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Utilities · head to head

Kap vs WinDirStat

Kap logo

Kap

Utilities

Free open source screen recorder for macOS, focused on video and GIF capture rather than annotation

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: Kap it has no annotation tools at all, so any still-image markup work needs a separate app such as Shottr or CleanShot X.; 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: Kap covers Multi-format export, WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kap and WinDirStat actually diverge.

Attributes where Kap and WinDirStat differ
AttributeKapWinDirStat
PlatformsMacWindows

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), 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 Kap

  • Multi-format export
  • Area, window or display capture
  • Plugin system
  • Basic trimming
  • Menu bar operation
  • Open source

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.

Kap

  • A developer recording a demo GIF for a README or documentation pagenot WinDirStat
  • A marketer capturing a quick product walkthrough clip without buying screen recording softwarenot WinDirStat
  • Someone creating App Store style device-framed screenshots for a listingnot WinDirStat
  • A user who only needs video capture and does not want to pay for a suite of annotation features they will not usenot WinDirStat

WinDirStat

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

Where each one falls short

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

Kap

  • It has no annotation tools at all, so any still-image markup work needs a separate app such as Shottr or CleanShot X.
  • There is no scrolling capture or OCR, features both Shottr and CleanShot X include.
  • Editing is limited to basic trimming, so anything beyond a simple cut needs a dedicated video editor afterward.
  • It is Mac only, offering nothing for screen recording needs on Windows.
  • As a volunteer-maintained open source project, updates and bug fixes depend on community contribution rather than a company with paid support obligations.

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

Kap

Free
  • KapFree
    • Free and open source under the MIT licence
    • MP4, WebM, GIF and device frame export
    • Plugin system for extended workflows

WinDirStat

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Kap if

  • You need multi-format export.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want area, window or display capture.
Kap 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 Kap or WinDirStat better?
Neither clearly leads. Kap 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, Kap or WinDirStat?
Kap starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free.
Does Kap or WinDirStat run on more platforms?
Kap runs on Mac. WinDirStat runs on Windows.
Can I use Kap for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Kap best used for?
Kap is most often used for a developer recording a demo gif for a readme or documentation page, a marketer capturing a quick product walkthrough clip without buying screen recording software, someone creating app store style device-framed screenshots for a listing, a user who only needs video capture and does not want to pay for a suite of annotation features they will not use. Of those, a developer recording a demo gif for a readme or documentation page and a marketer capturing a quick product walkthrough clip without buying screen recording software are not what WinDirStat is typically brought in for.
What can Kap do that WinDirStat cannot?
Kap covers Multi-format export, Area, window or display capture, Plugin system, Basic trimming. WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation, Three linked views, Multithreaded scanning, Cleanup actions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kap: Is Kap free?

Yes, entirely. It is open source under the MIT licence with no paid tier.

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.

Kap: Does Kap do screenshots or only video?

It is focused on video and GIF recording. For still screenshots with annotation, pair it with Shottr or CleanShot X.

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.

Kap: Can Kap export directly to GIF?

Yes, GIF is one of its native export formats alongside MP4, WebM and Apple device frames.

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.

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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