Fluent Cleaner Review: A Modern, Open-Source CCleaner Alternative
Do you remember the "good old days" of CCleaner? It used to be the must-have tool for every Windows user, living on almost every PC to keep things running smoothly. But since its acquisition, many users feel the software has gone downhill, cluttered with upsells, "scareware" tactics, and unnecessary bloat.
If you’ve been looking for a way to get that original, clean experience back, there is a new contender in town: Fluent Cleaner.
What is Fluent Cleaner?
Created by the well-known developer Builtbybell (the mind behind several popular Windows optimization utilities), Fluent Cleaner is designed to be the spiritual successor to the original CCleaner.
It’s built on WinUI3, meaning it looks right at home on modern versions of Windows with a transparent, "fluent" design. More importantly, it adheres to a strict "no garbage" policy:
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No Spyware
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No Scareware
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No Dark Patterns
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No Upsell Garbage
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No Fake "Registry Magic"
Why It’s More Powerful Than You Think
Fluent Cleaner isn't just a pretty face. It uses a community-driven database called WinApp2.ini. This is the same industry-standard cleanup logic that the most popular system tools use, ensuring it knows exactly what is safe to delete and what isn't.
Real-World Results: Fluent Cleaner vs. Microsoft PC Manager
In a recent test, the official Microsoft PC Manager only found about 8.8 GB of temporary files. When Fluent Cleaner ran an analysis on the same machine, it found nearly 26 GB!
It picked up large, often-ignored cache files like:
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Microsoft NuGet package caches (10GB+)
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NVIDIA update files (4GB)
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Chrome and Python caches
Advanced Features: Extensions
One of the coolest parts of Fluent Cleaner is its support for extensions. By downloading the optional extensions pack, you gain access to a suite of powerful Windows scripts and tools, including:
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Chris Titus Tech’s Utility: For de-bloating Windows.
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Clear Icon Cache: To fix broken desktop icons.
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Explorer Tweaks: Show file extensions or hide Microsoft Defender maintenance notifications.
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Remove Windows AI: For those who want a leaner OS.
How to Get Started
Fluent Cleaner is portable and easy to use.
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Download: Grab the latest release from the official GitHub: Fluent Cleaner GitHub.
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Unzip: It comes in a ZIP file
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Run: Open
fcleaner.exe. -
Analyze: We recommend sticking to the "Default" settings for a safe cleanup. Selecting "All" is powerful but might reset your browser autofills and preferences.
Conclusion
If you're tired of "system cleaners" that feel more like advertisements than utilities, Fluent Cleaner is a breath of fresh air. It’s transparent, community-driven, and significantly more effective than many tools.
I’ve also made a video on this topic — you can watch it below.
Check out my other posts, I post useful tutorials and tech tips, maybe you will find something useful 😉.