Comparisons & alternatives · macOS's own storage tools
Is the Local Snapshots manager any different from deleting snapshots with Terminal?
Short answer: Terminal deletes snapshots blind. The Local Snapshots manager shows which are already backed up, which exist only on this Mac, and which macOS needs, and never removes the required ones.
Both release the same kind of snapshot; the difference is what you can see before you do it. Terminal commands remove snapshots by name or date and tell you very little. The Local Snapshots manager shows each snapshot with its age and a plain status:
- already backed up to Time Machine — safe to delete;
- on this Mac only — deleting it loses that point in time;
- required by macOS for a system update — never removed.
You can delete one, Delete all backed-up in one step (snapshots that only exist on this Mac are skipped), or type an amount and Reclaim now to free just that much. Every deletion asks you to confirm first.
If you're comfortable in Terminal, that works too. The manager is for when you want the same result without guessing which snapshot is safe. See Local Snapshots.