SpareDisk maps every folder you choose, shows what each file really takes on disk, and moves nothing until you review it. A native Mac app, sandboxed, with no account.
macOS 15 or later. Apple silicon and Intel.
Most disk cleaners show you a number and a button. SpareDisk shows you where the number comes from, what it would actually free, and lets you decide.
Overview shows how much of the disk is used, which part of it is the folders you scanned, and what each location occupies on disk. Unscanned locations get a Scan button. Nothing is estimated.
The map draws folders and files in proportion to their size and writes the size on every cell; cells too small to read fold into one labelled group. The list sorts by name, date or size, expands folders in place, and reads deeper folders on demand. Switch between them with one click.
A 494 GB Docker image that occupies 4.9 GB should not top your list. SpareDisk records both the logical size and the size on disk for every item. In logical mode, anything occupying less than half its size carries an on-disk hint. One switch shows sizes on disk everywhere.
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Older Files ranks the oldest files in each location by modification date and charts them by year. Click a year to filter. Placeholder dates from old archives are treated as unknown rather than shown as 1970.
Same size, then matching samples from the start, middle and end, then a full SHA-256, then a byte-for-byte comparison. Only files that pass all four are grouped. Each group keeps one copy, chosen by you, and the rest can be staged in one click.
Add to Review stages items in a queue with their size and location. Move to Trash confirms the count and total, checks every item again for identity, size, date and location, moves what still matches, and lists anything it skipped and why. Nothing is deleted permanently; you empty the Trash.
A storage tool earns its place by never surprising you. These are the rules SpareDisk follows, and you can check every one of them in Help.
SpareDisk reads only the folders you add and never asks for Full Disk Access. There is no helper tool, no shell commands, no root.
Between review and the Trash, each item is re-verified by identity, size, date and location. Anything that changed is skipped and reported, never guessed.
Volume capacity, logical size and size on disk are three different numbers. SpareDisk labels each one and explains the difference where it appears.
Scanning reads names, sizes and dates. Duplicate comparison reads contents to hash them. Nothing leaves the Mac and nothing is collected.
Apps installed by the system or another user need an administrator password that only Finder can ask for. SpareDisk says so instead of failing quietly.
Saved scans and folder permissions live in the app's own container. Forget Location removes them. Uninstalling the app removes everything.
Many tools in this category are unsandboxed downloads that ask for Full Disk Access and show one size for everything. SpareDisk makes different choices.
| Capability | SpareDisk | Typical disk cleaner |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution | Mac App Store, sandboxed, reviewed by Apple | Direct download, often unsandboxed or not notarized |
| Access model | Only the folders you add; no Full Disk Access | Full Disk Access requested up front |
| File sizes | Logical and on disk, with hints for sparse and cloud files | One number, usually logical |
| Deletion | Review queue, re-verification, Trash only, per-item report | Delete buttons on rows, sometimes permanent |
| Duplicates | Sampled, hashed and byte-compared; one copy always kept | Hash only, or name and size |
| Change over time | Each location compared with its previous scan | Rarely |
| Application data | Related data by bundle identifier, evidence shown, nothing preselected | "Leftovers" selected for you |
| Telemetry | None | Analytics or license pings |
"Typical disk cleaner" describes patterns common across the category, not any single product.
lstat per item across all cores with a shared work queue. A home folder of about 1.38 million files took 25 seconds on an Apple silicon MacBook, and the list fills in while the scan runs.SpareDisk is sold once on the Mac App Store and updated there. The price is announced at launch.
Requires macOS 15 or later. Apple silicon and Intel.