Side by side
dust vs QDirStat
Both stand on disk space analyzers. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Open source LinuxMacWindows
Choose dust if you want a free command-line view of disk usage with filtering, file-type grouping, and support for three desktop operating systems. The Snap package is limited to files in /home, so users who need to scan elsewhere should use another listed installation route.
Visit dust Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted
QDirStat offers detailed disk-use views and configurable cleanup without a listed price. Its platform coverage is strongest for Linux, BSD, and Unix-like X11 desktops; Windows has no native version.
Visit QDirStatThe facts
| dust | QDirStat | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | QDirStat |
| Website | github.com | github.com |
| On disk space analyzers | #2 of 105 | #6 of 105 |
dust: what it does well
- Shows large files and subdirectories in a usage tree.
- Filters files with regular expressions or a minimum size.
- Groups results by file type.
- Screen-reader option adds a depth-level column.
- Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
What to know first
- Snap installation can access only files in /home.
- It is a command-line tool.
QDirStat: what it does well
- Shows disk use in a tree and colored treemap.
- Includes file-type, size, and age views.
- Cleanup actions include trashing or deleting items.
- Packages view supports dpkg, rpm, or pacman.
- Free software under GPL V2.
What to know first
- There is no native Windows version.
- macOS binaries and Homebrew distribution are third-party.
- Cached server data cleanup runs on the desktop.
- Cache files may expose directory contents.
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