Which fits your needs?
Baobab (Disk Usage Analyzer): Linux desktop users who prefer a GNOME application with graphical disk analysis.
Disk Xray: Mac users seeking an analyzer plus duplicate and photo cleanup tools.
Features, pricing, and workflow
Scroll across to compare
| Feature | Baobab (Disk Usage Analyzer) | Disk Xray |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Linux desktop users who prefer a GNOME application with graphical disk analysis. | Mac users seeking an analyzer plus duplicate and photo cleanup tools. |
| Visualization | Folder tree with ring/treemap graphical views | Sorted folder breakdown and cleanup lists |
| Platforms and requirements | Linux (GNOME) | macOS 10.13+ (vendor requirements) |
| Pricing and editions | Free software from GNOME; available through Flathub/distributions. | Free App Store download; full functionality via subscription or lifetime purchase. The subscription includes a seven-day trial. |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Native macOS UI | Linux application | Yes |
| Cleanup workflow | Inspect the selected location and use documented file actions or the system file manager. | Review each module’s action; ordinary cleanup and permanent shredding have different recovery implications. |
| Reports and portability | Keep Baobab for Linux desktop analysis. For a terminal on Linux, NullDisk’s CLI can rescan the same filesystem; its Mac GUI does not import Baobab sessions. | The cited product page does not document scan export. Keep duplicate decisions and paths separately; hard-link accounting in NullDisk is not duplicate-content detection. |
Baobab (Disk Usage Analyzer): what stands out
A good fit for Linux desktop users who prefer a GNOME application with graphical disk analysis.
Baobab (Disk Usage Analyzer): strengths
- Tree and graphical folder-size views
- Scans devices, selected folders, and online accounts
- Free software maintained within GNOME
Considerations
- A Linux desktop app rather than a native Mac application
- Remote access depends on available account/backend support
- A scan inventory is not a backup or deletion recommendation
Disk Xray: what stands out
A good fit for Mac users seeking an analyzer plus duplicate and photo cleanup tools.
Disk Xray: strengths
- Size-sorted folder scanner
- Byte-by-byte duplicate checks and similar-picture search
- App uninstaller, disk cleaner, and optional file shredder
Considerations
- Six modules serve different cleanup tasks
- Shredder operations are permanent
- Vendor limits content overwriting to supported HDDs, excluding SSD/APFS/network drives
For a useful comparison on your own drive, match the scan root, access permissions, and size mode. Chart style changes how you explore the results; it does not by itself establish measurement accuracy.
Common questions
When should I choose Baobab (Disk Usage Analyzer)?
A good fit for Linux desktop users who prefer a GNOME application with graphical disk analysis. Free software from GNOME; available through Flathub/distributions.
When should I choose Disk Xray?
A good fit for Mac users seeking an analyzer plus duplicate and photo cleanup tools. Free App Store download; full functionality via subscription or lifetime purchase. The subscription includes a seven-day trial.
Will both apps show the same size?
Not necessarily. Match the scan root, permissions, exclusions, and logical/allocated-size mode. Hard links, APFS clones, snapshots, sparse files, and cloud placeholders can change totals. A reported size is not a guaranteed amount recovered after deletion.
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