---
id: mac-storage-basics.does-storage-studio-replace-macos-storage-settings
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/does-storage-studio-replace-macos-storage-settings
category: "Mac storage basics"
subcategory: "Checking your storage"
question: "Do I still need macOS Storage settings if I use a storage app?"
alt_questions:
  - "storage settings vs storage studio"
  - "is macos storage management enough"
  - "do I need a third party storage app"
  - "mac built in storage tools enough"
  - "why use an app instead of storage settings"
short_answer: "Storage settings is a good overview, but it can't move data to an external drive or explain sudden space loss. Storage Studio uses the same macOS features and adds those parts."
tags: ["storage settings", "storage studio"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-do-the-storage-recommendations-in-system-settings-do", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-check-how-much-storage-my-mac-has-left"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Do I still need macOS Storage settings if I use a storage app?

macOS Storage settings is good for a quick overview and its recommendations are worth using. It doesn't move things to an external drive, explain sudden drops in free space, show folder-by-folder detail across your Library, or release space held by local snapshots.

Storage Studio works alongside it rather than replacing it: it uses the same macOS features where they exist (for example online-only cloud files and local snapshots) and adds the parts macOS leaves out, such as moving big folders and apps to an external drive with a link left behind. See [how Storage Studio compares](https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/).