# CCleaner vs SmartCTO

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SmartCTO at none against CCleaner's 9. SmartCTO also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CCleaner sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. SmartCTO asks for nothing beyond the download.

CCleaner ships an update every 3 weeks, SmartCTO every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CCleaner | SmartCTO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ccleaner-phone-cleaner/id6450901367/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 26.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 141 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Piriform](https://appshunter.io/developer/499268464) | [Francisco Cardoso](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883423524) |

## What reviewers say

### CCleaner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ccleaner-phone-cleaner/id6450901367)

This app helps you declutter your device by cleaning up photos, videos, and contacts to reclaim storage space. It offers features to organize your media library, compress large files, and secure sensitive content in a private vault. The intuitive interface makes it easy to free up space with just a few taps.

**Highlights:** Media Cleaner, Contact Cleaner, Photo and Video Optimizer, Clean Share, Quick Clean, Secret Files

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CCleaner Subscription | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| CCleaner Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Annual limited offer | $22.99 | per year |
| CCleaner Subscription | $27.99 | per year |
| CCleaner Subscription | $27.99 | per year |
| Lifetime subscription | $39.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime subscription | $49.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime subscription | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💡 Useful photo/video management
- 👍 Great on PC, works well

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes frequently
- 🤔 Limited functionality compared to PC version
- 💰 Paid subscription required for full features
- 🤷‍♂️ Doesn't work as expected

**Reported bugs**

- Deleting contacts and data unexpectedly
- Inability to use license key on iOS
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to clear cache and junk files
- Option to recover deleted contacts and data
- Support for license key activation on iOS


### SmartCTO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartcto/id6777778980)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CCleaner free?

CCleaner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SmartCTO free?

SmartCTO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do CCleaner or SmartCTO have ads?

CCleaner shows ads; SmartCTO does not.

### Which is updated more often, CCleaner or SmartCTO?

CCleaner ships an update every 3 weeks, and SmartCTO every 11 days. Most recently, CCleaner was updated on October 30, 2026 and SmartCTO on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*