A fresh Windows 11 install is not really “fresh”. Out of the box, you get Cortana, the Copilot bundle, Xbox Game Bar, Microsoft Teams (consumer), Solitaire with ads, a Weather widget that phones home every few minutes, Start menu promotions for third-party trials like Spotify and TikTok, and a handful of telemetry services running in the background. None of that is malware, but most of it runs whether you want it or not, and most of it sends something back to Microsoft.
This is the guide we wish we had the last time we set up a laptop from scratch. It covers the seven Windows bloatware removal tools we keep coming back to, what each one is actually good at, and where each one falls short. All of them work on Windows 11, most work on Windows 10, and we have used every one on a real machine before writing about it.
What to look for in a bloatware removal tool
Not every “debloater” is safe. A few of the ones circulating on YouTube run destructive scripts that break Windows Update, disable Defender, or rip out components you need later for work apps. The tools we recommend all share a few traits.
Look for safe uninstall with rollback or a system restore point created before changes. Look for coverage of both bundled UWP apps (the Xbox app, Clipchamp, Movies & TV) and background services and scheduled tasks. Look for non-destructive telemetry toggles that flip registry keys rather than deleting binaries. Portable tools that run without installation are easier to trust, and active maintenance (recent commits, updated for the current Windows build) matters more than star counts.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free tier | Starting price | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O&O ShutUp10++ | One-click privacy toggles | Yes | Free | Portable, no install |
| Win11Debloat | Scriptable full debloat | Yes | Free | Read-before-run PowerShell |
| Bulk Crap Uninstaller | Removing dozens of programs | Yes | Free | Detects orphan installs |
| Revo Uninstaller Free | GUI uninstall with leftover scan | Yes | ~$25 Pro | Deep registry cleanup |
| ThisIsWin11 | Visual UI for tweaks | Yes | Free | No PowerShell needed |
| Chris Titus Tech WinUtil | Post-install customization | Yes | Free | Community-driven presets |
| Ninite | Reinstalling the apps you want | Yes | Free (personal) | Skips toolbars and installer bloat |
The 7 apps
1. O&O ShutUp10++
O&O ShutUp10++ is the tool we hand to anyone who wants to reduce Windows tracking without touching the command line. It presents a long list of privacy, telemetry, and feature toggles with plain-language explanations and a colour-coded recommendation for each one. You can apply only the “recommended” settings, or go through them one by one.
Where it falls short: it does not uninstall bundled apps, so you still need something else for the Xbox stack or Copilot. The interface is dense, and a first pass takes about fifteen minutes if you actually read each toggle.
Pricing: free for private, educational, and non-commercial use.
Platforms: Windows 10 and 11.
Download: oo-software.com
Bottom line: the safest starting point for anyone who wants to cut telemetry without breaking anything.
2. Win11Debloat
Win11Debloat is a PowerShell script from Raphael that has become the community standard for scripted debloat. It removes pre-installed Microsoft and third-party apps, disables telemetry, cleans the Start menu, turns off suggested content in Settings, and can optionally strip Copilot and Recall. It runs interactively with prompts, or non-interactively with a preset file for repeatable installs.
Where it falls short: PowerShell scripts should always be read before you run them, and this one is long. Some options remove apps that a small number of users actually want (like the Xbox app for game-pass subscribers), so the interactive prompts matter.
Pricing: free, open-source under the MIT licence.
Platforms: Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: the most complete free debloater if you are comfortable reading a script before running it.
3. Bulk Crap Uninstaller
Bulk Crap Uninstaller (usually shortened to BCUninstaller) is the tool we reach for when a machine has years of accumulated software. It lists everything installed, including orphan entries where the uninstaller is broken, Steam and GOG games, Windows Store apps, and browser extensions. Batch selection lets you remove twenty programs in one pass, and it scans for leftover files and registry keys after each uninstall.
Where it falls short: the interface is functional rather than pretty, and the sheer number of options can be intimidating. It will happily let you uninstall something important if you check the box, so read what you are selecting.
Pricing: free, open-source under the Apache 2.0 licence.
Platforms: Windows 7 through 11.
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: the best free uninstaller on Windows, full stop, if you can look past the utilitarian UI.
4. Revo Uninstaller Free
Revo Uninstaller Free takes a more polished approach to the same problem. It watches an installer as it runs and logs every file, folder, and registry key it touches, so a later uninstall can undo the change completely. The free tier handles standard programs and includes the leftover scanner; Pro adds forced uninstall, real-time monitoring, and multi-level backups.
Where it falls short: the free tier cannot batch-uninstall or track installations, which are two of the features you probably want. The installer pushes the Pro upgrade often enough to be mildly annoying.
Pricing: free tier available; Pro starts at around $25 for a one-year, single-PC licence.
Platforms: Windows 7 through 11.
Download: revouninstaller.com
Bottom line: worth it if you prefer a commercial-quality interface over the raw power of BCUninstaller.
5. ThisIsWin11
ThisIsWin11 wraps most common Windows 11 tweaks in a visual interface: remove bundled apps, adjust services, tighten privacy settings, restore parts of the classic Windows look, and clean the Start menu. It uses PowerShell under the hood but hides it behind buttons, so you never need to open a terminal.
Where it falls short: development has been intermittent, so some tweaks lag behind the current Windows 11 build. A few options overlap with what O&O ShutUp10++ already handles, which can be confusing.
Pricing: free, open-source under the MIT licence.
Platforms: Windows 11 (some tweaks also work on 10).
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: the friendliest option if you want a visual dashboard rather than a script or a toggle list.
6. Chris Titus Tech WinUtil
Chris Titus Tech WinUtil is a community-maintained PowerShell utility that combines a debloater, a tweak panel, an app installer built on winget, and a Windows Update controller in a single window. You launch it with one command, pick a preset (standard, minimal, or custom), and it applies dozens of registry, service, and app changes in one pass.
Where it falls short: it changes fast, so a preset that worked last month might behave differently this month. Some tweaks are opinionated (disabling Windows Update settings, for instance), so read what a preset does before you click apply.
Pricing: free, open-source under the MIT licence.
Platforms: Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: the fastest way to set up a new Windows install the way you want it, if you trust the community defaults.
7. Ninite
Ninite is not a debloater, but it is the other half of the story. Pick the apps you want (7-Zip, VLC, Chrome or Firefox, Notepad++, Zoom, and a few dozen more), download a single installer, and it installs all of them silently with no toolbars, no bundled offers, and no browser hijacks. Rerun the same installer later and it updates everything at once.
Where it falls short: the free tier does not automate updates on a schedule; you rerun the installer manually. The app catalogue is curated and small, so anything niche is not on the list.
Pricing: free for personal use; Ninite Pro is subscription-based for business use.
Platforms: Windows 7 through 11.
Download: ninite.com
Bottom line: the cleanest way to install the apps you actually want after you have stripped out the ones you did not ask for.
How to pick the right one
If you want the minimum viable set of privacy toggles and nothing else, install O&O ShutUp10++, apply the recommended settings, and stop there. It is the safest single change you can make.
If you are comfortable reading a PowerShell script before running it, use Win11Debloat or Chris Titus Tech WinUtil. Win11Debloat is more focused and easier to reason about; WinUtil is a broader toolkit that also handles app installation and Windows Update. Either one, run once on a new machine, saves an hour of clicking through Settings.
If the problem is a machine that already has years of clutter on it, start with Bulk Crap Uninstaller to remove programs in bulk, or Revo Uninstaller Free if you prefer a nicer interface and only need to uninstall one thing at a time. Either one will surface orphan entries that Add or Remove Programs hides.
If you want a visual dashboard rather than a script, ThisIsWin11 covers most tweaks with buttons.
For a fresh install, our own sequence is: apply Win11Debloat with a saved preset, run O&O ShutUp10++ for anything the script missed, then use Ninite to reinstall the apps you actually want. Total time is about thirty minutes, and the resulting system is quiet, fast, and free of Start menu ads.
FAQ
Is it safe to remove Windows bloatware?
Yes, with the tools listed above. All seven either create a restore point, prompt before destructive changes, or limit themselves to registry toggles that can be reversed. The risks come from unmaintained scripts on YouTube that disable Defender, break Windows Update, or delete system components. Stick to the tools in this guide, read the prompts, and create a manual restore point before your first run.
Will removing bloatware speed up my PC?
Somewhat. Removing background services and scheduled tasks reduces disk and network activity, which helps most on low-end hardware and older SSDs. On a modern machine with 16 GB of RAM, the visible speed change is small; what you notice more is fewer notifications, a cleaner Start menu, and less network chatter.
What is the difference between bloatware and telemetry?
Bloatware is pre-installed software you did not choose: Cortana, the Xbox app, Clipchamp, Solitaire with ads, third-party trials. Telemetry is the diagnostic and usage data Windows sends back to Microsoft. Uninstallers like Bulk Crap Uninstaller and Revo handle the first; toggle tools like O&O ShutUp10++ handle the second. Scripts like Win11Debloat and WinUtil handle both in one pass.
Can I undo Win11Debloat?
Partially. Some changes (uninstalled UWP apps, cleaned Start menu) can be reversed by reinstalling the apps from the Microsoft Store or running the reinstall option in the script. Registry-level tweaks are reversible via System Restore if you created a restore point first, which the script prompts you to do. This is why we recommend running the script interactively the first time.
Do these tools work on Windows 10?
Most of them. O&O ShutUp10++, Bulk Crap Uninstaller, Revo Uninstaller Free, Chris Titus Tech WinUtil, and Ninite all support Windows 10. Win11Debloat has a Windows 10 mode. ThisIsWin11 is Windows 11 first, though many of its tweaks work on 10 as well. Check each project’s readme for the current support matrix before running on an older system.
