---
id: comparisons.finder-calculate-all-sizes-vs-storage-inspector
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/finder-calculate-all-sizes-vs-storage-inspector
category: "Comparisons & alternatives"
subcategory: "Disk-space analysers"
question: "Why use the Storage Inspector when Finder can calculate folder sizes?"
alt_questions:
  - "finder calculate all sizes vs storage studio"
  - "show folder sizes in finder list view"
  - "find biggest folders mac finder"
  - "storage inspector vs finder get info"
  - "finder folder size too slow"
short_answer: "Finder sizes folders one window at a time. The Storage Inspector ranks the biggest folders across your disk, drills down, names usual suspects, and offers Move to fast drive on rows that can safely move."
tags: ["storage inspector", "finder", "folder sizes"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/disk-visualisers-vs-storage-studio", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/storage-inspector-vs-about-this-mac-storage-bar"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Why use the Storage Inspector when Finder can calculate folder sizes?

Finder can show folder sizes in List view (with **Calculate all sizes** turned on in View Options), but only for the folder you're looking at — you still have to hunt across your disk yourself.

The **Storage Inspector** does the hunting:

- it ranks your **largest folders** across the disk, biggest first, and drills into any of them to any depth as results arrive;
- it checks a curated list of usual suspects — device backups, developer data, app caches, Downloads, the Trash and more — with friendly names;
- rows that can safely move get a **Move to fast drive** button, and a busy folder gets **Move when closed**;
- it shows what changed since last time, and what your Mac's snapshots are holding.

Finder is still handy for a quick look inside one folder. See [What's Using Space](https://storagestudio.us/manual/whats-using-space).