man apt-get
clean
clean clears out the local repository of retrieved package files. It removes everything but the lock file from /var/cache/apt/archives/ and
/var/cache/apt/archives/partial/. When APT is used as a dselect(1) method, clean is run automatically. Those who do not use dselect will likely want to run
apt-get clean from time to time to free up disk space.
autoclean
Like clean, autoclean clears out the local repository of retrieved package files. The difference is that it only removes package files that can no longer be
downloaded, and are largely useless. This allows a cache to be maintained over a long period without it growing out of control. The configuration option
APT::Clean-Installed will prevent installed packages from being erased if it is set to off.