# Disk Census vs Mole

Mole and Disk Census both clean what developers and AI coding tools leave behind. Mole splits it into a paid Mac app and a free command line. Disk Census ships one engine for both, and treats agent history as yours to keep.

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

## In short

- Mole is a paid Mac app plus a free, open-source command line. Disk Census is one app with its command line inside, under one license.
- Both clean AI coding tools’ leftovers. Mole’s app can also delete old agent sessions; Disk Census keeps agent history and never offers it.
- Mole’s app can send cache cleanups to the Trash and adds a treemap and a system monitor. Disk Census deletes permanently, after you approve the exact items.
- Disk Census runs on macOS 12 and covers 3 Macs. Mole’s app needs macOS 14 and covers 2.

## Only in Disk Census

- **One purchase for the app and its command line:** census is the app’s own engine, at the same version, giving the same answers. Mole’s app and its mo command line are separate products with different features.
- **Agent history stays:** Disk Census never offers agents’ history, settings, plugins or skills. Mole’s app deletes sessions past a retention window you choose.
- **Agent cleanup from the command line:** census cleans agents’ old versions, caches and logs from a terminal too. Mole’s AI Cleanup & Care is part of its Mac app.
- **JSON from every command:** Every census command can print JSON, with stable exit codes. mo prints JSON from analyze, status and history.
- **Runs on macOS 12:** Disk Census supports macOS 12 or later. Mole’s Mac app needs macOS 14.

## Side by side

| | Disk Census | Mole |
| --- | --- | --- |
| App and command line | Yes: census ships inside the app, at the same version, with JSON on every command and stable exit codes. | A paid Mac app, and a separate free, open-source command line, mo. ([Mole website](https://mole.fit/)) |
| 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. | Yes: In the Mac app: old versions and caches of AI command-line tools, and sessions past a retention window (15 to 120 days, or never). Sessions used in the last 24 hours are never listed. ([Mole website](https://mole.fit/)) |
| What AI agents can do | Yes: AI agents can read everything. They clean the safe tier when a person asks them to clean, and anything else only after the person's explicit yes. | mo prints JSON from analyze, status and history, and has --dry-run on clean, uninstall, optimize, purge and installer. ([Mole on GitHub (the mo command line)](https://github.com/tw93/Mole)) |
| Where deleted items go | Deleted permanently, never to the Trash, and only after a person approves the exact items. Every confirmation says so. | Cache cleanup is permanent by default, with a Trash option in Settings. Uninstall and Analyze use the Trash. ([Mole website](https://mole.fit/)) |
| Record of what was deleted | 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. | Yes: An operations log of what was deleted, with paths (mo history --json). ([Mole on GitHub (the mo command line)](https://github.com/tw93/Mole)) |
| Seeing where space went | Partly: Each folder is drawn as a bar of its largest items. There is no treemap. | Yes: Analyze: a treemap with drill-down. ([Mole website](https://mole.fit/)) |
| Macs per license | One key covers the app and census on up to 3 Macs one person uses. | The Mac app covers 2 Macs. mo is free. ([Mole website](https://mole.fit/)) |
| Requirements | macOS 12 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel. Mac only. | Mac app: macOS 14 or later. mo: macOS 12 or later. ([Mole website](https://mole.fit/)) |

## 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.
- Mole: **$19**. One-time Mac app license for 2 Macs, with free updates and a 14-day refund. Each tool works twice without a license. The mo command line is free (GPL-3.0). ([Mole website](https://mole.fit/), 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 Mole is the better pick

- You want a free, open-source command line: mo is GPL-3.0 and installs with Homebrew.
- You want cleanups to go to the Trash first: Mole’s app has a Trash option for cache cleanup, and its uninstall and Analyze use the Trash.
- You want old agent sessions cleared on a schedule: Mole’s app deletes sessions past a retention window you pick.
- You also want a live system monitor: Mole shows CPU, memory, GPU, network, battery and fans, with a menu bar display.

## Questions

### Is Disk Census a good Mole alternative?

If you want one app whose command line is the same engine, yes: one license covers both, and agents get JSON from every command. If you want a free, open-source command line, or the Trash as a safety net, Mole fits better.

### Does Disk Census delete AI agent sessions like Mole does?

No. Disk Census cleans agents’ old versions, caches, temporary files and logs, and shows their history as Keep: it is never offered for deletion. Mole’s app can delete sessions older than a retention window you choose.

### Is the Disk Census command line free, like Mole’s mo?

No. census ships inside the Disk Census app, and one license covers both. mo is free and open source, and Mole’s Mac app is sold separately.

### Can an AI agent use Mole or Disk Census?

Yes. Mole publishes an agent skill for mo. With Disk Census, an agent runs census: it cleans the safe tier when you ask it to clean, and anything else only after your explicit yes.

## Sources

- [Mole website](https://mole.fit/)
- [Mole on GitHub (the mo command line)](https://github.com/tw93/Mole)

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

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