There was a recent incident that motivated me to write this post. A few days back, I noticed a significant drop in my PC performance. The computer was heating even when no one was working on it. And when I checked the task manager, I saw an app called – Wondershare using 90% of the resource in the background. I’d no idea when I installed this app. Anyways, when I tried to remove the app using Windows native uninstaller, it didn’t work.
Thankfully, I had a copy of Revo uninstaller already installed, but when I tried that, the license had expired. While I’ve no problem paying for the apps, I use, in this particular case, I need the uninstaller just for one simple task, and buying a whole new software for that, doesn’t seem like a wise decision. Thus I was searching for some good alternative for Revo Uninstaller for Windows. And here are some of the good ones I found.
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Difference Between Windows Uninstaller and Third-party Uninstaller
There are two ways to uninstall a program on Windows. You can use a Windows’s built-in uninstaller which is mostly available in Control Panel settings. Or you can download a third-party software to uninstall the app.
When you uninstall a software using Window’s native uninstaller, it does not remove all the files that are linked to the program. In fact, you might have noticed, if you reinstall some programs (like bluestacks), they automatically remember your preference from the previous installation. These leftovers are not a problem usually. However, sometimes, you need to completely uninstall a program with all its leftover files or say you have a malicious program which you can not remove from the Windows uninstaller, well in that case you need third-party uninstaller.
And while Revo Uninstaller is defiantly a robust Uninstaller, it comes with a 30 day trial version, post which you need to pay $39. So, if you are looking for a free alternative to Revo Uninstaller, check out the following option.
Revo Uninstaller Alternatives
1. Geek Uninstaller
If you are looking for lightweight, free, and portable uninstaller for Windows then Geek Uninstaller is for you. It comes at less than three megabytes and you don’t necessarily have to install it to use it properly. As soon as you download and open the application, it lists all the installed programs on your system. To uninstall an app, right-click on the program and select the option “Uninstall.” Once the software has been uninstalled, Geek Uninstaller will look for any leftovers and cleans them with your permission. Above all, Geek Uninstaller will even let you uninstall built-in Microsoft Store apps in Windows 8, 8.1, and 10. Just select “Windows Store Apps” option from the View menu. Other features of the software include force removal for stubborn programs, built-in search, and native X64 support.
Price: The base version is free with limited features. But it is enough for a general home user. The pro version sets you back $24.95. For a portable license, you have to pay $39.45.
What do you get with the pro version? With the paid version, you will get advanced and very useful features like batch uninstall, program monitor, startup manager, etc.
2. IObit Uninstaller
Right next to Revo, IObit Uninstaller is very popular, modern looking, and has all the features you’ll ever need. Besides the regular programs, IObit Uninstaller allows you to uninstall Microsoft store apps, toolbars and plugins, and Windows updates. Most of all, IObit Uninstaller also supports batch uninstallation, built-in search, and automatic updates for the supported software. To uninstall a software all you have to do is select the software from the list and click on the uninstall button. Moreover, IObit adds a button to “Add/Remove Programs” module in Windows. By clicking this button you can trigger IObit uninstaller and proceed to clean uninstall the program.
IObit also comes with a portable uninstaller which you can find it here. And compare to Revo, which takes forever to load, IObit loads much faster.
Price: The base version is free and the pro version costs you $19.99 per year. You can use the pro version on three PCs with one license.
What do you get with the pro version? Automatic updates, one-click updates for installed programs, ability to uninstall malicious plugins from browsers, and adware removal.
3. Wise Program Uninstaller
Wise is a pretty reputable software vendor who creates a wide variety of Windows utilities, Wise Program Uninstaller is one of them. Just like Geek Uninstaller, Wise Program Uninstaller is very small in file size and minimal. Most of all, it is completely free. Besides from the regular programs, you can also uninstall universal apps (not just built-in Windows store apps) and Windows updates. For stubborn programs, you can use the “Forced Uninstall” option. You can also add the uninstall option to your right-click menu. This option is particularly useful when a software is not listed in Wise Program Uninstaller. Using the community data, Wise Program Uninstaller displays star ratings for all your programs so that you can judge whether a program is good or not.
Price: The software is completely free but lacks some advanced features like batch uninstalls, program monitor, startup manager, etc.
4. Absolute Uninstaller
Absolute Uninstaller is yet another free third-party uninstaller for windows with all the bells and whistles you will ever need. Apart from uninstalling programs, Absolute Uninstaller can do other things like changing program properties, viewing command line, backing up and restoring uninstall info, automatically fixing invalid entries, and exporting a list of all the installed programs. Additionally, it does support uninstalling Windows updates and batch uninstallation.
Price: The program is completely free for personal use.
5. Puran Uninstaller
Puran Uninstaller is very minimal in terms of features. However, it has the basic features like batch uninstalls and force uninstall. Though the user interface looks a dated, it is very light on system resources, fast, and gets the job done without any hitches. To uninstall programs, simply select the application you want to uninstall and click on the “Uninstall” button appearing at the bottom of the window. If a program isn’t uninstalling properly, you can force it by clicking on the “Force Uninstall” button.
Price: Free for personal use.
6. Ashampoo Uninstaller
At first glance, Ashampoo looks pretty intimidating with its dated user interface but it has a lot of features and it is completely free. Just like Geek Uninstaller and IObit Uninstaller, Ashampoo properly uninstalls any software. The good thing about Ashampoo is that it has a neat feature called Snapshots. This feature allows you to compare your system before and after uninstalling a software. If you want to, you can install software through Ashampoo so that it can monitor all the changes made by the said software. This helps you better uninstall and completely remove any and all leftovers.
The thing I dislike about Ashampoo is that it requires you to create an account using your email address in order to activate the free version. Apart from that, Ashampoo Uninstaller is pretty good and does what it says it will do.
Price: It is completely free but requires you to signup using your email address.
7. CCleaner
Now, CCleaner is not your typical uninstaller. I won’t automatically scan and clean leftovers when you uninstall a program. However, it sure makes it a bit more easy to uninstall software installed on your system. Especially when you are using Windows 10 which is pushing users towards the new Settings app that clearly needs more work. To uninstall a program using CCleaner, navigate to “Tools” and then “Uninstall“. Here, select the application you want to uninstall and click on the Uninstall button. Of course, you can use the “Registry” tab to remove any unused, leftover, or broken registry entries.
Comment below sharing your thoughts and experiences about using the above Revo uninstaller alternatives.
