Drive Sonar
Drive Sonar is a free, open-source desktop disk-usage explorer for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What Drive Sonar is
Drive Sonar is a free, open-source desktop disk-usage explorer for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It maps selected files or folders with a storage treemap, shows which file extensions use the most space, and plots file size against age. Windows uses a native fast scanning path, while macOS and Linux use a multithreaded fallback. Results let you open files or folders in the operating system's file manager or move items to system trash. Trash actions require confirmation and include background safety checks. You can print scan reports or export them for later reference. The application runs in user mode, and its project says scanning protected disk areas does not require administrator privileges. Listed protections include path canonicalization against relative traversal, a strict Content Security Policy, and safeguards against deleting the system root. The Apache 2.0 project provides installers through GitHub Releases. Windows requires version 10 build 1709 or later; no additional macOS or Linux version requirement is listed. The Windows installer is not yet code-signed and may trigger a SmartScreen warning.
Good
- Treemap and extension-based storage views
- Scatter plot relates file size to age
- Runs without administrator privileges
- Prints and exports scan reports
- Free Apache 2.0 open source
Watch out
- Windows installer is not code-signed
- Windows requires build 1709 or later
- No third-party integrations are listed
Who it suits
It suits users who want a minimal graphical view of disk usage without elevated privileges. It is available across the three major desktop platforms.
Verdict
Drive Sonar provides focused disk analysis with visual maps, file actions, and report export. Its cross-platform installers and user-mode operation suit straightforward storage cleanup, while Windows users should expect a SmartScreen warning.
Plans and prices
From Drive Sonar's own pricing page, checked 12 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Drive Sonar | Free | Open-source desktop disk analyzer · Apache 2.0 |
The facts
Each one read from Drive Sonar's own pages, with the date it was checked.
Where it runs
- Desktop platforms
- windows,macos,linuxchecked 22 Sep 2026
- Windows requirement
- Windows requires version 10 build 1709 (October 2017 Update) or later; the README says macOS and Linux have no additional version requirement.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Windows signing
- The README says the Windows installer is not yet code-signed and may show a SmartScreen warning on first run.checked 12 Oct 2026
What it does
- Downloads
- The project offers prebuilt platform installers through its GitHub Releases page.checked 12 Oct 2026
- File actions
- Users can open files or folders in native file managers or move items to system trash, with confirmation and additional background safety checks for trash actions.checked 12 Oct 2026
- File-type breakdown
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Integrations
- The README describes opening items through native operating system file managers and moving them to the system trash; it does not list third-party integrations.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Intended use
- The maker describes it as a GUI alternative inspired by ncdu for people who want a fast, minimal view of disk usage without needing admin rights.checked 12 Oct 2026
- License
- Drive Sonar is open-source software released under the Apache 2.0 license.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Permissions
- The app runs in user mode and says it does not require administrator or elevated privileges to scan protected disk areas.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Drive Sonar is a desktop disk usage explorer and analyzer for exploring and mapping disk space.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Release formats
- The v0.9.0 release lists Windows EXE and MSI installers, macOS DMG files, and Linux AppImage, DEB, and RPM assets.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Reports
- Users can print a scan report and export it for future reference.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Scanning
- It uses native fast-path scanning on Windows and a multithreaded fallback on other platforms.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Scan scope
- files_folderschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Security
- The project lists path canonicalization against relative traversal, a strict Content Security Policy, and protection against deleting the system root.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Treemap view
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Visualizations
- It provides a storage treemap, a breakdown of top file extensions by storage use, and a scatter plot of file size versus age.checked 12 Oct 2026
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