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Why do JetBrains IDEs use so much disk space on a Mac?

~/Library/Caches/JetBrains
~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains
~/Library/Logs/JetBrains

By Parsa Nasirimehr

Every JetBrains IDE version keeps its own index caches and settings folders, and upgrading leaves the old ones behind. Delete folders of versions you no longer have; the IDE's Delete Leftover IDE Directories action does it for you.

How big it gets

On the Mac we measured, a working developer's Mac on macOS 27: 23.3 GB: caches 15.4 GB and settings 7.9 GB.

What it is

What writes itIntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio (under Google), PyCharm, WebStorm and the rest. Each version gets folders such as IntelliJIdea2026.2.
What's insideCaches: project indexes and downloaded shared indexes. Application Support: settings and plugins. Logs: log files.
Why it growsIndexes grow with project size, and every upgrade starts a new set of folders without removing the old one.
Comes back?Indexes rebuild the next time you open a project. Settings and plugins of deleted versions don't.

How to clear it

  1. In the IDE: Help › Delete Leftover IDE Directories.
  2. Or delete folders of old versions in the three locations above, with the IDEs quit.
  3. For the current version, File › Invalidate Caches clears its index caches.

What you lose: Indexing time on next open; settings of versions you deleted.

With Scrubs: Scrubs's Quick Wins lists JetBrains' caches among your caches, and the map shows the settings folders beside them. Download Scrubs; scanning is free.

Related folders

~/Library/CachesCan I delete the caches in ~/Library/Caches on my Mac?.gradleWhy is the .gradle folder so big on my Mac?Android emulators (.android/avd)How much space do Android emulators take on a Mac?

Sizes measured with du on 1 November 2026. Paths and commands apply to macOS 15 and later. See also how to free up disk space on a Mac.

About the author: Parsa Nasirimehr is a mobile app developer who builds Scrubs, a disk map for the Mac. Spotted something wrong? Write to support@getscrubs.app.