AI Cleaner vs CCleaner: what 6,217 reviews say

AI Cleaner vs CCleaner: the numbers side by side

Where do AI Cleaner and CCleaner differ most?

• On ads, pop-ups and pushy screens, CCleaner draws 32.3% of its 1–2★ reviews, while AI Cleaner draws 9.4%.
• AI Cleaner's unhappy reviewers mention billing, trials and cancelling more often as CCleaner's: 49.6% against 33.7% of 1–2★ reviews.
• On a paywall before the app does anything useful, AI Cleaner draws 16.3% of its 1–2★ reviews, while CCleaner draws 6.9%.
• On calling the app a scam or rip-off, AI Cleaner draws 10.7% of its 1–2★ reviews, while CCleaner draws 3.1%.
• On an ad or listing that promised something else, AI Cleaner draws 7.5% of its 1–2★ reviews, while CCleaner draws 1.1%.

Both are compared on Android, where both have enough reviews. AI Cleaner deletes duplicate photos and similar videos, clears email inboxes and compresses media files; CCleaner removes junk and cleans files, download folders and browser data.

Are AI Cleaner and CCleaner improving?

AI Cleaner went from 2.24 stars in 2025-Q3 to 3.21 in 2026-Q4, with billing at 28.1% of its latest 1–2★ reviews. CCleaner went from 3.34 stars in 2026-Q1 to 3.6 in 2026-Q4, with billing at 19.4% of its latest 1–2★ reviews. On Google Play, AI Cleaner's developer answers more unhappy reviewers (99.8% against 61.7%).

Where are AI Cleaner and CCleaner alike?

Their reviewers agree on support that doesn't answer: on each, the two apps are within two points of each other (2.2% vs 3%). 44% of AI Cleaner's reviews are 1★ and 37.1% are 5★; for CCleaner the split is 30.7% and 46.3%, so AI Cleaner has noticeably more very angry reviewers.

What do happy users praise in each?

29.9% of CCleaner's 4–5★ reviews say it works, compared with 20.6% for AI Cleaner. 2.7% of CCleaner's 4–5★ reviews say a fair price or free use, compared with 0.5% for AI Cleaner. 7.5% of CCleaner's 4–5★ reviews say it is easy to use, compared with 6.3% for AI Cleaner.

Which is cheaper, AI Cleaner or CCleaner?

AI Cleaner: App Store (US) in-app purchases from $6.99 to $34.99; Google Play (US) $4.99 to $79.99 per item, with ads. CCleaner: Google Play (US) $1.39 to $39.99 per item, with ads. CCleaner starts lower, at $1.39 against $4.99. Billing makes up 49.6% of AI Cleaner's 1–2★ reviews and 33.7% of CCleaner's.

What reviewers say about AI Cleaner and CCleaner

• AI Cleaner: "I have to pay before using it. At least we can watch ads" (1★, Google Play, US, Jul 2026)
• AI Cleaner: "Unprofessional, and not acceptable. I have signed up for the 7 day free trail period, but charged immediately. I want a refund immediately" (1★, Google Play, US, May 2026)
• CCleaner: "too many advertisements . Results are not good. Don't install it." (1★, Google Play, US, May 2026)
• CCleaner: "CCleaner once again trying to charge for features that have been free for over a decade." (1★, Google Play, US, Jun 2026)

Picked from the ads, pop-ups and pushy screens and billing, trials and cancelling themes, where the two differ most.

Should you choose AI Cleaner or CCleaner?

On ratings alone, the two are close on ratings, so choose on price and on which features you need. If ads, pop-ups and pushy screens is what worries you most, AI Cleaner has the better record on it.