Which fits your needs?
DissectMac: People who want free inspection and optional paid app/leftover cleanup.
GrandPerspective: People who want a free, inspectable treemap and reusable scan records.
Features, pricing, and workflow
Scroll across to compare
| Feature | DissectMac | GrandPerspective |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | People who want free inspection and optional paid app/leftover cleanup. | People who want a free, inspectable treemap and reusable scan records. |
| Visualization | Treemap and search | Treemap with configurable colors and filters |
| Platforms and requirements | macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon builds) | macOS 14+ (current release) |
| Pricing and editions | Map, search, and monitor are free; Pro is listed at $12.99 once plus tax. | Free from SourceForge; the same app is $2.99 in the US App Store. |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Native macOS UI | Yes | Yes |
| Cleanup workflow | Pro moves selected files and app leftovers to Trash after review. | Delete files or folders from the view; review selection and deletion preferences. |
| Reports and portability | The overview does not establish scan-report export. Preserve any app-removal decisions and rescan the same folders in NullDisk. | Save the scan for reopening in GrandPerspective, or export text and images. NullDisk does not import GrandPerspective scan files; retain exports and rescan the same location. |
DissectMac: what stands out
A good fit for people who want free inspection and optional paid app/leftover cleanup.
DissectMac: strengths
- Free map, file search, and live monitor
- Filters for developer files and large storage categories
- Pro uninstaller and app-leftover cleanup
Considerations
- In-app clearing and uninstallation require Pro
- Treemap is the documented graphical view
- Confirm suspected leftovers belong to apps you no longer need
GrandPerspective: what stands out
A good fit for people who want a free, inspectable treemap and reusable scan records.
GrandPerspective: strengths
- Configurable colors, masks, searches, and scan exclusions
- Quick Look, Finder integration, and file/folder deletion
- Save/reload scans and export text or images
Considerations
- Treemap rather than radial navigation
- Older macOS versions require an older release
- App Store updates can follow SourceForge releases later
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 DissectMac?
A good fit for people who want free inspection and optional paid app/leftover cleanup. Map, search, and monitor are free; Pro is listed at $12.99 once plus tax.
When should I choose GrandPerspective?
A good fit for people who want a free, inspectable treemap and reusable scan records. Free from SourceForge; the same app is $2.99 in the US App Store.
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.