Which fits your needs?
GrandPerspective: People who want a free, inspectable treemap and reusable scan records.
SquirrelDisk: People wanting a free open-source GUI across desktop systems and remote storage.
Features, pricing, and workflow
Scroll across to compare
| Feature | GrandPerspective | SquirrelDisk |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | People who want a free, inspectable treemap and reusable scan records. | People wanting a free open-source GUI across desktop systems and remote storage. |
| Visualization | Treemap with configurable colors and filters | Sunburst, treemap, file list, and duplicates |
| Platforms and requirements | macOS 14+ (current release) | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Pricing and editions | Free from SourceForge; the same app is $2.99 in the US App Store. | Free; AGPL-3.0 source published on GitHub. |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Native macOS UI | Yes | Cross-platform interface |
| Cleanup workflow | Delete files or folders from the view; review selection and deletion preferences. | Collector offers Trash, permanent removal, secure erase, or backup before deletion. |
| Reports and portability | 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. | The current overview does not establish an interoperable scan-report format. Preserve paths, duplicate decisions, and remote source settings separately. |
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
SquirrelDisk: what stands out
A good fit for people wanting a free open-source GUI across desktop systems and remote storage.
SquirrelDisk: strengths
- Live maps and a staged removal collector
- Content-based duplicate search
- SSH and rclone-backed cloud storage
Considerations
- Uses a cross-platform Rust interface rather than SwiftUI
- Permanent deletion and secure erase require deliberate review
- Cloud/SSH actions depend on provider and remote-system support
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 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.
When should I choose SquirrelDisk?
A good fit for people wanting a free open-source GUI across desktop systems and remote storage. Free; AGPL-3.0 source published on GitHub.
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.