SiftawaySee why it’s safe to delete.
Then undo it anyway.
Siftaway finds the caches, build output and stale dependencies filling your Mac, and puts the reason next to every path: lockfile intact, branch merged, rebuilt by one command. Nothing is ever deleted. It moves to the Trash, and one click puts it back.
macOS 12.0+ · Apple silicon and Intel · Scanning is free forever · No account · Makes zero network connections
Interface illustration with sample data.
A cleaner you can audit
Most cleaners ask you to trust a number. Siftaway shows its work, so the decision stays with you.
Evidence before deletion
Every row carries a reason a machine can verify: git state, lockfile coverage, the exact command that rebuilds it. If Siftaway can’t produce evidence, the row can’t be selected.
Trash only. Undo anytime.
There is no “delete permanently” button, so there is no way to press it by mistake. Everything goes to the macOS Trash with its original path recorded, and “Undo this cleanup” restores it.
Allowlist, not blocklist
Only paths that one of 73 published rules explicitly allows can be touched. 9 more rules exist purely to say what is never removed: SSH keys, model weights, VM disks, your documents.
What it finds
82 rules, each one verified on real machines and listed on the rules page with its paths, risk and rebuild recipe.
Xcode
DerivedData, archives, device support, simulator caches and runtimes, SwiftPM, CocoaPods.
Node
node_modules per repo, npm, pnpm store, Yarn, Bun, Corepack, Electron and frontend build caches.
Python
pip, uv, Poetry, conda packages, pyenv downloads, linter and type-checker caches.
Rust · Go · JVM
Cargo registry and git checkouts, sccache, Go build and module caches, Gradle, Maven, Android.
Containers
Docker buildx cache, dangling images, Lima and Colima downloads. VM disk images are reported, never touched.
AI coding tools
Old agent versions, temp files and past session logs from Claude Code, Codex and similar tools.
Homebrew
Downloaded bottles and casks, the same files brew cleanup removes.
Everyday junk
App and browser caches, logs, crash reports, used installers in Downloads.
Four tools, one window
Clean
One scan, results pre-selected by recommendation. Untick what you want to keep, review the exact directories in the confirmation, and stop midway if you change your mind.
Project Artifacts
Finds build output inside your git repos and checks each one: uncommitted changes, unpushed commits, stashes, and hand-made files hidden by .gitignore. Stale projects get their own section.
Disk Analysis
A treemap of where the space went, with real on-disk size next to logical size, so sparse files and clones stop lying to you.
Startup Items
Lists launch agents, daemons and login items, and flags the ones pointing at programs that no longer exist. Disabling is reversible; nothing is deleted.
Only freed space is called freed
Moving files to the Trash does not give you space back. Emptying it does. Siftaway keeps those two numbers apart, every time, because reporting pending space as freed is the most common lie in this category.
Siftaway never empties the Trash for you. That stays a decision you make in Finder.
It never phones home
A tool that reads your whole disk should not also talk to a server. Siftaway opens no network connections: no telemetry, no update pings, no license check. Point Little Snitch at it and watch nothing happen.
- Licenses are verified offline with an Ed25519 signature.
- “Check for Updates” opens this website in your browser. The app itself stays offline.
- Diagnostics stay on your Mac, record rule ids instead of paths, and can be viewed or wiped in one click.
- Feedback is sent from your own mail client, so you see exactly what leaves.
How it differs
| Siftaway | Typical Mac cleaner | Shell scripts and rm -rf | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Says why each path is safe | Per row, verifiable | A category name | You are the evidence |
| Checks git state before touching a repo | Merged, pushed, no stray files | Usually “not modified in N days” | If you remember to |
| Reversible | Always: Trash plus original path | Varies | No |
| Finds tools installed in non-default places | Asks env, the tool, then its config | Fixed paths | Whatever the script hard-codes |
| Network connections | None | Telemetry and account checks are common | None |
Free to scan. Pay once if it earns it.
Scanning, evidence, disk analysis, startup items and basic cleanup are free with no time limit. Developer toolchains, AI tools and project artifacts need a license: $39 once, $19 for a year, or $4.99 for a 24-hour pass. No subscription, no auto-renewal.
Questions
Is it really safe to run on a work machine?
Scanning is read-only. Cleanup only moves allowlisted paths to the Trash, re-checks each one right before moving it (same device, same inode, not a symlink, not in use), and refuses anything on the never-touch list no matter what a rule says. The full model is on the safety page.
What happens if I delete something I needed?
Click “Undo this cleanup” on the result card, or use Put Back in the Trash. Until you empty the Trash, everything is still on your disk. Each item also shows its rebuild recipe before you delete it, so you know the cost in advance.
Why does it need Full Disk Access?
macOS hides parts of your home folder from apps without it, so results would be incomplete. Siftaway works without the permission and tells you plainly which locations it could not read.
Is it on the Mac App Store?
No. The App Store sandbox only allows a short list of fixed paths, and finding caches wherever your tools actually put them is the point of this app. Siftaway is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple.
Is this a subscription?
No. Every plan is a one-time payment and nothing renews by itself. Annual simply stops unlocking Pro cleanup after 365 days; everything free stays free. See pricing.