StrayFiles inspects your npm globals, Homebrew formulae, and macOS app installs — surfacing what's actually on your machine, what's orphaned, and what you can safely tidy up. A focused tool for developers, not a "system optimizer."
Version 1.0.5
Preview
StrayFiles cross-references your installed npm globals, Homebrew formulae, and macOS app bundles against what's actually on disk — surfacing the orphans.
Features
Surface what's installed, identify what's orphaned, decide what to remove.
Inspects your macOS apps, npm global packages, and Homebrew formulae in a single view — orphaned files included.
Cross-references your installed apps, packages, and formulae against what's actually on disk — flagging dependencies and residue that no longer have a parent.
Moves files to Trash instead of deleting — nothing is permanent until you empty the Trash. Calls brew uninstall and npm uninstall -g through their official commands rather than touching files manually.
See exactly how much each orphaned dependency is taking up. Sort by size, age, or source to make informed decisions about what's worth keeping.
Designed for engineers who install and tear down tools constantly. Understands npm, Homebrew, and macOS app bundle conventions — not a "system optimizer" or registry cleaner.
Everything runs locally on your Mac. No accounts, no data collection, no network calls. Your file system stays private.
Trust
StrayFiles is designed with privacy at its core. File scanning should be private — here is our commitment.
No data collection. No network calls. StrayFiles runs entirely on your Mac, scanning your file system locally. Nothing is sent to any server — ever. Your file system inventory stays private.
Pricing
One price. Everything included. No subscription, ever.
7-day money-back guarantee · One-time · No subscription
FAQ
StrayFiles inspects three sources of installed software on a developer's Mac: macOS application bundles, npm globally installed packages, and Homebrew formulae. For apps, it identifies orphaned preferences, caches, containers, and support files in ~/Library left behind after a previous uninstall. For npm, it shows your full global install list with package metadata. For Homebrew, it surfaces formula remnants, old versions, and dependencies that no longer have a parent formula. The point is visibility — you see what's installed across your dev stack in one place.
Yes. StrayFiles is designed conservatively. Files are moved to Trash — nothing is permanently deleted until you empty the Trash yourself. For npm and Homebrew, StrayFiles invokes the official package manager commands (npm uninstall -g, brew uninstall) rather than touching files directly, so the package managers stay consistent with their own state. You always see what was found and what an action will do before anything happens.
No. StrayFiles is a focused developer tool, not a consumer "system optimizer." There are no misleading scans, no scare tactics, no RAM boosters, no subscription, no telemetry. It doesn't claim to "speed up your Mac." What it does is one specific thing well: it audits the three sources of installed software a developer actually deals with — macOS apps, npm globals, and Homebrew formulae — and shows you what's installed and what's orphaned. Removal is optional and only happens when you choose it.
Yes. Homebrew and npm are first-class citizens, not an afterthought. StrayFiles reads your installed Homebrew formulae and npm global packages, compares them against the on-disk state, and flags orphaned dependencies, outdated formula remnants, and globally installed packages you may no longer use. If you install and tear down developer tools frequently, the audit gives you visibility you don't get from the package managers' own CLIs.
No. StrayFiles runs 100% locally on your Mac with zero network calls for scanning or cleanup. It never uploads your file system inventory, installed app list, or any other data to any server. There are no analytics, no telemetry, and no cloud accounts. Your file system is private, and StrayFiles keeps it that way. The only network connection is for optional license activation when you first purchase.
One-time purchase. No subscription. Audit your dev environment today.
Buy Now — $9.99macOS 14 Sonoma or later · 7-day free trial · One-time purchase