Drive Atlas vs eDirStat

Drive Atlas catalogs drives so users can search for files even when the drive containing them is unplugged. Search by file name, project, or date range, then see which drive holds a file and where that drive is located. A treemap shows drive contents, including offline drives. The app can find files that exist in only one place, verify backup copies by hashing both sides, and check duplicate groups byte for byte before moving selected copies to the Recycle Bin. Drive health tools benchmark drives over time and can list unique files on a failing drive for evacuation. It also analyzes numbered image sequences for timelapse interval and steadiness, and creates printable QR labels with drive summaries. The maker says the app makes zero network connections and does not interpret image content or use AI. Drive Atlas runs on Windows and Linux. The free plan covers the first two drives and includes all features, with no card or timer; the one-time license is 20.00 USD for all drives.

eDirStat is a cross-platform disk usage analyzer that scans files and folders and visualizes storage use. Its interactive treemap supports breadcrumb navigation and subfolder zooming, while charts group results by file type and duplicates. The directory walker distributes directory branches across CPU cores. Duplicate identification uses a seven-stage process that includes file size, partial hashes, multi-range sampling, full BLAKE3 hashing, and timestamp checks. After reviewing results, users can batch trash or permanently delete files, or replace duplicates with hardlinks. Scans can include external drives and mounted SMB/NFS shares, and directory states can be saved as compressed .edst snapshots for inspection in a browser-based WebAssembly viewer. The maker says the app runs offline without telemetry, analytics, network beacons, or crash-reporting SDKs, and that file changes require manual review and confirmation. It is open source under the MIT license. Windows, macOS, and Linux downloads are listed; the itch.io download costs 4.99 USD once and includes lifetime updates and unlimited personal and corporate devices. The Mac App Store edition requires macOS 12.0 or later and Apple M1 or later.