Tidy Up review
A focused Mac cleaner with deep application-library searches and flexible cleanup controls.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Tidy Up is a macOS application for finding and managing duplicate files and folders across local scanned volumes and supported application libraries. It is aimed at Mac users who need more than a basic folder scan, particularly people cleaning Lightroom, Photos, Music, Mail, Contacts, and Time Machine backup content. The product runs on macOS 11 or later and offers both a free plan and Tidy Up 6, listed at $29.99 as a one-time purchase.
Its main strength is search depth. Simple Mode provides more than 80 predefined smart searches, while Advanced Mode lets users customize search criteria by file kind and other conditions. Results can be organized by file type and viewed in grid or list layouts. Tidy Up also searches for hard links and can replace items with hard links, giving users options beyond standard duplicate deletion. These capabilities make it a strong fit for application-heavy Mac libraries where duplicate content may be spread across several managed collections.
Cleanup is flexible rather than deletion-only. Users can remove marked, unmarked, or all items, or move and copy found files instead of deleting them. Removed items can also be restored, and the application can handle found items with administrator privileges. The published product description gives less detail on duplicate-matching, preview, and automation behavior than it does on search and cleanup controls, so users seeking highly explicit comparison workflows may prefer an alternative with more prominently documented matching detail. Choose Tidy Up for broad Mac-library coverage and adjustable searches; choose another tool if cross-platform support or deeply specified preview and automation features are priorities.
Tidy Up pros and cons
- Where it wins
- More than 80 predefined smart searches in Simple Mode
- Searches Lightroom, Photos, Music, Mail, and Contacts
- Moves, copies, restores, or replaces items with links or aliases
- Where it doesn't
- Runs only on macOS 11 or later
- Duplicate matching, preview, and automation are less detailed
- Advanced search criteria may require more setup than Simple Mode
Tidy Up fact sheet, pricing and score →
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