Comparisons & alternatives · Choosing the right tool
Should I move folders myself or set up rules to do it automatically?
Short answer: Move by hand for one-off decisions like a finished project; use move rules for folders that keep filling up. Many people do a few manual moves first, then let rules keep the space.
Move by hand for one-off decisions; use rules for things that keep growing. A manual move — in Data Parking or What's Using Space — is right when you know exactly which folder you want off your Mac, such as a finished project or an old photo export.
Move rules suit folders that fill up again on their own: a rule names a place and how old something must be before it moves, and Storage Studio does it quietly in the background, holding off while you're busy. Auto Rules go a step further and suggest rules that fit the apps and caches on your Mac, applying only the safest ones without asking.
Many people do both: a few big manual moves to get space back, then rules to keep it. You can always preview what a rule would move first. See move rules and Auto Rules.