It provides a drag-and-drop interface, CLI support, and a Finder Extension for right-click uninstalls. The app targets Mac users who want a locally-run tool to remove applications and their leftover files without relying on a commercial solution. Active development is currently on hold due to the maintainer's lack of access to a development Mac and other life commitments.
Key Decision Points:
App maintenance status: The developer has clearly stated the project is on hold indefinitely, meaning no new updates, bug fixes, or pull request reviews should be expected for the foreseeable future.
Native Mac tool with multiple interfaces: Users can interact with the app through its standard window, a drag-and-drop action, CLI commands, or a Finder Extension that enables right-click uninstalls directly from the file system.
Automatic cleanup option: The integrated Sentinel Monitor can be set to automatically clean up associated files when an application is moved to the Trash, running with a reported ~2MB of RAM.
Bundled utilities beyond cleaning: The tool includes specific utilities for stripping unneeded architectures from universal binaries and pruning unused app language translations, going beyond basic file deletion.
Core Features:
App Uninstall: Removes applications along with their related files discovered through searches.
Orphaned File Search: Finds and manages files left behind by previously deleted or moved applications.
Sentinel Monitor: An automatic cleanup feature that triggers a search for associated files when an app is moved to the Trash.
Finder Extension: Adds an option to the macOS right-click context menu for uninstalling apps directly from Finder.
App Lipo: Strips unnecessary architectures from universal binary applications without requiring the Xcode lipo binary.
CLI & Deep Link Support: Offers terminal-based control and a deep link automation view for integrating uninstall actions into scripts.
Use Cases:
Mac users seeking a free uninstaller: Individuals who want a dedicated tool to remove applications and their leftover files from macOS without paying for a commercial cleaner.
Developers experimenting with Swift: The project serves as a practical reference for those interested in learning how macOS handles app installation and uninstallation processes programmatically.
Users managing app translations and binaries: Can be used specifically for its utilities that prune unwanted language files from apps or strip unnecessary binary architectures to save disk space.
Open-Source Alternative Value:
Pearcleaner provides a free, locally-running alternative to commercial Mac cleaning tools, with its source code available for review. It is directly inspired by the popular Freemacsoft's AppCleaner and offers comparable core functionality for removing apps and orphaned files. The project differentiates itself with a set of integrated utilities and multiple access interfaces, including a CLI and a Finder Extension, while remaining a personal, opinionated tool rather than a community-developed project. Users should note that its maintenance is on hold, making it a snapshot of a functional state rather than an actively evolving option.
