DaisyDisk alternatives for Mac: free and paid disk space analyzers
DaisyDisk is a lovely app: it draws your disk as a colourful ring you can click into, and it costs $9.99 once. Its trial lets you scan and explore, but deleting files needs the paid licence. If you'd like a free option, a different kind of view, or something that also cleans junk for you, here are the alternatives worth knowing.
We make SpaceSweep, which is on this list. We've noted what each app does well and where it falls short. Prices were checked in November 2026.
Quick comparison
| App | View | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GrandPerspective | Treemap of every file | Free (or $2.99 on the App Store) |
| OmniDiskSweeper | Folders sorted by size | Free |
| Disk Space Analyzer (Nektony) | Sunburst chart + top-files list | Free with in-app purchases |
| SpaceSweep | Category chart + home folder by size | Free to scan; cleaning $6.99/yr or $24.99 once |
| macOS Storage settings | Categories + large-file lists | Built in |
du in Terminal | Text sizes | Built in |
GrandPerspective — the free disk map
GrandPerspective shows your disk as a treemap: every file is a rectangle sized by how much space it takes, so huge files jump out immediately. It's open source and free from its SourceForge page (the Mac App Store version costs $2.99 to support the developer). The look is plainer than DaisyDisk's, and it doesn't clean anything — you reveal a file in Finder and delete it yourself.
OmniDiskSweeper — sizes, sorted
OmniDiskSweeper, from the Omni Group, skips the graphics: it lists folders from largest to smallest in columns you can drill into, and lets you move items to the Trash from the same window. It's free, fast and very easy to understand — a good choice if you find charts harder to read than lists.
Disk Space Analyzer — closest to DaisyDisk
Nektony's Disk Space Analyzer (sold on the App Store as "Disk Space Analyzer: Inspector") uses a sunburst chart much like DaisyDisk's ring, plus lists of the biggest files. The free version covers scanning and the main views; some features need an in-app purchase.
SpaceSweep — when you want the junk found for you
Disk maps show you where space went; you still have to decide what's safe to delete. SpaceSweep works the other way round. It measures known junk — the Trash, Xcode build data, Mail attachment downloads, your Downloads folder, caches and logs — and clears the categories you choose. Its free Storage Explorer lists your home folder by size, including hidden folders like ~/.npm and ~/.gradle that macOS counts as "System Data".
- Good: finds safe-to-delete junk without you having to know where it lives; scanning and Storage Explorer are free.
- Doesn't do: a full-disk visual map like DaisyDisk's — Storage Explorer covers your home folder as a sorted list.
- Price: cleaning needs Pro — $0.99 a month, $6.99 a year or $24.99 once, for up to 3 Macs.
Many people use both kinds of tool: SpaceSweep for the routine junk, and a disk map for the occasional "what is this 40 GB folder?" hunt.
Free tools already on your Mac
System Settings › General › Storage shows usage by category; click ⓘ next to Documents to see your largest files and delete them in place. For a quick size check of any folder, Terminal works too:
du -sh ~/* ~/Library/* 2>/dev/null | sort -h | tail -20That prints the 20 largest items in your home folder and Library. Our guide to System Data on a Mac explains what the usual large folders are.
Which should you choose?
- Free, visual: GrandPerspective.
- Free, simple list: OmniDiskSweeper.
- Closest look and feel to DaisyDisk: Nektony's Disk Space Analyzer.
- You'd rather have the junk found and cleared for you: SpaceSweep.
- You love DaisyDisk's design and want to delete from it: $9.99 once is fair — buy it.
Find the junk without hunting for it
SpaceSweep scans for free and shows how much each kind of junk takes, so you know what you'll get back before you clean.
Scan your Mac freeQuestions
Is there a free version of DaisyDisk?
DaisyDisk's trial lets you scan and explore your disk without a time limit, but deleting files needs the $9.99 licence. GrandPerspective and OmniDiskSweeper are fully free alternatives.
What is the best free disk space analyzer for Mac?
GrandPerspective if you like a visual map, OmniDiskSweeper if you prefer a list sorted by size. Both are free and work on current versions of macOS.
Can a disk analyzer delete System Data?
It can show which folders make up System Data, such as caches, Xcode files and hidden developer folders, but it's up to you to decide what's safe to remove. A cleaner like SpaceSweep pre-selects only categories known to be safe, and keeps riskier ones locked until you opt in.