The DaisyDisk Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about DaisyDisk in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
DaisyDisk
The Insider’s Guide
Visual disk space analyzer and cleanup tool for Mac
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among desktop utilities, read from DaisyDisk’s own pages.
Made by Software Ambience Corp. · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from DaisyDisk’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on DaisyDisk’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade
DaisyDisk is a disk space analyzer for macOS from Software Ambience. It scans a disk or folder, shows what is using the space on a sunburst map, and lets you collect the files you no longer need and delete them permanently. It does no automatic cleaning: you decide what goes, and system files are protected. It can also reveal hidden and purgeable space and scan Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and Box. The license is a one-time purchase.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about DaisyDisk, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Just remember deleted files are gone for good.
- 1
Best for seeing what's eating your Mac's disk space
DaisyDisk is a Mac disk space analyzer that draws what's using your disk as a sunburst map and lets you collect and delete the files you don't want.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $9.99 one-time purchase (lifetime license).
- 3
You can try it first
Free trial with no time limit and no card required; deleting files and several other features stay locked
- 4
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 5
Sunburst disk map
Scans a disk or folder and draws its contents as a sunburst map that you browse to locate the largest files and folders.
- 6
Fast scanning
The vendor quotes 12-20 seconds for an APFS SSD startup disk and 6-12 seconds for an HFS+ one, and 3-5 minutes for NTFS, FAT and exFAT volumes.
- 7
Collector and deletion
Drag items to the Collector, review them, then click Delete, with 5 seconds to cancel. Files are removed permanently, and system folders are not accepted.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 18 of 94
That is against the other desktop utilities we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
DaisyDisk at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $9.99 one-time purchase (lifetime license)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Free trial with no time limit and no card required; deleting files and several other features stay locked
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- Software Ambience Corp., since 2009
- Category
- Desktop Utilities
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for seeing what's eating your Mac's disk space
DaisyDisk is a Mac disk space analyzer that draws what's using your disk as a sunburst map and lets you collect and delete the files you don't want. It costs $9.99 once for up to 5 personal Macs. Deletion is permanent, not a move to the Trash, it finds no duplicates, the free trial can look but not delete, and the App Store edition can't scan as administrator.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $9.99 once buys a lifetime license for up to 5 personal Macs, with minor updates included and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Pay-once utilities here sit around $15, so this is under the going rate with nothing to renew. |
| Free plan and trial | C | There's no free plan, but the trial has no time limit and needs no card. It's a look-don't-touch trial, though. It can't delete files, show them in Finder, scan as administrator or scan cloud storage, and it shows purchase reminders. |
| Features | C | Showing you where the space went is a small job, and DaisyDisk covers it: a sunburst map, a Collector, Quick Look previews, hidden and purgeable space, and scans of Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and Box. But it finds no duplicates, does no automatic cleaning, and the App Store edition can't scan as administrator. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating is on record, but nothing needs setting up: you browse a map and drag things to a collector, with 5 seconds to cancel a delete. The vendor quotes 12-20 seconds to scan an APFS SSD startup disk. Just remember deleted files are gone for good. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | Mac only, one operating system, on macOS 10.13 or newer, and the FAQ says there's no Windows or iOS version. It does scan Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Box over the network. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who DaisyDisk is for
- Fits if your Mac keeps running out of disk space and you want to see why
- Works for people who want to pay once and cover up to 5 personal Macs
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a cleaner that decides for you, as it does no automatic cleaning
- Not for you if you need to find duplicate files, since it doesn't do that
- Tight if you plan to stay on the trial, because it can't delete files, show them in Finder or scan cloud storage
- Watch out: deletion is permanent, not a move to the Trash, so a wrong pick is gone for good
- Watch out: the App Store edition can't scan as administrator or purge hidden space, and there's no Windows or iOS version
Good to know
Good for
- Mac users who keep running out of disk space
- Finding what is behind large System Data or Other storage figures
- People who want a one-time purchase that covers their personal Macs
Worth knowing
- macOS only; the current version needs macOS 10.13 or newer, and the FAQ says there is no Windows or iOS version.
- The free trial cannot delete files, show them in Finder, scan as administrator or scan cloud storage, and shows purchase reminders.
- The Mac App Store edition cannot scan as administrator and only detects hidden and purgeable space without revealing or purging it.
- It does not find duplicate files, and deletion is permanent, not a move to the Trash.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9.99 one-time
To start
DaisyDisk is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $9.99 one-time purchase (lifetime license).
There's no free plan, but the trial has no time limit and needs no card.
Lifetime License
$9.99
one-time purchase
Stand-alone edition for up to 5 personal Macs. Minor updates and bug fixes are included, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Mac App Store edition
$9.99
one-time purchase (US Mac App Store)
Sandboxed edition without scanning as administrator. The vendor offers App Store customers free migration to the stand-alone license.
Trying it first
Free trial with no time limit and no card required; deleting files and several other features stay locked
Read from daisydiskapp.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Lifetime license
Lifetime license with no subscription
One payment buys a lifetime license with no recurring charges. Minor updates are included, and a paid major upgrade would not invalidate the license.
Stated on daisydiskapp.comEducation
Student discounts on request
The pricing page says student discounts are offered and asks buyers to contact the vendor for details.
Stated on daisydiskapp.comOther savings
Corporate and portable IT licenses
Corporate licenses and portable licenses for IT services are available on request, according to the pricing page.
Stated on daisydiskapp.com
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for the app, against $9.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $12.99 | $9.13 | 9% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 599.00 | $9.54 | about the same |
| Turkey | ₺499,99 | $10.17 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 999 | $10.33 | about the same |
| Germany | 9,99 € | $11.19 | 12% more |
| Brazil | R$ 59,90 | $11.97 | 20% more |
| South Africa | R199.99 | $12.10 | 21% more |
| United Kingdom | £9.99 | $13.21 | 32% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: macOS
Visual disk space analyzer and cleanup tool for Mac. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, disk cleanup.
But it finds no duplicates, does no automatic cleaning, and the App Store edition can't scan as administrator.
- Sunburst disk map
- Scans a disk or folder and draws its contents as a sunburst map that you browse to locate the largest files and folders.
- Fast scanning
- The vendor quotes 12-20 seconds for an APFS SSD startup disk and 6-12 seconds for an HFS+ one, and 3-5 minutes for NTFS, FAT and exFAT volumes.
- Collector and deletion
- Drag items to the Collector, review them, then click Delete, with 5 seconds to cancel. Files are removed permanently, and system folders are not accepted.
- Hidden and purgeable space
- Detects space that regular scanning cannot account for, reveals it by scanning as administrator, and can purge purgeable space and local snapshots.
- Cloud scan
- Connects Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Box and scans them over the network like a local disk, without allocating local disk space.
- Quick Look preview
- Pressing Space previews any file with the built-in Quick Look, so you can identify it before deciding whether to delete it.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Box
DaisyDisk is made by Software Ambience Corp., and has been around since 2009.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
18/94
Other desktop utilities it is graded above
DaisyDisk's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 24 of 94) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 95 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. DaisyDisk’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 24 of 94
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 94
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 94
- BEase of useAbove 33 of 94
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 94
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
DaisyDisk sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $9.99, paid once, it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
What you could not
- Deleting system files without breaking anything.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. DaisyDisk’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
CleanMyMac, WinDirStat, WizTree and OnyX
The 4 tools DaisyDisk is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.8GPA
CleanMyMac
Free trial · from $39.99/yr
Mac cleanup, malware removal and maintenance in one app.
- CleanMyMac also covers menu bar app and system monitor.
- 2.8GPA
WinDirStat
Free
Free, open-source disk usage analyzer for Windows.
- WinDirStat has a free plan. DaisyDisk does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only DaisyDisk lists a macOS app.
- Only WinDirStat lists a Windows app.
- 3.0GPA
WizTree
Free plan · from $25 one-time
Fast disk space analyzer for Windows and macOS.
- WizTree has a free plan. DaisyDisk does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only WizTree lists a Windows app.
- 2.8GPA
OnyX
Free
Free maintenance, cleaning and tweaking utility for macOS.
- OnyX has a free plan. DaisyDisk does not, though it has a free trial.
- DaisyDisk can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is DaisyDisk free?
No, DaisyDisk is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free trial with no time limit and no card required; deleting files and several other features stay locked.
How much does DaisyDisk cost?
DaisyDisk lists 2 plans. Lifetime License: $9.99 one-time purchase.
What platforms does DaisyDisk work on?
DaisyDisk is available on macOS.
Does DaisyDisk offer any discounts?
DaisyDisk publicly lists the following: Lifetime license with no subscription; Student discounts on request; Corporate and portable IT licenses.
Does DaisyDisk have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. DaisyDisk is listed for macOS.
Does DaisyDisk have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. DaisyDisk is listed for macOS.
Is DaisyDisk open source?
DaisyDisk is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does DaisyDisk integrate with?
DaisyDisk's listing names Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Box.
Does DaisyDisk have a student discount?
Student discounts on request. The pricing page says student discounts are offered and asks buyers to contact the vendor for details.
Who makes DaisyDisk?
DaisyDisk is made by Software Ambience Corp. It dates from 2009.
What are the alternatives to DaisyDisk?
The closest alternatives to DaisyDisk in our directory are CleanMyMac, WinDirStat, WizTree and OnyX.
How does DaisyDisk compare with other desktop utilities?
DaisyDisk's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.
Could I make my own version of DaisyDisk?
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from DaisyDisk’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from DaisyDisk's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-02.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Software Ambience Corp. Prices change, so check daisydiskapp.com before you buy.
- daisydiskapp.com/
- daisydiskapp.com/support/pricing
- daisydiskapp.com/support/faq
- daisydiskapp.com/specs/
- daisydiskapp.com/guide/4/en/ReasonsToBuy/
- daisydiskapp.com/guide/4/en/Trial/
- daisydiskapp.com/guide/4/en/Editions/
- daisydiskapp.com/guide/4/en/DeletingFiles/
- daisydiskapp.com/about
- apps.apple.com/us/app/daisydisk/id411643860?mt=12
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- DaisyDisk, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/daisydisk
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "DaisyDisk: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/daisydisk
Know someone choosing between desktop utilities?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/daisydisk/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded desktop utilities after DaisyDisk, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Desktop Utilities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 95 desktop utilities we grade, compared
- LocalSend Insider's GuideOpen-source file sharing between nearby devices, no cloud3.2 GPA
- Ninite Insider's GuideInstalls and updates many Windows apps at once3.2 GPA
- 7-Zip Insider's GuideFree, open-source file archiver with the 7z format3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what DaisyDisk’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. DaisyDisk is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Software Ambience Corp. Prices and plans change: check daisydiskapp.com before you buy.