{"id":"comparisons.using-a-cleaner-app-alongside-storage-studio","url":"/faq/comparisons/using-a-cleaner-app-alongside-storage-studio","category":{"id":"comparisons","title":"Comparisons & alternatives"},"subcategory":{"id":"cleaners-and-uninstallers","title":"Cleaners and uninstallers"},"question":"Can I keep using a cleaner app alongside Storage Studio?","alt_questions":["is it safe to use cleanmymac and storage studio together","two storage apps at the same time mac","will a cleaner break storage studio","use another cleanup tool with storage studio","conflict between cleaner and storage studio"],"short_answer":"Yes. Just make sure the other tool doesn't delete the links Storage Studio leaves in place of moved folders; overlapping cache clean-ups are harmless but can make each tool's 'space freed' figure look smaller.","answer_markdown":"Yes, they can live on the same Mac. Two things are worth knowing.\n\nFirst, **leave the links alone**. When Storage Studio moves a folder, it leaves links in the original place that point at your external drive. If another tool \"tidies up\" or deletes those links, apps will stop finding the moved files where they expect them. The Storage Inspector's **Relocated** panel flags a moved folder whose link has gone missing, so you can see what happened.\n\nSecond, **expect overlap**. Both may want to clear the same caches. That's harmless — whichever runs first does the work and the other finds less to do — but it can make \"space freed\" figures look smaller than you expect.\n\nIf something looks wrong after another tool has run, check the Relocated panel in the [Storage Inspector](/manual/whats-using-space) first.","answer_html":"

Yes, they can live on the same Mac. Two things are worth knowing.

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First, leave the links alone. When Storage Studio moves a folder, it leaves links in the original place that point at your external drive. If another tool "tidies up" or deletes those links, apps will stop finding the moved files where they expect them. The Storage Inspector's Relocated panel flags a moved folder whose link has gone missing, so you can see what happened.

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Second, expect overlap. Both may want to clear the same caches. That's harmless — whichever runs first does the work and the other finds less to do — but it can make "space freed" figures look smaller than you expect.

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If something looks wrong after another tool has run, check the Relocated panel in the Storage Inspector first.

","answer_text":"Yes, they can live on the same Mac. Two things are worth knowing.\n\nFirst, leave the links alone. When Storage Studio moves a folder, it leaves links in the original place that point at your external drive. If another tool \"tidies up\" or deletes those links, apps will stop finding the moved files where they expect them. The Storage Inspector's Relocated panel flags a moved folder whose link has gone missing, so you can see what happened.\n\nSecond, expect overlap. Both may want to clear the same caches. That's harmless — whichever runs first does the work and the other finds less to do — but it can make \"space freed\" figures look smaller than you expect.\n\nIf something looks wrong after another tool has run, check the Relocated panel in the Storage Inspector first.","tags":["cleaner","compatibility","links"],"related":[{"id":"comparisons.storage-studio-vs-cleaner-apps","question":"Is Storage Studio a Mac cleaner like CleanMyMac?","url":"/faq/comparisons/storage-studio-vs-cleaner-apps"},{"id":"comparisons.dedicated-uninstaller-vs-storage-studio-uninstall","question":"How does Storage Studio's Uninstall compare with a dedicated uninstaller like AppCleaner?","url":"/faq/comparisons/dedicated-uninstaller-vs-storage-studio-uninstall"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Can I keep using a cleaner app alongside Storage Studio? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Yes. Just make sure the other tool doesn't delete the links Storage Studio leaves in place of moved folders; overlapping cache clean-ups are harmless but can make each tool's 'space freed' figure look smaller.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Comparisons & alternatives","path":"/faq/comparisons/"},{"name":"Can I keep using a cleaner app alongside Storage Studio?","path":"/faq/comparisons/using-a-cleaner-app-alongside-storage-studio"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/using-a-cleaner-app-alongside-storage-studio","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I keep using a cleaner app alongside Storage Studio?","alternateName":["is it safe to use cleanmymac and storage studio together","two storage apps at the same time mac","will a cleaner break storage studio","use another cleanup tool with storage studio","conflict between cleaner and storage studio"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, they can live on the same Mac. Two things are worth knowing.\n\nFirst, leave the links alone. When Storage Studio moves a folder, it leaves links in the original place that point at your external drive. If another tool \"tidies up\" or deletes those links, apps will stop finding the moved files where they expect them. The Storage Inspector's Relocated panel flags a moved folder whose link has gone missing, so you can see what happened.\n\nSecond, expect overlap. Both may want to clear the same caches. That's harmless — whichever runs first does the work and the other finds less to do — but it can make \"space freed\" figures look smaller than you expect.\n\nIf something looks wrong after another tool has run, check the Relocated panel in the Storage Inspector first.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/using-a-cleaner-app-alongside-storage-studio"}}]},"fragment":"
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Comparisons & alternatives · Cleaners and uninstallers

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Can I keep using a cleaner app alongside Storage Studio?

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Short answer: Yes. Just make sure the other tool doesn't delete the links Storage Studio leaves in place of moved folders; overlapping cache clean-ups are harmless but can make each tool's 'space freed' figure look smaller.

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Yes, they can live on the same Mac. Two things are worth knowing.

\n

First, leave the links alone. When Storage Studio moves a folder, it leaves links in the original place that point at your external drive. If another tool "tidies up" or deletes those links, apps will stop finding the moved files where they expect them. The Storage Inspector's Relocated panel flags a moved folder whose link has gone missing, so you can see what happened.

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Second, expect overlap. Both may want to clear the same caches. That's harmless — whichever runs first does the work and the other finds less to do — but it can make "space freed" figures look smaller than you expect.

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If something looks wrong after another tool has run, check the Relocated panel in the Storage Inspector first.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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