The Unity cache on a Mac is several folders, not one. Unity's Package Manager keeps a global cache in ~/, Asset Store downloads sit in ~/, and every project has its own Library folder of imported assets that Unity rebuilds whenever it's missing.
Unreal Engine has the same split: a Derived Data Cache shared by your projects, plus Intermediate and DerivedDataCache folders inside each one.
Caches like these are safe in the sense that matters most: your work isn't in them. Both engines regenerate them from your assets. What removing them costs is time, sometimes a lot of it, because a large project has to reimport assets or compile shaders again the next time it opens.
The biggest savings usually aren't caches at all. Unity Hub keeps a complete editor for every version you've installed, often with Android and iOS build support, and the Epic Games Launcher keeps every engine version you've added. Removing versions you no longer use, in Unity Hub and the launcher, frees more than any cache.
The sections below go through each folder for both engines: what it holds, whether it comes back, and how to remove it with the engine's own tools or in Finder. None of this makes either engine faster. Clearing caches frees space, and the next session is slower while they fill again.
Where game engines keep their files on a Mac
Unity and Unreal both separate three things: the editor or engine you install, caches shared by all your projects, and the folders inside each project. Only some of each group is yours.
What can be rebuilt, and what's your work?
| What | Unity | Unreal Engine | Comes back? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The editor or engine | Each version in /Applications/Unity/Hub/Editor | Each version where the launcher installed it | Only by installing it again |
| Shared caches | ~/Library/Caches/Unity/upm, the GI cache | The local Derived Data Cache | Yes, rebuilt as needed |
| Store downloads | ~/Library/Unity/Asset Store-5.x | The Fab download folder | Download again |
| Project caches | Library, Temp, Logs | Intermediate, DerivedDataCache | Yes, with time |
| Your work | Assets, Packages, ProjectSettings | Content, Config, Source | Never |
The last row is what you protect. Everything above it either rebuilds by itself or downloads again, at a cost in time and bandwidth rather than data.
Where does the space show up in Storage settings?
In System Settings › General › Storage, what's in your Library folder, the caches above included, usually lands in System Data, which Apple says covers files that don't fit the other categories. Editors in Applications count as Applications, and projects count wherever you keep them.
The route is the same in macOS 27 Golden Gate and macOS 26 Tahoe. To see an individual folder's size, select it in Finder and choose File › Get Info.
Why do these folders get so large?
Games are made of large assets: textures, audio, meshes and video. Each engine converts them into formats it can use quickly, keeps lighting and shader data it has computed, and stores both next to the originals. A project's caches can grow to rival the project itself.
Editors are large too, and each version is a full copy. Build support for phones adds more, because each platform module brings its own tools.
The Unity cache on a Mac: what every project shares
Unity keeps three kinds of shared cache in your Library folder: packages, Asset Store downloads and lighting data. Each has its own rules.
Where is Unity's package cache?
Unity's documentation gives the global cache's default location on a Mac as ~/ in Unity 6. Its db folder holds package content and metadata from package registries, and a git-lfs folder holds large files for git packages if you use Git LFS. A packages folder may still be there from older versions; Unity 6 doesn't use it.
Unity 2022 and earlier kept the global cache in ~/, so a Mac that has used both may have both.
Does Unity's package cache clean itself?
Since Unity 2023.2, yes, up to a point. Unity's documentation says the db folder is limited to 10 GB, and the Package Manager evicts the least recently used content when it reaches the limit. Packages evicted from the cache stay in the projects that installed them.
The older cache folder used by Unity 2022 and earlier has no such limit described, and a Mac that no longer runs those versions doesn't need it.
What's in the Asset Store folder?
Asset Store packages in the .unitypackage format download to ~/, in subfolders by publisher. Older Unity versions used a folder named Asset Store without the suffix. Packages in Unity's newer package format go into the global cache instead.
A package you've imported into a project has its assets in that project, so the download isn't needed for the project to work. It's a copy you can import again into another project without downloading it. Anything you bought stays in your Unity account's My Assets and downloads again when you need it.
Can you move the Asset Store download folder?
Yes, in Unity's settings. Open Unity › Settings, choose Package Manager, and under My Assets, open the menu beside Cache Location and choose Change Location. Unity's documentation notes that packages already downloaded stay in the old folder, so move or remove those yourself.
What is the GI cache?
When Unity bakes lighting, it keeps intermediate data in the GI cache, shared by every project on the Mac. Unity's documentation says it's stored in the Caches folder by default. Its settings let you cap its size, and Unity deletes the oldest unused files to stay under that cap.
To clear it, open Unity › Settings, choose GI Cache and click Clean Cache. Unity's documentation warns that deleting the folder by hand while the editor runs isn't safe, because the editor keeps references to files in it. The button releases those first.
What about Unity's logs?
Unity writes its editor log to ~/, and Unity Hub keeps its own logs in ~/. Each project also has a Logs folder. They're small, and only useful when you're reporting a problem.
Inside a Unity project: Library, Temp and Logs
Every Unity project has the same set of folders at its root. Unity's documentation describes each one, and they split neatly into your work and Unity's working files.
What's in the Library folder?
Unity's documentation describes Library as a local cache of imported assets and metadata. When you add a texture or a model to Assets, Unity converts it into the form the editor and your target platform use, and keeps the result here. Compiled scripts and other generated data go here too.
It's unique to your Mac, which is why Unity says to keep it out of version control. On a project with many large assets, it's often the biggest folder in the project.
Is it safe to delete the Library folder?
Your work isn't in it, and Unity rebuilds it the next time the project opens. But Unity's guidance is to delete it only as a last resort for errors you can't fix otherwise, because rebuilding means recompiling all the project's code and reimporting every asset.
On a big project, that can take a long time, during which you can't work in it. For a project you've finished, removing Library is reasonable: it's what an archive of the project would leave out anyway. For the project you open every day, it's a cost you'll pay tomorrow morning.
What are Temp and Logs?
Unity's documentation calls Temp a folder for temporary data that's cleared every time you close Unity. If Unity crashed, it may still be there; it's safe to remove with the project closed. Logs holds log files from importing and other editor work, and can go at any time.
Which folders hold your work?
| Folder | What it holds | Safe to remove? |
|---|---|---|
Assets | Every asset and script in the project | No; this is the project |
Packages | The manifest listing the project's packages | No |
ProjectSettings | Build, graphics and other project settings | No |
UserSettings | Your local preferences, such as the editor layout | Small; leave it |
Library | Imported assets, metadata, compiled scripts | Yes, with a long reimport |
Temp | Temporary data while Unity runs | Yes, with Unity closed |
Logs | Import and editor logs | Yes |
Does removing a project from Unity Hub delete it?
No. In the Hub's Projects list, Remove project from list only takes the project off the list, and Unity's documentation says its files stay on your Mac. To delete a project, move its folder to the Trash in Finder. Finder's Move to Trash can be undone with File › Put Back until you empty the Trash.
What about build output?
Unity builds to whatever folder you choose when you build. An iOS build is an Xcode project, which Xcode then builds and keeps its own intermediate files for. Old builds you no longer need are yours to remove; the post on why Xcode takes up so much space covers what Xcode adds.
Can you keep projects in iCloud Drive?
Unity's documentation says storing a project with a cloud-based storage method is unsupported, because syncing can corrupt it.
If your projects are in iCloud Drive to save space, read how iCloud Drive's Optimize Storage works first, and use version control for the project instead.
Unity Hub, editor versions and their modules
Each Unity editor version is a complete installation, and the Hub keeps every one you install until you remove it. This is where most of Unity's space usually is.
Where does Unity Hub install editors?
Unity Hub's settings give / as the default Installs location on a Mac, with a folder for each version. You can change the location in the Hub's settings; Unity's documentation notes that editors already installed stay where they are.
The Hub's Downloads location defaults to a temporary folder, so installers don't pile up.
How do you uninstall an editor version?
- Open Unity Hub and click Installs in the sidebar.
- Find the version you no longer need. The list shows how many of your local projects use each one.
- Open its Manage menu and choose Uninstall, then confirm.
The editor and its modules go together. For an editor you added with Locate instead of installing it through the Hub, the menu offers Remove, which takes it off the list and leaves its files; move its folder to the Trash in Finder yourself.
What do Android and iOS build support add?
Modules add build support for platforms, language packs and developer tools. Unity's documentation says the Android modules install their own Android SDK, NDK and OpenJDK inside that editor version's folder, under its AndroidPlayer playback engine folder.
So each editor version with Android support carries its own copy of all three. Uninstalling the editor removes them too. They're separate from the SDK Android Studio keeps, which the post on removing Android Studio and its SDK covers.
Can you remove a single module?
Unity's Hub documentation covers adding modules but not removing one. To get a leaner editor, uninstall that version and install it again with only the modules you need, which the Hub lets you choose before it downloads anything.
Which editor versions should you keep?
Keep the version each active project uses: the Hub's Projects list has an Editor version column showing the version each project was saved with. Versions that no project uses, and previews you tried once, can go. If you might open an old project again, you can install its version again then, from the Hub's Archive tab.
Unreal Engine: the Epic Games Launcher and engine versions
The Epic Games Launcher installs and manages Unreal Engine versions, and each one is a full installation. Epic's documentation says you can have one of each engine version installed at a time, with several versions side by side.
Where are engine versions installed?
You choose when you install. Epic's documentation says the Choose install location dialog starts at the default location for your operating system, with Browse to pick another. It doesn't name the Mac's default folder, so note the one the dialog shows.
If you don't remember where an older version went, you don't need to: the launcher's Remove and Verify find it wherever it is.
How do you remove an engine version?
- In the Epic Games Launcher, click Unreal Engine, then the Library tab.
- On the tile for the version you no longer need, open the dropdown menu and choose Remove.
- In the Uninstall dialog, click Uninstall.
Projects made with that version stay where they are. Opening one later means installing that version again or moving the project to a newer one.
Can you make an engine install smaller?
Yes. Each version's dropdown menu has Options, which opens the installation options. You can add or remove components without downloading the whole engine again, according to Epic's documentation:
- Starter Content, default maps, meshes and textures
- Templates and Feature Packs, used when you create projects
- Engine Source, the engine's code for reading
- Editor symbols for debugging, for detailed crash information
- Target Platform, the files for building for Android, iOS and other platforms
The dialog shows the space the components you select need. Debugging symbols and platforms you never build for are the usual candidates.
What about plugins you installed to the engine?
Plugins from Fab can be installed into an engine version. Under each version's tile, Installed Plugins lists them, with Remove for each one. They go when you remove the version too.
Should you reinstall an engine to fix it?
Rarely. The dropdown's Verify checks the engine's files and downloads only those that are missing or corrupted, which is much faster than removing and installing the version again.
| Engine version | Keep it if | Otherwise |
|---|---|---|
| The version your active projects use | Always | — |
| Older versions | An old project still needs them | Remove in the launcher |
| Preview builds | You're testing an upcoming release | Remove once the release is out |
| Components you never use | — | Options, clear them, Apply |
Unreal's Derived Data Cache
Many Unreal assets need extra data before the engine can use them. A material's shaders, for example, have to be compiled for the platform the editor runs on. Unreal keeps that derived data in the Derived Data Cache, the DDC.
Is it safe to delete the DDC?
Yes. Epic's documentation calls DDC content disposable: the engine can regenerate it at any time from the data in your .uasset files. The cost is time. Epic's directory guide notes that missing cache files can increase load times dramatically, because the editor builds them again as you open each asset.
Quit Unreal Editor before you remove anything. The editor talks to its local cache while it runs.
Where is the local DDC?
It depends on the version. Epic's documentation says Unreal Engine 5.3 and earlier use a folder-based local DDC in the engine's install folder, named DerivedDataCache.
Unreal Engine 5.4 and later use Unreal Zen Storage instead, a small server program that starts and stops with the editor, with its data in a Zen data folder in the engine's application settings folder. Epic gives that location for Windows only, so on a Mac, check the DDC settings described below for the path.
Why can upgrading to 5.4 use more space for a while?
Epic's documentation says the switch to Zen keeps your old local DDC folder and feeds the new cache from it, which can duplicate data. The old folder is set to delete-only and removes data unused for eight days, so the duplicate shrinks by itself.
Zen also manages cleanup of unused data in its own cache, so it doesn't grow without limit the way a forgotten folder can.
What about the DDC pak that comes with the engine?
Engine versions from the launcher include a DDC pak, DerivedDataCache/ in the engine folder, with derived data for all the engine's own content, so you can start working without compiling the engine's shaders. Some samples ship with one in their project folder too.
It's part of the installation, not a cache that grew. Leave it; removing it only moves that compiling onto you.
Can you move the local DDC to another drive?
Yes. Epic's documentation says you can set it in the editor's preferences, under General › Global › Derived Data Cache, where a global local DDC path applies to every project. Zen then keeps its data in a Zen folder at that path. Keep the drive connected when you work, or the editor rebuilds the cache in the default place.
Inside an Unreal project: Intermediate, Saved and the rest
An Unreal project folder holds your work next to several folders the engine generates. Epic's directory guide describes each one.
Which folders can be rebuilt?
- Intermediate holds temporary files generated while building, and in projects, shaders. Epic says its files can be deleted and rebuilt.
- DerivedDataCache, when a project has one, holds derived data for that project's content, such as a sample's DDC pak.
- Binaries holds files created by compiling. A Blueprint-only project may not have one.
- Saved holds autosaves, configuration files and logs. Epic says its files can be deleted and rebuilt, but read the next answer first.
Is it safe to delete the Saved folder?
Mostly, but look inside first. It holds the project's autosaves, which after a crash may be the only copy of work you hadn't saved, along with logs and your local editor settings for the project. Removing it resets those settings to the project's defaults.
If nothing went wrong recently and your work is saved, the whole folder can go.
What does deleting Binaries cost?
For a project with C++ code, Binaries holds the compiled modules, and the project has to be compiled again before it opens. Epic's macOS requirements list Xcode for developing with the engine on a Mac, so that needs Xcode installed. For a Blueprint-only project, there's usually nothing to rebuild.
Which folders hold your work?
| Folder or file | What it holds | Safe to remove? |
|---|---|---|
Content | Your assets and maps | No; this is the project |
Config | The project's default settings | No |
Source | Your C++ code | No |
Plugins | Plugins inside the project | No |
| The .uproject file | What the launcher and editor open | No |
Intermediate | Build files and shaders | Yes |
Saved | Autosaves, logs, local settings | After checking autosaves |
Binaries | Compiled code | Yes, if you can compile again |
What's the order of a clean-up?
For a project you're archiving, remove Intermediate, Saved after checking it, and DerivedDataCache, then compress or copy what remains. For a project you work on, leave them: rebuilding shaders every time you open the project costs more than the space is worth.
Fab and Asset Store downloads
Both engines have a marketplace, and both can keep downloaded packs on your Mac besides what's in your projects.
Where do Fab downloads go?
Fab, Epic's marketplace, is built into the Epic Games Launcher as Fab in Launcher. Epic's documentation says products download to the location set in its settings: click the gear icon at the top right, open the Download tab and set the path. The launcher uses the same path for the Fab library under the Unreal Engine tab.
In My Library, a filter shows Assets on disk, and each listing's menu has Go to files, which opens the folder. Downloads in exchange formats such as FBX are ordinary files, and you can remove the ones you've finished with in Finder.
What happens to packs you added to a project?
For Unreal Engine content, Fab offers Add to project, Install plugin or Create project rather than a plain download. Once assets are in a project, they're part of that project's content. Anything you own stays in your Fab library and can be added again.
What are the FabPlugins?
When you export to an application such as Blender, Maya or Unity, the launcher installs an export plugin. Epic's documentation puts them in ~/ on a Mac. They're small. Remove them only to reinstall a broken one, as Epic's troubleshooting section describes.
And Unity's Asset Store?
The Asset Store download folder covered earlier works the same way: a convenience copy of packs you've downloaded. Projects keep their own copies of what they imported, and My Assets in the Package Manager downloads anything you own again.
What's safe to remove: both engines at a glance
Everything both engines keep falls into three groups: what rebuilds, what downloads again, and what's yours.
| Item | Engine | Comes back? | What removing it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old editor and engine versions | Both | Reinstall | A large download if an old project needs one |
Project Library | Unity | Yes | A full reimport, often long |
Temp, Logs, Intermediate | Both | Yes | Little |
| Local DDC | Unreal | Yes | Shader compiling when you next open projects |
| Package and GI caches | Unity | Yes | Downloads, lighting rebakes |
| Asset Store and Fab downloads | Both | Download again | Bandwidth |
Saved | Unreal | Partly | Autosaves, logs, local settings |
Why does rebuilding take so long?
Because it's real work. Reimporting a Unity project converts every asset again; reopening an Unreal project without its DDC compiles every shader it uses. On a small project that's minutes. On a large one, Unity and Epic both treat it as something to avoid unless you need the space or the cache is broken.
Does clearing caches make the engines faster?
No. Clearing caches frees space, nothing more. The session after a clean-up is slower, not faster, while the engine rebuilds what it needs. If an editor feels slow, a full disk can be part of it, but the cure is free space, not empty caches.
Mistakes to avoid
- Deleting a cache while the editor runs. Unity's GI cache and Unreal's DDC are in use; quit first, or use the engine's own button.
- Removing Assets, Content or Source while tidying. Those folders are the project.
- Throwing away Saved after a crash. Its autosaves may be the only copy of recent work.
- Removing an editor an active project needs. The Hub's project count and your project list say which ones are in use.
- Keeping projects in a synced cloud folder. Unity calls it unsupported, and syncing can corrupt projects.
Removing Unity or Unreal from a Mac completely
If you've stopped game development, removing the editors frees most of the space. Do it in the engines' own apps first, then remove the apps and their leftovers.
Unity
- In Unity Hub, uninstall every editor version under Installs.
- Quit Unity Hub and move it from Applications to the Trash.
- Unity's support article suggests checking
~/,Library/ Application Support ~/,Library/ Caches ~/andLibrary/ Logs ~/for items named Unity, and a hidden .Unity folder in your home folder.Library/ Preferences
Also check ~/ for the old cache and Asset Store downloads, and remove any editor folders you added with Locate. Back up projects you might want again before you start.
Unreal Engine
- In the Epic Games Launcher, remove every engine version under Unreal Engine › Library.
- Quit the launcher and check Activity Monitor that nothing from Epic is still running, as Epic's help article describes.
- Move the Epic Games Launcher from Applications to the Trash.
- Check
~/,Library/ Application Support ~/,Library/ Caches ~/,Library/ Preferences ~/andLibrary/ Logs ~/for Epic Games Launcher items, the folders Epic's article lists.Library/ Cookies
Epic warns that removing the launcher this way removes the games you installed with it too, so remove engines first while the launcher can still track them. Then check the Fab download folder and the folder your engines were in.
If an app won't go to the Trash
Usually something from it is still running. Quit it, check Activity Monitor and try again. The post on apps that won't delete covers the other causes, and the one on leftover files after uninstalling apps explains what to look for in your Library.
Android, Java and the rest of the toolchain
Unity's Android support brings its own SDK, NDK and JDK inside each editor, so those go with the editors. If you also installed Android Studio, or a separate JDK for Unreal's Android builds, those stay. The post on uninstalling Java and old JDKs covers the JDKs.
If you also build apps with Flutter, its pub cache, SDK and build folders are separate again; the post on Flutter's pub cache, SDKs and builds goes through them.
Keep caches out of your backups
Library, Intermediate, DerivedDataCache and the shared caches all rebuild, so backing them up mostly fills your backup disk. The post on excluding developer folders from Time Machine explains how to leave them out.
The post on freeing up disk space on a developer's Mac covers the other tools that keep large caches.
How the app does it
Wombit scans Unity's and Unreal's folders like the rest of the disk, reading only names, sizes and dates, and shows them in its map with everything else, so an old editor version or a large Library folder stands out. Hard links and APFS clones count once, and file names and paths never leave your Mac.
The catalog has no entries for Unity or Unreal Engine. Items no rule explains get a Best guess in the inspector, written on your Mac by Apple Intelligence and labelled as a guess, and the app never offers them for removal.
Remove editors and engine versions in Unity Hub and the Epic Games Launcher, and project caches in Finder, as described above.
What the app does cover here is the toolchain around them: Xcode's DerivedData, simulators and Android Studio's folders are explained and listed by level in Cleanup.
The Applications section lists every app with its size, what it has left around the Mac and when you last opened it, with Uninstall…, and shows why each leftover belongs to the app.
Seeing all of this is free. Cleanup and the uninstaller are PRO, one $4.99 payment with lifetime access. Every Pro tool's review is free to open, so you see what would go and why before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete a Unity project's Library folder?
Your work isn't in it, so nothing is lost: Unity rebuilds it the next time the project opens. Unity's own guidance treats deleting it as a last resort, though, because reopening the project reimports every asset and recompiles all its code, which can take a long time on a large project. Close Unity first.
Where is Unity's cache on a Mac?
Unity 6's Package Manager keeps its global cache in ~/Library/Caches/Unity/upm, and Unity 2022 and earlier used ~/Library/Unity/cache. Asset Store downloads in the .unitypackage format go to ~/Library/Unity/Asset Store-5.x. The lighting GI cache sits in the Caches folder too, and Unity's own settings clear it.
How do I uninstall a Unity editor version?
In Unity Hub, click Installs, open the Manage menu next to the version and choose Uninstall. Its modules, including Android and iOS build support, go with it. Editors you added with Locate only have Remove, which takes them off the list; delete their folder in Finder.
Can I delete Unreal Engine's Derived Data Cache?
Yes. Epic's documentation calls DDC content disposable: the engine regenerates it from your assets. The cost is time, because shaders and other derived data have to be built again the next time you open a project. Quit Unreal Editor first.
How do I remove an Unreal Engine version on a Mac?
In the Epic Games Launcher, click Unreal Engine, then Library. Open the dropdown on the engine version's tile, choose Remove, then click Uninstall. To keep a version but make it smaller, choose Options instead and clear components you don't use, such as target platforms or editor symbols.
Can I delete Unreal's Intermediate and Saved folders?
Epic's directory guide says both hold generated files that can be deleted and rebuilt. Intermediate is the safe one. Saved also holds autosaves, logs and the project's local editor settings, so look inside it before it goes, especially after a crash.
Does clearing Unity or Unreal caches make them faster?
No. It frees space, but the next time you open a project the engine has to rebuild what you removed, which makes that session slower. Clearing caches is a fix for corrupted data or a full disk, not a speed-up.
Does removing a project from Unity Hub delete it?
No. Unity's documentation says Remove project from list only takes the project off the Hub's list, and its files stay on your Mac. To delete a project, move its folder to the Trash in Finder.
Sources
- Delete files and folders on Mac · Apple
- Default project directories · Unity
- Global cache · Unity
- Download and install the Unity Editor · Unity
- Using Derived Data Cache in Unreal Engine · Epic Games
- Install Unreal Engine · Epic Games