CCleaner download for Windows

CCleaner clears out the clutter Windows and your programs leave behind: browser caches and history, temporary files, log files and leftovers from uninstalled software. On a PC that is short of disk space it can recover a surprising amount. It has been around for many years and is now part of Gen Digital, the company behind Norton and Avast.

Free, Professional and Professional Plus

The CCleaner download page offers three editions:

• Free, for one PC. Manual cleaning and the Health Check.
• Professional, a yearly licence for one PC, which adds automatic and scheduled cleaning, software and driver updates and performance tools.
• Professional Plus, covering three devices, which also includes the versions for Mac and Android.

The page states that the Free and Professional editions are for home use only; companies are directed to CCleaner for Business.

CCleaner supports Windows 11, 10 and 8.1, in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. There are also editions for Mac, Android and iOS.

Installing it with care

Download only from ccleaner.com. During setup, read each screen before you click Next: offers for other products can appear, and you can decline anything you did not come for. Afterwards, the app may suggest a trial of the paid edition; you can stay on Free.

Cleaning without regrets

Start with Custom Clean, not the one-click options, and look at what is ticked.

• Browser caches and temporary files are safe to clear. They will be rebuilt as needed.
• Cookies keep you signed in to websites. Clearing them all means signing in again everywhere. Add the sites you use every day to the list of cookies to keep.
• Saved passwords and form data in browsers are worth leaving alone unless you mean to delete them.

Close your browsers before cleaning; open browsers lock their files. Then click Analyze first, read the list of what would be removed and how much space it would free, and only then Run Cleaner.

The Health Check combines several checks in one screen. Treat its suggestions as suggestions. Disabling start-up programs speeds up boot, but only switch off ones you recognise.

What to expect

Cleaning frees disk space and clears your browsing traces. It will not make a healthy modern PC dramatically faster, and clearing caches can make the first visit to a site a little slower until they rebuild. Windows also has its own Storage Sense in Settings, which handles temporary files automatically.

Common questions

Is CCleaner free?

There is a free edition for home use. Automatic cleaning, the updaters and the other extras are in the paid Professional editions.

Is CCleaner safe to use?

Used as intended, from the official download, yes. Review what you clean, because deleting cookies or saved data is permanent.

Can I use CCleaner Free at work?

No. The site states that Free and Professional are for home use; businesses need CCleaner for Business.

Does CCleaner work on Windows 7?

The download page lists Windows 11, 10 and 8.1 as supported.