FluentCleaner: the Windows pick
FluentCleaner is a free, open-source CCleaner alternative. It appeared on GitHub in April 2026 as a WinUI 3 app. It uses the community-maintained winapp2.ini ruleset to find caches, logs, temporary files and other deletable debris. The roundup says it can turn up NuGet package caches, Chrome cache and Nvidia update files that Storage Sense may not touch. It also has a Terminal view and an extensions area.
Two editions, not one
The project ships in two flavors, so "built on WinUI 3" is only half the story.
- Modern: The WinUI 3 and Windows App SDK edition, with scheduled cleaning, AI integrations and Custom Cleaner. The repository lists x64 and ARM64 support on Windows 10 build 17763 or later.
- Classic: A small, portable WinForms edition on .NET Framework 4.8. Firethering suggests it for very lightweight setups or systems where the extra Windows App SDK runtime is unwanted. Both editions share the same cleaning engine.
The latest Classic release notes describe a command-line mode for silent analyze-and-clean runs. That means you can call it from batch files or PowerShell. This is Classic only, per the release notes.
Read the rules before you click Clean
Any tool that deletes files deserves some caution, and the project's own guide says so. It calls Winapp2 the recommended everyday database. Winapp3 is described as experimental and more aggressive. The guide says some of its rules remove application state instead of disposable cache. It advises reviewing every selected entry and warning, leaving unfamiliar rules disabled, and never using "Check all" casually.
The workflow is also built around a dry run. In Classic, Analyze builds a deletion plan without modifying anything. Cleaning is a separate step. Entries with a Winapp2 warning get a confirmation prompt.
Practical advice:
- Close your browsers before analyzing, because open browsers lock files.
- Leave Winapp3 off on your first run.
- Skim the warnings, especially for rules that reset preferences or sign you out.
- Run Run Cleaner only when the analysis matches what you expect.
The project also has a cookie manager that can protect chosen sites' logins during browser cleaning. That is useful if you don't want to re-authenticate everywhere.
Download only from GitHub
The developer says the only official source is the FluentCleaner GitHub repository. The project warns that fluentcleaner.org is not affiliated with it. Cleaner utilities attract look-alike sites, so check the repository and release asset before running anything. If you use WinGet, the release page lists an install ID for the Modern edition.
Sysadmin note
WindowsForum's earlier coverage argued FluentCleaner isn't immediately deployable in enterprise settings. Enterprise maintenance depends on repeatability, supportability, logging, rollback, policy and vendor accountability. That seems fair to me. It suits home users and enthusiasts better than managed fleets. Classic's CLI and scheduled-task options are a start, but they aren't a managed-endpoint story.
The four Android apps
These don't touch Windows, but they may interest anyone who carries a phone next to their PC. I've included the limitations the project pages state.
| App | What it does | Key caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | Keeps the screen awake via a wake lock and foreground service, with a Quick Settings tile | Aggressive OEM battery savers can break it |
| Gramophone | Local music player with Material 3 design, synced lyrics and ReplayGain 2.0 | Relies on system codecs |
| ClearPDF | PDF reader, annotator, scanner and Office viewer | Not fully offline in every build |
| Notally | Minimal notes app with an APK of roughly 1.2 to 1.4 MB | Not new; a reported Xiaomi formatting bug |
Coffee
The F-Droid listing says Coffee can be toggled from a Quick Settings tile, an in-app button or a home-screen shortcut. The tile needs Android 7 or later. F-Droid warns that overly aggressive battery savers on some devices (Poco, Samsung, Xiaomi) can stop it working. Its workaround is to enable "Alternate mode" in settings. Two Android projects share the name Coffee, so look for the mueller-ma project (package com.github.muellerma.coffee), which matches the roundup's description. The F-Droid page shows version 2.27 added on August 11, 2026. It requires Android 6.0 or newer.
Gramophone
The repository describes a GPL-3.0 player built on Media3. It indexes music through Android's MediaStore and supports folder browsing, playlists, LRC, TTML and SRT lyrics, and ReplayGain 2.0. Its stable releases are on GitHub, F-Droid and IzzyOnDroid. The roundup says the Play Store carries it too. The repository lists a separate Play Store signing certificate, which suggests a Play build exists, but I couldn't confirm the current listing.
Its FAQ explains two common problems:
- Missing tracks: Songs under 60 seconds are hidden by default. You can change this in Settings under Behaviour. Also check the folder blacklist.
- Playback problems: Gramophone uses the phone's own codecs. 32-bit FLAC needs Android 14 or later. xHE-AAC generally needs Android 9 or later. Dolby formats need licensed decoders on the device. ALAC works through a built-in lightweight decoder.
The roundup's comparison with VLC's design is the author's opinion, not a measured result.
ClearPDF
The MIT-licensed project opens PDF, DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX, ODT/ODS/ODP, RTF, CSV and TXT files. The editing claim needs care. Per the README, only the spreadsheet editor can save XLSX changes. Word and PowerPoint files are opened for viewing. You can annotate them and export a PDF, but the original text layout isn't rewritten. Note this if you pictured a pocket Word replacement.
The privacy claim also needs a qualifier. The roundup says everything runs on your device. The project says most operations are local. However, the FOSS build uses the network for its optional Office engine and URL-to-PDF. Google Play services may provide the scanner and background-removal components. It is a good offline-leaning tool, but not a strict no-network guarantee.
Notally
The Google Play listing describes rich text, lists, reminders, colors, labels, pinning, image attachments, search, widgets, and export to PDF, TXT, JSON and HTML. It says notes stay on the device, with no ads, trackers or analytics. It lists the APK at 1.2 MB, which matches the roundup's "under 2MB" claim. The listing also warns that some Xiaomi MIUI devices may be unable to access text formatting options. Some user reviews report lost edits with autosave. These are anecdotes, not a verified defect. Still, test it before trusting it with anything critical, and keep an exported backup.
Verdict
- Windows readers: FluentCleaner is the one worth a look. Choose Classic for a tiny portable tool or Modern for a native interface. Keep Winapp3 off, read the warnings and download only from the official repository.
- Android users: All four are reasonable picks. Check each app's source and install method first. Coffee and ClearPDF aren't on the Play Store, per the roundup, so you'll install them from GitHub, IzzyOnDroid or via Obtainium.
- A caution about "open source": An open license means anyone can inspect the code. It doesn't mean the code has been audited. Check the permissions and the install source regardless.