AI coding tools used 20 GB on one Mac, before a single local model
Agent CLIs, AI editors and chat apps each keep runtimes, sessions and caches. Measured across nine tools on one Mac: about 20 GB, no models downloaded.
Local models get the attention, and they are large. But on a Mac that runs no local model at all, the AI tooling around the editor can still take more space than the projects it works on.
The measured list
| Tool | Where | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Devin | app, Application Support and ~/.devin | 6.6 GB |
| Codex CLI | ~/.cache/codex-runtimes and ~/.codex | 4.4 GB |
| Windsurf | ~/.windsurf | 2.0 GB |
| Claude Code | ~/.local/share/claude and ~/.claude | 1.7 GB |
| OpenClaw | ~/.openclaw and its global package | 2.0 GB |
| Kiro | app and a stuck update | 1.5 GB |
| Kimi | app and Application Support | 1.5 GB |
| Cline | global npm package | 0.3 GB |
| Cursor agent | ~/.local/share/cursor-agent | 0.1 GB |
That is about 20 GB for tooling, and several tools overlap in what they do. The pattern in each is the same: a downloaded runtime, a copy of every past session, logs, and for the editors a full browser engine.
Where each kind of tool keeps things
- Terminal agents use hidden folders in your home: see Codex CLI and Claude Code.
- Agent editors use Application Support like any Electron app: see AI IDE app data.
- Chat apps are usually small, with exceptions.
- Local models are the other large cost, in local LLM models.
What to do
- Keep the tools you actually use. Trying every new agent is how nine end up installed.
- Prune sessions. Transcripts are kept forever by default in most of these tools.
- Remove old versions where a tool keeps them, as Claude Code does.
- Check for install leftovers. The largest single item here was a 1.9 GB abandoned install folder.
du -sh ~/.codex ~/.claude ~/.local/share/claude ~/.cache/codex-runtimes ~/.devin ~/.windsurf ~/.cursor ~/.openclaw 2>/dev/null | sort -hEditors themselves are in AI coding tools taking up space.
Common questions
How much space do AI coding tools use on a Mac?
On the Mac measured, about 20 GB across nine tools, without any local model downloaded.
Where do AI coding agents store files on a Mac?
Terminal agents use hidden folders such as ~/.codex, ~/.claude and ~/.cache. Editor apps use ~/Library/Application Support.
Is it safe to delete AI agent session history?
Yes, if you do not need to resume those conversations. The tools run fine without it.
Do AI coding tools download models to my Mac?
Cloud agents do not; they download runtimes and keep sessions. Local model runners such as Ollama do, and those files are much larger.