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CCleaner and Windows PC Manager are both system optimization tools, but have different use cases, functionalities, and features. The Windows PC Manager is Microsoft’s own optimization software compatible only with Windows 10 (19042.0 and above) and Windows 11.
The key features of Windows PC Manager are PC Boost, storage management, health manager, pop-up manager, and toolbox. On the other hand, CCleaner (Free) has a performance optimizer, driver updater, Health Checker, browser cleaner, and registry cleaner.
There are some standout features in CCleaner, like the Registry cleaner, drive wiper, system restore, clearing reminders, etc. The software updater is available in CCleaner Professional. Both have their own pros and cons, and depending on that, we can easily decide what we need to make our computer faster and efficient. So, let’s compare both and know which one we should choose.
Overview of Windows PC Manager
Windows PC Manager was released on 10/24/2022. It is available completely for free on both the Microsoft Store and the official website. Being Microsoft’s own product, it integrates well into the Windows ecosystem. Most of the cleaning and optimization things, like uninstalling programs, ending running tasks, startup settings, Windows update, file cleaning, etc, can be done from the program. However, for some other features, like the Virus scan, it will take you to the specific Windows settings menu.
While using this program for almost a year, I noticed that it is lightweight and easy to use. Also, it gives you trust and confidence because it is developed by Windows itself. On the contrary, CCleaner has been in many controversies in the past.
I think Windows could have easily added features like registry cleanup, scheduled cleaning, and background cleaning. So, sometimes it just feels like another Add-on that can surely be helpful but doesn’t provide anything special or extra.
If you go specifically to the toolbox tab, you’ll find many web tools
Key features:
1. PC Boost
The most highlighted feature of the Windows PC manager is PC Boost. It appears on the first page. So, to test it, I ran it side by side with the Windows Task Manager to see what it really does.+
Now, when I run the PC Boost tool, it stops some non-essential background tasks. Some temporary files were removed as well. All in all, after running this feature, 1.3GB of RAM was cleared.
So, this feature just does that. However, you can see good results if your system has low RAM and is not able to work properly due to that.
Some other features on the home screen are health checks, process management, startup apps, and deep cleanup. In the settings menu, you can enable Smart boost, which will automatically boost the system when the RAM usage is higher or if there are 1GB of temporary files.
2. Storage Management
In the Storage Management menu, you get essential storage-cleaning features, such as file download management, large-file sorting, duplicate-file selection, and a link to Windows’ Storage Sense.
All other features basically do the basic stuff of deleting large or duplicate files, which you can also do manually. However, the Deep cleanup feature is a little unique but reminds me of Windows’ disk cleanup feature.
Surely, it makes your work much easier and does some extra things like clearing browser data. Another great thing about this feature is that you can choose specifically the type of data you want to delete from a specific application. So, for example, if I want to delete the update files from NVIDIA but keep the run cache and log files, I can do that.
All in all, I liked this feature and surely it can help clean your system’s storage pretty effectively.
3. System Protection
In the system protection menu, you get features like Virus & threat protection, Windows updates, default browser settings, taskbar repair, restoring default apps, popup management, and network check.
The virus and threat protection tool takes you directly to the Windows Security menu so there is nothing special there. However, you can update Windows from here only. You can change browser settings if you want and enable or disable popups from any app that has popups. I personally like the network check feature which doesn’t actually benchmark the speed but gives you real-time speed parameters like the up/down speed, adapter information, network latency, and addresses.
4. Apps
There are four extra apps that you get with Windows PC Manager i.e. process management, startup apps, deep uninstall, and a link to the Microsoft Store. All of these, again are the Windows’ features but because they are available in a single place, it surely makes some good things easier for you to access.
5. Toolbox
If you enable the toolbar on the desktop, you get a functional toolbox that shows you the current internet speed, RAM usage (with boost button), land inks to snapshot, notepad, MS Edge, and Bing search. Unfortunately, you can’t change the default browser here and have to stick to Bing only. You can add or remove new features if you want. The same features are on the toolbox menu. It looks like a good advertisement page for most of the Microsoft products. I don’t say it’s bad but surely you should have the ability to change the default browser.
Pros & cons of Microsoft PC Manager
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Simple, Safe, and Windows’ own product | No deep cleaning and customization |
| Good basic file cleaning and boost features | Not worth it if already know how to manage your system manually |
| Combine critical features at one place | Combine critical features in one place |
Overview of CCleaner
CCleaner is a very popular system cleaner and optimizer for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Except for the Free variant, it also has Professional and Professional Plus variants. The professional variant comes with some extra features like Na ew performance optimizer, driver updater, and automatic cleaning. The professional Pro variant is a bundled package of CCleaner Pro, Defragger Pro, Speccy Pro, and Recuva Pro. All of these are CCleaner’s own products.
But, because the Windows PC manager is free and can’t compete with the paid versions, we are going to keep this comparison stick to the Free variant of the CCleaner.
On the home page, you can start a system scan, which checks for the basic optimization that your system is eligible for. For any files, folders, cookies, or temporary files available for deletion, you can delete them from here.
However, as soon as you reach the page where driver updation is recommended, you are asked to upgrade to the Professional variant.
Key features:
1. Custom Cleaning
The custom cleaning feature is similar to what we say in the Deep Clean menu in the PC manager. You can choose to run the system analyzer first to check the files that can be cleaned. Then you can run the cleaner, and the temporary files, log files, or other waste things will be deleted automatically.
2. Performance Optimizer
This feature is good if you have too many programs installed on your computer. It tells you each program’s impact on your PC’ performance with a button to put it on sleep. You should do that carefully and don’t put any useful program on sleep.
As you can see in the screenshot above, CCleaner is telling me to put the PC Manager to sleep, lol. But, surely this thing is useful. Again, it can be done manually in the Task Manager, but if it makes it easy for you, why not?
3. Drivers Updater and Software Updater
Both these features are available for paid variants.
3. CCleaner Tools
There are some useful free CCleaner tools available in the tools section. These are as follows.
Registry Cleaner
You can run the registry scan and the program will find all the possible issues with the registry. You can also fix the issues but make sure to backup the registry as CCleaner will also recommend.
Driver Wiper
For securely erasing SSDs or hard drives, this feature can be helpful. Four types of passes from simple to very complex overwriting methods are available for you.
System restore, duplicate finder, disk analyzer, and browser plugin features are also available in the tools menu. There are some other settings and features available in the options menu which you can easily check out.
Pros & cons of CCleaner
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offer deep cleaning | Registry cleaning can be aggressive |
| You can use it on macOS or Android | Ads and upselling |
| Startup & Program Management | Some features are paid (driver update, real-time monitoring, etc) |
| Professional variant with extra features |
Features Comparison: Windows PC Manager vs CCleaner (Free)
| Feature | Windows PC Manager | CCleaner |
|---|---|---|
| Junk Cleaning | Yes | Yes |
| Registry Cleaning | No | Yes |
| Startup Optimization | Yes | Yes |
| Security Features | Yes | No |
| Automatic Cleaning | No | Yes (Pro version) |
| Cross-Platform | No (Windows only) | Yes (Windows, Mac, Android) |
Which One Should You Use? CCleaner or Windows PC Manager
There are some important parameters on which you should decide between the two. Now, some views are going to be subjective here. However, I will try to give you the reasons as well.
Trust Factor
Any day, I would trust the Windows PC Manager more than CCleaner. It is Windows’ own product and is developed by them. CCleaner was in some controversy as well in the past, and I hope they have fixed their issues. Also, I am not considering that. In fact, it is normal to trust a program developed by the OS developer itself more than a third-party program.
Performance
Performance-wise, both programs are good. CCleaner can take a little longer to run the scans, but the clearing process is relatively faster. I found the Windows PC Manager to be pretty fast.
Ease of Use
The Windows PC Manager is sleek, simple, and easier to use than CCleaner. CCleaner isn’t very confusing and works just like many other optimization tools but, still, I found the PC Manager to be more sleek and easy to use.
Features
Feature-wise, the CCleaner beats the PC Manager any day. The registry cleaner, drive wiper, system optimizer, and health check features are not available in the PC Manager. In fact, the PC Manager only has two special features i.e. PC Boost and Deep cleanup. Most other features can easily be done manually, or they just take you to the same Windows settings or menus.
Ads, Bloatware, and Upselling
Windows PC Manager is the winner here without any Ads or upselling. It surely indirectly promotes the Bing search engine and Microsoft Edge, but that seems fine. In CCleaner, you are asked directly to install the Avast Free Antivirus. On many occasions, you will see unnecessary options to upgrade to the pro version.
Final Thoughts
CCleaner offers additional features such as a registry cleaner, system optimization, drive wiper, and custom cleaning. The Windows PC Manager offers similar features, except for the specific ones we discussed above. So, in my opinion, PC Manager is better for you if you just want the basics done, like clearing RAM or deleting unnecessary files on your computer. Registry cleaning isn’t necessary for most users.
However, most of the features offered by the PC Manager itself can be done manually, like clearing RAM, deleting temporary files, ending tasks from the task manager, or disabling startup programs. It is just that the PC manager can automate these things for you.
In terms of their own footprints on the system storage and memory, CCleaner is heavier. PC Manager can work perfectly in the background, and with the automatic boost enabled, it can even keep on running without putting less load on your computer. So, in my view, the Windows PC manager is better than CCleaner if you are not looking for some specific features that CCleaner comes with.
