Diskscape — Disk Space Visualiser for Mac
Diskscape shows what is filling a Mac's disk. The menu bar lists every mounted disk with its used and free space, and a scan draws any folder or drive as grey rings, one per folder level. Hover for sizes, click to zoom in, and clear space from a sorted list with Reveal in Finder, Quick Look and Move to Trash.
- Universal app for Apple silicon and Intel, macOS 13 Ventura or later
- Never deletes outright: items only go to the Trash, after asking
- Includes a How to use PDF, README and licence
First launch: Diskscape is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens with a normal double-click.
Diskscape shows what is filling a Mac’s disk. It scans a folder or a whole drive and draws the result as rings of slices, one ring per folder level, so the largest space users stand out at once. It lives in the menu bar, opens a window when there is scanning to do, and never changes a file unless asked.
Every disk at a glance
The menu bar panel lists each mounted disk with a bar for used space, how much is free and how much is used of the total, with a Scan button beside each one. The startup disk’s free space can sit right next to the icon.
A scan that reads many folders at once
Diskscape reads folders in parallel and shows the file count and space found so far, with Cancel always in reach. In testing, a 70 GB folder took about 25 seconds. Sizes are the space files really take on the disk, and symbolic links are not followed, so nothing is counted twice.
See where the space went
Every folder is a slice sized by what it holds. Hover over one for its name, size and share, and the matching row lights up in the list beside the chart.
Click to go deeper
Click a folder’s slice and the rings redraw around it, with the list following. The path at the top goes straight back up, one level or all the way.
The biggest files, first
Largest Files gathers the hundred biggest items in the scan, each with the folder it is in. Reveal in Finder, Quick Look, or Move to Trash, which always asks first. Nothing is ever deleted outright.
Sorted by kind
File Types adds the scan up as Video, Images, Apps, Archives and disk images, and Everything else. Folders macOS keeps private are counted and explained, with a button to the Full Disk Access page.
What is System Data on a Mac?
System Data is the part of the storage bar in System Settings that macOS does not count as apps, documents or photos. It usually includes caches, logs, app support files, virtual memory and Time Machine local snapshots, and it can grow to tens of gigabytes.
Diskscape shows many of the folders behind it. Scan the Home folder and open Library to see which Caches, Logs and Application Support folders are largest, then move what is no longer needed to the Trash. Local snapshots and protected system files are managed by macOS and do not appear in a scan; macOS clears local snapshots by itself when space runs low.
How to free up space on a Mac
- Open Diskscape and scan the startup disk or the Home folder.
- Start with the largest rings and the Largest Files list. Old downloads, videos and disk images are the usual culprits.
- Look inside Library, in Caches and Application Support, for leftovers from apps that were removed.
- Move items to the Trash, check nothing important is missing, then empty the Trash.
How it works
- Click the menu bar icon to see every mounted disk with its used and free space. Scan beside a disk measures the whole of it; Scan Home measures the Home folder.
- In the window, Home scans the Home folder and Choose picks any folder or disk. Cancel stops a scan at any time, and Rescan measures again after tidying up.
- Read the rings from the middle out: the centre is the folder being viewed, and each ring further out is one level deeper. Hover for a name and size; click a folder to zoom in.
- Go back up by clicking the middle circle, the back arrow, or any name in the path at the top.
- Act on what you find from the list: Reveal shows it in Finder, Quick Look or Space previews it, and Move to Trash asks first and says how much space it will free.
Opening it the first time
Diskscape is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens with a normal double-click.
Can it delete something by mistake?
No. Items only ever go to the Trash, and only after a confirmation that says how much space will be freed. Anything moved can be put back from the Trash in Finder, and the space returns when the Trash is emptied.
Why is the total different from the disk’s used space?
A scan covers the folder that was chosen, and folders macOS keeps private count as empty without Full Disk Access. macOS also reserves space for snapshots and system files that no scan can see. Small files can also differ slightly from Finder, because Diskscape measures the space they actually take on the disk.
Does it need Full Disk Access?
No. It is only needed for complete results in private folders such as Mail, Messages and parts of Library. Diskscape opens the right page of System Settings but never changes that setting itself, and it reads only names and sizes, never file contents.
How long does a scan take?
It depends mostly on how many files there are rather than how many gigabytes. In testing, a 70 GB folder took about 25 seconds. A scan can be cancelled at any point.
Which Macs does it run on?
Any Mac with Apple silicon or Intel running macOS 13 Ventura or later.
Can Diskscape clear System Data?
It shows the folders inside System Data that a scan can read, such as caches and logs, and moves chosen items to the Trash after asking. It never deletes files directly, and it cannot remove files that macOS protects.
How do I check storage on a Mac?
System Settings, then General, then Storage shows the overall breakdown. Diskscape shows which folders and files make up each part, down to individual files.
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