Mint, Mole, CleanMyMac, DaisyDisk and Hazel compared
Each does a different job. Mole is an open-source command-line cleaner with a separate paid Mac app. CleanMyMac is a broad maintenance suite. DaisyDisk shows where your space went. Hazel organizes folders by rules you write. Mint manages storage with one framework built on each file’s life cycle, and understands and optimizes deeply for AI agents. Of these five, it is the one that looks after both space and files: it gets space back without deleting anything, cleans what comes back on its own, organizes folders by hand, on a schedule or as files arrive, and keeps doing it with Auto Care inside the boundaries you set. We make Mint; everything else was read from each vendor on October 11, 2026.
Side by side
| Mint | Mole | CleanMyMac | DaisyDisk | Hazel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space back without deleting anything | Yes (Optimize) | No | No | No | No |
| Caches, logs, build output | Yes, with how each comes back | Yes | Yes | By hand | No |
| AI coding tool data | Yes, keeps conversation text | Preview | Separate CLI (beta) | No | No |
| Disk map | Yes | In the terminal | Yes | Yes | No |
| Uninstall with leftovers | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | App Sweep |
| Organize folders | Templates: by hand, on a schedule, as files arrive | No | Not found | No | Rules you write |
| Free memory | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Runs on its own | Auto Care | No | Not found | No | Folder rules, Trash |
| Leaves alone what you protect | Ignore List | Cache whitelist | Ignore List | Nothing automatic | Only its folders |
| Undo | 90 days | Trash only | Not stated | No | Not stated |
| Raycast, CLI, MCP | All three | CLI, Raycast | CLI (beta) | No | Shortcuts |
| macOS | 14+ | 12+ CLI, 14+ app | 11+ | 10.13+ | 13+ |
| Price | Free tier; $39.99 one-time | CLI free; app $19 | $47.50/yr or $119.95 | $9.99 | $42 |
Why Mint covers the most ground
Pick Mint if you want one app that thinks about how your whole Mac uses space and gets you the most usable space and the best experience, whether by optimizing, cleaning or organizing. Mint manages your Mac’s storage with one framework, and understands and optimizes deeply for AI agents. The framework sorts what is on your Mac by each file’s life cycle: where it came from, whether it comes back on its own, and whether something is using it right now. Then it handles each layer its own way.
- Space back first, losing nothing: duplicates are kept once and idle files are stored smaller. Every file stays where it is and opens as before.
- Junk that is safe to clean: caches, logs, build output, and the workspaces and leftovers that AI coding tools such as Codex, Claude Code and Cursor pile up, each with how it comes back. Mint is tuned deeply for these tools.
- Your own files gone dormant: old downloads, screenshots and recordings, and files nobody has opened in months, sorted for you to decide on.
- Organizing: folders sorted by type, date or source, by hand, on a schedule or the moment new files arrive.
- Auto Care keeps all of it running on its own and never touches what is on your Ignore List. Every move to the Trash and every organize run can be undone for 90 days.
Which one for which job
- Mole, if you like open source: its command-line tool is open, and you can read its rules, follow the discussion on GitHub and run deletions from the terminal.
- CleanMyMac, if you want one broad maintenance suite.
- DaisyDisk, if you only want to see where the space went and delete by hand.
- Hazel, if you want to write your own rules for folders.
- Mint, if you want space and files kept in order on their own: it knows each file’s life, gets space back without deleting first, cleans and organizes, and never touches what is on your Ignore List.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these is free?
Mole’s command line is free and open source. Mint has a free tier: scanning is free, with 1 GB a week shared by cleanup and organizing. The others are paid.
Can I use Mint alongside the others?
Yes. Mint keeps out of anything on its Ignore List, so you can leave folders to Hazel or keep another cleaner for what it does best.
One app for space and files
Mint’s scan is free and shows what comes back before anything is removed.