Generic cleaners ignore the biggest storage culprits on developer machines. CleanMacStorage was built specifically for Xcode, Docker, Node, and APFS.
| Feature | CleanMacStorage | macOS System Settings | Legacy Cleaners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive 120 FPS APFS Treemap See exactly where storage is used |
✓ Full drill-down | ✕ Static bar chart only | ✕ No treemap / clunky |
| Xcode DerivedData & iOS Caches 20–40 GB of stale build artifacts |
✓ Automated scan & purge | ✕ Completely ignored | ✕ Partial / manual only |
| Docker.raw Virtual Disk Recovery The disk that never shrinks itself |
✓ Built-in | ✕ Not supported | ✕ Not supported |
| node_modules Sweep Orphaned JS dependency directories |
✓ Recursive project scan | ✕ Not supported | ✕ Not supported |
| Background Battery Drain Daemons running while app is closed |
✓ 0% — no daemon ever | Built-in (0%) | High — permanent menu bar agent |
| Spotlight mdfind Large File Search Find files over 100 MB in < 300ms |
✓ Under 300 milliseconds | Slow indexing | Slow recursive disk crawl |
| Deep App Leftover Removal Application Support, Containers, Plists |
✓ Full sweep | ✕ Ignored | Partial |
| NVMe Disk Benchmark Measure actual sequential read speed |
✓ Built-in | ✕ Not available | ✕ Not available |
| Safe Native Trash Deletion All deletions go to macOS Trash |
✓ AppleScript Trash | Yes | Varies |
| Privacy — No Data Collection Your file paths never leave your Mac |
✓ 100% local, no telemetry | Yes | Analytics & crash reporting sent |
| Pricing | $15/yr or $49 Lifetime | Free (basic) | $39.95/year recurring |
