CCleaner Support Community (2024)

FAQs

Can CCleaner be trusted? ›

Is CCleaner safe? Yes, CCleaner is safe. That said, CCleaner has battled several security concerns since its acquisition by Avast.

"CCleaner is one of the best all-around tools for keeping your computer optimized and free of the junk that accumulates from Internet surfing, obsolete apps, and other fragments that clog up your system."

The $24.95 Professional plan builds on the free option by offering more thorough computer cleaning, real-time system monitoring, automatic history cleaning, and automatic software updates.

Yes, it is. Performance Optimizer is also brand new, patented technology for Windows PCs and covers a wide range of unique performance benefits. For these reasons, we took testing to an extra level with this particular feature because it's a world-first.

However, in September 2017, CCleaner malware was discovered. Hackers took the legitimate program and inserted malicious code that was designed to steal data from users. They turned a tool meant to scrub your computer clean of lurking malware into a serious threat to sensitive and personal information.

It has been reported that a version of Piriform CCleaner.exe has been compromised/trojanized resulting in the installation of multi-stage backdoor capable of receiving instructions from threat actors on affected systems.

Verdict: Avast Cleanup is the best alternative to CCleaner due to its advanced disk cleaner and optimizing features. The price of the software is also affordable as it costs just $5 per month for a single PC. Price: The annual cost for a single PC is $59.99 and the cost for 10 PCs is $69.99.

However, one thing CCleaner doesn't do is detect or remove viruses, spyware, or malware. Even if you're a cautious internet user, we always recommend having a modern antivirus program installed to protect against the risk of computer viruses and malicious software.

If you use your computer every day for several hours or more, cleaning once or twice a week may be sufficient. Most of the data that CCleaner cleans comes from your web browsers. So, it is also worth considering how much time you spend on the web.

Is CCleaner the best free cleaner? ›

Trusted by millions and critically acclaimed, there's a reason why CCleaner is a world's leading PC optimization tool! Easy to use, few click cleaning so beginners can optimize their computers in seconds. Plus, it's packed with advanced features for power users.

Our Statistics

Over 2.5 billion CCleaner downloads worldwide!

With more than 12,000 user reviews on Trustpilot, CCleaner has an 'Excellent' rating overall.

Yes CCleaner will clear browser caches and history.

The 5.3 version of CCleaner that got compromised produced two payloads of malware. The first spread installed spyware called Floxif on the computers. The spyware gathered the data of all running processes.

In 2017, CCleaner was compromised by hackers who planted malware in the software to spy on more than two million users. The tool maker said that the hackers specifically targeted high-profile tech companies and telecom giants.