The upside? The tools are free and effective! The downside? The tools are a bit scattered across different operating system areas and lack some of the extra features found in third-party tools.

More on those in a bit.Īs noted earlier Windows 10 includes a handful of built-in tune-up utilities that you may want to check out if you don't want to spend money on third-party software. The top-of-the-line Professional Plus (reviewed here) is a $39.95 application that adds three standalone apps for hard drive defragmentation, file recovery, and PC spec viewing. 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. It has basic PC-cleaning capabilities, as well as privacy-protection tools that let you delete cookies, passwords, and other related browser files. The free version is, as you'd expect, the least feature-packed option.

Piriform has corrected the problem in subsequent CCleaner releases. Still, Iolo System Mechanic remains the category's Editors' Choice due to its thorough cleaning tools and unlimited licenses.Įditors' Note: This is PCMag's first CCleaner review since the tune-up utility suffered malware-related issues in 2017. CCleaner is pricier than Windows 10's free, integrated tune-up tools, but it comes in at a lower price than some competing products, offers features that dramatically improved our testbed's boot time, and is easy enough to use that it's worth the investment. It boasts many system-enhancing features, including a registry repairer and real-time system monitoring, as well as extra features like privacy protection and drive-wiping tools. Piriform's CCleaner Professional Plus is one of many tune-up utilities capable of giving a heavily used PC a new shot at life.

Performance improvement not as large as the competition's in some areas.

How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.

How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.

How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.

How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.

How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.

How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages.

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