Pinokio: every AI app it installs brings its own Python, packages and models
Pinokio installs each AI app into its own folder with its own environment and downloads. How to see which apps are largest and clear the cache safely.
Pinokio makes installing local AI apps a one click job, and each install is self contained: its own copy of the code, its own Python environment with large machine learning packages, and the models it downloads. That isolation is what makes installs reliable. It is also why a few apps can take a large part of a drive.
Where it is
Pinokio asks for a home folder when it is first installed. The current location is shown in Pinokio's settings (the gear at the top right). Inside it:
| Folder | What it holds | Safe to clear? |
|---|---|---|
api | Each installed app, with its environment and often its models | Delete apps you do not use, from inside Pinokio |
bin | Shared tools such as Python, Node and ffmpeg | No, apps depend on them |
cache | Files apps cached as they ran, including some downloaded models | Yes, refilled as needed |
cd ~/pinokio # or your Pinokio home
du -sh api/*/ cache bin 2>/dev/null | sort -hWhere the space usually is
- Models inside app folders. Image and video generation apps download models of several gigabytes each, and two apps may download the same model separately.
- Python environments. Machine learning packages are large, and each app has its own copy.
- The cache folder, which Pinokio's own documentation says can be deleted and is repopulated as you use apps.
Removing an app
Delete apps from inside Pinokio so it stays consistent. If you have models you want to keep, copy them out of the app's folder first, since they go with it.
Models downloaded by other tools are often duplicates of these. See Stable Diffusion models, local LLM models and machine learning caches.
Common questions
Where does Pinokio store apps and models?
In the Pinokio home folder chosen at install, shown in Pinokio's settings. Apps are in the api folder, shared tools in bin, and cached files in cache.
Is it safe to delete the Pinokio cache folder?
Yes. It holds files apps cached as they ran, including some models, and is filled again as you use apps.
Why does Pinokio take so much space?
Each app has its own Python environment and often its own models, so several apps can each hold multiple gigabytes, sometimes with duplicate models.