DaisyDisk

DaisyDisk visualizes storage usage on a Mac so you can identify large files and choose what to remove. Its interactive sunburst map shows how folders and files contribute to disk usage, with navigation, Quick Look preview and a collection area for selected deletions. It suits users investigating low disk space on internal drives, external media, network volumes and supported cloud accounts.

Storage analysis

Scan connected filesystems and navigate a visual breakdown instead of searching blindly through folders. The official specifications include APFS, HFS+, HFS and supported Microsoft filesystems, plus network and FUSE-mounted volumes. Filesystem permissions and third-party drivers determine whether a volume can be read or modified; a scan does not grant write access to a read-only device.

Hidden-space analysis helps investigate the difference between used disk space and accessible file totals, including system snapshots and purgeable storage. Version 4.34 adds APFS-clone awareness: only the first occurrence contributes its physical space, while other clones receive a virtual size of zero in the calculation. This affects space accounting and does not mean the cloned file has no contents.

Cloud scanning supports Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Box. These optional scans connect to the selected service over the network and use its account authorization. They are distinct from local-disk analysis.

Installation and platforms

Download the official DaisyDisk ZIP, extract DaisyDisk.app and move it into Applications, or use brew install --cask daisydisk. The current publisher specifications and Sparkle feed require macOS 10.13 or later and list Apple Silicon ARM64 and Intel x86-64 support. Legacy downloads are offered separately for older operating systems and hardware; they do not establish current-version support for PowerPC or 32-bit Macs.

The cask declares no separate formula dependency or named conflict. Optional FUSE filesystems and read-write drivers are external software with their own installation and licensing requirements. For inaccessible system areas, the publisher documents Scan as Administrator and Full Disk Access. Grant this access only when needed and understand that elevated scanning can reveal more sensitive file metadata. Local scanning does not require signing in to a cloud service.

Price and privacy

DaisyDisk is proprietary commercial software from Software Ambience Corp., with a free trial and paid purchase. The official product page currently advertises $9.99; checkout currency, tax and store terms can differ. The direct-download and Mac App Store editions have separate delivery and licensing workflows; consult the purchase terms for the edition you use.

The publisher says local scans examine file metadata such as name and size rather than file contents, and that it does not collect scan data or analytics. Optional cloud scanning necessarily communicates with the cloud provider, so do not apply a local-only privacy statement to every network workflow. Review the separate cloud privacy information before connecting confidential storage.

Deletion cautions

DaisyDisk does not perform automatic cleaning. You choose which items to delete, and safety rules protect certain system-critical components. These guards cannot determine whether your personal files are still valuable. Back up important data, preview the selected items and understand the consequences before deleting files, snapshots or cloud content. Freed space can differ from apparent file totals because of APFS sharing, snapshots and purgeable storage. A storage analyzer is not a backup or a guarantee of recoverability.

The official Sparkle feed lists the 4.34.2 ZIP as 7,982,277 bytes. Installed application size differs from compressed download size.

Sources: Official product, Technical specifications, Official release notes, Official download feed.