---
title: "Purgeable space · MacMelon"
description: "Purgeable space is capacity macOS may reclaim later. It can make available space and free space look different. A cache clean does not define it."
url: "https://macmelon.com/glossary/purgeable-space"
---

# Purgeable space

Space the system may reclaim, which is not always free for a new file right now.

macOS can mark some data as purgeable: local snapshots and certain caches the system is willing to drop when an app needs room. Storage settings may count that capacity as available while a simpler free-space figure still treats it as used. The two numbers are allowed to disagree.

[Disk Housekeeper](https://macmelon.com/apps/disk-housekeeper) shows a free-space readout in the menu bar. It does not redefine purgeable space, and it does not claim that a Smart Clean purges snapshots. If a clean's [savings history](https://macmelon.com/glossary/savings-history) and the Storage window tell different stories, check the Trash first, then read this term again.

## Apps

[Make room for what matters. Clear clutter with confidence. ### Disk Housekeeper](https://macmelon.com/apps/disk-housekeeper)

## Related guides

[### How to free up disk space on a Mac](https://macmelon.com/guides/how-to-free-up-disk-space-on-a-mac)

## Related use cases

[### Free up space on a MacBook](https://macmelon.com/use-cases/free-up-space-on-a-macbook)[### Read a savings history](https://macmelon.com/use-cases/read-a-savings-history)

## Related terms

[The Storage category macOS uses for files that do not fall into the named buckets. ### System Data](https://macmelon.com/glossary/system-data)[A point-in-time copy of an APFS volume, used by local Time Machine snapshots and some system updates. ### APFS snapshot](https://macmelon.com/glossary/apfs-snapshot)[A readable record of the space Disk Housekeeper saved on your Mac. ### Savings history](https://macmelon.com/glossary/savings-history)