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Utilities · head to head

TreeSize vs WinDirStat

TreeSize logo

TreeSize

Utilities

Windows disk space analyser whose free edition may be used commercially, with paid tiers for scheduled reporting

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WinDirStat logo

WinDirStat

Utilities

Windows disk usage analyser that shows where space went as a colour-coded treemap

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: TreeSize it traverses directories rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a local drive scan takes noticeably longer than the fastest alternatives.; WinDirStat it walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • They diverge on capability: TreeSize covers Free edition licensed for business, WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which TreeSize and WinDirStat actually diverge.

Attributes where TreeSize and WinDirStat differ
AttributeTreeSizeWinDirStat
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in TreeSize

  • Free edition licensed for business
  • Network share scanning
  • Reports by age and owner
  • Duplicate file search
  • Scheduled scans
  • Exports

Only in WinDirStat

  • Treemap visualisation
  • Three linked views
  • Multithreaded scanning
  • Cleanup actions
  • Any filesystem
  • GPL licensed

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

TreeSize

  • Deploying one free disk analyser across a company without a personal-use licence problemnot WinDirStat
  • Reporting on a file server by owner and file age before an archiving or quota decisionnot WinDirStat
  • Finding duplicate files spread across departmental network sharesnot WinDirStat
  • Producing a storage report for someone who will read a PDF but not run a scannot WinDirStat

WinDirStat

  • Finding what filled a Windows system drive when the usual suspects are not responsiblenot TreeSize
  • Auditing a shared or network drive where files are spread across thousands of foldersnot TreeSize
  • Environments where licence terms forbid personal-use-only freeware on company machinesnot TreeSize
  • Explaining disk usage visually to someone who will not read a list of folder sizesnot TreeSize

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

TreeSize

  • It traverses directories rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a local drive scan takes noticeably longer than the fastest alternatives.
  • It is Windows only, so file servers running Linux or a NAS appliance need a different tool or a share mounted from a Windows machine.
  • Useful features are spread across three paid tiers, so the single capability a buyer needs frequently sits two tiers above the one they were considering.
  • Scanning large network shares generates significant traffic and takes hours, which means it has to be scheduled rather than run when someone asks the question.
  • Pricing is per licence with separate maintenance, so an accurate total for a team requires a quote rather than a figure from the website.

WinDirStat

  • It walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • The version most users have installed is the 2007 build, and because it was dormant for so long, search results and download mirrors still point at it.
  • It is Windows only, so a mixed estate needs a different tool for macOS and Linux machines.
  • There is no scheduling, reporting or export for fleet use, so it answers a question on one machine at a time rather than monitoring storage across an organisation.
  • Hard links, junctions and deduplicated volumes can be counted in ways that make the totals disagree with what Windows reports, which causes confusion on servers.

Pricing, plan by plan

TreeSize

Free
  • TreeSize FreeFree
    • Folder size analysis and treemap
    • Licensed for private and commercial use
    • Basic exports
  • TreeSize Personal, Professional and Enterprise$undefined/year
    • File search, duplicate detection and full exports
    • Network share and file server scanning
    • Scheduled unattended scans and stored reports

WinDirStat

Free
  • WinDirStatFree
    • GPL licensed
    • Commercial use permitted
    • No paid edition or feature gating

Which should you pick?

Choose TreeSize if

  • You need free edition licensed for business.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want network share scanning.
TreeSize review

Choose WinDirStat if

  • You need treemap visualisation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want three linked views.
WinDirStat review

Questions people ask

Is TreeSize or WinDirStat better?
Neither clearly leads. TreeSize starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, TreeSize or WinDirStat?
TreeSize starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free.
Does TreeSize or WinDirStat run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use TreeSize for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is TreeSize best used for?
TreeSize is most often used for deploying one free disk analyser across a company without a personal-use licence problem, reporting on a file server by owner and file age before an archiving or quota decision, finding duplicate files spread across departmental network shares, producing a storage report for someone who will read a pdf but not run a scan. Of those, deploying one free disk analyser across a company without a personal-use licence problem and reporting on a file server by owner and file age before an archiving or quota decision are not what WinDirStat is typically brought in for.
What can TreeSize do that WinDirStat cannot?
TreeSize covers Free edition licensed for business, Network share scanning, Reports by age and owner, Duplicate file search. WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation, Three linked views, Multithreaded scanning, Cleanup actions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

TreeSize: Is TreeSize Free really free for business use?

Yes. JAM Software licenses the free edition for private and commercial use, which is the main reason it appears on corporate machines where other free analysers are not permitted.

WinDirStat: Is WinDirStat still maintained?

Yes. It was dormant from around 2007 until new maintainers resumed development and released the 2.x line with multithreaded scanning and current Windows support.

TreeSize: Why is it slower than WizTree?

Method. WizTree reads the NTFS master file table; TreeSize walks the directory tree, which is slower but works on network shares and non-NTFS volumes.

WinDirStat: Can I use it at work?

Yes. It is GPL licensed with no personal-use restriction, which is the practical advantage over free-for-personal-use alternatives in this category.

TreeSize: Can it scan a NAS or Linux file server?

It scans them as network shares over SMB, with the speed penalty that implies. There is no agent that runs on the server itself.

WinDirStat: Why is it slower than WizTree?

Different method. WizTree reads the NTFS master file table directly; WinDirStat traverses directories, which is slower but works on any filesystem, including network shares.

TreeSize: What does the Enterprise tier add?

Scheduled unattended scans, stored historical results and reporting across servers, which is the difference between a cleanup tool and a storage reporting system.

WinDirStat: Does it run on macOS or Linux?

No. Separate projects exist with similar treemap interfaces, but WinDirStat itself is Windows only.

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