Comparison
CleanMyMac vs MacBookBatteryMonitor
CleanMyMac is a big cleanup and security suite that happens to include a small battery readout. MacBookBatteryMonitor is a battery specialist. Here is the honest split.
What CleanMyMac does
CleanMyMac, by MacPaw, is a cleanup, optimisation, and security suite. Its core is junk and cache removal, a malware and adware scanner, a full uninstaller with leftover-file cleanup, a storage visualiser, an app updater, and privacy and shredder tools. Battery is a small, read-only module inside that, showing a health percentage (actual versus designed capacity) and temperature. It has no per-app power draw, no charge limiting, no Sailing Mode, no Low Power Mode automation, and no per-app process control. Its own documentation directs users to macOS’s built-in battery health management for anything beyond reading the percentage. It runs on macOS 11 and up, Intel and Apple Silicon, and is sold as a subscription at roughly $39.95 a year, with a punitive $119.95 one-time option that effectively steers users to the subscription.
What MacBookBatteryMonitor does
MacBookBatteryMonitor is a battery-only tool. It shows real per-app power draw in watts, a component breakdown (CPU, GPU, RAM, display, USB), cycle count against the design limit, hidden drain from Docker, cloudflared, and launchd, and the controls CleanMyMac does not have: a 50% to 100% charge limit over SMC, Sailing Mode, automated Low Power Mode, and per-app actions including a CPU throttle, an E-core offload toggle, and a one-click kill. It does not do cleanup, malware scanning, uninstallation, or storage visualisation. It is Apple-Silicon-only on macOS 14.6 and up, and it is a one-time purchase with no subscription.
Feature comparison
MacBookBatteryMonitorTry MacBookBatteryMonitor on your own Mac
It runs a free 7-day trial with no card and no subscription.
Which one should you pick?
CleanMyMac is a much broader product, and if you want cleanup, malware scanning, and an uninstaller, it does all of that competently. Its battery module is a sidebar that shows a health percentage. MacBookBatteryMonitor is for people whose actual problem is the battery: real per-app watts, charge control, and the ability to throttle or kill what is draining you, without a yearly fee. Different jobs.
Frequently asked questions
Does CleanMyMac show per-app power draw?
No. Its battery module is read-only, showing a health percentage and temperature. It has no process-level power attribution and no charge control.
Can CleanMyMac limit charging?
No. CleanMyMac has no charge limiting, no Sailing Mode, and no Low Power Mode automation. Its own docs point users to macOS’s built-in battery settings for anything beyond reading the health percentage.
Why is MacBookBatteryMonitor a one-time purchase when CleanMyMac is a subscription?
Different scope and model. CleanMyMac is a broad suite sold as a yearly subscription. MacBookBatteryMonitor is a specialist tool sold once. If you only need the battery half, paying yearly for a cleanup suite does not make sense.