Cleaning one’s PC or Mac is an important task in our modern world. Our PCs and Macs came to host valuable information for their users. These can be credentials, financial details, work assets, and more. This is why a utility software has become a compulsory tool to keep assets in order. Through our MacKeeper review, we’ll be taking an in-depth view of this notorious suite of programs. You can learn more about how to use it to its full potential. Moreover, you can hear out our arguments on whether it is worth installing or not.

Important Update, July 2nd, 2013: If you want an efficient system utility software that can speed up and clean up your Mac, you can try MacPaw’s Clean My Mac 3. This is a much superior and safer product when compared to MacKeeper. It also generated many positive reviews across the Apple user community.

While MacKeeper has been called spamware, malware or just plain useless software by many Mac users at Apple Discussions (Apple’s Official discussion forums), Clean My Mac 3 has spawned no such complaints. In fact, leading Mac blogs, users at Apple Discussion boards, and various other reputed technology sites are recommending it as well. You can read more about Clean My Mac for yourself.

Our Hands on with the MacKeeper Program

If you own a Mac, you already know that it can’t be cleaned up and optimized with just a few clicks. Unfortunately, Macs are just not set up that way. You will often need a system utility program that will easily allow you to accomplish various things such as cleaning, encrypting, backing up, and uninstalling. You can also enable a lot of other features like removing duplicate files, protecting your Mac with an anti-virus, and so on.

Of all the system utility software programs available out there, it looks like MacKeeper, a program released by ZeoBIT, is the most aggressively marketed program. We personally, along with a very large percentage of the general Mac community, prefer Clean My Mac 3. This is a much more efficient, secure, lighter program. It also has a solid reputation, which can’t be said about MacKeeper.

With a starting price tag of $14.95 for single license, the MacKeeper program seems to have a lot to offer at first sight. However, is it worth it to part from more than $10? Read through our entire MacKeeper review to find out.

What’s in a MacKeeper?

Before starting off our MacKeeper review, here is a list of all the modules that you will find in the MacKeeper suite of programs:

Avira Anti-Virus engine;

Fast one click cleanup;

Anti-Theft protection;

File Recovery;

Update Tracker;

Data Encryptor;

Backup Module;

Disk Usage Module;

Smart Uninstaller;

Duplicates Finder;

Shredder;

ZeoDisk.

Though MacKeeper seems to have a lot of modules, the fact is that most people use only the quick cleanup one. Some of the modules seem to be superfluous or redundant. For instance, Macs don’t really need an antivirus yet MacKeeper makes a great fuss over its own antivirus engine.

Most users complained that the MacKeeper anti-virus program colus terribly slow down their Mac. This issue appears especially when real time protection is enabled. This defeats the purpose of MacKeeper rendering a faster Mac.

Other modules like the anti-theft module, backup module, data encryption module, etc. may find a few enthusiasts. However, we suspect that the vast majority of people who buy MacKeeper will end up rarely using those modules.

MacKeeper, in our opinion, is just not worth it. It simply has a lot of reputation and PR issues. Many of its users said that the program is incredibly difficult to uninstall. Moreover, it sometimes starts installing itself automatically without user’s permission.

If you want a system cleanup software for your Mac, Clean My Mac 3 gives you fantastic value for money and it can really speed up your Mac. It makes your internet run faster and also streamlines your hard disk, all in just 10 minutes. If you are the type that prefers value for money and you want a trusted program on your Mac, Clean My Mac 3 is most certainly better than MacKeeper, by leaps and bounds actually.

Cleaning up Your Mac

Continuing our MacKeeper review, we will take a look at its core feature that does the Mac cleaning. This module will give you a cache cleaner, a binary cutter, a language cutter, a log cleaner, and an old files finder. If you own a Mac for a long time, you will be astonished at how much space this little, one-click program can find in your cluttered hard disk immediately.

When we ran it, the software freed up 2GB (Clean My Mac 3 suggested a 4.8GB cleanup on the same computer) of hard disk space for us. It was a pretty good outcome as our Mac had just a 120GB hard disk. Granted, the Mac that we used for our MacKeeper test was packed with old files, duplicates, and so much bloat.

You shouldn’t worry about the program deleting files that may be important. Though most junk is automatically deleted, the program will ask for your permission before deleting old files. The same procedure applies to anything that might be important to keep your Mac running normally.

We only gave it a 2 rating out of 5, as it fails to show a good money-value ratio. Clean My Mac 3 cleans your Mac so much more efficiently than MacKeeper!

Backing up Your Mac

Our computers came to hold information that is crucial for us. This is why it is important for Macs to run a great backup program. This software should constantly make copies of our important files. It should also store our assets in a safe place for retrieval in case of hard disk failure and other such personal computing catastrophes.

The MacKeeper backup module managed to pass our test in good terms. Though it doesn’t have a lot of advanced backup features, we really enjoyed the ease with which the module can be set up. You can either backup your files through ZeoDisk or an FTP client. Just select the files that you want to back up and hit “Backup” button.

You can even set a permanent schedule. This feature will allow you to backup those important files on a frequency that suits your needs. You can set the backup module to an hourly schedule or choose a more laid-back monthly schedule.

Wise Uninstaller

At a certain point in your relationship with your Mac, the hard disk will end up being a mess. With the MacKeeper uninstaller program, you can delete any default file association. It is an extremely quick process too. You can get rid of apps and even preference panes with this excellent MacKeeper module.

On the other hand, Clean My Mac offers an efficient, faster, and more intuitive uninstaller for the same price as MacKeeper. You can learn more about Clean My Mac 3.

Anti-Theft Service

This is a one of a kind program that allows you to track your Mac’s whereabouts remotely. All you have to do is simply submit a ticket to customer service the moment your Mac is stolen or misplaced. MacKeeper customer care agents will inform you where your asset is. You should send the location to police officers who will retrieve your Mac for you.

What makes the module really special is that it actually takes sneaky pictures of the person who is using your stolen Mac. Afterward, it sends these images to you in an email that you can then take to the law authorities. We hope that no one will be in this position. However, this little module will surely aid you substantially when the occasion arises.

Other Modules – A Brief Roundup

The MacKeeper suite has other interesting features as well. This software can streamline your operations on your Mac.

Undelete – Did you delete a picture in a whim and then regretted it later? Not to worry. The undelete module can help you locate that file in the trash and then it can also restore it back to its original location.

– Did you delete a picture in a whim and then regretted it later? Not to worry. The undelete module can help you locate that file in the trash and then it can also restore it back to its original location. Shredder – This software is the opposite to the undelete function. If you are 100% sure that you don’t want something anymore, run it through the shredder program and it will be gone for good.

– This software is the opposite to the undelete function. If you are 100% sure that you don’t want something anymore, run it through the shredder program and it will be gone for good. Login item manager – Does your Mac load a thousand different things when you log in? You can easily take care of this problem with this little module. This manager can speed up your login time significantly.

– Does your Mac load a thousand different things when you log in? You can easily take care of this problem with this little module. This manager can speed up your login time significantly. Disk usage – If you have a bloated hard disk and have no idea on what is taking up so much space, you will love the way this program. It will quickly spot the main culprits for you that are consuming hard space for no good. We found a couple of big, nasty folders that were taking up a few GB’s. It turned out that these files were redundant as well.

– If you have a bloated hard disk and have no idea on what is taking up so much space, you will love the way this program. It will quickly spot the main culprits for you that are consuming hard space for no good. We found a couple of big, nasty folders that were taking up a few GB’s. It turned out that these files were redundant as well. Default apps manager – Forget the OSX app manager that has very little user friendliness. This little app gives you a great method to quickly and efficiently manage file extensions. The best part is that you don’t have to open so many different panes.

– Forget the OSX app manager that has very little user friendliness. This little app gives you a great method to quickly and efficiently manage file extensions. The best part is that you don’t have to open so many different panes. Encryptor – Do you have data that you wish to keep encrypted? Avoid purchasing expensive encryption programs with the MacKeeper encryptor. Its installation and setting up work smoothly.

We gave the other modules a rating of just 2 as they carry on fairly unnecessary tasks. They do save you a couple of minutes here and there. At the same time, these are not valuable modules that are worth your money.

Price

Value for Money

One lifetime license for MacKeeper will cost you $14.95 per month. However, this price tag will get you only one functionality. You have to pay for more months at a time to unlock other featuresBy comparison, Clean My Mac 3 costs $47, yet it offers much better functionality and efficiency.

MacKeeper is a program that allows you to tap into around 20 different services. Unfortunately, users are heavily relying on only about three of its available programs.

On the other hand, Clean My Mac 3 is a suite which offers three or four functionalities at most. Nonetheless, each of these delivers quality and useful results. This is why most users came to see MacKeeper as a useless bloatware. You can buy Clean My Mac 3 if you want efficient, usable programs as explained in this Clean My Mac 3 review.

Another reason why we just don’t think MacKeeper is a good purchase is that it has a lot of negative reputation and trust issues with the Apple user community. This brought the product a big red flag.

Conclusion on Our MacKeeper Review

Overall

If we were to give you a recommendation for MacKeeper, our answer would definitely be a strong NO. After our MacKeeper review, we came to understand that it presents serious concerns for Macs. Every day, people complain about MacKeeper, calling it malware, spamware, and various other derogatory adjectives. We wouldn’t want anyone to buy a piece of software that can cause trouble with their Macs.

P.S.

When compared to Clean My Mac 3, MacKeeper just doesn’t offer enough value for money or any kind of peace of mind that a trusted, clean program should bring you. As we have seen in our MacKeeper review, this suite of programs has too many weaknesses.

Clean My Mac, recommended by reputed organizations like Tucows, Tuaw, MacWorld, and even Macnn, is in a better position than MacKeeper. It can do a pretty good job such as speeding up and optimizing your Mac, all in just 10 minutes.

This notorious software has probably the best user interface that we have ever seen in a Mac app. Your hard disk will be faster, your boot up times are faster, your applications open quicker, your internet access is also much faster, after you use Clean My Mac 3.

We would highly recommend that you choose Clean My Mac 3 over MacKeeper. If you came to like this product, you can activate your own personal Clean My Mac.