ncdu review
A free, open-source terminal analyzer built for interactive storage work over SSH.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
ncdu is a terminal-based disk usage analyzer for people who need to inspect storage from a command line. It scans directories and files, then presents the results in an interactive text-mode browser. The product is suited to remote servers without graphical environments, while also supporting Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its workflow centers on finding space-consuming files and directories, reviewing their relative share of storage, and taking action directly within the interface.
The published project details show a free, open-source product distributed under the MIT license. Its platform fit is strongest for terminal-oriented environments: Linux and macOS support is documented through binaries, packages, or ports, while Windows support is listed through an external binary. SSH scanning extends the same analysis approach to remote systems. Users can control scan scope with exclusion patterns and filesystem controls, show or hide hidden files and excluded entries, and sort results by filename, size, item count, or modification time.
ncdu also keeps the workflow focused after scanning. Built-in deletion lets users remove files or directories from the browser, while JSON import and export plus compressed binary export support saving scan results for later viewing. The trade-off is a narrow, text-first presentation: the listed capabilities do not include treemap views, application-size views, or file-type breakdowns. Choose ncdu when remote terminal access, interactive navigation, and lightweight open-source tooling matter most. Choose another analyzer if visual storage maps or category-based reporting are central requirements.
ncdu pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Interactive browsing with sorting, filtering, and relative graphs
- Remote scanning over SSH for servers without graphical environments
- Exports scan data as JSON or compressed binary files
- Where it doesn't
- No verified treemap view or file-type breakdown
- Windows support is provided through an external binary
- Terminal interface may not suit users seeking visual reports
ncdu fact sheet, pricing and score →
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