sparewise

# Sparewise

**See why your Windows drive is full, and free space safely.**

Sparewise finds the space that developer and AI tools quietly fill: package caches, local AI
models, Docker and WSL disks, browser and editor caches, plus ordinary Windows clutter. It tells
you what each item is and whether it comes back by itself. It frees space only when you say so,
and anything it moves can be put back.

**[⬇ Download for Windows](../../releases/latest/download/Sparewise-win-Setup.exe)** · [All downloads](../../releases/latest) · `npx sparewise` · Windows 10 and 11, x64 and ARM · Free

---

## Quick start

| You want | Do this |
|---|---|
| **The app** (recommended) | Download [`Sparewise-win-Setup.exe`](../../releases/latest/download/Sparewise-win-Setup.exe) and run it. It installs for your account only, needs no admin rights, and updates itself. |
| **No install** | Download [`Sparewise-win-x64.zip`](../../releases/latest/download/Sparewise-win-x64.zip) (or [`arm64`](../../releases/latest/download/Sparewise-win-arm64.zip) for ARM laptops), unzip it, and run `Sparewise.App.exe`. |
| **Command line** | `npx sparewise`. Needs [Node.js](https://nodejs.org); see the [npm page](https://www.npmjs.com/package/sparewise). |

**Windows may warn the first time** ("Windows protected your PC") because Sparewise is not
code-signed yet. Choose **More info → Run anyway**. Each release lists SHA-256 checksums,
so you can check that a download is the genuine one.

## What it finds

- **Developer caches:** npm, pnpm, Yarn, pip, uv, conda, Cargo, Go, Gradle, Maven, NuGet and more
- **AI:** Ollama, LM Studio and Hugging Face models one by one, with when each was last loaded; caches of Cursor, Claude, Copilot, Codex and other AI coding tools
- **Containers and virtual disks:** Docker and WSL disks that never shrink by themselves
- **Windows:** temporary files, update leftovers, old installers in Downloads, browser caches, the Recycle Bin, hibernation file
- **Your own files:** large videos, duplicates and folders you have not opened in months. Reported only: Sparewise never removes these by itself.

## How it keeps you safe

- **Scanning changes nothing.**
- **It asks first,** every time.
- **Everything can be put back.** Changes go to the Recycle Bin or an undo window. Sparewise never empties the Recycle Bin and never deletes permanently.
- **Only things that come back by themselves** (caches that rebuild) are offered for clearing, each with a tested safety rule and the evidence behind it.
- **Honest results.** It measures what was actually freed. Files a program has open stay where they are, and it says so.
- **Private.** No account, no telemetry; nothing about your PC is sent anywhere.

## For AI assistants

Sparewise is also an MCP server, so Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code and Codex can ask why
your drive is full, plan a cleanup and, only within limits you set, apply it. They can never
delete anything permanently.

- **In the app:** Settings → *Connect AI assistants*, one click per assistant.
- **From a terminal:**

```
claude mcp add sparewise -- npx -y sparewise mcp
codex mcp add sparewise -- npx -y sparewise mcp
```

## Questions

**Is it free?** Yes, everything is free to use today. Later versions may add paid features; the
version you have keeps the terms it came with (see [LICENSE](LICENSE)).

**Where is the source code?** Sparewise is closed source. The "Source code" links that GitHub
adds to every release contain only this README and the license files, not the program.

**Does it need administrator rights?** No. The few extras that use Windows' own admin tools (the
fast drive map, Disk Cleanup) ask first, and you can say no.

**Something went wrong or looks wrong?** Choose *Report a problem* in the app, or
[open an issue](../../issues/new). Questions and ideas are welcome in [Discussions](../../discussions).

## License

Free to use; proprietary. See [LICENSE](LICENSE) and [third-party notices](THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md).