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Prune vs DaisyDisk: disk map or cache intelligence?
DaisyDisk shows you where your space went, beautifully. Prune tells you which parts are safe to remove. They solve neighbouring problems, and some people use both.
| Topic | Prune | DaisyDisk |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS 12+ and Windows 10/11 | Mac only |
| Price | $15/year or $29 lifetime ($19 until 20 December 2026) with 3 years of updates. One licence covers up to 3 machines. | $9.99 one-time. |
| Free tier | Free scan lists every file name, path and size in 19 categories. Cleaning is Pro. | Free trial. 30-day money-back guarantee. |
| AI and developer caches | Knows Ollama, Hugging Face, LM Studio, Docker, Xcode, npm, pip, conda, Gradle, Cargo and Claude Code sessions by name | None. It shows sizes but has no notion of which folders are regenerable caches. |
| Safety model | Categorised, every path listed. Caches deleted outright; your files go to the Trash. | You choose what to drag to delete. No categories or safety hints. |
| Extras | Folder-size explorer, not a treemap. No malware, RAM or updater tools. | Visual ring map, external disks and cloud scanning, admin scan for hidden files. |
| Best for | Reclaiming space fast without having to know what each folder is. | Exploring any disk visually and deciding for yourself. |
Prices checked October 2026. Vendors change them, so confirm on their sites before you buy.
What DaisyDisk does that Prune does not
- A visual ring map that makes the biggest items obvious at a glance.
- Scanning external disks and cloud storage.
- An admin scan that reaches hidden system files.
- A low one-time price, and an App Store listing with ratings.
Where Prune is different
A map tells you that a folder is 40 GB. It does not tell you that it is an Ollama model store you can re-download, or a Docker cache that rebuilds, or a session history you may want to keep. Prune sorts what it finds into categories, names the tool behind each folder and shows what is safe to clear.
Prune also runs on Windows, which DaisyDisk does not.
Safety and review
With DaisyDisk the judgement is yours: you pick folders and drag them out. Prune lists every path first. True caches are deleted outright because they rebuild, and your own files go to the Trash or Recycle Bin.
When to choose which
- Choose DaisyDisk if you want to explore and understand any disk visually, and you are happy deciding what to delete.
- Choose Prune if you would rather be told what is regenerable, or you work on Windows too.
- Related reading: our guides, Prune pricing, and the CacheCleaner comparison.
FAQ
Is DaisyDisk a cleaner?
It is a disk analyzer. It draws a ring map of what uses your space and lets you drag items to delete. It does not know which folders are regenerable caches, so the judgement about what is safe stays with you.
Can I use both?
Yes, and many people do. DaisyDisk is a cheap way to see where space went across any disk. Prune then names the safe wins in developer and AI folders and explains each one.
Does Prune have a visual disk map?
No. Prune has a folder-size explorer, not a treemap or ring map. If a picture of your disk is what you want, DaisyDisk does that better.
Is there a Windows version of DaisyDisk?
No. DaisyDisk is Mac only. Prune runs on Mac and Windows with one licence covering up to 3 machines. DaisyDisk is $9.99 one-time and Prune Pro is $29 lifetime ($19 until 20 December 2026), as checked October 2026.