Dusty for MAC
Free, open-source menu bar cleaner for Mac that frees disk space and memory, shows every path before deleting and lets you undo each clean.
Dusty Overview
Dusty is a menu bar app that frees up disk space and memory on your Mac, and shows you everything before it goes. Its developer describes it as a free, open-source alternative to CleanMyMac. A scan measures every cleanup target and sorts what it finds into three levels: Safe (caches, logs, the Trash and browser caches), Developer (Xcode DerivedData, simulators and package manager caches) and Deep (old installers, Xcode archives, local Time Machine snapshots and the build folders of projects you have not touched in a month). Scanning never deletes anything, and every path and its size are on screen before a clean.
Dusty can only delete from a fixed, readable allowlist of caches and leftovers, so your documents, photos and mail are out of reach. Cleaned items pass through the Trash with an Undo button for a few seconds, and every deletion is written to a log. Version 2.1.0 adds a Memory screen that shows which apps hold your RAM and quits the idle ones the way ⌘Q does, after you confirm, with a Reopen button; it never force quits, never runs purge and never asks for root. Dusty is made by Toprak Yagcioglu, released under the MIT license, signed and notarized by Apple, and needs macOS 13 Ventura or later. It has no account and no telemetry, and the panel speaks English, French, Spanish and Russian.
Key Features
Dusty is a careful cleaner that explains every step.
- Three cleaning levels: Safe, Developer and Deep, from "anytime" to "look first".
- Allowlist only: Deletes come only from known caches and leftovers, never your personal folders.
- Undo: Cleans go through the Trash with an Undo button and a deletion log.
- Developer junk: Xcode DerivedData, simulators and npm, Cargo, pip and other caches.
- Forgotten projects: Finds node_modules and build folders of projects idle for a month.
- Memory screen: Shows memory per app and quits idle apps after you confirm.
- Menu bar: Free space in the menu bar, with an optional RAM percentage.
- Hands-off mode: Background scans, and optional scheduled cleans you switch on yourself.
What’s New in Version 2.1.0
Dusty 2.1.0 frees memory as well as disk space.
- A Memory screen with memory in use, swap, a last-hour graph and memory pressure.
- Each app's total counts all its helper processes.
- Idle big apps are suggested and quit only after a confirmation, with Reopen to bring them back.
- Apps that keep growing are flagged, with a Relaunch button.
- An optional RAM percentage in the menu bar and a notification when memory pressure stays high.
- A Get Memory Usage Shortcuts action and a read-only dusty memory command.
Dusty FAQ
Is Dusty free?
Yes. Dusty is free and open source under the MIT license, with no account and no telemetry.
Which macOS version does Dusty need?
Dusty needs macOS 13 Ventura or later.
Can Dusty delete my documents or photos?
No. Dusty deletes only from a fixed allowlist of caches and leftovers. Documents, Desktop, Pictures, the Photos library, Music, Movies, Mail, iCloud Drive and Keychains are off limits.
Can I undo a clean in Dusty?
Yes. Cleaned items go to the Trash first, and an Undo button (or ⌘Z) puts them back for a few seconds after the clean. Every action is also written to a deletion log.
What are the three cleaning levels?
Safe covers caches, logs, the Trash and browser caches. Developer covers Xcode DerivedData, simulators and package manager caches. Deep covers old installers, Xcode archives, local Time Machine snapshots and other items that are only cleaned when you tick them.
How does Dusty free memory?
Its Memory screen shows how much memory each app uses and suggests big apps you have not used for an hour. After you confirm, it quits them the way ⌘Q does, so apps with unsaved work ask first, and Reopen brings them back.
Does Dusty need an administrator password?
No. Dusty never runs as root or uses sudo, and it never runs the purge command.
Does Dusty clean automatically?
Only if you want it to. A background scan keeps the "to clean" figure current but never deletes anything. Auto clean is off by default and can run on a schedule or when free space gets low.
Can I install Dusty with Homebrew?
Yes, from the developer's own tap: brew install --cask yagcioglutoprak/tap/dusty.
Where does the Dusty download on dusty.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official Dusty releases on GitHub at https://github.com/yagcioglutoprak/dusty/releases/latest. dusty.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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FULLMAC.app does not host this app. Download buttons lead to the developer’s own pages.