Comparison · Android
AVG Cleaner vs CCleaner: what 5,384 reviews say
Short answer
AVG Cleaner averages 3.72 stars across 2,743 US and UK reviews; CCleaner averages 3.3 across 2,641. AVG Cleaner has the smaller share of 1–2★ reviews (27.5% against 39.8%). The widest gap is ads, pop-ups and pushy screens: 24% of AVG Cleaner's low ratings against 32.3% of CCleaner's. CCleaner lists the lower starting price.
Last updated
AVG Cleaner vs CCleaner: the numbers side by side
| AVG Cleaner | CCleaner | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms in our data | Android | Android |
| What it is | storage cleaner | storage cleaner |
| Reviews analysed | 2,743 | 2,641 |
| Average rating | 3.72 | 3.3 |
| 5★ share | 55.3% | 46.3% |
| 1–2★ share | 27.5% | 39.8% |
| Billing share of 1–2★ | 33.6% | 33.7% |
| Reviews saying "scam", "fraud" or "rip-off" | 1% | 1.1% |
| Developer replies (Google Play) | 54.3% | 55.3% |
| Prices on the store (US) | Google Play (US) $1.49 to $39.99 per item, with ads | Google Play (US) $1.39 to $39.99 per item, with ads |
Where do AVG Cleaner and CCleaner differ most?
- CCleaner's unhappy reviewers mention ads, pop-ups and pushy screens more often as AVG Cleaner's: 32.3% against 24% of 1–2★ reviews.
- The app not working or doing little is a bigger issue for CCleaner (22.2% of low ratings) than for AVG Cleaner (18.5%).
- A paywall before the app does anything useful is a bigger issue for AVG Cleaner (10.2% of low ratings) than for CCleaner (6.9%).
- On booster, RAM or antivirus claims that seem to do nothing, AVG Cleaner draws 5.2% of its 1–2★ reviews, while CCleaner draws 2.6%.
- Privacy and permission worries is a bigger issue for AVG Cleaner (8.9% of low ratings) than for CCleaner (6.9%).
Both are compared on Android. AVG Cleaner removes junk files, uninstalls apps, deletes bad or unwanted photos and videos and can roll back updates of preinstalled apps; CCleaner removes junk and cleans files, download folders and browser data.
Are AVG Cleaner and CCleaner improving?
AVG Cleaner went from 3.91 stars in 2026-Q1 to 3.98 in 2026-Q4, with billing at 35% 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, AVG Cleaner's developer answers more unhappy reviewers (72.1% against 61.7%).
Where are AVG Cleaner and CCleaner alike?
Their reviewers agree on billing, trials and cancelling, deleting photos or files the user wanted and slowness, crashes and bugs: on each, the two apps are within two points of each other (33.6% vs 33.7%; 2.4% vs 2.3%; 12.5% vs 12.3%). 21.5% of AVG Cleaner's reviews are 1★ and 55.3% are 5★; for CCleaner the split is 30.7% and 46.3%, so CCleaner has noticeably more very angry reviewers.
What do happy users praise in each?
10.4% of AVG Cleaner's 4–5★ reviews say it is easy to use, compared with 7.5% for CCleaner. 29.9% of CCleaner's 4–5★ reviews say it works, compared with 27.1% for AVG Cleaner. 3.5% of AVG Cleaner's 4–5★ reviews say a fair price or free use, compared with 2.7% for CCleaner.
Which is cheaper, AVG Cleaner or CCleaner?
AVG Cleaner: Google Play (US) $1.49 to $39.99 per item, with ads. CCleaner: Google Play (US) $1.39 to $39.99 per item, with ads. CCleaner starts lower, at $1.39 against $1.49. Billing makes up 33.6% of AVG Cleaner's 1–2★ reviews and 33.7% of CCleaner's.
What reviewers say about AVG Cleaner and CCleaner
- AVG Cleaner: "I paid about £20 for it and it still runs the most annoying ads in the world!" (2★, Google Play, US, Mar 2026)
- AVG Cleaner: "Can't even try it out without being forced to subscribe. Absolutely junk app." (1★, Google Play, US, Apr 2026)
- CCleaner: "Used to be a good product but now just garbage adverts and the free cleaner no longer seems to work. I wouldn't recommend." (1★, Google Play, US, Jul 2026)
- CCleaner: "Does not clean the cache even after reinstall. Quite pointless now. Will delete and cancel subscription" (1★, Google Play, US, Apr 2026)
Picked from the ads, pop-ups and pushy screens and the app not working or doing little themes, where the two differ most.
Should you choose AVG Cleaner or CCleaner?
On ratings alone, AVG Cleaner is the safer bet on the evidence here, with 12.3% fewer 1–2★ reviews. If ads, pop-ups and pushy screens is what worries you most, AVG Cleaner has the better record on it.
Frequently asked questions
Is AVG Cleaner better than CCleaner?
AVG Cleaner has fewer unhappy reviews (27.5% 1–2★ against 39.8%). Neither figure measures cleaning quality directly; they show how reviewers felt.
Which has fewer subscription complaints?
AVG Cleaner: billing is 33.6% of its 1–2★ reviews, against 33.7%.
Sources
- AVG Cleaner – Storage Cleaner, Google Play (checked 31 October 2026)
- CCleaner – Phone Cleaner, Google Play (checked 31 October 2026)
Related
More in App comparisons
GalleryJury is coming soon to Android
It keeps the best shot from every burst and clears the clutter around it. 50 free photos to try, then $5 for 5,000 photos or $15 for 20,000. Pay once, nothing renews. No subscription.