Kempt vs CleanMyMac

CleanMyMac keeps the Mac itself in shape. Kempt organizes your documents. Different jobs: many people want both.

See the test

Tested 31 Oct 2026 · 39 fictional papers · Kempt 1.6.0 vs CleanMyMac 5.7.3

Kempt 1.6.0
scan0045.pdfInvoice Orange SA September 2026.pdf
Finances
CleanMyMac 5.7.3
scan0045.pdf
Renaming documents isn’t among its modules

Same 39 papers. The numbers.

One Mac, the same fictional papers, each app on its own copy.

Documents named, of 39
38KemptNot its jobCleanMyMacNot among CleanMyMac’s modules
System cleanup, malware, uninstaller
Not its jobKemptYesCleanMyMacSeen in CleanMyMac’s modules; not run
Account to start the trial
NoKemptYesCleanMyMacCleanMyMac: a MacPaw account
Two different jobs
Kempt 1.6.0 · Your documents
  • Names each download from what it says
  • Files it into Finder folders, with Undo
  • Finds a paper by its contents; answers with the source
  • Gathers the papers a landlord or accountant asks for
  • Hides private numbers on the copies you send
CleanMyMac 5.7.3 · The Mac itself
  • Smart Care: a quick scan of the system
  • Cleanup, Performance, Protection
  • Applications: uninstaller and updater
  • My Clutter: duplicates, similar images, large and old files
  • Space Lens: a map of the disk

Choose Kempt if…

  • Your documents need names, folders and a way to find them.
  • You want answers from your papers, with the source.
  • You prepare papers for a landlord, a bank or an accountant.

Choose CleanMyMac if…

  • You want the Mac itself cleaned and maintained: system junk, malware scans, performance, app uninstalling and updating.
  • You want a visual map of what fills your disk (Space Lens).
  • You value a very polished interface: it was the best-looking app in our test.

Privacy at a glance

As we found it on 31 Oct 2026.

  • On this Mac

    • KemptApple’s on-device model only
    • CleanMyMacNot tested

  • No account

    • KemptNo account at all
    • CleanMyMacA MacPaw account for the trial

  • No analytics

    • KemptNo analytics, no telemetry
    • CleanMyMacNot tested

  • No card for the trial

    • Kempt14 days, everything on
    • CleanMyMacNot recorded in our test

Where Kempt missed

Kempt 1.6.0 missed too: a 2024 rent receipt named “Lease”, a vague insurance certificate, Qonto not recognised on 4 statements, 2 of 6 payslips named by employer, and one screenshot filed under Photos. Fixes are in development, not released yet.

See every rowThe full test table, the feature table and the sources
Kempt vs CleanMyMac Yes · Partly · No · Not stated by the maker
FeatureKemptCleanMyMac
Names files from what’s inside them YesApple’s on-device model, with OCR and Vision NoNot among its modules (seen in 5.7.3, 31 Oct 2026)
Searches inside documents YesPDFs, scans and photos of paper (OCR), voice notes NoNot among its modules
Turns a request email into a checklist of papers YesPaste or drop the request; finds the papers you have, says what’s missing, opens a draft in Mail for you to check NoNot among its modules
Finds duplicate files YesExact and similar copies; similar ones are never pre-ticked; Trash with Undo YesDuplicates, similar images, large and old files in My Clutter (seen in its menus; not run)
Finds installers of apps you already have YesMatched to apps in Applications Not statedHas an app uninstaller and updater; leftover installer files not checked
No account needed Yes NoA MacPaw account to start the trial (31 Oct 2026)

Sources

Hands-on test by Kempt’s maker on one Mac (macOS 27.0.1), 31 Oct 2026, with fictional papers only. Each app was downloaded from its maker’s site; versions as shown. Anything that needed a payment card was not tested, and we say so where it applies. One test on one Mac, not an independent benchmark.

How we compare: Kempt’s rows come from its own measured tests. Every other app’s row comes from that maker’s public pages on the date shown. When a page is silent or unclear, we say so instead of guessing. Kempt: $27 founding, then $37, one-time · CleanMyMac: Subscription (price not recorded in our test) · $27.

Our test notes on CleanMyMac 5.7.3What we saw in CleanMyMac 5.7.3 · What CleanMyMac does well

What we saw in CleanMyMac 5.7.3

  • First launch: terms to accept, a Full Disk Access request (we skipped it), then a 3D animated intro.
  • Modules: Smart Care, Cleanup, Protection, Performance, Applications (uninstaller, updater), My Clutter, Space Lens, Cloud cleanup, My Tools, My Activity.
  • The trial asks you to sign in with a MacPaw account, and an “Activate the full version” banner stays visible.
  • Our test tools couldn’t drive its window, so no module was run.

What CleanMyMac does well

  • Polish: the best-looking of the four apps we tested, with 3D illustrations and one big button to start.
  • Breadth of Mac maintenance: system cleanup, malware protection, performance tools, an uninstaller and an app updater.
  • Space Lens, a visual map of what takes space on the disk.
More measurements, on the maker’s MacHistorical results: measured on one Mac, the owner’s, with about 1,600 of the owner’s own documents, each on the build or date shown.

Proof, not promises

Historical results: measured on one Mac, the owner’s, with about 1,600 of the owner’s own documents, each on the build or date shown. One Mac’s results, not an independent benchmark. Numbers for the next build are published once verified.

SpeedFull Clean Up scan
0.86 sWarm, owner’s Mac, 15 Oct 2026; 83 MB of memory.
SafetyEvery move logged
UndoMoves are written to a journal before they happen and recovered at launch after a crash; cleanup uses the Trash.
PrivacyWhere your documents are processed
On your MacReading, naming, search, answers and voice use Apple’s on-device model. Sharing with an AI app is optional and needs your approval; what you approve reaches that app’s provider. One daily update check sends Kempt’s version number.
PrivacyPrivate numbers still readable, in one fictional test set
0 / 96In our fictional test set (96 private numbers on payslips: text PDFs, scans and photos), first run, Oct 2026, 0 of 96 stayed readable; one photo was held back instead. Evidence from one test set, not a promise: check the copies before sending.

How we compare: Kempt’s rows come from its own measured tests. Every other app’s row comes from that maker’s public pages on the date shown. When a page is silent or unclear, we say so instead of guessing.

Last checked

Questions people ask

CleanMyMac vs Kempt: what’s the difference?

CleanMyMac maintains the Mac (junk, malware, performance, apps, disk space). Kempt organizes documents: it names a download from what it says, files it, finds a paper by its contents, answers “what’s my IBAN?” with the source and gathers the papers a landlord, bank or accountant asks for. Most people who want both jobs done need both apps.

Does CleanMyMac organize or rename documents?

Not among the modules we saw in CleanMyMac 5.7.3. Its My Clutter module finds duplicates, similar images and large or old files to remove. Kempt names and files documents from what they say, scans and photos of paper included.

Can CleanMyMac find duplicate documents?

Its My Clutter module lists duplicates and similar images (seen in its menus; not run in our test). Kempt’s Clean Up finds exact duplicates and similar copies of a document (the same paper saved again), never ticks the similar ones for you, and moves what you choose to the Trash, with Undo.

Does CleanMyMac need an account?

Its trial did in our test: “sign in to activate your free trial”, with a MacPaw account. Kempt has no account at all.

Should I choose Kempt or CleanMyMac?

CleanMyMac and Kempt do different jobs. CleanMyMac cleans and maintains the Mac: system junk, malware, performance, app uninstalling and updating, duplicates and large files, and a disk map. Kempt organizes documents: it names and files papers from what they say, answers questions with the source and gathers the papers someone asks for. Choose CleanMyMac to keep the Mac itself in shape; choose Kempt for your paperwork.

Does CleanMyMac upload my files?

CleanMyMac: Not stated. Kempt: On your Mac, with Apple’s on-device model. Sharing with an AI app is optional and needs your approval.

How much do Kempt and CleanMyMac cost?

Kempt: $27 founding, then $37, one-time. CleanMyMac: Subscription (price not recorded in our test).

When should I choose CleanMyMac instead?

You want the Mac itself cleaned and maintained: system junk, malware scans, performance, app uninstalling and updating. You want a visual map of what fills your disk (Space Lens). You value a very polished interface: it was the best-looking app in our test.

Can I use Kempt and CleanMyMac together?

Yes, they hardly overlap. CleanMyMac looks after the system; Kempt looks after your papers. Both can list duplicates: Kempt only moves what you tick to the Trash, with Undo.

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