By: Kelly | Last updated January 22, 2020 
While your Mac is equipped with its own utility apps, such as Activity Monitor, Disk Utility and so on, these apps are not as complex or effective as third-party utility software.
Your Mac needs regular maintenance just like any other product you buy. Otherwise, in time, clutter will build up and you’re left dealing with the bad consequences: a slow and buggy device, limited disk space and others.
Types of utility software
There are various types of apps that fall into the category of ‘utility software’, even though you may not be aware of it. Here are some examples of utility apps:
- Antivirus programs
- Disk cleaners
- Backup apps
- Memory testers
- Network utilities
- System monitors that monitor and analyze the use of resources and the performance of your device
- Recovery apps
- Encryption software
MacKeeper overview – is it any good?
MacKeeper continues to be a controversial product, which is either loved or hated. This utility software was developed by Zeobit, back in 2009 and sold to Kromtech in 2013. Some skeptics still call it a scam and don’t trust it on their Macs, but the more open-minded ones have long recognized its legitimacy and value.
MacKeeper is a suite of utility tools that are meant to clean, fix issues, optimize and secure your Mac device, thus boosting its overall performance.
Features
There are currently 12 apps in 1 included with MacKeeper. Here are the features/tools you get:
- Adware cleaner
- MacKeeper Antivirus
- Memory cleaner
- Smart Uninstaller that prevents future junk from building up, by helping you properly delete apps that you no longer need
- Scanner that scans and fix junk and risky items
- Login items: you can decide which apps launch at startup so that you can control how fast your Mac boots
- Duplicates finder: it frees up space on your drive by locating and removing unnecessary copies of your files
- Update tracker
- Safe cleanup, also for quickly removing junk files
- Anti-tracking that blocks ads
- VPN private connect for securing your WiFi connection
- Track my Mac: in case your Mac gets stolen, you can track it down and MacKeeper will even take a snapshot of the thief
- 24/7 customer support
Pricing
There are four plans available with MacKeeper: Basic, Standard, Premium and Premium+ so you can opt for whichever type of license you want.
The Basic plan is a 1-month plan and it is priced at $14.95/month.
The Standard plan is a 6-month plan and it costs $9.94/month.
The Premium plan is a 12-month plan and it is priced at $7.95/month.
The best-deal is the Premium+ plan, which is priced at $4.95/month and is a 24-month plan.
The MacKeeper interface is really attractive, well organized and user-friendly. And in spite of all the online rumors, MacKeeper doesn’t slow down your Mac’s performance, nor doesn’t it affect its functionality in any way. It does the opposite.
While there’s nothing out of the ordinary with the utility suite offered by MacKeeper, it is easier and more useful to have all the utility tools necessary for your Mac in a single bundle.
Our favorites in the suite were the Track My Mac tool, the data encryption tool (that lets you hide individual files and folders, includes password protection and supports the AES-128/AES-256 encryption standards) and the Adware Cleaner, which blocks annoying popups.
