Symbiote: Free up Mac disk space by symlinking files to an external drive
Symbiote is a Mac app that frees up disk space by symlinking selected files and folders to an external drive, allowing users to store data off the internal SSD while keeping access seamless.
Background
- **Symbiote** is a macOS utility that helps free up internal disk space by moving files to an external drive and replacing them with "symlinks" (symbolic links — lightweight pointers that trick apps into thinking the files are still in their original location).
- **Why it matters**: Modern Macs often have fixed, non-expandable storage (e.g., 256GB or 512GB SSDs), and cloud storage isn't always suitable for large, local-only files like project folders, VMs, or media libraries. Manually creating symlinks is error-prone and tedious; Symbiote automates the process with a GUI.
- The app is marketed as a one-time purchase with a free trial, positioning itself against subscription-based cloud services or Apple's own paid iCloud storage tiers.