SOFTWARE & APPS > APPS 271

12 Best Free Defrag Software Tools

Reviews of the best free disk defragmenter
programs for Windows
By Tim Fisher Updated on April 3, 2023
Reviewed by Ryan Perian

Defrag software programs are tools that arrange the bits of data that
make up the files on your computer so they're stored closer together.
This allows your hard drive to access files more quickly.

Defragmentation, in other words, can help improve your computer's

performance by making the reading of files more efficient, thanks to
the fact that all the tiny pieces that make up a single file are right next
to each other.

All versions of Windows include a built-in defrag program, which

we've ranked in this list. However, in most cases, a dedicated
program, like any of the other ones listed here, will do a better job.
How Often Should You Defrag Your Computer?

Note: We've only included freeware in this list. In other words,

only completely free defragmentation programs—no shareware,
trialware, etc. If one of these programs has started charging,
please let us know.
01 Smart Defrag
of 12

What We Like
Will run a defrag automatically on a schedule
A defrag can run while the computer is booting up
Files you access often can be moved to faster parts of the drive
A portable version is available
Can clean up the drive before the defrag to speed it up
Lots of options for post-defrag, like to reboot
Exclusions can be applied to the defrag

What We Don't Like