DaisyDisk is one of the best-loved Mac utilities, and for good reason: it scans fast, its rings are a pleasure to explore, and it costs one small payment. If it does what you need, keep it. People look for an alternative when they want more than the picture: which of these folders is safe to delete, which copies are duplicates, and what happens if something goes. This page compares the main options honestly, including the free ones.
Prices and features of other apps below were checked on their own websites in October 2026.
What DaisyDisk does well
- A fast scan drawn as interactive rings, with sizes that leave out clones and hard links, so files are not counted twice.
- A one-time price, $9.99 on its site, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Hidden space: it breaks down the “System Data” category and can scan as an administrator to reach folders a normal scan cannot.
- Snapshot management and cloud storage scanning.
- Instant preview of files before you collect them.
- Runs on old Macs, back to macOS 10.13.
DaisyDisk’s own site is clear about its approach: “Only you decide what to delete.” It shows you the space, and the judgement is yours.
Why people look for an alternative
- Size is not safety. A 30 GB folder in
~/Librarycould be a cache that rebuilds itself or the only copy of your mail. The rings show both the same way. - No duplicate finder. DaisyDisk’s site lists none, so duplicate photos and downloads need a second app.
- Leftovers from deleted apps look like any other folder, unless you know which app made them.
- The old-file question. “What have I not opened in a year?” is a different view from “what is biggest”.
The free options
macOS Storage settings. System Settings, General, Storage gives categories and large files under Documents. Free and safe, but no folder by folder view.
GrandPerspective. A free, open source app that draws the disk as a treemap, every file a rectangle sized by how much space it uses. No cleanup features; you delete in Finder.
OmniDiskSweeper. A free app from The Omni Group that lists folders sorted by size, with a delete button. Simple and plain, with no labels or safety checks.
DiskAtlas: the map plus what each folder is
We built DiskAtlas for the moment after the picture: when you know where the space went, and need to know what is safe to remove.
- Four views of one scan: a map, rings, a list and an age view that finds what you have not opened in a year.
- Every folder labelled as yours, something an app rebuilds, something that downloads again, or system. Select a folder and DiskAtlas says what removing it costs.
- Duplicates by content, not by name. DiskAtlas never lets you remove the last copy.
- Files left behind by deleted apps, found and shown as such.
- One review for everything. Whatever you pick from any view gathers in one list with sizes and paths, and nothing moves until you confirm it.
- The Trash, not deletion. Everything goes to the Trash, so you can put it back.
- Preview before it goes: images, video, PDFs and documents, right in the app.
- Explains missing space: how much macOS keeps hidden in purgeable space and snapshots, and why a scan finds less than the Storage panel.
- A menu bar glance with free space and the biggest safe win.
- Small and offline. A download of about 8 MB, no account, and nothing it sees leaves your Mac.
Where DaisyDisk is the better pick
- You use a Mac older than macOS 13. DiskAtlas needs macOS 13 or later.
- You want to scan cloud storage or manage snapshots from the same app.
- You only want the picture and are happy to judge each folder yourself.
If you want routine cleanup too
DiskAtlas is for investigating where the space went. Kempt is its sibling for keeping the Mac in shape every month: system junk, developer data, leftovers and complete uninstalls, with the same safety rules. All Apps includes both. Our CleanMyMac alternative page covers Kempt.
Quick comparison
| DaisyDisk | GrandPerspective | OmniDiskSweeper | DiskAtlas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 once | Free | Free | Bought once, or in All Apps |
| Visual map | Rings | Treemap | No, a list | Map and rings |
| Labels what is safe to delete | No | No | No | Yes, every folder |
| Duplicate finder | No | No | No | Yes, by content |
| Leftovers of deleted apps | No | No | No | Yes |
| Review before removal | Collect, then delete | No, use Finder | No | Yes, one review |
| Explains hidden space | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Needs | macOS 10.13 or later | macOS 13 or later |
Moving from DaisyDisk
There is nothing to migrate: neither app keeps a library of your files. Install DiskAtlas, grant Full Disk Access when asked (without it, macOS keeps some folders closed to every app, and DiskAtlas tells you how much it could not read), and scan.
Questions
Is DiskAtlas free? Scanning is free, as often as you like, with no card. A license unlocks cleaning up, and every purchase can be refunded within 15 days.
Can DiskAtlas delete something I need? Nothing moves until you confirm the review, one copy of every duplicate always stays, system folders are marked as such, and everything goes to the Trash.
Does it run on Windows? Not yet. Windows is on the roadmap.
More help: how to free up disk space on a Mac and what System Data is.
