{"id":"comparisons.symbolic-link-vs-alias-vs-hard-link","url":"/faq/comparisons/symbolic-link-vs-alias-vs-hard-link","category":{"id":"comparisons","title":"Comparisons & alternatives"},"subcategory":{"id":"files-and-formats","title":"Files, links and archive formats"},"question":"What's the difference between a symbolic link, an alias and a hard link on a Mac?","alt_questions":["symlink vs alias vs hard link macOS","what is a hard link on Mac","alias or symbolic link which should I use","difference between ln and ln -s on Mac","Which kind of link does Storage Studio use?"],"short_answer":"An alias is a Finder feature many apps can't follow; a symbolic link points to a path and every app follows it; a hard link is a second name for the same file on the same volume and can't cross drives.","answer_markdown":"They all make one item reachable from another place, in different ways:\n\n- **Alias** — a Finder feature. Finder can usually follow it even if the original is renamed or moved, but many apps and command-line tools see it as an ordinary small file.\n- **Symbolic link** — a pointer to a path, understood by macOS itself, so every app and tool follows it. If the original's path changes, or the drive it's on is unplugged, the link has nothing to point at.\n- **Hard link** — a second name for the very same file on the same volume. It can't cross to another drive, and the file only goes away when every name for it is deleted.\n\nStorage Studio's shortcut left behind after a move is a system-level link of the second kind, which is why apps keep working with relocated folders. See [Storage Studio's shortcut vs a Finder alias](/faq/finder-location/is-a-storage-studio-shortcut-the-same-as-a-finder-alias).","answer_html":"

They all make one item reachable from another place, in different ways:

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Storage Studio's shortcut left behind after a move is a system-level link of the second kind, which is why apps keep working with relocated folders. See Storage Studio's shortcut vs a Finder alias.

","answer_text":"They all make one item reachable from another place, in different ways:\n\n- Alias — a Finder feature. Finder can usually follow it even if the original is renamed or moved, but many apps and command-line tools see it as an ordinary small file.\n- Symbolic link — a pointer to a path, understood by macOS itself, so every app and tool follows it. If the original's path changes, or the drive it's on is unplugged, the link has nothing to point at.\n- Hard link — a second name for the very same file on the same volume. It can't cross to another drive, and the file only goes away when every name for it is deleted.\n\nStorage Studio's shortcut left behind after a move is a system-level link of the second kind, which is why apps keep working with relocated folders. See Storage Studio's shortcut vs a Finder alias.","tags":["links","alias","finder","macos"],"related":[{"id":"comparisons.hand-made-symlinks-vs-storage-studio","question":"Is Storage Studio just making symlinks I could make myself in Terminal?","url":"/faq/comparisons/hand-made-symlinks-vs-storage-studio"},{"id":"comparisons.duplicating-in-finder-vs-copying-to-another-drive","question":"Why doesn't duplicating a big file in Finder use more space, but copying it to another drive does?","url":"/faq/comparisons/duplicating-in-finder-vs-copying-to-another-drive"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What's the difference between a symbolic link, an alias and a hard link on a Mac? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"An alias is a Finder feature many apps can't follow; a symbolic link points to a path and every app follows it; a hard link is a second name for the same file on the same volume and can't cross drives.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Comparisons & alternatives","path":"/faq/comparisons/"},{"name":"What's the difference between a symbolic link, an alias and a hard link on a Mac?","path":"/faq/comparisons/symbolic-link-vs-alias-vs-hard-link"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/symbolic-link-vs-alias-vs-hard-link","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What's the difference between a symbolic link, an alias and a hard link on a Mac?","alternateName":["symlink vs alias vs hard link macOS","what is a hard link on Mac","alias or symbolic link which should I use","difference between ln and ln -s on Mac","Which kind of link does Storage Studio use?"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"They all make one item reachable from another place, in different ways:\n\n- Alias — a Finder feature. Finder can usually follow it even if the original is renamed or moved, but many apps and command-line tools see it as an ordinary small file.\n- Symbolic link — a pointer to a path, understood by macOS itself, so every app and tool follows it. If the original's path changes, or the drive it's on is unplugged, the link has nothing to point at.\n- Hard link — a second name for the very same file on the same volume. It can't cross to another drive, and the file only goes away when every name for it is deleted.\n\nStorage Studio's shortcut left behind after a move is a system-level link of the second kind, which is why apps keep working with relocated folders. See Storage Studio's shortcut vs a Finder alias.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/symbolic-link-vs-alias-vs-hard-link"}}]},"fragment":"
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Comparisons & alternatives · Files, links and archive formats

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What's the difference between a symbolic link, an alias and a hard link on a Mac?

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Short answer: An alias is a Finder feature many apps can't follow; a symbolic link points to a path and every app follows it; a hard link is a second name for the same file on the same volume and can't cross drives.

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They all make one item reachable from another place, in different ways:

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  • Alias — a Finder feature. Finder can usually follow it even if the original is renamed or moved, but many apps and command-line tools see it as an ordinary small file.
  • Symbolic link — a pointer to a path, understood by macOS itself, so every app and tool follows it. If the original's path changes, or the drive it's on is unplugged, the link has nothing to point at.
  • Hard link — a second name for the very same file on the same volume. It can't cross to another drive, and the file only goes away when every name for it is deleted.
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Storage Studio's shortcut left behind after a move is a system-level link of the second kind, which is why apps keep working with relocated folders. See Storage Studio's shortcut vs a Finder alias.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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