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TuguiDragos

TuguiDragos/Peel

A free, open source macOS uninstaller that removes an app along with every leftover file, showing why each belongs to it.

Open-source alternative to:AppCleanerCleanMyMac

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Open issues
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Last commit
yesterday

What is it?

Dragging a Mac app to the Trash usually leaves caches, preferences, containers, launch agents and support files scattered across the Library folders. Peel finds these leftovers, explains why each file belongs to the app and how confident it is, and moves the items you select to the Trash. Files are never deleted outright, and a History view can restore anything Peel moved.

Beyond uninstalling, Peel offers tools to free disk space, such as clearing developer tool caches, build output in projects, duplicates and old installers. It also covers background items and extensions, a set of macOS settings, and Terminal setup with themes, a prompt and related shell options. Protected locations such as iCloud Drive, keychains, Mail and photo libraries are excluded from any removal.

Peel is written in Swift and ships a companion command-line tool called peel for scripting uninstalls, inventories and cleanups. It requires macOS 26 or later and is available as a DMG download or through Homebrew.

Key features

  • 01Finds an app's leftover files and shows why each one matches.
  • 02Moves selected items to the Trash and can restore them from History.
  • 03Protects iCloud Drive, keychains, Mail, and other sensitive locations.
  • 04Clears developer caches, project build output, duplicates, and old installers.
  • 05Includes a peel command-line tool for scripted uninstalls and inventories.
  • 06Installable via DMG or Homebrew cask.

Use cases

  • Fully removing an app and its support files to reclaim disk space.
  • Cleaning up developer tool caches and build artifacts on a development Mac.
  • Scripting app inventories or uninstalls across Macs from Terminal.
  • Reviewing and reverting what a cleaner removed before committing to it.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Download Peel-<version>.dmg from the latest release and drag Peel into Applications

  2. 2

    Or install it with Homebrew

    brew install --cask peel

Things to know

  • macOS only, and it requires macOS Tahoe 26 or later.
  • Licensed under GPL-3.0, a copyleft license.

In collections

CLI & terminal toolsOpen-source Mac apps

Topics

#macos#uninstaller#disk-cleanup#swift#cli#developer-tools#cache-cleaner#cleaner#disk-space#duplicate-finder

FAQ

What is Peel?
A free, open source macOS uninstaller that removes an app along with every leftover file, showing why each belongs to it. Dragging a Mac app to the Trash usually leaves caches, preferences, containers, launch agents and support files scattered across the Library folders. Peel finds these leftovers, explains why each file belongs to the app and how confident it is, and moves the items you select to the Trash. Files are never deleted outright, and a History view can restore anything Peel moved.
Is Peel free to use? What license does it have?
Peel is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is Peel still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to Peel was on Nov 5, 2026.
What can I use Peel for?
Fully removing an app and its support files to reclaim disk space. Cleaning up developer tool caches and build artifacts on a development Mac. Scripting app inventories or uninstalls across Macs from Terminal. Reviewing and reverting what a cleaner removed before committing to it.
How do I install Peel?
Download Peel-<version>.dmg from the latest release and drag Peel into Applications Or install it with Homebrew: brew install --cask peel
Where can I get Peel?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/TuguiDragos/Peel

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