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Clear the space your dev tools left behind.

Old node_modules, Rust target folders, package caches, Xcode build data and simulators you forgot about. Dustpan finds them, shows how big each one is and when you last used it, and clears the ones you pick.

Download for macOS Use the command line

macOS 11 or later · Apple silicon build · Works offline

Dustpan's main window listing project folders such as payments-service target at 7.9 GB used 3 months ago, grouped under Projects, with checkboxes, sizes, last used dates and Rebuild or Review labels.
The main window, shown with sample data. Items unused for 30+ days that are safe to remove are pre-selected.

Where the space goes

Every tool keeps its own copy of something, in its own folder, and none of them clean up after themselves. It adds up quietly until the disk is full in the middle of a build.

Inside your projects

Dependency and build folders stay behind in every project you've ever cloned: node_modules, target, .venv, Pods, .next, Gradle build.

In tool caches

npm, pnpm, Yarn, pip, Cargo, Go, Gradle, Maven and Homebrew all keep download caches. Xcode keeps DerivedData for projects you deleted long ago.

In simulated phones

iOS simulators, simulator runtimes and Android emulators take several GB each, including ones that can't even run any more because their runtime was removed.

How it works

No setup beyond telling it where your code lives.

  1. Scan

    Dustpan searches the folders you choose for project leftovers and checks the known cache and simulator locations. It reads names, sizes and dates only. It takes seconds to a few minutes, depending on how much is there.

  2. Review

    Everything is listed with its size and when you last used it. Items that are safe to remove and unused for 30+ days are pre-selected. You can change the cut-off or pick items yourself.

  3. Clean up

    Confirm once. Folders go to the Trash by default, so you can put them back. You get a report of what was removed and anything that couldn't be.

Built not to delete the wrong thing

A cleaner is only useful if you can trust it. Every item has a clear safety level, and only the first two are ever pre-selected.

Safe

Tools re-download or recreate it automatically, like the npm cache or Xcode DerivedData.

Rebuild

Comes back when you next install or build, like node_modules. Dustpan tells you the command.

Review

May hold things you can't get back: simulator app data, Xcode archives, emulators. Never pre-selected, and removing one needs an extra confirmation.

  • A folder only counts when its project file is there too: target needs a Cargo.toml or pom.xml.
  • Generic names like build or bin are marked Review unless git confirms they're ignored.
  • Every item is checked again right before removal. If it changed since the scan, it's skipped.
  • Symbolic links are never followed or removed.
  • Running simulators and emulators can't be selected.
  • The last-used date comes from your project and git activity, not unreliable file access times.

Stays on your computer

Dustpan needs no account and makes no network requests unless you turn on encrypted backup of your settings or anonymous stats, both off by default. Your files and scan results never leave your Mac. Scan results and settings are stored in your user config folder, and that's it. Privacy details

What it finds

Items under 1 MB are hidden. Full list with locations

Projects

  • Node.js node_modules, .next, .nuxt, .svelte-kit, .turbo, .parcel-cache, .angular
  • Rust and Maven target
  • Python virtualenvs, .tox, .nox
  • CocoaPods Pods, SwiftPM .build
  • Gradle .gradle and build, Flutter build and .dart_tool
  • .NET bin/obj, Elixir, Haskell, Zig, Terraform, Composer, Elm, CLion

Caches

  • npm, pnpm, Yarn, Bun, Deno
  • pip, uv, Poetry
  • Cargo registry and git checkouts, Go build and module caches
  • Gradle, Maven, NuGet, Composer, pub
  • Xcode DerivedData, device support files, archives; CocoaPods; SwiftPM
  • Homebrew, Playwright and Puppeteer browsers, Electron, JetBrains IDE caches, Android system images

Simulators & emulators

  • iOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS simulators, including unusable ones
  • Simulator runtimes
  • Android emulators (AVDs)

Also a command-line tool

The same engine as a small CLI for scripts and terminals. It only ever removes Safe and Rebuild items, and asks before it does.

CLI reference 
# see what's there; changes nothing
dustpan scan

# preview, then clean items unused for 90+ days
dustpan clean --older-than 90 --dry-run
dustpan clean --older-than 90

# only node_modules, as JSON for scripts
dustpan scan --json | jq '.items[] | select(.kind=="node_modules")'

Questions

Will cleaning break my projects?

Project folders marked Rebuild come back when you run the install or build command again. Dustpan shows the command for each item. It never touches your source files: it only removes folders that match a known tool's layout, and anything ambiguous is marked Review.

I cleaned up, so why is my disk still full?

By default, items go to the Trash so you can restore them. The space comes back when you empty the Trash. You can choose "Delete permanently" in the confirm dialog to free it right away.

How does it know when I last used something?

For project folders it takes the most recent of your last install or build inside the folder, your last git activity, and changes at the top of the project. For caches, it's the newest file inside. For simulators, it's the last boot time Xcode records.

Does macOS ask for permissions?

macOS may ask to let Dustpan into folders like Documents, Desktop or an external drive when it scans them. If you decline, those folders are skipped and Dustpan tells you how many couldn't be read.

Does it clean Docker images?

Not yet. Docker's disk image doesn't shrink when files are deleted from outside Docker, so it needs Docker's own commands. Use docker system prune for now.

Windows and Linux?

The scanner knows Linux and Windows cache locations and the CLI builds on both, but only the macOS app is built and tested today.

Get your disk back

Download, drag to Applications, and scan.

Download Dustpan 0.1.0 for macOS

Apple silicon · macOS 11 or later · Installation help