At a glance
| Tool | Free edition | Platforms | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glary Utilities | Yes | Windows | All-in-one toolbox |
| CCleaner | Yes | Windows, macOS, Android | Familiar, simple cleaning |
| BleachBit | Yes (open source) | Windows, Linux | Privacy-focused cleaning |
| Wise Care 365 | Yes | Windows | Lightweight alternative |
| Advanced SystemCare | Yes | Windows | Automated optimisation |
| Windows built-in tools | Included | Windows | No extra software |
CCleaner
CCleaner, now owned by Gen Digital, is the best-known PC cleaner. It covers junk files, browser data, startup items and a registry cleaner, and it’s available on more platforms than Glary. Glary’s free edition offers more separate tools, such as Duplicate Files Finder and File Shredder.
BleachBit
BleachBit is free and open source under the GPL. It focuses on deleting junk and privacy traces and runs on Windows and Linux. It has no registry repair or startup manager, which some users see as a plus.
Wise Care 365
Wise Care 365 from WiseCleaner bundles disk and registry cleaning with system tune-up tools, with a paid Pro edition. It’s similar in scope to Glary Utilities.
Advanced SystemCare
IObit’s Advanced SystemCare focuses on automated, one-click optimisation with a free and paid tiers.
Download Glary Utilities
Prefer to stick with Glary? Download the latest version free.
Windows’ own tools
- Storage Sense / Disk Cleanup — deletes temporary files.
- Task Manager > Startup apps — disables startup programs.
- Optimize Drives — maintains HDDs and SSDs.
- Installed apps — uninstalls software.
For a light user these may be enough. Glary Utilities is useful when you want everything in one place, uninstall-leftover scans, duplicate-file search and privacy tools.
How to choose
- Need macOS or Android too? Consider CCleaner.
- Want open source? Choose BleachBit.
- Want the most tools in a free Windows edition? Glary Utilities.
Quick answers
Can I use two cleaners together?
You can, but there’s little benefit and more chance of deleting something twice. Pick one main tool.
Which alternative is fully free?
BleachBit is fully free and open source; the others have free editions with paid upgrades.
Feature differences that matter
The biggest practical differences between these tools are the extras. Glary Utilities includes uninstall-leftover scanning, a duplicate file finder, file shredding and free-space wiping in its free edition. CCleaner’s strength is cross-platform availability and a very simple interface. BleachBit wins on transparency because its code is public, but it deliberately avoids registry changes. Wise Care 365 and Advanced SystemCare lean towards automated tune-ups. If you only need to delete temporary files, any of them — or Windows itself — will do the job.