A 256 GB MacBook SSD fills faster than you expect. Between Xcode caches, iCloud optimized storage, and the mysterious "System Data" blob that macOS reports in About This Mac, finding what to actually delete is harder than it looks. Three tools get recommended most often: Disk Drill, CleanMyMac (now CleanMyMac X, part of Setapp), and Crumb. This article tests all three for cleanup capability specifically, not data recovery, on a real 256 GB drive running macOS Sequoia, and reports what each tool found, what it reclaimed, and how much it asked before deleting.
The Test Setup
The machine used was a 2022 MacBook Air M2 with a 256 GB SSD running macOS 15 Sequoia. Before testing, the drive showed 214 GB used, 42 GB free. System Data reported by macOS was 68 GB. The same drive state was snapshotted via Time Machine before each tool ran so results could be compared fairly. Each tool ran its full default scan with no manual exclusions added.
What Each Tool Actually Does (Cleanup Mode Only)
Disk Drill: Recovery First, Cleanup Second
Disk Drill is primarily a data recovery tool. Its cleanup features, grouped under "Free Up Space," are a secondary product track. The tool scans for large files, duplicate files, and similar photos. It does not target caches, app leftovers, or system junk the way a dedicated cleaner does.
In the test, Disk Drill's Space Analyzer identified 18.3 GB of large files and 4.1 GB of duplicate content. It presented a file-by-file list with no additional context about whether files were safe to remove. Deleting was one checkbox per file, which is fine for large media but impractical for cache cleanup at scale. Total space recoverable via its suggested actions: roughly 11 GB after manually skipping obvious false positives (it flagged several system frameworks as "large files").
Disk Drill did not touch ~/Library/Caches, ~/Library/Application Support leftovers, or the System Data layer. Its cleanup capability is better described as a large-file browser than a system cleaner.
CleanMyMac X: Broad Coverage, Aggressive Defaults
CleanMyMac X (distributed via MacPaw or bundled in Setapp) has the most complete cleanup surface area of the three. Its Smart Scan covers caches, mail attachments, language files, iOS device backups, Trash bins across volumes, and "System Junk," which maps roughly to what macOS calls System Data.
On the test machine, CleanMyMac X's Smart Scan found 24.6 GB of cleanable content. After reviewing its recommendations and removing a handful of items flagged as safe that were in active use (Homebrew cached bottles, local Time Machine snapshots it wanted to prune), the actual deletion came to 19.2 GB. That is the largest single-run reclaim of the three tools.
The concern with CleanMyMac X is the level of review it offers. Many categories collapse to a single "Clean" button with no file-level preview. You can click "Review Details" on most items, but the default flow nudges you toward bulk approval. On a production machine with critical data, that speed comes with a tradeoff in visibility.
CleanMyMac X also bundles a malware scanner, performance monitor, and app update manager. These are outside the scope of this cleanup comparison but contribute to its larger install footprint and the ongoing subscription cost if you're not on Setapp.
Crumb: Cleanup with a Reviewable Plan
Crumb is a native menu-bar app focused entirely on disk cleanup. It does not do data recovery or malware scanning. Its scan covers caches (~/Library/Caches and /Library/Caches), app support leftovers from uninstalled apps, duplicate files, large files, and System Data, including developer caches, iOS simulators, Xcode derived data, and similar categories that macOS lumps under that label without detail.
On the test machine, Crumb found 21.4 GB of cleanable content. Before any deletion, it presented a categorized plan showing each category, the size, and an explanation of what the files are. Every item has an "Is this safe to delete?" explanation. The deletion came to 20.1 GB after accepting all defaults, including 9.8 GB from System Data categories (Xcode caches, simulator runtimes, and derived data) that neither Disk Drill nor most CleanMyMac runs surface clearly.
Crumb runs entirely on-device and requires no account. The scan and deletion happen locally, which matters if your drive contains confidential work files you would rather not have indexed by a cloud-connected service.
Space Reclaimed: Side-by-Side Numbers
- Disk Drill (cleanup mode): 11 GB reclaimed, large files and duplicates only
- CleanMyMac X: 19.2 GB reclaimed, broadest category coverage
- Crumb: 20.1 GB reclaimed, strong on System Data and cache depth
Raw reclaim numbers vary by machine. A developer machine with Xcode installed will favor tools that go deep into ~/Library/Developer/. A general-purpose machine without dev tools will narrow the gap. Run the free scan on your own drive before drawing conclusions.
Safety Prompts and Review Quality
This is where the three tools diverge most clearly.
Disk Drill gives you a file list and a checkbox. No explanations, no risk rating. You are expected to know whether com.apple.AMPLibraryAgent cache files are safe to delete.
CleanMyMac X provides category-level descriptions. Most users will read "System Junk" and click Clean without knowing exactly which files are going. The option to expand is there, but the UX does not make it the default path.
Crumb makes the review step the primary flow. Each category shows the files, explains what they do, and flags anything non-obvious. The "is this safe to delete?" prompt answers the question most users actually have before they click delete. This slows things down by about two minutes compared to CleanMyMac's one-button flow, but for users who want to understand what is leaving their machine, that friction is the feature.
What CleanMyMac vs Disk Drill Gets Wrong About System Data
Both tools underperform on the System Data category that macOS reports. This is one of the most common pain points for MacBook SSD owners: About This Mac shows 50, 60, even 80 GB under "System Data," and neither Disk Drill nor a default CleanMyMac scan fully explains or clears it.
System Data is a catch-all that includes:
- Local Time Machine snapshots stored at
/.MobileBackups(macOS manages these automatically but they can pile up) - iOS and iPadOS device backups in
~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ - Xcode simulator runtimes under
~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Cryptex/and~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Profiles/Runtimes/ - Derived Data at
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/ - Cache files in
/private/var/folders/that belong to system processes
You can clear some of these manually. For Xcode derived data:
rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/*For old iOS simulator runtimes, use Xcode's own interface: Xcode, Settings, Platforms, then delete runtimes you no longer need. Or via Terminal:
xcrun simctl delete unavailableLocal Time Machine snapshots shrink on their own when disk pressure rises, but you can force a list and delete manually:
tmutil listlocalsnapshots /
sudo tmutil deletelocalsnapshots [snapshot-date]A good Mac cleaner should surface these paths for you, explain what each one is, and let you decide. That gap is where cleanup tools earn their keep beyond what you can do in Finder.
Which Tool Fits Which User
Choose Disk Drill if you need data recovery and want a basic large-file browser as a bonus. Its cleanup module is not competitive with dedicated cleaners, but it is not the reason to buy Disk Drill.
Choose CleanMyMac X if you are already on Setapp, want the fastest single-click cleanup, and are comfortable with category-level review rather than file-level review. It covers the widest surface area and the Setapp bundle makes the ongoing cost easier to justify alongside other tools.
Choose Crumb if you want to understand what is being deleted before it is gone, or if System Data and developer caches are your primary problem. Its scan goes deep into the categories that macOS hides, and the reviewable-plan approach is well suited to anyone who has ever regretted a bulk delete.
On a small MacBook SSD where every gigabyte matters, the right tool is the one you will actually run and review carefully. All three have free scans, so running each once and comparing the findings on your specific machine takes about fifteen minutes and costs nothing.