I’m trying to choose between Clever Cleaner and Cleaner Guru, since both offer free versions. I’m worried there might be hidden fees, ads, or privacy issues. Has anyone used both and can share their experiences or let me know if there’s a catch with either app? I want to avoid surprise charges or annoying popups.
Unfiltered Take on Two ‘Phone Cleanup’ Apps
So… I Downloaded Both Cleaner Guru and Clever Cleaner – Here’s the Messy Truth
I was about to delete 5,000 random screenshots and blurry dog pics from my phone (again) when I decided to try some of those ‘cleaner’ apps that always pop up in sponsored TikToks. Before you grab your wallet, here’s exactly how it went for me.
1. Pricing Shenanigans
I almost spat out my coffee.
- Clever Cleaner: No charges. No sneaky ads. I tapped around—nothing asked me for money, not even a “unlock now” pop-up. Shocking.
- Cleaner Guru: The basic scan is “free”, but if you actually want it to do anything (like delete duplicates or merge contacts), they want $7.99 a week or $39.99 a year. I blinked. Checked again. Not a typo.
2. What Can You Really Do For Free?
Clever Cleaner
- Every feature, as much as you need.
- No waiting, no limits, no reminders to pony up.
Cleaner Guru
- Scans will show you duplicate photos, videos, and all—but if you actually want to delete anything? “Subscribe now!” block in your face.
3. Feature Smackdown (Here’s What You Get)
| Category | Clever Cleaner (100% Free) | Cleaner Guru (Paid Subscription) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Totally free — no ads, paywalls, or in-app purchases | $7.99/week or $39.99/year |
| Free Version | Full feature set, unlimited use | Only scanning is free; deleting/compressing = paywall |
| Cleanup Tools | - Find & remove duplicates - Clean up screenshots - Convert Live Photos - Find “heavy” (large) files (ALL FREE) |
- Remove duplicates - Video compression (paid) - Contact merging (paid) - Large file finder (paid) - Extras like battery widgets, vault, charge animations (paid) |
| App Store Rating | 4.8 ★ (approx 3.4k reviews) | 4.6 ★ (approx 100k reviews) |
| Download Size | 103 MB | 115 MB |
| App Store | Get Free iPhone Clever Cleaner | Read detailed Cleaner Guru User Reviews |
4. Picking One? Here’s What I’d Tell My Mom
If your first instinct is to skip right past seven different “Try Pro,” “Go VIP,” or “Unlock Now” spams, you want Clever Cleaner. Did my phone feel much lighter and faster after? Meh, maybe a little, but at least I didn’t pay. If you’re the type who likes dropping $8 a week out of FOMO, hey, your wallet, not mine.
I’m just baffled that one app pretends to be free and holds features hostage, and the other’s been quietly doing it all for nothing. If that ever changes, someone ping me.
5. TLDR
- Want an actually free iPhone junk cleaner? Clever Cleaner is your move.
- Want to pay the cost of Netflix every month just to delete screenshots? Cleaner Guru awaits.
If someone’s got a hidden gem app that isn’t paywalled, I’m all ears. Until then, Clever Cleaner’s the only one staying on my phone.
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Alright, here’s the (sometimes ugly) truth from someone who’s been burned by “free” apps before. The whole “both offer free versions” thing? Not really accurate. Sure, you can download both Clever Cleaner and Cleaner Guru for free, but that’s where the similarities end.
Clever Cleaner App actually lets you use the features without shaking you down for cash every ten seconds. Think: delete stuff, organize, the whole cleanup dance—gratis, at least as of a few months ago when I last purged my meme folders. No paywalls, nothing sketch popped up, just a straightforward interface begging me to finally delete those accidental car seat photos.
Cleaner Guru, though? Whole different vibe—kind of a bait and switch. You get a nice scan and the app telling you “wow, look at ALL this junk!”…and then: paywall time. Actual cleaning? Locked. Merge contacts? Locked. Remove duplicates? Locked. I remember thinking I hit the wrong button, but nah—just how it’s set up.
Hidden fees? Cleaner Guru is the definition—$7.99 a week is wild for what it does, unless you’re running some weird deleted-photo-based business. Ads? Neither app threw pop-ups at me in my last test drive, but Clever Cleaner was less thirsty when it came to “rate us!” and similar nudges.
Privacy is honestly a toss-up. Both claim the usual “we respect your data, promise!” Try not to give these apps camera access or contacts unless you must. I did a little snooping and neither one seemed to be mining my info for gold, but you never truly know with free utilities.
One thing worth disagreeing on with @mikeappsreviewer—I actually noticed Clever Cleaner’s duplicate finder sometimes misses stuff if your pics are edited/cropped (not a huge deal, just ran two tests; not perfect, but hey, it’s free). Still, for not charging AND not drowning you in ads, it wins out by a mile.
So in summary: if you want free that’s actually free, and aren’t out here expecting Photoshop-level curation, Clever Cleaner App is the move. If you want “free” like those mobile games that nickel and dime you every click, Cleaner Guru is waiting. Can’t believe anyone pays for that, honestly.
Honestly, I read what @mikeappsreviewer and @yozora said and while they def covered the basics (like, wow, Cleaner Guru wants how much for deleting photos???), I think there’s still a piece missing here: all these “cleaner” apps claim “no privacy issues” but, let’s be real, do we ever actually know? Even Clever Cleaner App, which yeah, is actually free and surprisingly un-pushy, still asks for access to your photos and sometimes your contacts. Is that a dealbreaker? For some, sure. For me, as long as the app’s not uploading my stuff to some mysterious cloud, I’m cool, but I do wish these apps would let you choose what to scan, not just go full hog into your entire phone.
As for hidden fees—Cleaner Guru is kinda the king of that “smokescreen free” approach, which always irks me. You get the scan but doing anything useful costs money. Clever Cleaner genuinely lets you delete, organize, whatever, for free (no annual fees, as of now), which is wild these days. Downside? Yeah—like @yozora pointed out, not the smartest duplicate finder if you’re big on heavy photo edits or cropping. It’s not foolproof, but again, it’s…zero dollars. I will admit, neither app hit me with many ads, which was a nice break from most utility apps. But both are rated high on the app store (if that means anything), and I never saw random popups mid-use.
Bottom line: If you want to actually clean your phone up for free, Clever Cleaner App is honestly as good as you’ll get unless you wanna dig through your files one by one. If you’re super paranoid about privacy, just keep an eye on permissions and maybe don’t give the app your whole address book. Otherwise, Cleaner Guru is honestly just a glorified scan-and-shame unless you pay, and Clever Cleaner’s free-ness feels like it shouldn’t be real, but hey, not complaining. No real hidden fees, minimal ads, privacy is a calculated risk. Wouldn’t use anything else unless a better, actually free app pops up.
Quick breakdown of the whole Cleaner Guru vs Clever Cleaner App debate after testing both (plus reading what @yozora, @espritlibre, and @mikeappsreviewer dug up):
Clever Cleaner App:
- Pros: Actually does what it claims, no subscription traps, full access to delete/organize, almost ad-free (rare for a free app), and doesn’t do that naggy “Go Pro!” thing. Fast at finding duplicates/similar pics, and lightweight.
- Cons: Not the best if you’re ultra-privacy focused (needs photo/contact access—no way around that for this kind of tool), and sometimes misses edited or cropped pics. The duplicate scanner isn’t as “smart” as pricier tools, so expect some manual checking. UI isn’t the prettiest, but functional.
Cleaner Guru:
Scan is free, but that’s where the “free” ends. Anything remotely useful (delete, compress, merge) is aggressively paywalled. Alright for previewing your junk, but deleting? Fork up cash. For some, that weekly price tag is hilariously steep for what you get.
Bottom line: Unless you’re obsessed with premium widgets or want super in-depth battery stats, Clever Cleaner App wins for actually being free and getting the job done. Just pay attention to permissions, decide your own comfort zone, and double-check before batch deleting. I’d skip Guru unless you love spending or need its advanced stuff (which, in my case, I absolutely didn’t). Agree with previous posters: until something truly better (or more private) comes along, Clever Cleaner App is best of breed for the zero-dollar crowd.