Comparison · iPhone
Cleanup vs Cleaner Guru: what 4,682 reviews say
Short answer
Cleanup averages 2.89 stars across 3,789 US and UK reviews; Cleaner Guru averages 2.49 across 893. Cleanup has the smaller share of 1–2★ reviews (50.9% against 61%). The widest gap is billing, trials and cancelling: 51.5% of Cleanup's low ratings against 58.9% of Cleaner Guru's. Cleaner Guru lists the lower starting price.
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Cleanup vs Cleaner Guru: the numbers side by side
| Cleanup | Cleaner Guru | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms in our data | Android and iPhone | iPhone |
| What it is | photo cleaner | iPhone storage cleaner |
| Reviews analysed | 3,789 | 893 |
| Average rating | 2.89 | 2.49 |
| 5★ share | 40.4% | 32.3% |
| 1–2★ share | 50.9% | 61% |
| Billing share of 1–2★ | 51.5% | 58.9% |
| Reviews saying "scam", "fraud" or "rip-off" | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Developer replies (Google Play) | 0.1% | 38.9% |
| Prices on the store (US) | App Store (US) in-app purchases from $5.95 to $29.99; Google Play (US) $6.99 to $39.99 per item, with ads | App Store (US) in-app purchases from $4.99 to $39.99; Google Play (US) $6.99 to $39.99 per item |
Where do Cleanup and Cleaner Guru differ most?
- On billing, trials and cancelling, Cleaner Guru draws 58.9% of its 1–2★ reviews, while Cleanup draws 51.5%.
- On a paywall before the app does anything useful, Cleaner Guru draws 17.2% of its 1–2★ reviews, while Cleanup draws 11.4%.
- Cleaner Guru's unhappy reviewers mention calling the app a scam or rip-off more often as Cleanup's: 16.1% against 10.5% of 1–2★ reviews.
- Cleanup's unhappy reviewers mention ads, pop-ups and pushy screens more often as Cleaner Guru's: 6.8% against 3.5% of 1–2★ reviews.
- On an ad or listing that promised something else, Cleaner Guru draws 7.3% of its 1–2★ reviews, while Cleanup draws 5.1%.
Both are compared on iPhone, where both have enough reviews. Cleanup deletes duplicate photos and videos and similar screenshots, merges duplicate contacts and compresses videos; Cleaner Guru deletes duplicate photos, compresses videos, bulk-deletes spam email and merges duplicate contacts.
Are Cleanup and Cleaner Guru improving?
Cleanup went from 2.45 stars in 2026-Q2 to 3.15 in 2026-Q4, with billing at 42.8% of its latest 1–2★ reviews. Cleaner Guru went from 2.52 stars in 2025-Q3 to 2.53 in 2026-Q3, with billing at 73.7% of its latest 1–2★ reviews. On Google Play, Cleaner Guru's developer answers more unhappy reviewers (41.2% against 0.1%).
Where are Cleanup and Cleaner Guru alike?
Their reviewers agree on slowness, crashes and bugs and having to review items one by one: on each, the two apps are within two points of each other (5.8% vs 5.1%; 3% vs 2.4%). 45.3% of Cleanup's reviews are 1★ and 40.4% are 5★; for Cleaner Guru the split is 56.9% and 32.3%, so Cleaner Guru has noticeably more very angry reviewers.
What do happy users praise in each?
28.4% of Cleaner Guru's 4–5★ reviews say it is easy to use, compared with 17.3% for Cleanup. 33.5% of Cleaner Guru's 4–5★ reviews say it works, compared with 24.4% for Cleanup. 16.6% of Cleaner Guru's 4–5★ reviews say it is fast, compared with 10% for Cleanup.
Which is cheaper, Cleanup or Cleaner Guru?
Cleanup: App Store (US) in-app purchases from $5.95 to $29.99; Google Play (US) $6.99 to $39.99 per item, with ads. Cleaner Guru: App Store (US) in-app purchases from $4.99 to $39.99; Google Play (US) $6.99 to $39.99 per item. Cleaner Guru starts lower, at $4.99 against $5.95. Billing makes up 51.5% of Cleanup's 1–2★ reviews and 58.9% of Cleaner Guru's.
What reviewers say about Cleanup and Cleaner Guru
- Cleanup: "I just opened the app and its asking for credit card info altho there is a 7 day fre trail" (1★, Google Play, US, Aug 2026)
- Cleanup: "It wouldn't scan past 21%. I waited to hours. And it's not free!! 7 day trial. False advertisement" (1★, Google Play, US, Jun 2026)
- Cleaner Guru: "This app is terrible you literally have to buy free trial just to delete stuff you can’t do nothing on there for free" (1★, App Store, US, May 2026)
- Cleaner Guru: "Everything is blocked by a pay wall" (1★, App Store, US, Apr 2026)
Picked from the billing, trials and cancelling and a paywall before the app does anything useful themes, where the two differ most.
Should you choose Cleanup or Cleaner Guru?
On ratings alone, Cleanup is the safer bet on the evidence here, with 10.1% fewer 1–2★ reviews. If billing, trials and cancelling is what worries you most, Cleanup has the better record on it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cleanup better than Cleaner Guru?
Cleanup has fewer unhappy reviews (50.9% 1–2★ against 61%). Neither figure measures cleaning quality directly; they show how reviewers felt.
Which has fewer subscription complaints?
Cleanup: billing is 51.5% of its 1–2★ reviews, against 58.9%.
Sources
- Cleanup: Phone Storage Cleaner, US App Store (checked 31 October 2026)
- Cleanup: Phone Storage Cleaner, Google Play (checked 31 October 2026)
- Cleaner Guru: Clean Up Storage, US App Store (checked 31 October 2026)
- Cleaner Guru: Clean Up Storage, Google Play (checked 31 October 2026)
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