Is it safe to clear the npm cache?

Yes. npm downloads again whatever it needs. Use npm cache clean --force, or delete ~/.npm/_cacache with no npm running.

Should I delete the pnpm store?

Better to run pnpm store prune: it removes only the packages no project references. Deleting the store makes every project download everything again.

Can I delete node_modules?

Yes for projects you aren't working on: npm, pnpm or yarn install recreate it from the lockfile.

How to clear npm, pnpm, pip, uv and Homebrew caches on Mac

In short

Package managers keep a copy of everything they ever downloaded. It's safe to clean: they download again what they need. Use each tool's own command when there is one (it knows what's still in use), and close the tool first.

Where they are and how to clean them

Tool	Folder	Command
npm	`~/.npm/_cacache`	`npm cache clean --force`
pnpm	`~/Library/pnpm/store`	`pnpm store prune`
Yarn	`~/Library/Caches/Yarn`	`yarn cache clean`
Bun	`~/.bun/install/cache`	`bun pm cache rm`
pip	`~/Library/Caches/pip`	`pip cache purge`
uv	`~/.cache/uv`	`uv cache clean`
Homebrew	`~/Library/Caches/Homebrew`	`brew cleanup -s`
Gradle	`~/.gradle/caches`	Stop daemons (`./gradlew --stop`), then empty the folder
Playwright	`~/Library/Caches/ms-playwright`	`npx playwright uninstall --all`

Why the tool's command is better

Deleting the folder works, but the tool's own command knows what's still referenced. pnpm store prune, for example, only removes packages no project uses, while deleting the store makes every project download everything again.

node_modules from old projects

Each project has its own node_modules, often 200 MB to 1 GB. For projects you haven't touched in months, deleting it is safe: npm install (or pnpm, yarn) brings it back from the lockfile. Leave the ones of projects you're working on.

Python virtual environments

A .venv folder is the same story: it can be recreated from requirements.txt or pyproject.toml. Old ones from finished projects can go.

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Folders in this guide

npm cache~/.npm/_cacacheRecreates itself
pnpm store~/Library/pnpm/storeRecreates itself
Yarn cache~/Library/Caches/YarnRecreates itself
Bun cache~/.bun/install/cacheRecreates itself
pip cache~/Library/Caches/pipRecreates itself
uv cache (Python)~/.cache/uvRecreates itself
Homebrew cache~/Library/Caches/HomebrewRecreates itself
Gradle cache~/.gradle/cachesRecreates itself
Playwright browsers~/Library/Caches/ms-playwrightRecreates itself