Is Clever Cleaner Free? Free Tier, Limits and Prices Checked (2026)

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Clever Cleaner: AI CleanUp App by CleverFiles is free to download, shows no ads, and its Swipe mode is free and unlimited, but it is no longer free without limits. Since version 3.0 on 2026-08-17, new users get a daily allowance on every other tool, and Premium costs $6.99 a week after a 3-day trial or $39.99 lifetime, checked on the App Store on 2026-09-25.

This page is written by the Pixtide team (we make Pixtide). We name where the other app wins.

Clever Cleaner pricing at a glance

Clever Cleaner is a freemium photo cleaner from CleverFiles, the company behind the Mac recovery app Disk Drill. Every figure below comes from the Clever Cleaner App Store listing, checked on the App Store on 2026-09-25.

What changed in version 3.0

Version 3.0, released on 2026-08-17, turned Clever Cleaner from a fully free app into a freemium one. Up to version 2.5 every tool was free, which CleverFiles described as a runway for early adopters. Version 3.0 added a refreshed interface, photo and screenshot compression, Live Photo removal, new Swipe browsing modes and Premium. The listing now says the app is "free to download and use within generous daily limits" and that "Swipe remains completely unlimited".

CleverFiles does not publish the allowance. Reviewers describe about 5 GB or about 700 photos a day on the duplicate, compression and Smart Cleanup tools. Existing users were protected: "As promised, everyone who downloaded Clever Cleaner before this major update will continue to enjoy all future features and improvements for FREE!" So two people can give opposite answers to "is Clever Cleaner free", and both are right for their own install date.

Why many sources still say 100% free

Search results and roundups describe Clever Cleaner as completely free because most were written before 3.0. CleverFiles' own roundup of iPhone cleaners, dated 2026-05-14, still calls it "100% free with no ads, no subscriptions". Before the update, reviewers agreed: "LEGITIMATELY FREE app... No subscription, no limit" (5 stars, 2026-07-09).

New users who arrive with that expectation now meet the subscription screen. From 2026-08-19 on, about 17 low-star reviews describe the surprise:

• "it's $6.99 a week or $39.99 for a lifetime. Where's the free Clever Cleaner??!!" (1 star, 2026-09-01)
• "I clicked on this from a YouTube ad that said it was completely free" (1 star, 2026-09-06)

Where Clever Cleaner still wins: it has no ads, Swipe is unlimited and sorts by month with an in-app trash to review, and its duplicate finder with "Best Shot" is its strongest feature. It also supports iOS 16 and 20 languages. The Pixtide vs Clever Cleaner comparison goes through each difference.

Free alternatives to Clever Cleaner

Apple's Photos app is the free option for duplicates: the Duplicates album finds exact copies and merges them with no cap and no purchase, as Apple explains in delete or hide photos and videos on iPhone. Anything you delete stays in Recently Deleted for 30 days (Apple support).

For sorting one photo at a time, Pixtide is free with no in-app purchases, no daily cap and no AI selection. Its limits are real: Pixtide does not detect duplicates, shows only the representative photo of a burst, runs on iPhone only and needs iOS 18.0 or later. It launched in 2026, so it is newer than Clever Cleaner and has far fewer ratings. The Clever Cleaner alternatives page compares more options.

Pixtide at a glance

• Free: no subscription, no in-app purchases, no premium tier.
• No ads.
• No AI: you decide every photo.
• Works entirely on your phone: no account, no photo ever uploaded.
• Swiping only marks a photo; review everything before confirming, and deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days.
• Photos and videos, sorted by month, year, category or recent shots.
• iPhone with iOS 18.0 or later.

Pixtide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Clever Cleaner. All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This comparison reflects publicly available information as of September 2026; pricing and features change, so please check each app's App Store listing for the latest details.

Frequently asked questions

Is Clever Cleaner free?

Partly. Clever Cleaner: AI CleanUp App by CleverFiles is free to download, shows no ads, and its Swipe mode is free and unlimited. Since version 3.0 on 2026-08-17, new users get a daily allowance on the other tools, such as duplicates, compression and Smart Cleanup. Premium removes the limits for $6.99 a week after a 3-day trial or $39.99 lifetime, checked on the App Store on 2026-09-25.

Is Clever Cleaner still free after the update?

For people who installed Clever Cleaner before version 3.0 (released 2026-08-17), yes: CleverFiles says everyone who downloaded it before that update keeps all features free. New installs get Swipe free and unlimited, plus a daily allowance on the other tools. CleverFiles does not publish the allowance; reviewers report about 5 GB or about 700 photos a day.

Does Clever Cleaner have ads?

No. Clever Cleaner shows no ads, in the free tier or in Premium; the App Store listing says "No ads, pop-ups, or other distractions", checked on 2026-09-25. Its App Store privacy label does list Identifiers under data used to track you, and a Device ID linked to you for developer advertising; reviewers mention finding the app through YouTube ads.

How much is Clever Cleaner?

Clever Cleaner is free to download. Its US App Store listing shows two in-app purchases, checked on the App Store on 2026-09-25: "Clever Cleaner Weekly with Trial" at $6.99 a week after a 3-day trial, and "Clever Cleaner Lifetime" at $39.99 once. CleverFiles also mentions a yearly plan, but no yearly price appears in the in-app purchase list.