Freedom251 › Disk Space Analyzers
dua
What dua is
dua, or Disk Usage Analyzer, is a free MIT-licensed command-line tool for examining directory disk usage and removing unwanted data. Directory scans run in parallel by default. Interactive mode lets you browse files and folders, mark items for deletion, and pass through multiple stages intended to reduce accidental removal. The clean command identifies disposable directories such as Node dependencies, Python caches and virtual environments, Cargo build output, and Zig caches, then lists candidates without deleting them automatically. Aggregate mode can print directory trees, while stacks and flamegraph commands produce data for disk-usage flame graphs. Gitignore-style patterns can be supplied in aggregate and interactive modes. On macOS, an optional traversal mode counts fully shared APFS clones once, with extra metadata collection. Installation is documented through Homebrew, MacPorts, Scoop, WinGet, Cargo, and Linux or BSD package managers. The interface supports five locales.
Who it suits
dua suits users on Linux, macOS, or Windows who prefer command-line disk analysis and cleanup. It is useful when parallel scans, selective deletion, or flame-graph data are needed.
What it does well
- Free MIT-licensed tool
- Parallel directory scans by default
- Interactive deletion safeguards
- Finds disposable development directories
- Supports Linux, macOS, and Windows
What to know first
- No treemap view
- No file-type breakdown
- Interactive mode uses about 60 MB per million entries
- Windows Cargo installation requires nightly Rust features
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| dua-cli | MIT-licensed command-line tool · no paid plans listed | Free |
As github.com lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
dua offers command-line scanning, cleanup discovery, and report-oriented output without a paid plan. Its text-based workflow and documented entry limits are important considerations before use.
Facts from dua's own pages
- APFS support
- On macOS, an opt-in traversal option counts fully shared APFS file clones only once, with a performance cost for collecting extra metadata. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Application sizes
- No · github.com, 23 Sept 2026
- Cleanup discovery
- The clean command finds disposable directories such as Node dependencies, Python caches and virtual environments, Cargo build output, and Zig caches. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Deletion safety
- The clean command lists candidates without deleting them automatically, and the interactive mode uses a multi-stage process intended to prevent accidental deletion. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Exportable reports
- Yes · github.com, 23 Sept 2026
- File-type breakdown
- No · github.com, 23 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · github.com, 23 Sept 2026
- Ignore patterns
- The --ignore-from option accepts gitignore-style patterns in aggregate and interactive modes. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The project documents installation through Homebrew, MacPorts, Scoop, WinGet, Cargo, and several Linux or BSD package managers. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Interactive mode
- The interactive mode lets users explore files and directories and mark them for deletion. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository identifies its license as MIT. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Limitations
- Interactive mode uses about 60 MB of memory per million entries and is limited to fewer than 2^32 entries. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Localization
- The interactive interface supports English, German, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese locales. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Parallel scans
- Directory scanning is parallel by default and aims to use the SSD’s available throughput. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Platform caveat
- The README says Windows installation through Cargo currently requires nightly Rust features. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Desktop platforms
- macOS,Linux,Windows · github.com, 23 Sept 2026
- Purpose
- dua (Disk Usage Analyzer) reports disk-space usage for a directory and can delete unwanted data. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Reports
- Aggregate mode can print a directory tree, and stacks or flamegraph commands can produce data for disk-usage flame graphs. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Scan scope
- files_folders · github.com, 23 Sept 2026
- Supply-chain verification
- Release archives include build provenance attestations that users can verify with GitHub CLI. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Treemap view
- No · github.com, 23 Sept 2026
Where dua stands on Freedom251
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