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Broomie vs SD Maid SE: Which Android Cleaner Is Right for You?
By the llcloud team 5 min read
The short answer
Pick SD Maid SE if you want a deep, open source toolbox with app management, custom search rules and photo compression, and you are comfortable with root, Shizuku or ADB. Pick Broomie if you want a guided cleaner that explains each item, keeps your own files undoable, and clears every cache with a one-time on-phone setup.
Both are ad-free cleaners that find junk, leftovers of removed apps, duplicates and large folders. SD Maid SE is the more extensive, open source toolbox, with app management, custom search criteria and image compression, and it uses root, Shizuku, ADB or an accessibility service for deeper work. Broomie is more guided: every item says why it is listed, your own files go to Recently deleted first, and Pro's Power mode clears every cache after a setup through Wireless debugging.
SD Maid has been the cleaner many Android enthusiasts recommend for over a decade, and SD Maid SE is its modern successor. Broomie is newer and aimed at people who want a cleaner that explains itself. Both are ad-free and both do far more than a "boost" button. This comparison is as of October 2026, using SD Maid SE's Play listing and GitHub page for its facts.
Broomie vs SD Maid SE at a glance
| Broomie | SD Maid SE | |
|---|---|---|
| No ads | ✓ | ✓ |
| Junk, logs, temp files, empty folders | ✓ | ✓ (SystemCleaner) |
| Leftovers of uninstalled apps | ✓ (Pro, Power mode) | ✓ (CorpseFinder) |
| Clear every app's cache | ✓ (Pro, Power mode) | ✓ (AppCleaner) |
| Storage analyzer | ✓ | ✓ (StorageAnalyzer) |
| Duplicate and similar photos | ✓ (removal in Pro) | ✓ (Deduplicator) |
| Swipe review | ✓ (50 a day free) | ✓ (Swiper) |
| Compress photos instead of deleting | ✗ | ✓ (Media Squeeze) |
| App manager | Unused apps, optimizer (Pro) | ✓ (AppControl) |
| Custom search criteria | ✗ | ✓ |
| WhatsApp and Telegram media | ✓ | Not listed |
| Undo for your own files | ✓ (Recently deleted) | Swiper reviews decisions first |
| Scheduled cleaning | ✓ (Pro) | Not listed |
| Root | Optional | Optional |
| Shizuku or ADB | Wireless debugging helper | ✓ |
| Accessibility service | ✗ | Optional |
| Open source | Not stated | ✓ (GPL v3) |
How do they approach cleaning?
SD Maid SE is a toolbox. Its listing describes separate tools, each with a name: CorpseFinder for remnants of removed apps, SystemCleaner for files that match built-in or custom search criteria, AppCleaner for expendable files and hidden caches, AppControl for managing apps, StorageAnalyzer, Deduplicator, Swiper and Media Squeeze. Each is strong in its own area, and power users love the control.
Broomie is guided. One scan gathers junk, big files, chat media and photos into a results list, and every item has a line saying why it was found. A short phone checkup walks you through it step by step. You untick anything you want to keep, then clean.
If you like to understand and tune each tool, SD Maid SE fits. If you want to open the app, read the list and be done, Broomie fits.
How deep can each one go?
Android limits what any cleaner can touch. Both apps have ways past the limits.
SD Maid SE supports root and ADB access through Shizuku, and its listing says it can use Android's accessibility service to tap buttons for you, for example to delete caches across many apps. It states it does not use that service to collect information.
Broomie's free version uses All files access and Usage access, which cover junk, large files, chat media and measuring each app's cache. Power mode, part of Pro, sets up a helper once through Wireless debugging on the phone, with no computer and no extra app, or uses root. With it, Broomie clears every app's cache in one tap, reaches hidden caches in Android/data and removes leftovers of uninstalled apps. Broomie does not use an accessibility service.
Our guide on how to clear cache on Android explains why Android needs this extra access at all.
Which one is safer for my own files?
Both are careful, in different ways.
SD Maid SE's Swiper lets you review all decisions before anything is deleted, and you can save a session to continue later. Its other tools show what they found before you act.
Broomie separates two kinds of deletion. Caches and junk, which apps and Android rebuild, are deleted directly. Your own files, photos included, go to Recently deleted first, for 3 days free or up to 30 days with Pro. When it removes duplicates, one copy is always kept, and the sharpest shot is kept by default. You can protect any file, folder or app, and every clean is recorded in a history.
What about photos and chat media?
Both find exact duplicates and similar shots, and both have a swipe review. SD Maid SE's Media Squeeze can compress images with adjustable quality, which saves space without deleting anything, and Broomie has no equivalent.
Broomie lists WhatsApp and Telegram media, including statuses you already viewed, with the size of each item. Its swipe review goes through your photos month by month, with 50 photos a day free and unlimited with Pro.
For the bigger picture of where space goes, see how to free up storage on Android. For photos you want to keep but get out of your gallery, see how to hide photos on Android, which includes Velum, our encrypted vault that is coming soon.
What do they have in common?
More than the feature names suggest. Both are free of ads, both look for leftovers that Android's own storage screen does not show, both find duplicates and big folders, and both can go further than an ordinary app with extra access. The real choice is a toolbox you tune yourself or a guided list that explains each item.
How do they compare on price?
Both are ad-free. SD Maid SE is free with some features behind a paid upgrade on Google Play, and its code is open source under GPL v3.
Broomie is free for junk cleaning, large files, chat media, finding duplicates, the storage analyzer, the checkup and 50 swipe reviews a day. Pro is a monthly or yearly subscription with a 7-day free trial, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Broomie reminds you before the trial ends.
Neither app promises a faster phone, which is a good sign in this category.
Which should you choose?
Choose SD Maid SE if:
- You want a deep toolbox and like tuning each tool.
- You want app management, custom search rules or photo compression.
- You already use root or Shizuku.
- Open source code matters to you.
Choose Broomie if:
- You want one scan with every item explained.
- You want your own files to be undoable after a clean.
- You want WhatsApp and Telegram media in the same list as everything else.
- You want every cache cleared without root, accessibility access or a computer.
Broomie is one of several llcloud apps. If your phone also drains fast, check your battery health before blaming storage.
Sources
Questions
Is SD Maid SE safe to use?
SD Maid SE has a long track record, more than a million downloads, no ads and public source code under GPL v3. Its tools are powerful, which means you should read what each one proposes before you confirm. The same applies to any cleaner. Broomie's approach is to explain every item and send your own files to Recently deleted, so a wrong tap is easy to undo.
Do I need root for SD Maid SE or Broomie?
Neither needs root for basic cleaning. SD Maid SE supports root and ADB access through Shizuku for deeper work, and it can use an accessibility service to tap through cache clearing for many apps. Broomie's Power mode, part of Pro, sets itself up through Wireless debugging on the phone, or uses root if you have it.
Which one clears all app caches at once?
Both can. SD Maid SE's AppCleaner finds expendable files and hidden caches, and its listing says it can use the accessibility service to click buttons and delete caches across many apps. Broomie's Power mode clears every app's cache in one tap and reaches hidden caches in Android/data, after a one-time Wireless debugging setup.
Which one is better for photos?
They overlap. Both find exact and similar duplicate photos and have a swipe review. SD Maid SE adds Media Squeeze, which compresses images to save space without deleting them. Broomie keeps the sharpest shot of a group by default, always keeps one copy, and sends removed photos to Recently deleted. Removing duplicates is part of Broomie Pro.
Will either cleaner make my phone faster?
Neither should be bought for that. Both free storage you can measure. Broomie says plainly that it does not promise a faster phone, and its animation speed option changes how quick the phone feels, not how fast it runs. A phone that is nearly full can behave better once space is freed.
