Disk Inventory X on Apple silicon: Rosetta, forks and native alternatives
Disk Inventory X was the Mac's WinDirStat: a treemap, a folder tree and a list of file kinds, linked together, free. It has not had a release since December 2019, its site offers no Apple silicon build, and the translation layer it depends on is on its way out for apps. Here is where it stands, what the community forks are, and what to use instead.
Key takeaways
- Disk Inventory X 1.3 (December 2019) is Intel-only and not notarized. Its site offers no Apple silicon version.
- On Apple silicon it needs Rosetta, which Apple says is available through macOS 27 and limited to certain older games from macOS 28.
- Homebrew disabled its cask on 1 September 2026 because it fails Gatekeeper.
- Community forks exist with Apple silicon builds; they are unofficial.
- Native alternatives: QDirStat for the same layout, GrandPerspective for a free treemap, Strata for a treemap with cleanup.
Written by the maker of Strata, one of the alternatives below. Facts come from derlien.com, its GitLab repository, Homebrew and Apple's own pages, checked on 27 September 2026.
Where Disk Inventory X stands
Tjark Derlien's app shows a folder tree, a treemap and a list of file kinds side by side, all linked: select a file in the map and the tree and the kind list show where it is and what it is. Its author credits KDirStat for the layout and WinDirStat for the idea. It is free, under the GPL. WinDirStat itself never ran on Mac OS X; the guide to WinDirStat for Mac maps each of its views to a Mac tool.
- Last release: 1.3, on 8 December 2019. Its home page lists macOS 10.13 to 10.15.
- Intel only: the 1.2 release notes say "Disk Inventory X is now 64 Bit (Intel only ;-)".
- Not notarized: the 1.3 notes say macOS will complain on first launch, and to use the Open command.
- Source: the last change in its official repository is from March 2022, preparing macOS 12 compatibility and notarization for a 1.4 that was never published on the site.
- Homebrew: its cask was disabled on 1 September 2026 because it fails Gatekeeper's check.
Rosetta, and why the clock is running
An Intel-only app runs on an Apple silicon Mac through Rosetta, which translates it. Apple's support page is specific about how long that lasts: Rosetta works on every Apple silicon Mac up to macOS 27, and from macOS 28 it stays only for some older games built on Intel frameworks.
So today, on macOS 27, Disk Inventory X still runs under Rosetta once you allow it past Gatekeeper. Once your Mac moves to macOS 28, it will not run on Apple silicon at all. If it is part of how you look after your Mac, now is the time to pick a replacement.
Allowing an unnotarized app is a real decision. Gatekeeper's warning exists because macOS cannot check where the app came from. Download Disk Inventory X only from derlien.com, and only if you are comfortable with that.
The forks with Apple silicon builds
Because Disk Inventory X is open source, several people have published builds of it, or rewrites inspired by it, for Apple silicon. None comes from its author. As of 27 September 2026, from each project's own page:
| Project | What it is | Build | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disk Inventory Xs | The original code brought forward | Apple silicon only; notarized | v1.2.1, 27 May 2026 |
| Disk Inventory X-Ray | A SwiftUI rewrite, from the fork above | macOS 14 or later; notarized | v2.1.0, 2 Sep 2026 |
| DiskInventoryY | A rewrite in Swift | Universal; notarized from v1.2.1 | v1.2.1, 11 Jul 2026 |
These are small projects, some with a handful of stars and a few weeks of history. A notarized build tells you Apple scanned it for known malware and knows who signed it; it does not tell you the code is well tested. Other forks exist that are not signed at all; we would not run those.
Native alternatives
QDirStat: the same three views
If what you liked was the tree, the treemap and the file types together, QDirStat is the
closest. It comes from Stefan Hundhammer, the author of KDirStat, the program Disk Inventory X's
layout came from. Its notarized, universal Mac builds are made by a contributor with the
author's approval, need macOS 13, and install with brew install --cask qdirstat. Free and
open source. It has Move to Trash, and a separate cleanup that deletes permanently.
GrandPerspective: a free native treemap
GrandPerspective is maintained, universal and free (or $2.99 on the Mac App Store). It is only a treemap, without the tree or the kind list, and a file's name shows only when you point at it. Version 3.8 and later need macOS 14. GrandPerspective and its alternatives has more.
Strata: a treemap, a list and file types, with cleanup
Strata is ours. Its Space Map shows any folder as a treemap (Detailed Map), a sortable list, columns or labelled cards, and can group it by kind of file. It is native on Apple silicon and Intel, needs macOS 13, and adds what Disk Inventory X never had: an uninstaller that finds leftovers, and junk and duplicate cleanup, with everything it removes going to the Trash. The scan and every map view are free; removing things is $9.99 once.
Side by side
| Tool | Apple silicon | Views | Price | Needs | Deleting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disk Inventory X 1.3 | Rosetta only | Tree, treemap, kinds | Free | Listed for 10.13 to 10.15 | Trash |
| QDirStat | Native | Tree, treemap, file types | Free | macOS 13 | Trash, or permanent |
| GrandPerspective | Native | Treemap | Free, or $2.99 | macOS 14 | Trash, off by default |
| Strata | Native | Treemap, list, columns, cards, types | Free to scan; $9.99 once to remove | macOS 13 | Trash only |
Frequently asked questions
Does Disk Inventory X work on Apple silicon?
Only through Rosetta. Its last release, 1.3 from December 2019, is Intel-only and not notarized. Apple says Rosetta is available through macOS 27; from macOS 28 it will remain only for certain older games, so Intel-only apps like this one stop running on Apple silicon Macs.
Is there a native Apple silicon version of Disk Inventory X?
Not on its official site. Several unofficial forks on GitHub publish Apple silicon builds, some notarized and some not. They are small projects by third parties, so check who publishes one before you run it.
What is the best alternative to Disk Inventory X?
For the same tree, treemap and file-kind layout, QDirStat, which is free with notarized universal Mac builds. For a free native treemap, GrandPerspective on macOS 14 or later. Strata offers a treemap, list and file-type view with cleanup tools.
Why did Homebrew disable Disk Inventory X?
Homebrew's cask was disabled on 1 September 2026 because the app fails macOS's Gatekeeper check: it is not signed and notarized.
Replace it before macOS 28
Strata maps any drive as a treemap, a list or cards, natively on Apple silicon, and the scan and map are free forever. Every download starts with 14 days of Strata Pro.
