TOOL 01
Mach-O Dependency Graph
Evidence Uninstaller
Traces Mach-O binary dependencies, codesign entitlements, and receipt plists to remove real application leftovers, not just matching folder names.
The quiet, native Mac cleaner that leaves no trace.
Reclaim tens of gigabytes trapped in developer caches, runaway logs, and abandoned app containers. Zero background daemons. Zero telemetry. 100% pure Swift & SwiftUI.
Download for Mac (v1.0.0)
curl -fsSL .../install.sh | bash
01 · ARCHITECTURE & TOOLS
Seven dedicated tools. One fast, native binary.
Every module is hand-crafted in pure Swift and SwiftUI. No cross-platform Electron wrappers, no memory hogging, and zero background services eating your battery.
TOOL 02
Signature & Bundle Matching
Orphaned Residuals
Finds configuration directories, sandboxed group containers, and preferences from applications you uninstalled months or years ago.
TOOL 03
Zero User Data Risk
Developer & System Junk
Reclaims gigabytes from Xcode DerivedData, iOS Simulator runtimes, package managers (npm, pip, Homebrew, Cargo, Gradle), and obsolete crash logs.
TOOL 04
Raw Directory Traversal
APFS Disk Space Tree
Visual breakdown of your storage with concentric sunburst and treemap modes. Zero indexing wait—traverses raw APFS directory blocks directly.
TOOL 05
APFS Clone & Hardlink Aware
Cryptographic Duplicates
Detects true duplicate files through cryptographic hash verification. APFS clone and hardlink aware to protect shared storage blocks.
TOOL 06
SMAppService Native
Startup Services
Inspects and manages runaway login items, background LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons using modern macOS SMAppService APIs.
TOOL 07
Hardware Sensor Watch
Hardware Privacy & Monitor
Real-time CPU/GPU load rails, memory pressure gradient, and hardware sensor surveillance for camera & microphone activity.
02 · TRANSPARENCY
How does MacPulse compare to commercial cleaners?
Commercial utilities lock you into $40/year recurring subscriptions and install 200MB background daemons in your menu bar. MacPulse is a transparent, developer-grade utility.
| Capability | MacPulse | Typical Cleaner (CleanMyMac) |
|---|---|---|
| License Model | Free & Open Source (MIT) | $39.95 / year subscription |
| Background RAM Footprint | 0 MB when closed (clean exit) | Always-running helper (200MB+ RAM) |
| Telemetry & Cloud Tracking | Zero network calls. 100% local | Analytics trackers & license checks |
| Uninstaller Mechanism | Mach-O dependency graph & receipts | Simple keyword regex folder search |
| Safety & Rollback | SQLite atomic snapshot journal (undo) | Direct delete to system Trash |
| Developer Tool Caches | Xcode DerivedData, Simulators, npm, pip | Generic system cache cleaning only |
| Native Architecture | 100% Native Swift & SwiftUI | Heavy proprietary framework bundle |
| Terminal & CLI Support | First-class macpulse CLI included | GUI only / No scriptable CLI |
03 · STRAIGHT ANSWERS
Questions. Answered honestly.
Clear explanations about system safety, permissions, and open-source architecture.
When an app installs components on macOS, it registers sandboxed group containers, daemon launch plists, and bundle receipt IDs. Most tools search for folder names containing the app title. MacPulse parses the app's Info.plist, Mach-O load dependencies, and codesign entitlements to build an exact graph of every artifact created by that app.
No. MacPulse enforces strict safety boundary rules. Personal directories (Documents, Desktop, Photos, iCloud Drive, Git repositories) are hard-coded as non-targetable. Furthermore, before any files are cleared, MacPulse records an atomic local snapshot in a SQLite catalog so you can restore items immediately if needed.
MacPulse requests Full Disk Access so it can inspect user Caches and sandboxed Application Support folders. It does not require kernel extensions or system extension entitlements. All scanning and deletion execution occurs locally on your machine.
Apple charges $99/year for Developer ID notarization certificates. Because MacPulse is free and open-source software under the MIT license, we do not pay Apple for a corporate certificate. macOS automatically sets a quarantine attribute on internet-downloaded unsigned apps. You can either use our 1-line curl installer (which clears it for you), or run
xattr -cr /Applications/MacPulse.app once.
A cleaner tool should not be part of the problem it claims to solve. Running an idle background daemon wastes CPU cycles and battery life. MacPulse does its work when you open it, and when you quit it, it exits completely with 0 MB memory footprint.
04 · PACKAGING & DOWNLOADS
Get MacPulse for macOS
Universal native binary compiled for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and Intel Macs. Free and open-source under the MIT license. Published directly through GitHub Releases.
macOS
macOS 14.0 Sonoma or later
Terminal
Fastest automated install
One-line script (clears quarantine)
curl -fsSL .../install.sh | bash
Homebrew Cask
brew install princepal9120/tap/macpulse
Security & Source
Community build without Apple notarization fee
Unsigned DMG Gatekeeper fix
xattr -cr /Applications/MacPulse.app
Build from source via Xcode
xcodebuild -scheme MacPulse build