What's big?
A long list sorted by size. Last month's builds and this morning's install look exactly the same, and "System Data" explains nothing.
In development · for macOS 14 Sonoma or later
Your disk grew.
Find out what changed.
CacheTrail compares your development folders with the last scan, explains the artifacts behind the growth, and lets you review supported items before moving them to the Trash. Local on your Mac.
Free to scan and compare. Pro is a one-time purchase. Downloads open once the signed, notarized build is ready.
The real app, scanning a demo folder. The numbers are from a demo project, not a customer's Mac.
- One-time purchase
- Everything stays on your Mac
- Moves to the Trash, never deletes
- Native SwiftUI, macOS 14 or later
The question
Most cleaners ask what's big.
CacheTrail asks what grew.
What grew since last time?
+15.7 MBsince the last scan · demo data
- 102.8 MB
- 156.2 MB
- 188.7 MB
- 204.5 MB
Every scan becomes a point on your trail. Growth only counts when both scans saw the same place the same way. A new folder is "newly observed". A disk that wasn't plugged in is "unknown", never "deleted".
How it works
Three steps. You hold the last one.
-
01
Scan
Pick the folders you work in. CacheTrail reads folder names and sizes, never file contents, and changes nothing. No Full Disk Access needed to start.
-
02
Compare
Each scan is saved on your Mac. The next one is compared like with like, so you see what grew, what's new and what shrank, grouped by kind.
-
03
Review, then Trash
Nothing is selected for you. Tick exact items, read what moves, confirm. Each item is checked again right before it moves, and Restore puts it back.
Changes
Names you recognise, not hashes
Growth is grouped by what it is: JavaScript dependencies, Xcode build data, the npm cache. Rows carry the project's name, so "DemoWidget, Xcode build data" replaces a 28-letter folder hash.
- Grew · New · Shrank · No longer seen
- Unknown is never 0
- Allocated size, hard links counted once
Explanations
Know the rebuild cost
before you touch anything.
A cache isn't automatically disposable. Every artifact comes with what it is, why it's there, what removing it costs, and how it comes back. This text is straight from the app's catalog.
Xcode build data
One project's folder in DerivedData
- Why it exists
- Xcode writes it every time you build or index a project, so later builds can be incremental.
- If it's removed
- The next build of that project starts from scratch and Xcode reindexes it. Build logs and test results stored here are gone.
- Rebuild cost
- A full clean build and reindex. Minutes to much longer for large projects. Swift packages may download again.
- How it comes back
- Open the project in Xcode and build. Xcode recreates the folder.
JavaScript dependencies
A project's node_modules
- Why it exists
- Your package manager (npm, pnpm, Yarn or Bun) installs dependencies here.
- If it's removed
- The project won't run or build until you reinstall. Any local edits or patches made directly inside node_modules are lost.
- Rebuild cost
- A reinstall: downloads unless your package manager has them cached. Private or offline-only packages need access again.
- How it comes back
- Run your project's usual install command with its lockfile, for example npm ci, pnpm install or yarn install.
npm download cache
~/.npm/_cacache, shared by every project
- Why it exists
- npm keeps every package it downloads so installs can be fast and work offline.
- If it's removed
- Installs download again and offline installs stop working until the cache refills.
- Rebuild cost
- Re-downloads across every project that uses npm.
- How it comes back
- npm refills it during installs. Use npm cache verify or npm cache clean if you manage it yourself.
Only two kinds can ever be moved. Everything else is explained and left alone.
- JavaScript dependenciesMove after review
- Xcode build data, per projectMove after review
- npm download cacheRead-only
- iOS device supportRead-only
- Xcode archivesNever moved in v1
- Simulator devicesNever moved in v1
- Docker Desktop dataNever moved in v1
- Homebrew downloadsNever moved in v1
- Ollama modelsNever moved in v1
- Hugging Face cacheNever moved in v1
Review
Review first.
Trash, never erase.
Pick node_modules folders and single Xcode project builds. Read exactly what will move, tick that your build tools are closed, confirm. CacheTrail uses the same Move to Trash as Finder, one item at a time, and writes every step to a journal.
Native, in both modes
Feels like it shipped with your Mac.
Real screenshots from the current build. The instrument panel stays ink in both modes.
How it behaves
Looks without touching,
until you say so.
Scans change nothing
Folder names and sizes only. No file contents, no secrets, no .env files.
Trash, never delete
No permanent delete, ever. It never empties your Trash and never runs as root.
Restore is free
No license needed to put things back. It never overwrites something that's there now.
Stays on your Mac
No account and no telemetry. Scan history never leaves your Mac. This site has no trackers either.
Pricing
See it free. Pay once for the workflow.
The insight is free. Pro pays for the reviewed, journaled move to the Trash. No subscription.
Free
€0
- Scan the folders you choose
- Compare with the last scan
- Explanations and rebuild cost
- Redacted reports to share
- Restore, always
Pro
One-timePrice set at launch
- Everything in Free
- Reviewed move to the Trash
- Journal and crash-safe restore
- Updates for v1
Before you download
Will it delete my code?
Scans change nothing. Only node_modules folders and single Xcode project builds can be moved, to the Trash, after you review them. Source, archives, simulators, Docker volumes and models are never moved. Dependencies can contain local edits, so review every item.
Can I undo?
Yes, while the item is still in the Trash and its original place is free. CacheTrail never overwrites. Once you empty the Trash, recovery may be impossible.
Does moving to the Trash free space?
Not until you empty the Trash. CacheTrail shows what it moved and your available space separately, and never calls one the other.
What leaves my Mac?
Scan data stays local. The license check talks to the payment provider and updates are fetched from cachetrail.app. No scan paths, no telemetry.
Why not the Mac App Store?
A direct download keeps one-time pricing and fast, signed updates. The released app will be signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple.
Does it need Full Disk Access?
Not to start. Some protected locations may ask for permission. Anything CacheTrail can't read is reported as such, never hidden or shown as 0.
Is it a subscription?
No. Pro is a one-time purchase for v1. Restore stays free even without a license.
Let Stash keep an eye on your drive.
A cache is a hidden stash, and raccoons hoard. CacheTrail is being built in public, one milestone at a time.
