# Disk Census vs DaisyDisk

Both show where your space went. DaisyDisk draws it as a map and leaves every decision to you. Disk Census also says what each item is, whether it rebuilds itself, and what can go.

Checked 9 October 2026. Canonical page: https://diskcensus.com/compare/daisydisk

## In short

- DaisyDisk is a visual disk map: you find the big folders and decide. Disk Census also sorts what it finds into Safe, Review and Keep.
- Both delete permanently instead of using the Trash, so the space comes back at once. Disk Census checks each item again just before it goes.
- Disk Census adds developer caches, AI agents’ leftovers, duplicates and a command line. DaisyDisk adds its interactive map, cloud drives and older macOS versions.
- Both are one-time purchases: DaisyDisk for up to 5 personal Macs, Disk Census for up to 3, with every future version included.

## Only in Disk Census

- **It says what’s safe to clear:** Every item is tagged Safe, Review or Keep, with what regenerates it. DaisyDisk’s own comparison puts it as “You decide”.
- **Developer and AI agent cleanup:** Xcode, Homebrew, npm, Cargo, Go, Python and more, plus the old versions and caches AI coding agents leave behind, with their history kept.
- **Duplicates in the same scan:** Identical files found by content and shown side by side, from the same scan as everything else.
- **A command line for scripts and agents:** census ships inside the app with JSON on every command, so scripts and AI agents see what the app sees.
- **Every future version:** One purchase covers every future version. DaisyDisk’s license includes minor updates and bug fixes.

## Side by side

| | Disk Census | DaisyDisk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seeing where space went | Partly: Each folder is drawn as a bar of its largest items. There is no treemap. | Yes: An interactive map of the disk, with instant previews. ([DaisyDisk website](https://daisydiskapp.com/)) |
| Developer caches and build output | Yes: Caches and build output of Xcode, Homebrew, npm, pnpm, Yarn, Bun, Cargo, Go, Gradle, CocoaPods, Swift Package Manager, pip, uv, Poetry, conda and more, with node_modules, target and .venv folders grouped by project. | No: Not a cleaner of predefined files: its own comparison says “You decide”. ([DaisyDisk website](https://daisydiskapp.com/)) |
| AI coding agents’ leftovers | Yes: Old versions, caches, temporary files and logs of Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, Warp, Kiro, Antigravity, Goose and more. History, settings, credentials, plugins and skills are never offered. | Not stated on their site: Its site doesn’t mention AI agents. |
| Duplicate files | Yes: Sets of identical files by content, side by side. The last copy of a set can never be deleted. | Not stated on their site: Its site doesn’t mention duplicates. |
| Where deleted items go | Deleted permanently, never to the Trash, and only after a person approves the exact items. Every confirmation says so. | Deleted permanently, not to the Trash, so the space is recovered. There are 5 seconds to cancel. ([DaisyDisk guide: Deleting files](https://daisydiskapp.com/guide/deleting-files)) |
| Safety checks before deleting | Yes: Each item is checked again against a fresh scan before it goes, items in use are skipped, and every cleanup writes an audit on the Mac. | Partly: Refuses folders such as /System and /Library, and gives 5 seconds to cancel. ([DaisyDisk guide: Deleting files](https://daisydiskapp.com/guide/deleting-files)) |
| Command line for scripts and agents | Yes: census ships inside the app, at the same version, with JSON on every command and stable exit codes. | Not stated on their site: Its site doesn’t mention a command line. |
| Future versions | A one-time purchase with every future version included. No subscription. | A lifetime license with minor updates and bug fixes included. ([DaisyDisk website](https://daisydiskapp.com/)) |
| Macs per license | One key covers the app and census on up to 3 Macs one person uses. | Up to 5 personal Macs. ([DaisyDisk website](https://daisydiskapp.com/)) |
| Requirements | macOS 12 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel. Mac only. | macOS 10.13 or newer, on Apple silicon and Intel. ([DaisyDisk website](https://daisydiskapp.com/)) |

## Price

- Disk Census: **$3.99** ~~$10~~, one-time. Launch offer: Save 60%. Limited seats, offer ends soon. Then it’s $4.99. Up to 3 Macs.
- DaisyDisk: **$9.99**. One-time, for up to 5 personal Macs, with minor updates and bug fixes. A free version to try, and 30 days’ money back. ([DaisyDisk website](https://daisydiskapp.com/), checked 9 October 2026)

Disk Census launch prices, by copies sold, in US dollars:

1. $3.99 · Save 60% · first 100 copies · now
2. $4.99 · Save 50% · next 150 copies · later
3. $6.99 · Save 30% · next 250 copies · later
4. $10 · regular price

## When DaisyDisk is the better pick

- You want to explore your disk as a map: DaisyDisk’s interactive map is the whole app.
- You want to scan Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or Box: DaisyDisk scans cloud disks.
- Your Mac runs macOS 10.13 to 11, which Disk Census doesn’t support.
- You want to try it free first, or use it on more than 3 Macs: DaisyDisk has a free version and covers 5 personal Macs.

## Questions

### Is Disk Census a good DaisyDisk alternative?

If you want to clean as well as look, yes. Disk Census shows where the space went and also tags each item Safe, Review or Keep, finds duplicates, and knows developer caches and AI agents’ leftovers. If you mainly want a map to explore, DaisyDisk is built around that.

### Does Disk Census have a map like DaisyDisk’s?

Not a map. Disk Census shows each folder as a bar of its largest items, and lists the biggest files, apps and caches in their own views.

### Do DaisyDisk and Disk Census both delete files permanently?

Yes. Neither moves files to the Trash, so the space comes back straight away. DaisyDisk gives you 5 seconds to cancel. Disk Census asks you to approve the exact items, says the deletion is permanent, and checks each item again before deleting it.

### Can I use DaisyDisk and Disk Census together?

Yes. Both only read your disk until you delete something, so they don’t get in each other’s way.

## Sources

- [DaisyDisk website](https://daisydiskapp.com/)
- [DaisyDisk guide: Deleting files](https://daisydiskapp.com/guide/deleting-files)

Checked 9 October 2026. Spot something out of date? Write to support@diskcensus.com.

DaisyDisk is a trademark of its owner. Disk Census isn’t affiliated with it.