Storage drops without context
You notice the missing space after the event that caused it.
NewDiskFox 1.3.5 for macOS
Your Mac’s storage didn’t disappear. See where it went.
Mac storage full, or almost full, for no reason? DiskFox shows what grew, when and why, and lets you review safe cleanup before anything moves to the Trash.
Free for 14 days · no card needed · $10.99 once if you keep it + sales tax where applicable
macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon and Intel · Notarised by Apple
“DiskFox is revealing areas of high disk usage I never knew about. I've been able to remove many gigabytes of unnecessary files. It's a godsend.”
Real app · Demo Mode sample data
What early testers say
“I use DiskFox all day to keep track of my development data, simply because of the speed.”
“DiskFox is the most insightful app of its kind. … With DiskFox, everything is visible right from the main screen.”
Shared with their permission. Some early testers were given free or discounted licences.
Knows where storage hides
Recognises more than 60 places Mac storage quietly builds up.
- Apple Intelligence models
- Xcode DerivedData
- Simulator runtimes
- iPhone and iPad backups
- Docker Desktop disk image
- Time Machine local snapshots
- Adobe media cache
- Downloaded macOS updates
- Messages attachments
- Spotify cache
- Homebrew download cache
- npm cache
- Parallels virtual machines
- Android emulator images
- Mail attachment copies
- iCloud Drive local copies
- Google Chrome cache
- Slack cache
- JetBrains IDE caches
- Podcast downloads
- Swap and sleep image
- Xcode archives
- Gradle caches
- Downloads untouched for 90 days
The missing explanation
“System Data” is a label, not an explanation.
A number can tell you that storage is gone. It cannot tell you what changed, whether the cause is measured or inferred, or what will happen if you remove it.
This week on Macintosh HD
Scan on Sun 27 Sep compared with the scan on Sun 4 Oct
System Data+30.2 GB
That's all macOS says: System Data.
No cause, no history, no safe next step.
System Data keeps growing
macOS gives you a category total, not a trustworthy explanation.
Cleaners start with deletion
They show what can go. DiskFox starts with what changed and why.
Scan · Explain · Review · Reclaim · Verify · Watch
From “where did it go?” to a receipt.
- 01
Scan
Establish a private storage baseline.
- 02
Explain
Compare scans to reveal what grew.
- 03
Review
Understand safety, consequences, and likely recovery.
- 04
Reclaim
Move approved files to Trash or follow guided steps.
- 05
Verify
Compare before and after, then keep the receipt.
- 06
Watch
Get warned if selected storage returns.
The product story
Four questions. One continuous record.
DiskFox connects investigation, review, action, and follow-up instead of treating them as unrelated tools.
What Changed
What consumed my storage?
Compare this week with the last, see which kinds of storage grew, and read each dated change. Causes macOS can’t confirm are labelled “Likely”.
No invented dashboards: every screen was captured from the real app in Demo Mode with sample data.
79-second product tour
See DiskFox explain a storage mystery.
Recorded from the real app in Demo Mode with sample data, in light or dark to match this page. Captions are part of the video, and nothing plays with sound.
Privacy you can verify
Your files stay on your Mac.
Routine storage scans read file sizes and dates only. Duplicate scans read files locally to verify exact matches. File contents never leave your Mac.
- Nothing is removed automatically. You choose what enters a review.
- Selected files normally move to Trash. Advanced or permanent actions are labelled.
- Permissions are requested only when required. Full Disk Access remains optional.
- No accounts or file uploads. Three anonymous usage counts (opened, first scan, days used) are on by default. Switch them off in Settings › General.
Fair comparison
Choose the tool that matches the problem.
DiskFox is built for understanding change and cleaning with evidence—not for running dozens of unrelated maintenance tools.
| Capability | DiskFoxChange-aware storage investigatorBuilt for this | CleanMyMacBroad cleaner and maintenance suite | DaisyDiskVisual disk-space analyser | GrandPerspectiveOpen-source treemap utility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shows current large files | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tracks storage over time | Yes | Not advertised | Not advertised | Can save and reload scans; trend history not advertised |
| Explains what changed between scans | Yes | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Keeps cleanup or action receipts | Yes | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Monitors storage regrowth | Yes | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Duplicate-file support | Exact local verification | Finds duplicates; verification method not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Application footprint inspection | Yes | Yes, with uninstaller and leftovers tools | Can scan application bundles as folders | Can display packages and folders |
| Review before removal | Yes | Yes for reviewed tasks and selected files | Manual selection | Manual selection |
| Local-processing claim | Yes | Not advertised across every feature | States that it does not collect or transmit scan data | Not advertised |
| Pricing model | $10.99 one-time · 14-day free trial | From $3.33/month; one-time option available | $9.99 lifetime licence | Free from SourceForge; $2.99 on the Mac App Store |
| Where it is stronger | Explains changes, records actions, and watches for storage returning. | Far broader maintenance, malware, updater, and performance toolkit. | Detailed interactive disk map, hidden-space tools, and APFS clone accounting. | Free, open-source treemap analysis with filtering and scan export. |
Features and pricing checked on 28 September 2026, with other apps’ prices in US dollars. “Not advertised” means the official sources reviewed did not describe that capability; it is not presented as a definitive “No.”
See official comparison sources
- CleanMyMac: CleanMyMac product overviewCurrent features, system requirements, and starting price.
- CleanMyMac: Smart Care documentationReview flow and selected cleanup tasks.
- CleanMyMac: Feature availabilityDuplicate finder, large files, uninstaller, and maintenance breadth.
- CleanMyMac: CleanMyMac pricingSubscription and one-time pricing checked on the date above.
- DaisyDisk: DaisyDisk product overviewDisk map, privacy claim, hidden-space tools, and scan capabilities.
- DaisyDisk: DaisyDisk pricing and licensingCurrent lifetime licence price and device allowance.
- DaisyDisk: DaisyDisk release notesAPFS clone accounting and application-bundle scanning.
- GrandPerspective: GrandPerspective official siteTreemap features, deletion, filters, saved scans, exports, and pricing.
Proof, not borrowed credibility
Trust the constraints you can inspect.
Product evidence you can check for yourself.
Deterministic Demo Mode
The screenshots use controlled sample data and never read or change files on this Mac.
Review is a hard gate
Recommended actions remain proposals until the person reviews and confirms them.
Uncertainty stays visible
Inferred causes are labelled “Likely” when macOS cannot provide definitive attribution.
Signed and notarised
The download is signed with a Developer ID and checked by Apple’s notarisation service before it reaches you.
Pricing
One price. No subscription.
$10.99
+ sales tax where applicable
- 14-day free trial, no card needed
- One licence for up to 2 Macs
- Every version 1 update included
- 14-day no-questions refund
Pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Sold by our reseller Polar, which handles payment and tax. See the terms and refund policy.
Honest answers
Questions before you trust a storage tool.
What does DiskFox scan?
Routine scans read file sizes, dates, and storage locations. DiskFox uses that metadata to build a baseline and compare completed scans.
Does DiskFox upload my files?
No. Your files and file names never leave your Mac, and DiskFox has no accounts. It goes online for four things: to check for updates (automatically, unless you turn that off in Settings), to check your licence with Polar when you activate it and now and then after, and to send three anonymous usage counts (opened, first scan, days used) with no files or identifier, and, before and when a free trial starts, to send diskfox.app a one-way code made from the Mac's hardware ID so each Mac gets one trial. The code can't be turned back into the ID. The counts are on by default; switch them off in Settings › General.
Does it automatically delete anything?
No. DiskFox prepares recommendations, but nothing is removed until you review and confirm an action.
How is DiskFox different from DaisyDisk or CleanMyMac?
DaisyDisk draws your disk as a map of what's big today, and CleanMyMac is an all-in-one maintenance suite. DiskFox focuses on storage history: what grew, when, and the likely cause, with review-first cleanup. Its storage map is coloured by what grew, not just by size. It has no malware scanning or speed tools. Compare DiskFox with DaisyDisk and CleanMyMac.
What does “Likely” mean?
It means macOS did not provide definitive attribution. DiskFox matched the timing and location of a change, but it cannot honestly claim certainty.
Can DiskFox remove Apple Intelligence?
DiskFox can inspect available storage information and provide a guided recovery workflow. It does not promise one-click removal, and some steps remain controlled by macOS. Read the guide: how much space Apple Intelligence takes.
Why might DiskFox need Full Disk Access?
macOS protects locations such as Mail, Messages, device backups, and parts of the Trash. Full Disk Access is optional and lets DiskFox measure more of those locations; it does not turn routine scans into write access.
What happens to removed files?
Most reviewed items move to Trash, where they may be restorable. Manual or permanent operations are identified separately before confirmation.
Can DiskFox explain all System Data?
No. System Data is a macOS classification, and some storage remains protected or unattributed. DiskFox reports what it can measure and marks inference as likely rather than confirmed.
Does duplicate scanning read file contents?
Yes, locally. Exact duplicate scanning reads file contents to verify matches. It does not upload those contents, and review always preserves at least one copy.
Which macOS versions are supported?
macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
Is DiskFox available in the Mac App Store?
No. DiskFox is sold directly from this site. Mac App Store apps must run in a sandbox, which would stop DiskFox measuring the folders it explains and installing its optional administrator helper. The download is signed with a Developer ID and notarised by Apple.
I lost my licence key. How do I get it back?
Polar, our reseller, keeps it for you. Sign in to your DiskFox orders on Polar with the email you bought with (Polar emails you a code), and your key is listed with your order. Still stuck? Email support@diskfox.app. Open my DiskFox orders on Polar
What happens if a cleanup fails?
Failed, cancelled, rolled-back, and interrupted attempts remain visible in Activity. DiskFox records the outcome and reconciles an interrupted operation with the disk on the next launch.
Understand first. Act second.
Stop guessing where your storage went.
Free for 14 days. No card needed. $10.99 once if you keep it. + sales tax where applicable
Nothing is removed until you review and confirm it.
Download free trialMade by Krishan Assi, an independent developer in the UK.