The Hugging Face cache is eating disk space on your Mac — how to clear it

Last updated June 14, 2026

The Hugging Face Hub caches downloaded models and datasets in ~/.cache/huggingface/hub (overridable with HF_HOME), which can silently reach tens of gigabytes. It's safe to clear — files re-download on demand. Use `huggingface-cli delete-cache` for a guided cleanup, or let Tokki Clean size and trash it.

Size it and prune interactively

The CLI shows revisions by size and lets you select what to drop:

Guided cleanup

Safe to delete

~/.cache/huggingface/hub

Cached models/datasets — re-downloaded automatically when next needed.

Do it in one click

Tokki Clean finds hugging face cache for you, sizes it, shows an itemized preview, and sends removals to the Trash — free, native, nothing leaves your Mac.

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Frequently asked questions

Where is the Hugging Face cache on a Mac?

In ~/.cache/huggingface/hub by default, or wherever HF_HOME points. It holds downloaded models and datasets.

Is it safe to delete the Hugging Face cache?

Yes. Anything you delete is re-downloaded the next time a library needs it.

More cleanup guides

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