How to Free Up Disk Space on Mac Without Breaking Anything
Need to free up disk space on Mac without deleting the wrong files? Start with safe first wins, review risky paths separately, and reclaim storage without breaking apps or workflows.
Now live
Standard install on the Mac App Store
See what's taking space on your Mac.
Know what is safe before you delete.
StorageRadar maps your disk, shows blocked paths instead of hiding them, lets you dry-run cleanup, and compares what changed over time. Scan data stays local, while analytics and diagnostics remain separately controllable in Settings.
The App Store version is the standard path for most users. Need broader cleanup access for advanced workflows? See the Direct build .
See the evidence
Treemap, large files, leftovers, and storage hotspots stay visible before any cleanup step.
Review the risk
Dry-run, exact paths, sizes, risk labels, and guided preflight keep higher-impact actions explicit.
Track change locally
Snapshots, reports, and cleanup history stay on your Mac. No cloud sync. No account required.
Features
Understand the cleanup decision before you touch the disk
StorageRadar is built for evidence first: inspect reclaimable space, resolve blockers, compare changes over time, then act locally.
Storage Cleanup
Treemap and Sunburst views turn disk usage into evidence you can inspect. Shortlist candidates, review exact paths, and build a cleanup batch in the global Collector bar before any destructive action.
- Treemap & Sunburst visualization
- Largest files with filters & search
- Global Collector bar for batch operations
- Preview-first cleanup before Move to Trash or Delete
Dev Cleanup
Developer environments mix rebuildable caches with workflow-sensitive data. StorageRadar separates the two, adds ecosystem context, and lets you inspect profiles, dry-run risky actions, and run guided preflight before apply is unlocked.
- Xcode, npm, Docker, Gradle & more
- Safe / Caution / Dangerous risk levels
- Dry Run & Guided Preflight
- Developer tier unlock for apply actions
Reports & Snapshots
Capture snapshots locally, then compare what grew, shrank, appeared, or disappeared when storage management needs evidence over time, not just a one-time panic cleanup.
- Point-in-time snapshot capture
- Snapshot history with baseline / target selection
- Grew / Shrank / New / Removed diff
- JSON, Markdown, CSV export
Permissions & Access
When macOS blocks access, StorageRadar tells you exactly which path is affected and what permission is missing. The blocker stays visible instead of disappearing into a black box.
- Accessible / Blocked / Missing counts
- Per-path recovery hints
- Full Disk Access & App Management
- Changed paths tracking
App Uninstaller
Apps leave support files across caches, containers, preferences, and logs. StorageRadar shows the residue path by path so you can inspect the uninstall plan, re-check access, and preview the result before apply.
- Complete leftover detection
- Risk labels: Ready / Needs Check / Blocked
- Preview Removal before apply
- Re-check Access for blocked coverage
MCP Integration
Run a local read-only endpoint that AI agents can query for disk analytics. No file access, no deletion capability — just aggregated insights over a secure local connection on 127.0.0.1.
- Local MCP endpoint (127.0.0.1)
- Read-only, zero file access
- Token-based authentication
- Configurable path privacy policy
Guides
Use the blog like a Mac storage playbook, not a dumping ground for updates.
Start with the broadest diagnosis guide if the problem is still vague.
Switch to the narrower article once you know the culprit is
System Data, app leftovers, Xcode, Docker, or recurring
growth over time.
How to Find What Is Taking Space on Mac
Need to find what is taking space on your Mac? Learn how to find large files, review the storage tree, and identify folders using the most disk space.
Mac System Data Too Large? What It Usually Means and What to Check
Why is System Data so large on Mac? Learn which caches, snapshots, and developer artifacts inflate it, and what to check before deleting anything.
Workflow
Scan first. Decide second. Act third.
StorageRadar is built around deliberate action — analysis and cleanup are always separate steps.
01
Scan your storage
Choose a scan source — Home folder, Developer folder, System Volume, or a custom directory. The scanner indexes your files and shows live metrics as it goes.
02
Visualize & explore
Navigate your disk through Treemap or Sunburst. Browse largest files. Find apps with leftover bloat. See exactly what's using your space before you do anything.
03
Clean with confidence
Dry-run first — see what would be removed. For risky operations, go through the guided preflight. Then apply: move to Trash (with undo) or delete permanently.
Distribution Paths
Start with the App Store. Use the Direct build when you need broader access.
The App Store release is the standard path for most users. The Direct build is available for advanced cleanup workflows that can require broader macOS access than App Store sandboxing reliably allows.
Already bought on the App Store?
You can unlock the Direct build at no extra cost from inside the app after signing in on this Mac with the Apple ID that bought StorageRadar.
Start with the App Store release
Install the current release, review the screenshots, and evaluate the preview-first workflow before you unlock paid actions.
- Best default path for most users
- Current public pricing and purchase flow
- Free tier stays preview-first before paid apply actions
Need broader cleanup access?
The Direct build is an alternative install path for advanced cleanup and uninstall scenarios. It is not a separate web checkout today.
- Alternative build for broader macOS access
- Paid unlock still starts from an App Store purchase
- App Store buyers can unlock Direct inside the app at no extra cost
The site only distributes the DMG. App Store purchase verification and Direct unlock happen inside the Direct app.
Primary commerce path: App Store · Direct download available for advanced workflows · Platform: macOS 15+
Pricing
Live on the App Store. Preview every workflow before you unlock.
One-time purchase. No subscription. Free keeps preview access across Disk Analysis, App Uninstaller, Dev Cleanup, and Reports. User is $9.99, Developer is $19.99, and upgrading from User to Developer is $10.00.
Free
$0 forever
Preview every main workflow before deciding which cleanup and reporting actions are worth unlocking.
- Preview access across Disk Analysis, App Uninstaller, Dev Cleanup & Reports
- Deep storage scanning
- Disk Map: Treemap & Sunburst
- Largest files viewer
- Dry Run, Preview Removal & Guided Preflight
- Local snapshot capture & history
- Permissions diagnostics
- MCP local integration
- Move to Trash / Delete
- App Uninstaller apply
- Dev Cleanup apply
- Reports compare & export
Most Popular
User
$9.99 one-time
For people who want to act on file cleanup and app removal after reviewing the evidence.
- Everything in Free
- Move to Trash with undo window
- Delete Permanently
- Storage Cleanup apply actions
- App Uninstaller apply
- Dev Cleanup apply
- Reports compare & export
Developer
$19.99 one-time
For developers who need ecosystem-aware cleanup and full compare/export reports over time.
- Everything in User
- Dev Cleanup apply
- Ecosystem profiles (Xcode, npm…)
- Guided preflight workflow
- Reports compare over time
- JSON / Markdown / CSV export
Free keeps preview access across all main workspaces · Upgrade from User to Developer is $10.00 · USD pricing shown; regional App Store pricing may vary · No subscription
Privacy
Your storage data stays on your Mac.
StorageRadar is built offline-first. Scan sessions, file metadata,
snapshots, reports, and cleanup history live in ~/Library/Application Support/StorageRadar/ on this Mac. Privacy-safe analytics and diagnostics are separate,
controllable services rather than hidden background uploads.
Storage data stays local
Scan sessions, indexes, snapshots, reports, cleanup history, and local usage metrics live on this Mac.
No cloud sync for storage data
There is no StorageRadar account and no remote workspace for your scans, reports, or cleanup history.
Privacy-safe analytics are limited
Aptabase receives low-cardinality product events only. No scan paths, file names, bundle identifiers, snapshot labels, raw scan payloads, MCP secrets, or raw error text.
Diagnostics and feedback are controllable
Sentry is used for crash diagnostics, manual test errors, and in-app feedback. Scan files are not attached automatically, and delivery can be turned off in Settings.
Local-only MCP endpoint
The AI integration runs on 127.0.0.1 and stays read-only: no delete, move, or file-content access.
FAQ
Common questions
Yes. The Free tier keeps preview mode across Disk Analysis, App Uninstaller, Dev Cleanup, and Reports. You can inspect results, run Dry Run, Preview Removal, or Guided Preflight where applicable, and capture local snapshots before you unlock paid apply actions or Reports comparison and export.
Yes for core workflows. Scanning, analysis, visualization, dry-run, permissions checks, snapshots, reports, and local MCP access work on-device. Network is only needed for App Store purchases or restore flows and, if you keep them enabled, privacy-safe product analytics or Sentry diagnostics and feedback.
Core storage data stays local: scan indexes, cleanup history, snapshots, reports, and local usage metrics stay on-device. StorageRadar also has separate remote channels for privacy-safe product analytics (Aptabase) and diagnostics or feedback (Sentry). Remote delivery does not include scan paths, file names, bundle identifiers, snapshot labels, raw scan payloads, MCP secrets, or raw error text, and scan files are not attached automatically. Both can be turned off in Settings.
StorageRadar is not a one-click cleaner. It's built around a deliberate workflow: scan → visualize → review → act. Nothing is deleted automatically. Every cleanup requires your explicit decision, and risky operations require dry-run or guided preflight first. You're always in control.
Dry Run simulates a cleanup operation without deleting or moving anything. You see exactly what would be affected — paths, sizes, risk levels — before committing. For risky developer profiles, there's also a Guided Preflight that walks you through potential consequences step by step before unlock.
Move to Trash supports a quick undo window — you can restore items from Trash via Finder afterward. Delete Permanently does not support undo. StorageRadar always makes the distinction clear and asks for confirmation before any permanent deletion.
Dev Cleanup covers Apple (Xcode derived data, simulators, archives), Web (npm, yarn, node_modules), Backend (Gradle, Maven, pip), Android (SDK, AVD), Data science environments, and Containers (Docker with full prune integration). Each ecosystem has specific cleanup profiles with appropriate risk classifications.
It runs a local read-only HTTP endpoint that AI assistants (like Claude via MCP) can query for disk analytics and scan data. It doesn't give AI agents any ability to delete files — it's purely informational, letting your AI tools understand your storage situation without direct filesystem access.
macOS protects certain directories — Desktop, Documents, app containers, and system volumes — from direct access. The Permissions section shows exactly which paths are blocked and gives you step-by-step guidance to grant appropriate access: folder-scoped permission, Full Disk Access, or App Management.
Largest shows the biggest files and folders in your current scan. Reports starts with local snapshots, so you can keep history over time. Free and User can capture snapshots and review that history; Developer unlocks diff and export to answer 'what grew, shrank, appeared, or disappeared?'
Changelog
Build history
Recent release history. Each build ships what's actually stable.
Added
- Batch app removal — select multiple apps and remove them all with a single confirmation instead of one dialog per app
- Auto-quit before removal — running apps are gracefully closed so you never hit a "close the app first" wall
- System-protected apps are now clearly marked and explained so you immediately know which ones macOS won't let you remove
- Copy Diagnostics copies a full error report to your clipboard for faster troubleshooting and support
- Reveal in Finder button gives you a manual fallback when automatic deletion is not possible
Improved
- Every error now shows a specific, actionable message instead of a generic "permission denied" — so you always know what went wrong and what to do next
Fixed
- Admin users no longer see incorrect non-admin error messages
Added
- App Uninstaller refreshes automatically after you grant access — no more manual re-scans, just keep working
- Broader app discovery across /Applications, Home-folder apps, and Library data for a more complete uninstall picture
Improved
- More complete data detection for Steam, Android Studio, and JetBrains-based apps when support files live in shared vendor folders
- More accurate Detected App Data and Preview Removal details so you can decide what to delete with confidence
- Consistent permission guidance between the Home flow and the direct App Uninstaller flow — fewer surprises, smoother cleanup
Added
- One-time purchase model: Free stays preview-first, User unlocks cleanup and App Uninstaller, Developer unlocks Dev Cleanup, Reports compare and export — no subscription, ever
Improved
- Refreshed workspaces across Home, App Uninstaller, Dev Cleanup, Reports, and Permissions for a clearer review-first flow
- Better low-resolution layout handling so key actions stay visible and usable on compact MacBook screens
- More confident cleanup with exact file paths, risk-aware grouping, Preview Removal, Dry Run, and Guided Preflight before every final action
- Smoother day-to-day use with better access reuse, stronger workspace continuity, and more polished app removal flows