Everything you need to know before downloading — answered directly.
Is Pearcleaner completely free?
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Yes — completely and permanently free. Pearcleaner is published under Apache 2.0 with Commons Clause. You get the full source code and every feature at zero cost. The license also explicitly prevents anyone from monetizing the app or any modified version of it, so it stays free regardless of how popular it gets.
What macOS version does it require?
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Pearcleaner requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or higher. The app uses Swift and SwiftUI APIs introduced in macOS 13 — older system versions simply lack the underlying calls the app depends on. It runs as a universal binary on Apple Silicon (M1 through M4) and all Intel Macs.
Is it safe? Can it accidentally delete important files?
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Yes, it is safe. Every file Pearcleaner removes goes to your Trash folder first — never permanently deleted in a single action. You review and deselect files before anything moves. The Undo Manager stores up to 10 recent operations, and path validation logic prevents accidental changes to protected system directories.
How is it different from dragging an app to Trash?
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Dragging to Trash removes only the .app bundle itself. Modern apps scatter files across ~/Library/Application Support, ~/Library/Caches, ~/Library/Preferences, ~/Library/Containers, ~/Library/LaunchAgents and more. Pearcleaner scans all of these, shows every file with its path and size, then removes them all cleanly in one go.
Can I install it via Homebrew?
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Yes. Open Terminal and run:
brew install --cask pearcleaner. It's listed in the official Homebrew Cask registry and always points to the latest release. You can also grab the DMG or architecture-specific ZIP directly from the
GitHub releases page.
What is the Sentinel Monitor and how does it work?
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Sentinel is an optional background helper that watches your Trash in real time. When it detects an app bundle being moved to Trash — by any method — it automatically opens Pearcleaner and surfaces the associated leftover files. It uses approximately 2 MB of RAM and can be disabled completely in Settings whenever you prefer manual operation.
Does it support deep links and CLI automation?
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Yes — Pearcleaner has a full deep link API documented on the
GitHub Wiki. Trigger specific pages, uninstall apps by name or path, add or remove search directories and open the orphaned files view — all using
pearcleaner:// URLs from Terminal or an automation script.
Is the project still actively maintained?
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Yes — maintained and actively used. The developer has shared that update frequency slowed recently due to a full-time job and a SaaS startup he joined. The app remains fully functional, pull requests are reviewed when time allows, and issues are triaged on GitHub. The repository has over 11,700 stars and 279 forks, which reflects real ongoing community engagement.
Can Pearcleaner uninstall itself cleanly?
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Yes. Pearcleaner includes a self-uninstall option in Settings, removing the app and all of its own support files cleanly. A slimming mode is also available to strip unnecessary components before removal — so no trace of the app stays behind on your system.
