ModelKeeper User Guide
Covers ModelKeeper v1.0
Know what's on your machine. Reclaim the space.
What ModelKeeper Does
ModelKeeper finds every local AI model on your Mac — no matter which tool downloaded it — and shows you all of it in one place. Ollama, LM Studio, oMLX, Jan, GPT4All, and Draw Things: ModelKeeper knows where each one keeps its files, adds up the space they're using, and flags anything worth cleaning up.
It's not a model downloader, a chat app, or a way to run models. It's a janitor for the mess local AI tools tend to leave behind.
There's no setup screen to get through first — launch it, and it scans automatically.
Getting Started
On first launch, you'll see a short welcome screen explaining what the app does and why it may occasionally need Full Disk Access to see everything accurately. You can continue past this screen at any time — ModelKeeper scans with whatever access it has, and in most cases that's all it needs.
Once scanning finishes, you'll see every model ModelKeeper found, grouped by the tool that downloaded it, with a running total of space used at the top.
Understanding the Model List
Models are grouped by source — Ollama, LM Studio, oMLX, Jan, GPT4All, Draw Things, and any custom folders you've added — with each group showing:
- The tool's real app icon, if it's installed
- How many models are in that group
- Total space used by that group
Each individual model row shows its name, size, and the date it was last modified.
Orphaned Models
Sometimes a tool gets uninstalled, but the model files it downloaded get left behind — quietly taking up space with no app left to use them.
ModelKeeper checks for this automatically. If it finds model files belonging to a tool that's no longer installed, it flags them in a separate Orphaned Models section at the top of the list, clearly labeled with which tool they came from, so you can see at a glance what's safe to clean up.
Duplicate Detection
If you've used more than one local AI tool, there's a good chance you've downloaded the same model twice without realizing it. ModelKeeper checks for this by comparing model names and sizes across every source — not just within one tool.
When a likely duplicate is found, you'll see an indicator on the affected rows, and a running total of reclaimable space in the summary bar (counting only the extra copies, not every copy in the group).
Select a flagged model and click Verify in the toolbar — or right-click and choose Verify Duplicates — to confirm it's a true match before deleting anything.
If verification can't complete — for example, if a file can't be read — ModelKeeper tells you it was unable to verify, rather than guessing either way.
Deleting Models
Select one or more models and click Delete Selected. You'll see exactly what's about to be removed and the total space you'll get back before anything happens.
Deleted models go to the Trash, never permanently removed — you can always restore them from there if you change your mind.
If a delete can't complete for any reason (a locked file, a permissions issue), ModelKeeper tells you exactly what succeeded and what didn't, rather than reporting success across the board.
Adding Custom Folders
If you use a tool ModelKeeper doesn't know about by default, click Add Folder… and point it at wherever that tool keeps its models. ModelKeeper remembers the folder and includes it in every future scan.
You can also add or remove custom folders from Preferences → Model Sources.
Rescanning
Click Rescan at any time to refresh the list — useful after downloading a new model, deleting something outside the app, or adding a folder. There's no need to quit and relaunch.
Preferences
Open with ⌘,. Two tabs:
General
- Appearance — System, Light, or Dark
- Show Welcome Screen — replay the first-run introduction at any time
- Restore to Defaults — resets appearance and clears any custom folders you've added. This is destructive to your preferences but never touches any model files — it asks for confirmation before acting.
Model Sources
See every location ModelKeeper checks — built-in tools and any custom folders you've added — along with whether the corresponding app is currently installed. Add or remove custom folders here, and trigger a rescan directly from this tab. Built-in sources can't be removed, only custom folders you've added yourself.
Full Disk Access
ModelKeeper reads from a few folders inside your own user account to find your models. In most cases, this works without any special permission.
If a scan ever looks incomplete, ModelKeeper can take you directly to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access from the welcome screen or the summary bar.
Help Menu
- ModelKeeper User Guide — opens this guide in your browser
- Show Welcome Screen — brings back the first-run screen anytime
Support
ModelKeeper is free, built by Ochre Software. For the latest version of this guide, visit getochre.app/guides/guide-modelkeeper.php. For the ModelKeeper product page and download, visit getochre.app/modelkeeper.php. Questions, feedback, or bug reports are welcome via getochre.app.
ModelKeeper — Know what's on your machine. Reclaim the space.