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Tidemark

vsComparison

Tidemark vs Windows Storage settings

Windows already has Storage Sense, Cleanup recommendations and the older Disk Cleanup. Use them first: they are free and safe. Tidemark starts where they stop, showing which folders and apps actually hold your space and what has been growing, and it uses the same Microsoft tools for Windows’ own space.

Written by the makers of Tidemark. Windows Storage settings’s details come from its own published pages, checked on 13 October 2026; see the sources below and check Windows Storage settings’s site for the latest.

a

What Windows Storage settings does well

  • Built in, free and safe
  • Clears temp files automatically when space runs low
  • Empties the Recycle Bin and Downloads on a schedule you choose
  • A rough “System & reserved” breakdown

b

What Tidemark adds

  • A full map of every folder, not fixed categories
  • Each app’s real footprint, including its AppData
  • What grew between scans, and when the drive will fill
  • Developer folders, AI models and duplicates
  • Explanations and risk labels for every item

01Table

Side by side

Tidemark compared with Windows Storage settings
FeatureTidemarkWindows Storage settings
Visual treemap of a drive
Yes
No
Fast whole-drive scan from the NTFS Master File Table
YesFast scan, Pro
No
Space per app, across Program Files, AppData and ProgramData
Yes
PartlyInstalled apps show a size, without their AppData
Snapshots compared over time: which folders grew
YesLatest change free; any two snapshots with Pro
No
Forecast of when a drive will be full
YesPro
No
Duplicate file finder
YesBy content; sharing AI models is Pro
No
Developer build folders (node_modules, target, venvs)
YesPro
No
Explains Windows’ system space (WinSxS, hibernation, page file)
YesCleaned with Microsoft’s own tools
Partly“System & reserved” breakdown
Cleans caches and temp files, sorted by risk
YesSafe, Review first, Handle with care
PartlyFixed categories; automatic when space is low
Uninstalls apps and finds what they left behind
YesClearing leftovers is Pro
PartlyUninstalls; no leftover scan
Folder limits or alerts when a folder grows
YesLimits and Watches, Pro
PartlyLow disk space warning
AI-aware: running model servers, duplicate AI models
YesStopping tools is Pro
No
On the Microsoft Store
PartlyComing soon
YesBuilt in
PriceFree; Pro $9.99 onceFree
Price in detailFree; Pro is one paymentBuilt into Windows

02Verdict

Which should you choose?

Choose Windows Storage settings if…

  • You only want temp files cleared automatically

Choose Tidemark if…

  • Storage Sense ran and the drive is still full
  • You want to know what is growing and why

Or use both. Keep Storage Sense on. Tidemark runs Microsoft’s own tools for system space, so the two work together.

03 Sources

  1. [1]Manage drive space with Storage Sense (Microsoft Support)

Windows Storage settings, checked on 13 October 2026. Windows Storage settings is a trademark of its owner; Thryve Apps is not affiliated with it. Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected].

04 Other comparisons

→Get Tidemark

Try Tidemark next to Windows Storage settings.

Free to use, with no time limit. Tidemark Pro is $9.99 once (usually $19.99), for up to 3 PCs.

coming soonto the Microsoft Store

See pricing

Windows 10 (version 2004, build 19041) or later and Windows 11, on x64 PCs.