iCloud & iCloud Photos · iCloud storage space and plans
How can I free space on my Mac without buying more iCloud storage?
Short answer: Move big apps and non-synced folders to an external drive with Storage Studio — a shortcut keeps them opening normally — and use Run Tuhi, What's Using Space and Duplicates. No extra iCloud storage needed.
Keep files on hardware you already have. Storage Studio moves big apps and folders you don't need synced to a fast external drive and leaves a shortcut behind, so they still open from the same place — no subscription needed for that space.
Other ways to win space back:
- Run Tuhi — clears rebuildable caches and reclaims old local snapshots in one safe pass.
- What's Using Space — find the largest items and decide what to move.
- Duplicates — remove exact copies (they go to the Trash).
Making iCloud files online-only frees your Mac too, but it relies on those files being in iCloud, so it doesn't help if your iCloud plan is already full. See freeing space.