FluentCleaner: A New Open-Source Alternative to CCleaner

The decline of CCleaner and the emergence of alternative tools has been a recurring topic of discussion among the Windows user community. According to a report by the Chinese tech blog Xiaozhong Software, a new open-source project, FluentCleaner, has been released by its developers as a replacement. This tool inherits the community-managed rules database winapp2.ini, initially adopted by CCleaner, and has been reimplemented using Microsoft’s latest UI framework, WinUI 3.

The Transformation of CCleaner and the Demand

for Alternatives

Since the mid-2000s, CCleaner has been widely used as a staple utility for Windows. Its simple and effective functionalities, such as clearing cache and temporary files and freeing up disk space, earned it a place in many PC setups. However, following the acquisition of its developer, Piriform, by Avast, the product underwent a significant transformation. The software became bloated with additional features, embedded ads, recommendations for unnecessary software, and intrusive “optimization suggestions,” straying far from its original simplicity as a cleaning tool.

This shift led many users to long for the “good old days” and sparked a continuous search for alternative tools. While options like BleachBit and System Ninja exist, few alternatives could fully utilize CCleaner’s rule-based precision cleaning. FluentCleaner was developed to fill this gap.

Technical Features and Design Philosophy

The core of FluentCleaner lies in its use of the winapp2.ini database, which has been maintained by the community for over 15 years. This database contains thousands of rules defining which cache folders, temporary file paths, and registry entries from various applications should be deleted. Unlike indiscriminate cleaning based on guesses, FluentCleaner operates based on verified, auditable rules.

Additionally, the tool supports derivative formats of the database, such as Winapp3 and Winappx, allowing users to add custom rules. However, the developers recommend using the community-maintained rule set as-is. The winapp2.ini database has been successfully utilized in various tools, including BleachBit, System Ninja, Avira System Speedup, Tron, R-Wipe & Clean, and HDCleaner.

The interface is built using Microsoft’s WinUI 3 framework, offering a modern look aligned with Fluent Design principles. Although WinUI 3 has been criticized for being visually appealing but performance-heavy, Xiaozhong Software reports that FluentCleaner operates faster than the original implementation by Piriform.

Developers Discuss Their Motivation and

Background

The idea for FluentCleaner dates back to the original CCleaner in 2006. Developer @Belim expressed a desire to recreate the pure purpose of cleaning tools—simply removing unnecessary files from the system. According to Belim, the evolution of CCleaner is “a typical example of something that was truly excellent being acquired by a large corporation, over-optimized, and losing its original essence.”

The developer also points out that much of CCleaner’s current value comes not from official decisions but from community-maintained assets like the winapp2.ini rules database. FluentCleaner implements a custom parser to read this database instead of rewriting all cleaning rules from scratch.

The currently available version is an initial preview, with future development potentially sustained through donations. Although no official release schedule or roadmap has been announced, the developer aims to create a simple cleaning tool without unnecessary complexities, prioritizing ease of use.

Usage and Licensing

FluentCleaner is available on GitHub, making its source code accessible for anyone to review, compile, and run. This open-source model is especially beneficial for corporate users and system administrators, who can audit the code rather than relying on closed-source cleaning tools.

The tool can be downloaded from its GitHub repository. While details such as whether it will be available as an installer or portable application are yet unclear, it is expected to run on Windows 10/11 environments as a WinUI 3 application.

Editorial Opinion

In the short term, the launch of FluentCleaner is likely to garner support from a segment of Windows users dissatisfied with CCleaner. Open-source and auditable cleaning tools are particularly appealing to engineers and users who manage their own systems. However, since the current version is a preview, users should be cautious about potential critical bugs or missing features. Organizations considering deployment on corporate devices should likely wait for a stable release.

From a long-term perspective, the sustainability of the project remains the key challenge. As the developer has acknowledged, financial viability remains uncertain, and there is always a risk that open-source tools may not receive continual maintenance. However, the decision to leverage community assets like the winapp2.ini database could ensure that the project delivers value without being overly dependent on the personal commitment of the developers. As evidenced by the decline of CCleaner, the open-source, decentralized model inherently offers advantages in resisting the commercial pressures that often lead to software degradation.

References

• Xiaozhong Software — Published on 2026-07-05
• FluentCleaner GitHub Repository (if applicable)