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SquirrelDisk is an open-source disk space analyzer that helps you quickly identify what’s consuming your hard drive space. Built with Rust and Tauri, it combines high performance with an intuitive visual interface to make disk cleanup effortless.

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What is SquirrelDisk?

SquirrelDisk scans your disks and directories, then presents the results in an interactive sunburst chart that makes it easy to understand your disk usage at a glance. You can drill down into folders, identify large files, and delete unwanted content directly from the interface. Unlike traditional file explorers that show simple lists, SquirrelDisk’s visual approach lets you instantly see which folders are taking up the most space. The larger the arc in the sunburst chart, the more space that folder or file is using.

Fast scanning

Powered by Rust and the parallel-disk-usage library for lightning-fast directory traversal

Visual interface

Interactive sunburst chart built with D3.js shows disk usage proportionally

Drag and drop deletion

Drag files and folders to a deletion zone, then remove them all at once

Cross-platform

Native apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux built with Tauri

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Key features

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Fast and deep scanning

SquirrelDisk uses Rust’s parallel-disk-usage library to scan directories in parallel, making it significantly faster than traditional file explorers. It can handle deep directory structures and large file systems efficiently. The scanning engine provides real-time progress updates, showing you how many files have been scanned and the total size discovered. You can scan an entire disk or choose a specific directory to analyze.

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Interactive sunburst visualization

The sunburst chart displays your disk usage as concentric rings, where:
  • Each ring represents a directory level
  • Arc size indicates the relative size of folders and files
  • Colors differentiate between top-level directories
  • Click any arc to zoom in and explore that directory
  • Click the center to zoom back to the parent directory
Hovering over any arc shows you the full path and exact size in gigabytes.

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Drag and drop deletion

Instead of deleting files one by one, you can:
  1. Drag files and folders from the sidebar to the deletion zone
  2. Review your selection and add more items if needed
  3. Delete everything at once with a single click
  4. Watch the sunburst chart update in real-time as files are removed
The deletion zone shows how many items you’ve selected and lets you clear the selection if you change your mind.

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External disk detection

SquirrelDisk automatically detects all connected drives, including:
  • Internal hard drives and SSDs
  • External USB drives
  • Network-mounted volumes
  • Removable media
You can switch between disks without restarting the application.

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File explorer integration

Right-click any file or folder to open it in your system’s file explorer:
  • Windows: Opens File Explorer with the item selected
  • macOS: Opens Finder with the item selected
  • Linux: Opens your default file manager

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Auto-updater

SquirrelDisk includes an auto-updater that checks for new versions when you launch the app. When an update is available, you’ll see a dialog with release notes and the option to install it. The updater only runs on app launch—no notification spamming or background checks while you’re working.

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Why SquirrelDisk?

SquirrelDisk is designed to be the easiest disk analyzer you’ll ever use. Whether you’re running out of space or just want to clean up old files, SquirrelDisk makes the process fast and intuitive.

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Comparison to alternatives

SquirrelDisk is an open-source alternative to popular disk analyzers:

WinDirStat

Windows-only, uses treemap visualization. SquirrelDisk offers a more modern sunburst chart and works across all platforms.

WizTree

Fast Windows analyzer. SquirrelDisk matches the speed with Rust while being cross-platform and open source.

TreeSize

Commercial Windows software. SquirrelDisk is free, open source, and available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

DaisyDisk

Beautiful macOS analyzer. SquirrelDisk brings similar visual appeal to all platforms at no cost.

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Technology stack

SquirrelDisk leverages modern technologies for performance and cross-platform compatibility:
  • Rust: Core scanning logic and Tauri backend for native performance
  • Tauri: Cross-platform desktop framework with minimal bundle size
  • React: UI framework for the frontend interface
  • D3.js: Data visualization library for the interactive sunburst chart
  • TypeScript: Type-safe frontend development
  • Vite: Fast build tool and development server
  • Tailwind CSS: Utility-first styling framework
The combination of Rust for the backend and React for the frontend delivers both speed and a responsive user experience.

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Current status

SquirrelDisk is currently in alpha status. While it’s fully functional, you may encounter bugs. Please report any issues on the GitHub issue tracker.
The project is actively maintained and welcomes contributions. Join the Discord community to discuss features, report bugs, or contribute to development.

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Next steps

Quickstart

Download and install SquirrelDisk on your platform

GitHub

View the source code and contribute to the project

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