How to free up disk space on a Mac as a developer
Last updated June 14, 2026
On a developer's Mac, most reclaimable space is in four places: dependency folders (node_modules), build caches (Xcode DerivedData, Gradle), container storage (Docker), and AI-tool junk (Claude Code, Ollama, LM Studio, Hugging Face). All are rebuildable and safe to delete with care. Tokki Clean scans all of them, sizes each, and trashes only what you confirm.
Safe to delete
node_modulesRebuildable dependencies — see the node_modules guide.
Xcode DerivedData / Gradle / Homebrew cachesBuild + package caches.
Docker build cache + unused imagesReclaim with prune.
Claude Code / Ollama / LM Studio / Hugging Face cachesAI-tool junk.
Do it in one click
Tokki Clean finds developer disk-space hub for you, sizes it, shows an itemized preview, and sends removals to the Trash — free, native, nothing leaves your Mac.
Download free for macOSApple silicon · macOS 12+ · no account
Frequently asked questions
What takes up the most disk space on a developer's Mac?
Usually node_modules across projects, Docker's disk image, Xcode DerivedData and simulators, and local AI model caches (Ollama, LM Studio, Hugging Face) — each can be many gigabytes.
What's the safest way to free developer disk space?
Target rebuildable artifacts (dependencies, build caches, model caches), preview before deleting, and send removals to the Trash so you can undo. A tool like Tokki Clean does this in one pass.