---
id: finder-location.storage-studio-location-vs-data-parking
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/storage-studio-location-vs-data-parking
category: "Finding things in Finder"
subcategory: "Storage Studio in Finder's sidebar"
question: "What's the difference between the Storage Studio location in Finder and Data Parking?"
alt_questions:
  - "Should I use Finder or Data Parking to move files?"
  - "Cloud Drive vs Data Parking"
  - "Which is better for moving folders to the cloud?"
  - "storage studio finder location or data parking"
  - "When do I use Data Parking instead of Finder?"
short_answer: "The Finder location is for using cloud accounts like folders — browse, open, edit, drop in files. Data Parking is for moving things off your Mac safely, with sizes, verified copies, shortcuts, progress and a moves log."
tags: ["data parking", "cloud drive", "comparison"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/what-is-the-storage-studio-location-in-finder", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/copy-files-into-a-cloud-account-from-finder", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/finder-location/where-does-data-parking-put-things-on-my-drive"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# What's the difference between the Storage Studio location in Finder and Data Parking?

The Finder location is for **using** your cloud accounts like folders: browse, open, edit and drop in files, with downloads on demand.

**Data Parking** is for **moving** things off your Mac: a two-pane window with your Mac on one side and your fast drive or a cloud account on the other. It measures folder sizes, verifies each copy before removing the original, can leave shortcuts behind on your external drive moves, shows per-item progress, and keeps a moves log with **Revert**.

Rule of thumb: to free space safely, use Data Parking; to work with files already in an account, use Finder.

See [the Data Parking window](https://storagestudio.us/manual/tier).