TreeSize vs WinDirStat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, WinDirStat grades higher than TreeSize: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
TreeSize grades higher on features. WinDirStat grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TreeSize
Windows disk space analyzer with reports and cleanup tools
Free plan
Which one is for you
Pick TreeSize if
- Fits if you need to find what fills a Windows drive
- Works for IT staff who want scheduled storage reports
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Mac or Linux, as it is Windows only
- Not for you if you want free at work, as the free edition is for private use only
- Tight if you need duplicate search, since that needs Personal at 20.40 EUR a year
- Watch out: prices are in euros and may differ by region
Pick WinDirStat if
- Fits if a Windows drive is full and you want to see why without paying
- Works for companies that need a free tool, since commercial use is allowed
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac or Linux, as it only runs on Windows
- Not for you if you're counting on it to bring back deleted files, since recovery is only an attempt on local NTFS, exFAT and FAT drives
- Not for you if you can't run apps as administrator, because the fast NTFS scan needs that
- Watch out: only Windows 7 through 11 and Server 2008 R2 through 2025 are supported
How we grade them
| 2.6GPATreeSizeGood | 2.8GPAWinDirStatGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPersonal is 20.40 EUR a year, inside the category's cheaper quarter. Professional starts at 41.00 EUR. | AIt costs nothing and you just download it. Free software under the GNU GPL v3 or later, and the site says you can use it free of charge in personal or commercial settings. |
| Free plan and trial | BTreeSize Free covers a treemap and PDF reports for private, non-commercial use. Home users could live on it; business use cannot. | AThe complete app is free, as an installer, a portable archive, a Microsoft Store package or through winget, Chocolatey or Scoop. There's no paid edition to be nudged towards. |
| Features | BCharts, large-file and duplicate finding, cloud and network scans, scheduled reports and exports. Duplicates and comparison are paid. | CScans drives, shares and MTP devices, then shows the biggest files, file types, treemaps, sunbursts and flame graphs, finds duplicates by content and exports CSV or JSON. It does disk usage fully, and that's a small job; the file recovery is described only as an attempt, on local NTFS, exFAT and FAT. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record. You pick a drive and it scans, with nothing to set up. | BNo store rating on record, but nothing needs setting up: install it, point it at a drive, read the picture. The one thing to know is that the faster NTFS scan only kicks in if you run it elevated. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows desktop editions only. It scans cloud targets like S3 and SharePoint, but runs nowhere but Windows. | DWindows only, built and tested for Windows 7 through 11 and Server 2008 R2 through 2025. One operating system, and the site itself sends Mac and Linux users off to GrandPerspective and QDirStat. |
| Best for | finding what fills a Windows drive | finding what's filling a Windows drive for free |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: TreeSize and WinDirStat. How we grade
Where they differ
- WinDirStat is open source, according to its own site.
- TreeSize also covers reports and file management.
In commonFree planWindowsDisk cleanup
At a glance
| TreeSize | WinDirStat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | 20.40 EUR per user / year, billed annually | Free |
| Free plan | TreeSize Free for private, non-commercial use: treemap view and PDF reports of disk usage. | The whole app is free software under the GNU GPL v3 or later. The site says it can be used free of charge in personal or commercial settings. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | JAM Software | WinDirStat Team |
| Price read from | jam-software.com | windirstat.net |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
TreeSize
- Windows only; the editions page lists Windows desktop editions.
- Prices are shown in euros on the site and may differ by region; the free edition is limited to private use.
- Duplicate search and usage comparison need a paid edition.
WinDirStat
- Windows only; the site points Mac and Linux users to other open-source tools such as GrandPerspective and QDirStat.
- It is developed and tested for Windows 7 through 11 and Windows Server 2008 R2 through 2025; other versions are not supported.
- The accelerated NTFS scan needs the app to be run elevated.
- File recovery is described as an attempt and covers only local NTFS, exFAT and FAT drives.
Key features
TreeSize
- Usage charts
- Shows disk use as treemap, pie and bar charts, with a folder breakdown in an Explorer-style view.
- Large and duplicate files
- Personal and above filter the largest files and search for duplicates.
- Many scan targets
- Scans local drives, mapped network shares, and cloud or remote targets such as S3, Azure and SharePoint.
- Reports and exports
- Exports results to PDF, Excel, HTML or CSV, and can send scheduled reports by email.
- On-premise only
- The vendor says all editions run on-premise and no data leaves the PC.
- Portable use
- Select editions can run from a USB drive without installation.
WinDirStat
- Scanning
- Scans multiple folders, drives, network shares or MTP devices in one pass. Running elevated speeds up scans of local NTFS drives.
- Disk usage views
- Shows the largest files and file types alongside treemaps, sunbursts and flame graphs, and compares logical with physical sizes.
- Search and duplicates
- Searches by name, size, type or owner. Duplicates are found by comparing content hashes, with optional sparse hashing for probable matches.
- Reports and monitoring
- Scan snapshots can be saved and reopened, reports exported as CSV or JSON, scans automated, and file-system changes watched.
- Cleanup and recovery
- Runs cleanup tools on selected items and can attempt to recover deleted files from local NTFS, exFAT and FAT drives.
- Permissions and storage analytics
- Inspects permission entries and estimates storage tier costs from file sizes and modification ages.
Plans
TreeSize
TreeSize Free0 EUR
Home use only (non-commercial). Treemap chart and PDF reports of disk usage.
TreeSize Personal20.40 EUR
per user / year, billed annually
Adds top-largest-file filter, duplicate search and usage comparison. 14-day trial; a perpetual option exists.
TreeSize ProfessionalFrom 41.00 EUR
per user / year, billed annually
Adds command-line and task scheduler options and custom PDF, Excel and HTML exports. 14-day trial.
TreeSize Consultant240.00 EUR
per user / year, billed annually
Portable licence usable across multiple client systems. 14-day trial.
WinDirStat
WinDirStat$0
The complete app as x64, x86 and ARM64 installers, portable archives, a Microsoft Store package, or through winget, Chocolatey or Scoop.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, TreeSize or WinDirStat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, TreeSize starts at 20.40 EUR per user / year, billed annually, and WinDirStat is free.
Which has a free plan, TreeSize or WinDirStat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both TreeSize and WinDirStat have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.