The short answer. DaisyDisk is the commercial reference and worth its price for the scan-and-delete flow. GrandPerspective is the free tree-map alternative. OmniDiskSweeper is the plain nested list. SquirrelDisk is the modern native one. The deciding question is whether you want a map — which shows shape and finds large files fast — or a list, which sorts precisely but tells you nothing about structure.
This guide covers 4 disk usage analyzers for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment. Last verified 2026-10-05.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DaisyDisk | disk usage analyser | One-time purchase | not published | 4.34.2 |
| GrandPerspective | disk usage analyser | Open source | GPL | 3.8.1 |
| OmniDiskSweeper | Mac cleaner | Free | not published | 1.16 |
| SquirrelDisk | Mac cleaner | Open source | AGPL-3.0 | 2.5.0 |
What actually decides this
- Tree map or nested list. A tree map makes big items obvious at a glance and is the better discovery tool. A list sorts exactly and is the better audit tool. Most people need the first and buy the second.
- How it measures. Apparent size and allocated size differ, sometimes by a lot. Which one a tool reports decides whether the numbers add up to what Finder says.
- What it lets you do from inside it. Deleting, revealing in Finder, collecting and then emptying are separate features. A tool that collects into a staging area is safer than one that deletes immediately.
- Scan speed on a large volume. A full-disk scan on an external drive is where these tools separate. A tool that blocks while scanning is fine on an SSD and painful on a spinning disk.
Our picks
- DaisyDisk — Its record describes a visual analyser with a one-time licence, and the visual scan is what makes it fast to read. Choose it when you want the fastest route from “disk is full” to “that is what is using it”.
- GrandPerspective — It visualises disk usage with tree maps, which is the free version of the same idea. Choose it when you want a tree map and do not want to pay.
- OmniDiskSweeper — Its record describes scanning by size so you can find space hogs, which is the list approach without decoration. Choose it when you want a sorted list and nothing else.
- SquirrelDisk — It is the modern native entry in a category with older tools, which matters if you leave it running. Choose it when you want a native app rather than a port or a Java-era interface.
The apps
DaisyDisk
DaisyDisk is a disk usage analyser for macOS. A disk usage analyser that scans a Mac’s storage and shows what is using space as an interactive ring chart, so you decide what to delete. It is one-time purchase.
Strengths. According to the developer, supports both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, and requires macOS 10.13 or newer. One-time $9.99 purchase for a lifetime licence, with no recurring payment. A single licence covers up to five personal Macs.
Trade-offs. According to the developer, it identifies files but does not clean automatically, so reclaiming space is a manual, file-by-file decision. A 30-day money-back guarantee applies, but the licence is otherwise a purchase rather than a subscription with ongoing entitlement. Scanning a whole disk usually requires granting full disk access in System Settings.
Not for. Anyone wanting automated cleanup — DaisyDisk identifies files but leaves deletion to the user. Windows or Linux users — DaisyDisk is macOS only.
What it does. Interactive ring chart of disk usage. Administrator scan that reveals restricted folders. Detection of macOS snapshots. Scanning of cloud storage and network volumes.
DaisyDisk is listed with current version 4.34.2.
Full profile and verified facts for DaisyDisk →
GrandPerspective
GrandPerspective is a disk usage analyser for macOS. Visualize disk usage with tree maps. It is released under GPL.
Strengths. Runs on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs and requires macOS 14 or newer. Free and open source from SourceForge; the developer states the $2.99 App Store build is the same app. According to the developer, can analyse hard-linked files and folders, which the developer presents as the way to inspect Time Machine backups.
Trade-offs. The latest release requires macOS 14 or newer; users on macOS 11 to 13 must stay on GrandPerspective 3.7.2, and earlier systems on older releases still. The tree-map layout packs files into rectangles whose placement is otherwise arbitrary, so the view is dense and takes more practice to read than a ring-chart analyser. It identifies files but does not clean automatically.
Not for. Anyone who needs automated cleanup — GrandPerspective visualises usage and leaves deletion to the user. Users on macOS 11 to 13 — the latest release requires macOS 14, and those systems must stay on GrandPerspective 3.7.2. Windows or Linux users — GrandPerspective is macOS only.
What it does. Disk usage visualised as a tree map, where each file is a rectangle whose area matches its size. Colour files by name, extension, file type, parent or top folder, hierarchy level, size, or creation, modification and access time. Filter and mask files using tests on name, path, size, type, hard-link status and package status. Navigate the folder hierarchy, search by name, preview with Quick Look, and reveal or delete files from the view.
GrandPerspective is listed with current version 3.8.1.
Full profile and verified facts for GrandPerspective →
OmniDiskSweeper
OmniDiskSweeper is a Mac cleaner for macOS. Scans files by size so you can quickly find space hogs. It is free.
What it does. Creators of Mac, iPad, and iPhone productivity software. Proud to bring you OmniFocus, OmniOutliner, OmniGraffle, and OmniPlan.
OmniDiskSweeper is listed with current version 1.16.
Full profile and verified facts for OmniDiskSweeper →
SquirrelDisk
SquirrelDisk is a Mac cleaner for macOS. Open-source disk usage analyzer with sunburst and treemap views for disks and cloud storage. It is released under AGPL-3.0.
SquirrelDisk is listed with current version 2.5.0.
Full profile and verified facts for SquirrelDisk →
How to choose
- Free of charge. OmniDiskSweeper — no payment is required.
- No licence fee, source available. GrandPerspective and SquirrelDisk — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
- One-time purchase. DaisyDisk — you pay once.
Open source: GrandPerspective and SquirrelDisk (2 of 4).
Common mistakes
- Confusing this category with cleaners. An analyser shows you what is big; it does not decide what is safe to remove.
- Deleting from inside a library folder such as Photos or Mail. The application owns that space and will not release it until you delete from inside the app.
- Trusting the totals against Finder without knowing which size metric is being reported.
- Scanning system folders with a tool that deletes immediately. Stage first, delete second.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Verified 2026-10-05.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these disk usage analyzers?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 4 disk usage analyzers: DaisyDisk, GrandPerspective, OmniDiskSweeper and SquirrelDisk. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these disk usage analyzers free?
Pricing across this group: one-time purchase (DaisyDisk), open source (GrandPerspective and SquirrelDisk) and free (OmniDiskSweeper). We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these disk usage analyzers are open source?
GrandPerspective (GPL) and SquirrelDisk (AGPL-3.0) are open source.
Do these disk usage analyzers support Apple Silicon?
Apple Silicon support is explicitly stated for DaisyDisk and GrandPerspective. For the others our data does not carry an explicit statement either way, so we do not infer one.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
Who should not use these apps?
DaisyDisk and GrandPerspective each list an audience they are explicitly not aimed at. Those notes come from the same verified records as the rest of this guide, and they are worth reading before you install anything.
When was this data last verified?
The facts in this guide were last confirmed on 2026-10-05. Every app page carries its own verification dates and source list, so you can check any individual claim.
