Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · File Shredder Software

ASCOMP Secure Eraser vs BleachBit

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score ASCOMP Secure Eraser #5 in File Shredder Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit ASCOMP
BleachBit #6 in File Shredder Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit BleachBit

ASCOMP Secure Eraser leads on 0 checks, BleachBit on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreASCOMP Secure Eraser · 8.7/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresASCOMP Secure Eraser · 3 of 4

ASCOMP Secure Eraser scores higher on our rubric for file shredder software: 8.7 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #6.

ASCOMP Secure Eraser is the better fit for windows users needing file and drive wiping. BleachBit is the better fit for free cross-platform privacy cleanup.

  • ASCOMP Secure Eraser fits best

    Windows users needing file and drive wiping

  • BleachBit fits best

    Free cross-platform privacy cleanup

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature ASCOMP Secure Eraser 8.7/10 Visit ↗ BleachBit 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.6
Ranking #5 in File Shredder Software #6 in File Shredder Software
Best for Windows users needing file and drive wiping Free cross-platform privacy cleanup
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $19.90 one-time Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows Windows, Linux, macOS
Support Email Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features ASCOMP Secure Eraser 3/4 · BleachBit 0/4
Free-space wiping ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Files and folders ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Drive wiping ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Scheduled shredding Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Overwrite methods Certified Not checked yet
Supported platforms Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Server 2022/2025, Windows Server 2016/2019, Windows Server 2012 Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Wipes files, folders, drives, partitions, free space, and deleted data
  • Offers NIST-aligned, DoD, German, and Gutmann methods
  • Free personal-use edition plus low-cost one-time professional licenses
  • Free and open source across Windows, Linux, and macOS
  • Shreds files and wipes empty disk space
  • Supports previews, command-line automation, and custom cleaners
Cons
  • Windows-only platform coverage
  • SSD used-area overwriting is not possible
  • Business use requires a Professional license
  • macOS support is early and experimental
  • Broader cleanup is less specialized than dedicated erasers
  • Portable operation is limited to Windows
Our verdict

ASCOMP Secure Eraser is Windows software for permanently deleting sensitive data from files, folders, drives, partitions, free space, the recycle bin, and browsing traces. It suits personal users who need more than ordinary deletion, as…

Read the review →

BleachBit is a free, open-source privacy and system cleanup utility for personal, commercial, governmental, and educational use. It removes browser cache, cookies, history, logs, temporary files, and application-specific data through…

Read the review →
  1. ASCOMP Secure EraserFile Shredder Software 8.7Free plan
  2. BleachBitFile Shredder Software 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • ASCOMP Secure Eraser — where it wins

    • Wipes files, folders, drives, partitions, free space, and deleted data
    • Offers NIST-aligned, DoD, German, and Gutmann methods
    • Free personal-use edition plus low-cost one-time professional licenses

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows-only platform coverage
    • SSD used-area overwriting is not possible
    • Business use requires a Professional license

  • BleachBit — where it wins

    • Free and open source across Windows, Linux, and macOS
    • Shreds files and wipes empty disk space
    • Supports previews, command-line automation, and custom cleaners

    Where it doesn't

    • macOS support is early and experimental
    • Broader cleanup is less specialized than dedicated erasers
    • Portable operation is limited to Windows

More comparisons

All file shredder software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update