Cleaning VS Code, Cursor, and JetBrains IDE Caches on macOS
Last updated: 2026-04-13
Modern IDEs generate substantial cache data. VS Code stores extensions, workspace storage, and logs that can grow to several gigabytes. Cursor — the AI-powered code editor built on VS Code — creates its own separate cache, extensions, and workspace storage directories. JetBrains products like IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, PyCharm, and Android Studio each maintain their own caches and log directories under ~/Library. Together, IDE caches can consume 2–5 GB across all installed editors.
VS Code caches
VS Code stores data across several locations: extensions at ~/.vscode/extensions, cached data at ~/Library/Caches/Code, workspace storage at ~/Library/Application Support/Code, and logs in the same area. Extensions accumulate old versions. Workspace storage keeps data for every project you have ever opened. These are safe to clean — VS Code will recreate what it needs on next launch.
Cursor IDE caches
Cursor uses separate directories from VS Code: extensions at ~/.cursor/extensions, cached data at ~/Library/Caches/Cursor, and workspace storage at ~/Library/Application Support/Cursor. If you use both VS Code and Cursor, you may have duplicate extension installations taking extra space. CodeCleaner detects both editors independently.
JetBrains IDE caches
JetBrains products (IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, PyCharm, GoLand, CLion, etc.) each store caches under ~/Library/Caches/JetBrains/<product><version> and logs under ~/Library/Logs/JetBrains. Old versions of these IDEs leave behind their cache directories even after upgrading. If you have used multiple JetBrains products over time, these directories can total several gigabytes.
How CodeCleaner handles IDE caches
CodeCleaner detects all installed IDEs and shows you exactly how much cache, extension, workspace storage, and log data each one has accumulated, letting you clean them without affecting your settings or project configurations.
After clearing IDE caches
Quit the editor first to avoid partial writes. Extensions may re-download on next launch — that is expected. Workspace storage holds UI state per folder; removing it resets recent files and UI layout but not your Git history or project files.
Manual steps (Terminal)
You can do this manually with these commands, or use CodeCleaner to automate the process with a visual interface and safety checks. Each block shows a short label and the matching command.
Clear VS Code caches
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/CodeClear Cursor caches
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/CursorClear JetBrains caches
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/JetBrainsClear JetBrains logs
rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/JetBrainsOr use CodeCleaner
CodeCleaner automates all of this with a native macOS app. It auto-detects your installed tools, scans the relevant paths in parallel, shows per-item sizes, and lets you clean safely with one click. Free scan, no account required.