Moving from CCleaner
Last checked 7 November 2026. CCleaner's free edition and windowsweep overlap on browser data and junk files. They part ways after that: CCleaner's paid plans update drivers and software, and windowsweep names each path before it deletes anything.
What this covers, and what stays with CCleaner
Sections 7 to 10 cover browser caches, desktop-app caches, Windows user caches and user temp, which is the part of the job CCleaner's page describes as junk files and temporary internet files. The sections page says what each one removes.
What windowsweep will not do for you:
- Tracking cookies. windowsweep does not clear them today, so keep a tool that does if you rely on that.
- Driver and software updates, and the sleep mode for background apps. windowsweep has neither.
The move, step by step
-
Look first. This deletes nothing:
npx windowsweep --scan -
Rehearse the sections that do this job. Each line says what it would remove, and nothing goes:
npx windowsweep --dry-run --only 7,8,9,10 --yes -
Run them. There is no undo for a cache it deletes, though the program rebuilds it:
npx windowsweep --only 7,8,9,10 --yes -
Prefer a window? The desktop app drives the same engine. A real run there counts against your plan's allowance. A dry-run and the command line never do.
Want it to run by itself? CCleaner's automatic cleaning is a paid feature on its page. Here, a global install adds a weekly task: npm install -g windowsweep, then windowsweep --install-task. The desktop app's own weekly schedule is on Pro.
Read the safety model if you want to see what every run refuses.
The facts, as read on 7 November 2026
CCleaner's own pages, copied as they stood that day. A price can change the day after it is read, so open CCleaner's site before you buy.
| Plan | Price | Terms | Where it was read |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCleaner Free | $0 | 1 device | Source, read 7 November 2026 |
| CCleaner Professional | $29.95 a year | First year, 1 device; the page states a renewal price of $44.95 a year | Source, read 7 November 2026 |
| CCleaner Professional Plus | $39.95 a year | First year, 3 devices; the page states a renewal price of $64.95 a year | Source, read 7 November 2026 |
windowsweep's current prices and its Free plan's run limit are on the pricing page.
| The job | CCleaner | windowsweep |
|---|---|---|
| Clears browser and app caches | Yes (source) | Yes |
| Clears log files | Not stated on the pages we checked | Yes |
| Clears tracking cookies | Not stated on the pages we checked | No |
| Finds folders left by removed software | Not stated on the pages we checked | Yes |
| Uninstalls programs | Not stated on the pages we checked | Yes |
| Free to use | Yes (source) | Yes |
| Open source | Not stated on the pages we checked | Yes |
| States no ads or bundled offers | Not stated on the pages we checked | Yes |
"Not stated on the pages we checked" is not a no. The page did not say. The side-by-side version is at CCleaner and windowsweep.