The Tool Desk
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What SquirrelDisk does
SquirrelDisk is a graphical disk usage analyzer: it maps folder and file sizes so you can investigate what is filling a drive. Its official product page describes it as “A free, open-source disk usage analyzer for macOS, Windows and Linux.” The chart is intended to help you locate large items; it does not determine whether those items are safe to remove.
The official press kit identifies Adileo Barone as the developer, says the project was first released in 2022, and lists AGPL-3.0 as its license. It describes the implementation as Rust and egui and reports support for 25 languages (SquirrelDisk press kit, 2026). Those are publisher-provided project details.
How to read the charts
Sunburst
The whole-disk view is a sunburst chart. Each folder appears as a slice whose area represents its disk use; the chart fills in as the scan proceeds. Select a slice to explore that folder, then select the centre of the chart to move back up. A side list shows the contents with larger items first.
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Treemap
SquirrelDisk also offers a treemap, another visual layout for seeing how files and folders compare in size. The vendor describes the chart as live and animated, but there is no published independent speed comparison here; scan time will depend on the system, drive, permissions, and amount of data.
Supported systems and downloads
As listed on SquirrelDisk’s download page on October 3, 2026, version 2.5.0 supports these downloads:
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| Platform | Available download | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | Apple silicon and Intel | The vendor documents a first-launch warning because the app is distributed outside the App Store. |
| Windows | Windows 10 and 11; installer (.msi) or portable (.exe) | The vendor says the warning shown by Windows is because the app is not code-signed. |
| Linux | x86_64 AppImage or tar.gz archive | Supports X11 and Wayland. The vendor says there is no ARM build and it is not yet available in Flathub, Snap, or distribution repositories. |
Check the official download page for current builds, since release and platform details can change. SquirrelDisk says it checks GitHub for updates at startup and that update checks can be disabled. Its official site provides platform-specific installation guidance, including how to proceed past the first-launch warnings described above. These are the vendor’s explanations and instructions, not an independent security assessment.
Scan local, remote, and cloud storage
Local drives
Choose a drive or folder to scan, then explore the largest slices or entries in the list. The Linux guide says SquirrelDisk cannot read directories that the current user lacks permission to access. A scan may therefore omit protected locations unless you run it with suitable access.
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- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Remote machines over SSH
SquirrelDisk documents scanning remote machines over SSH. Its SSH feature page says the app may place a helper in ~/.cache/squirreldisk to speed up scans and can fall back to standard find or du commands. Review the access and commands involved before scanning a machine you administer.
Cloud storage through rclone
The vendor also describes cloud-storage scanning through rclone. Cloud-only files are counted as zero local disk use because they do not occupy space on the local drive. This makes the result a view of local storage use, not necessarily the total size of everything in a synced or cloud account.
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- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Why SquirrelDisk and your operating system may show different sizes
Storage tools can count some items differently. SquirrelDisk says linked folders are counted once. On Windows, its guide points to hard links in WinSxS as one reason its total can be lower than Explorer’s: Explorer may count linked data more than once. This is the vendor’s explanation for these cases, not a universal comparison covering every tool or file system.
- Cloud placeholders: Files that exist only in the cloud count as zero local use according to the vendor.
- Permissions: A scan cannot include directories the running user cannot access, as the Linux guide notes.
- Link accounting: Linked data may be counted differently by SquirrelDisk and another file manager or analyzer.
Review files carefully before cleaning up
The Linux and Windows guides describe a cleanup collector: drag items into it, then choose an available action such as moving them to Trash or the Recycle Bin, deleting permanently, or backing them up to a folder or cloud storage before deletion. These are vendor-described options, and available choices may depend on platform. Finding a large file is not proof that it is safe to delete; check what it belongs to and whether an application or operating system needs it.
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Windows system files
The Windows guide specifically warns against manually deleting hiberfil.sys or pagefile.sys. Windows manages these files. If you intentionally want to turn off hibernation, the guide gives powercfg /hibernate off; it advises leaving the page file to Windows unless you know why it needs to change.
Permanent deletion is not guaranteed secure erasure
On Linux, the vendor warns that deleting a file may not immediately remove old data blocks on SSDs or Btrfs. It points to LUKS full-disk encryption for protecting data in that context. The Windows guide makes a similar point for SSDs and identifies BitLocker as the relevant data-protection measure. Do not treat SquirrelDisk’s delete action as a secure-erase feature.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When another tool may suit you better
SquirrelDisk is one option, not the only way to understand disk use. The Linux guide names Baobab and Filelight as graphical alternatives and ncdu as a command-line option for headless servers. Choose based on the system and workflow you need:
- For a graphical, visual overview across macOS, Windows, or Linux, SquirrelDisk offers sunburst and treemap views.
- For remote scans, its documented SSH and rclone features may be relevant; check the access requirements and your preferred workflow.
- For Linux, consider whether you want an AppImage or archive, or a tool already available through your distribution’s package sources.
- For a headless server, a command-line analyzer such as ncdu may be more practical than a graphical app.
SquirrelDisk’s official product page says, “Everything you need to understand a full disk, and nothing you don’t.” In practical terms, its strongest fit is a user who wants a visual way to identify storage consumers and is willing to verify files before acting on them.
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