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Mathematica and Wolfram apps are over 10 GB each, and old versions stay behind

Wolfram's desktop apps are large, and paclets and caches add more. How to measure them, remove old versions, and clear what rebuilds.

3 min read

Mathematica, now part of Wolfram's desktop apps, installs a large bundle with documentation and a full kernel. Installing a new version beside an old one, or Wolfram Engine alongside it, can double that.

du -sh /Applications/Mathematica*.app /Applications/Wolfram*.app 2>/dev/null
du -sh ~/Library/Wolfram ~/Library/Mathematica 2>/dev/null

What is safe

  • Old app versions: remove once you have moved to the new one.
  • Paclets in your Library: downloaded add-on data, including knowledge base caches. They are downloaded again when needed.
  • Your notebooks: wherever you saved them, often Documents. Keep them.

Documentation is a large part of the app bundle and cannot be removed separately.

Also see MATLAB and Mac storage for academics.

Common questions

How much space does Mathematica take on a Mac?

Typically over 10 GB for the app, plus paclets and caches in your Library.

Can I delete old Mathematica versions?

Yes, once you have moved your work to the new version. Each version is a separate app.

Where does Mathematica store downloaded data?

In ~/Library/Wolfram or ~/Library/Mathematica, as paclets. They download again if removed.

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