Trimmel vs Microsoft PC Manager vs BleachBit
PC Manager is the simple, signed Microsoft option. BleachBit cleans the most apps and can shred files. Trimmel is for a full C: drive: it moves big programs to another drive and shows every change first.
All three are free and tidy a Windows PC, but they differ in focus. Here is how they compare, including where Trimmel is the weaker choice.
| Trimmel | Microsoft PC Manager | BleachBit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maker and licence | Independent, MIT open source | Microsoft, closed source | Independent, GPL open source |
| Junk and cache cleanup | Common Windows, browser and shader caches | Yes (Deep Cleanup) | Strongest: thousands of apps |
| Startup manager | Yes: Run keys, folders, scheduled tasks, Store apps | Yes | No |
| Move installed apps to another drive | Yes, with undo | No | No |
| Disk usage view | Yes, folder drill-down | Large file finder | No |
| Process manager | Yes | Yes | No |
| Driver updates | Via Windows Update | Not listed | No |
| Secure file shredding, wipe free space | No | No | Yes |
| Command-line automation | No | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows | Windows and Linux |
Which one to pick
- Choose Microsoft PC Manager if you want something from Microsoft with a signed installer and nothing to think about.
- Choose BleachBit if you want the deepest cleaning across many applications, secure deletion or scripting.
- Choose Trimmel if your problem is a full C: drive and you want to move big programs to another drive, see exactly what will change before it does, and undo it.
Where Trimmel is weaker
- It is new and small, so it has fewer cleaning targets than BleachBit.
- The installer is not code signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may warn. The download page explains how to proceed and shows the checksum.
- It does not shred files or wipe free space.
More detail: Microsoft PC Manager and BleachBit.
Related guides
- How to move an installed program to another drive on Windows
- How to free up disk space on Windows 11 (and what is safe to delete)
- Which startup programs can you safely disable on Windows?
- Is it safe to delete Temp, SoftwareDistribution and Windows.old files?
- How to update drivers safely on Windows (without a driver updater)
Try Trimmel alongside them
It is free, open source and shows what it will change before it changes it.
Get Trimmel, free