Kitsmith / Utilities / GrandPerspective
GrandPerspective
Free (or $2.99 via Mac App Store — same app) · Open source
Price checked at source August 30, 2026.
A free, open-source disk-usage visualizer using tree maps — 20+ years running from a single developer — also on the Mac App Store for $2.99.
Our take
Scans a disk and draws every file as a rectangle sized to match its footprint, grouped by folder, so oversized files and forgotten folders are visually obvious rather than buried in a Finder list. Built and still actively maintained by a single developer, Erwin Bonsma, since 2005 (its first release turned 20 years old in September 2025) — free and open source (GPL) via SourceForge, or $2.99 via the Mac App Store, explicitly the same app either way, with the App Store fee going toward covering Apple’s developer program cost. Extensively covered over two decades by outlets from Ars Technica and Lifehacker to TidBITS and 9to5Mac.
- Price
- Free (or $2.99 via Mac App Store — same app)
- License
- Open source
- Requires
- The current release (3.8.0) needs macOS 14 or later, Apple Silicon or Intel; older releases are maintained for macOS versions back to 10.5.
- Get it via
- Homebrew · Direct · Mac App Store
- Developer
- Erwin Bonsma
Do you use GrandPerspective?
Who made this
GrandPerspective’s own site tells its origin in his own words: "it started purely as a fun coding exercise when I got my first Mac Mini." The site is copyright-signed "Erwin Bonsma" and links to his personal site, which shows a wider creative streak — optical-illusion art and puzzle games — alongside 20+ years of maintaining this one utility.
What it does
Tree-map visualization
Every file drawn as a rectangle sized to its disk footprint, grouped by folder.
Deep filtering
Filter or mask files by name, path, size, type, or hard-link/package status; save filters for reuse.
Time Machine and cloud-aware
Understands hard-linked Time Machine backups and remote cloud files.
The deal
- Free and open source (GNU General Public License) via SourceForge
- $2.99 via the Mac App Store — the developer states it’s the same app either way, priced to cover Apple developer-program costs
GrandPerspective — questions people ask
Is GrandPerspective free?
Yes, free and open source via SourceForge. A $2.99 Mac App Store copy is the same app — the fee covers Apple developer-program costs, per the developer.
Who makes GrandPerspective?
Erwin Bonsma, an independent developer, who has maintained it since 2005.
Is GrandPerspective still updated?
Yes — actively maintained, with a release (3.8.0) as recently as August 2026, per its own changelog.
Is GrandPerspective free?
Yes — GrandPerspective is free.
Does GrandPerspective work alongside a notch app like Alcove?
Yes — GrandPerspective lives in the screen, so it runs happily alongside any Dynamic Island hub or notch app.
Where can I download GrandPerspective?
GrandPerspective is available via Homebrew, Direct, Mac App Store.
Is GrandPerspective open source?
Yes — GrandPerspective is open source.
Reviews
No public ratings yet. Reader reviews are coming to Kitsmith soon.
Listing hand-verified August 30, 2026 from the developer's site and public sources.
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