Which fits your needs?
OmniDiskSweeper: Mac users who prefer a free size-sorted browser to a chart.
SquirrelDisk: People wanting a free open-source GUI across desktop systems and remote storage.
Features, pricing, and workflow
Scroll across to compare
| Feature | OmniDiskSweeper | SquirrelDisk |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mac users who prefer a free size-sorted browser to a chart. | People wanting a free open-source GUI across desktop systems and remote storage. |
| Visualization | Largest-first column browser | Sunburst, treemap, file list, and duplicates |
| Platforms and requirements | macOS | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Pricing and editions | Free download from The Omni Group. | Free; AGPL-3.0 source published on GitHub. |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Native macOS UI | Yes | Cross-platform interface |
| Cleanup workflow | Open or Trash selected files from the size-sorted browser. | Collector offers Trash, permanent removal, secure erase, or backup before deletion. |
| Reports and portability | The official overview does not document report export. Keep important paths separately before rescanning in NullDisk. | The current overview does not establish an interoperable scan-report format. Preserve paths, duplicate decisions, and remote source settings separately. |
OmniDiskSweeper: what stands out
A good fit for Mac users who prefer a free size-sorted browser to a chart.
OmniDiskSweeper: strengths
- Largest-first file and folder browsing
- Open items or move them to Trash
- Official downloads include versions for older Macs
Considerations
- Column browsing rather than a graphical disk map
- Check the download requirements for your macOS version
- The cited overview does not document saved reports or duplicate matching
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 OmniDiskSweeper?
A good fit for Mac users who prefer a free size-sorted browser to a chart. Free download from The Omni Group.
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.