App removers
Destructive cleanup
Removing an app frees space by deleting it. Deep cleaning can also remove its related data. The space stays free, but what you wanted to keep may be gone.
What you getSpace at the cost of the app
For Mac users who keep useful apps
Keep useful apps. Reclaim their space.
Reclaim space without rewriting an app's code or resources. Use transparent, lossless compression, archive an app where it already lives, or save a backup for later.
Available nowmacOS 12 or laterWorks offline
Why I built App Archiver
I wanted my apps to take less space, not disappear.
I often run out of disk space because I like downloading useful Mac apps and keeping them for later.
Deleting an app removes it from sight. Turning it into a file and putting it somewhere else makes it easy to forget. Many cleaner tools focus on caches that apps simply create again.
So I built the kind of space saver I wanted. App Archiver can reduce the app itself while leaving a lightweight version in the same place. When I need the app again, I double-click it and restoration begins.
Ighor July, developer of App Archiver
A better way to make room
Keep what matters. Save space that stays saved.
Most cleaning tools either remove things you may still want or clear files that grow back. App Archiver creates lasting savings without taking your apps or their data away.
Cache cleaners
Temporary cleanup
Clearing caches makes room for the moment. As you continue using your apps, many of those files are created again and the reclaimed space fills back up.
What you getSpace that apps take back
App Archiver
True space savings
Archive the app itself while leaving it where you expect to find it. Your documents and app data stay untouched, and the saved space stays saved until you choose to restore the app.
What you getLasting space without losing data
Your apps stay yours. Your free space should too.
A real-world result
What lasting savings look like.
In this test, App Archiver reduced Android Studio itself rather than clearing temporary files that would grow back.
Starting size3.48 GB
Optimized and runnable
1.76GB
1.72 GB reclaimed49.4% reduction
- Afterward
- Ready to open
Archived in place
1.53GB
1.95 GB reclaimed56.0% reduction
- Afterward
- Double-click to restore
Standalone DMG backup
1.31GB
2.17 GB smaller62.4% reduction
- Afterward
- Portable app backup
Results vary by app and Mac. Percentages are calculated from the rounded sizes shown above.
Storage at a glance
See every gigabyte you get back
Review disk use, reclaimed space, and the apps most worth shrinking before you change anything.
Three ways to save
Choose what fits each app
App Archiver estimates the result first. Pick the balance you want between immediate access and maximum space savings.
Archive in place
Archive a rarely used app in place. It stays visible in Applications, Spotlight, Raycast, Alfred, and other app launchers. Double-click it to restore the full app.
Best for the largest savingsOptimize and keep using
Apply transparent, lossless compression without rewriting the app's code or resources. It stays ready to open and update as usual.
Best for regular useCreate a backup
Save a ZIP or DMG copy in a folder or external drive you choose. Keep the installed app, or remove it after the backup is ready.
Best for portable copiesFind the right apps
Start where the savings matter
Compare current size, recent use, and estimated archive savings. Filter large apps from 200 MB to 5 GB and above, then search or sort before choosing an action.
- Best Opportunities highlights up to ten strong candidates
- Running, archived, and system apps are kept out of recommendations
- Reveal any app in Finder before deciding
Keep apps runnable
Use less space without archiving
Optimization uses transparent, lossless filesystem compression. macOS reads the original bytes, so the app stays where it is, opens normally, and remains ready for updates.
What to expect
Results vary by app. If compression produces no useful savings, App Archiver leaves the app as it is.
Ready when needed
Every archived version stays within reach
Your archived app remains where you expect to find it and stays visible in Spotlight, Raycast, Alfred, and other launchers. Double-click it to begin restoration, or keep multiple ZIP and DMG backups on local and removable storage.
Restore where you want
Bring a ZIP or DMG backup back to its original location, or choose another folder when you restore it.
Reconnect removable storage
Disconnected locations stay remembered. Reconnect the drive or choose its folder again when you want to restore.
Portable copies
Choose ZIP or DMG
Choose the format and storage location that fit your setup. Keep copies on your Mac or move them to an external drive for later.
One clear library
See every app and every state
Browse installed, optimized, archived, running, and backed-up apps together. Search, filter, sort, and rescan when your Applications folders change.
You stay in control
Know what you will get before you choose.
See the expected savings, choose what should happen to each app, and keep everything organized in one clear library.
See savings first
Compare app size and estimated savings before deciding what to change.
Keep using an app
Optimize apps you still use so they stay installed and open normally.
Leave the icon visible
Archive in place so the app remains easy to find in Applications.
Double-click to restore
Bring an archived app back from the same icon when you need it again.
Choose backup storage
Keep ZIP or DMG copies in any local folder or external drive you choose.
Keep signed contents intact
App code and resources are not rewritten or repacked, preserving their signatures, integrity, and code-signing security.
More by Ighor July
Small utilities for real Mac problems
App Archiver is part of a growing collection of focused Mac tools built to solve practical problems with clear controls.
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Your apps stay on your Mac
Everything App Archiver does happens on your Mac. It has no account, analytics, or tracking, and it does not send your files anywhere.
App Archiver for macOS
Make room without making apps disappear.
App Archiver is now available on the Mac App Store. Make room without leaving useful apps behind.