# MoreRoom vs GrandPerspective

> MoreRoom vs GrandPerspective in October 2026: a free open-source treemap vs a storage manager with explanations. Price, macOS support and deletion.

- URL: https://moreroom.app/compare/moreroom-vs-grandperspective
- Published: 2026-10-17
- Updated: 2026-10-17
- Publisher: MoreRoom (Yando Pte. Ltd.) — https://moreroom.app

## Short answer

Choose GrandPerspective if you want a free, open-source treemap that shows exactly where space goes and leaves every decision to you. Choose MoreRoom if you also want folders recognised and explained, System Data broken down, and guided cleanup.

## TL;DR

- GrandPerspective is a free, open-source disk usage visualiser released under the GNU General Public License.
- As of October 2026, GrandPerspective is also sold on the Mac App Store for $2.99 as the same app.
- Both apps show a treemap; MoreRoom adds rings and list views, 249 rules with safety badges and a System Data breakdown.
- GrandPerspective moves deleted items to the Trash, and deletion can be switched off in its preferences.
- GrandPerspective requires macOS 14; MoreRoom requires macOS 15 Sequoia.

## Comparison table

|   | MoreRoom | GrandPerspective |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free; Pro $19.99/year or $39.99 once | Free (SourceForge); $2.99 on the Mac App Store |
| Licence | Free version plus paid Pro licence | Open source (GNU GPL) |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 15 Sequoia | macOS 14 |
| Where to get it | Direct download (signed and notarized) | SourceForge and Mac App Store |
| Visualisation | Treemap, rings and list views | Treemap with several colour schemes |
| Save and export scans | Not part of MoreRoom's feature list | Yes: save, reload, export as image or text |
| Filters | Not part of MoreRoom's feature list | Name search and advanced filters |
| Known-folder explanations | 249 rules with “Safe to remove” / “Review first” badges | No |
| System Data breakdown | Yes | Not a stated feature |
| Cleanup tools | Uninstaller, Keep in the Cloud, Ghost space; Collector and Goal mode in Pro | Delete from the view |
| How files are removed | Trash first, with Undo; official tool commands are labelled permanent | Moved to the Trash; deletion can be disabled or limited in Preferences |

GrandPerspective is a free, open-source treemap viewer for the Mac. If you want to see exactly where your space goes and decide everything yourself, it does that job well and costs nothing. MoreRoom also draws a treemap, but its focus is what comes next: recognising what a folder is, saying whether it is safe to remove, and helping you get the space back through the Trash, with Undo.

## What each app is

**GrandPerspective**, by Erwin Bonsma, visualises disk usage as a treemap: each file is a rectangle whose area matches its size. As of October 2026 (version 3.8.1), its website lists several colour schemes and palettes, keyboard and mouse navigation, opening, revealing, previewing and deleting items, name search and advanced filters, support for hard-linked files such as Time Machine backups and for cloud files, saving and reloading scans, exporting results as an image or text, and background scanning. It is open source under the GNU General Public License, free from SourceForge, and also sold on the Mac App Store for $2.99. It requires macOS 14 or higher, on Apple silicon or Intel.

**MoreRoom**, by Yando Pte. Ltd., is a native macOS storage manager for macOS 15 Sequoia or later. It shows your disk as a treemap, rings or list, explains System Data (local snapshots, swap and sleep image, Preboot and Recovery, and what macOS will purge on its own), and recognises 249 known space hogs with “Safe to remove” or “Review first” badges.

## Where GrandPerspective is better

- **It is free and open source.** You can read the code, build it yourself, and use it without paying. The App Store version is optional.
- **Flexible views.** Colour schemes, filters and name search let you slice a scan in ways MoreRoom does not offer.
- **Saving and exporting scans.** You can save a scan, reload it later, or export it as an image or text — useful for comparing over time or documenting a shared Mac. Scan export is not part of MoreRoom's feature list.
- **Hard links handled carefully.** Its documentation explains how hard-linked files, as in Time Machine backups, are counted, and why deleting one link does not free space.
- **Lightweight and focused.** It does one thing and stays out of the way.
- **Runs on macOS 14.** That is one version older than MoreRoom supports.

## Where MoreRoom is better

- **It explains what you are looking at.** A treemap shows that `~/Library/Developer` is large; MoreRoom tells you which parts are rebuildable build data, which are old device support files and which are archives you may want to keep. The same explanations are on the web in the [folder directory](https://moreroom.app/folders), for example [Xcode DerivedData](https://moreroom.app/folders/xcode-deriveddata) or [Simulator caches](https://moreroom.app/folders/simulator-caches).
- **System Data, explained.** GrandPerspective shows files it can see. MoreRoom breaks down the System Data figure in Storage settings and explains why Finder and `df` disagree. See [What is System Data on a Mac?](https://moreroom.app/learn/what-is-system-data-mac)
- **Guided cleanup.** Removing items one at a time is free. Pro adds a Collector to clean up in one go, Goal mode (“I need 40 GB” builds the safest selection, previewed first) and Project hibernation for rebuildable folders like `node_modules`.
- **Official commands where they exist.** For Homebrew, Docker, simulators, npm and other tools, MoreRoom uses the tool's own command — for example `brew cleanup --prune=all` or `xcrun simctl delete` — and labels those steps as permanent. Everything else goes to the Trash first, with Undo.
- **More than a map.** Storage Weather (30-day history and a forecast), optional low-space alerts, a desktop widget, Ghost space, Keep in the Cloud, an app uninstaller that finds leftovers, and a “Ready for the next macOS update?” gauge are all in the free version.

## Which should you choose?

### Choose GrandPerspective if…

- you want a free, open-source tool;
- you are comfortable deciding what is safe to delete;
- you want to save, compare or export scans;
- your Mac runs macOS 14 Sonoma.

### Choose MoreRoom if…

- you want each large folder recognised and explained before you act;
- System Data or developer and AI tools are what fill your disk;
- you want help freeing a specific amount of space safely.

### Using both

Nothing stops you from using GrandPerspective for its views and exports and MoreRoom for explanations and cleanup. Whatever you use, check our guide on [how much free space a Mac needs](https://moreroom.app/learn/how-much-free-space-mac-needs) before deciding how much to remove.

For more options, see [Best Mac storage cleaners in 2026](https://moreroom.app/compare/best-mac-storage-cleaners).

## FAQ

### Is GrandPerspective free?

Yes. It is free to download from SourceForge and released as open source under the GNU General Public License. As of October 2026, the same app is also on the Mac App Store for $2.99, which is a way to support the developer and get App Store updates.

### Does GrandPerspective delete files permanently?

No. According to its documentation, deleting moves items to the Trash. Its preferences let you disable deletion, allow single files only, or allow whole folders, with or without confirmation.

### What does MoreRoom add over a treemap?

MoreRoom recognises 249 known space hogs and says what each is, whether it is safe to remove and whether it comes back. It also explains System Data, tracks free space over time, finds Ghost space and can uninstall apps with their leftovers.

### Which works on older macOS?

GrandPerspective 3.8.1 requires macOS 14 or higher, and MoreRoom requires macOS 15 Sequoia or later.

## Sources

- [GrandPerspective website (Erwin Bonsma)](https://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net/) (accessed 2026-10-17)
- [GrandPerspective help: User preferences](https://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net/HelpDocumentation/Preferences.html) (accessed 2026-10-17)
- [GrandPerspective on the Mac App Store (US)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/grandperspective/id1111570163?mt=12) (accessed 2026-10-17)