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jianyintang/find-disk-killer

A native macOS app that shows which application, files, and disk are behind sustained disk activity, with bounded file tracing on demand.

Open-source alternative to:Activity MonitorDaisyDisk

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What is it?

FindDiskKiller is a macOS app for investigating why a disk stays busy when the process list does not explain it. It ranks applications by CPU, disk I/O, network, and memory trends, then lists the folders and open files each application touches, including recent changes.

When file-level evidence is needed, the app starts an explicit, time-bounded folder or file trace that reports requested reads and writes, rates, and the process sessions behind them. Tracing is user-initiated rather than a permanent background watcher. A Storage Map covers space use across volumes, applications, developer tools, simulators, containers, and AI agent data, and Disks and History link mounted volumes to physical-device activity.

Monitoring and analysis run locally, and the current release sends no process names, file paths, or telemetry. Basic monitoring needs no administrator approval; file tracing may prompt for approval and may require Full Disk Access for protected locations. Requires macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon or Intel.

Key features

  • 01Ranks applications by CPU, disk I/O, network, and memory trends over time.
  • 02Lists folders, writable locations, open files, and recent changes for each app.
  • 03Runs explicit, time-bounded folder or file traces showing read and write rates.
  • 04Maps space usage across volumes, apps, developer tools, containers, and AI agent data.
  • 05Keeps monitoring and analysis on the local Mac with no telemetry in the current release.

Use cases

  • Finding out which app keeps a Mac's disk busy when Activity Monitor shows no clear cause.
  • Checking which folders a process is writing to before cleaning up disk space.
  • Confirming file-level read and write activity during a short, focused investigation.
  • Reviewing how storage is split between developer tools, simulators, and containers.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Download the signed DMG from the official website

  2. 2

    Open the DMG and drag FindDiskKiller into Applications

  3. 3

    Launch FindDiskKiller from Applications

Things to know

  • macOS 14+ only; it is a native macOS app.
  • Building from source requires Xcode 16+ and XcodeGen, and the unsigned build cannot complete privileged file tracing.
  • File tracing may require administrator approval and Full Disk Access for protected locations.

Topics

#macos#disk-monitoring#system-monitor#file-activity#swiftui#disk-io#storage#macos-app#nvme#smart

FAQ

What is find-disk-killer?
A native macOS app that shows which application, files, and disk are behind sustained disk activity, with bounded file tracing on demand. FindDiskKiller is a macOS app for investigating why a disk stays busy when the process list does not explain it. It ranks applications by CPU, disk I/O, network, and memory trends, then lists the folders and open files each application touches, including recent changes.
Is find-disk-killer free to use? What license does it have?
find-disk-killer is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is find-disk-killer still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to find-disk-killer was on Sep 28, 2026.
What can I use find-disk-killer for?
Finding out which app keeps a Mac's disk busy when Activity Monitor shows no clear cause. Checking which folders a process is writing to before cleaning up disk space. Confirming file-level read and write activity during a short, focused investigation. Reviewing how storage is split between developer tools, simulators, and containers.
How do I install find-disk-killer?
Download the signed DMG from the official website Open the DMG and drag FindDiskKiller into Applications Launch FindDiskKiller from Applications
Where can I get find-disk-killer?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/jianyintang/find-disk-killer

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