Is it safe to delete node_modules?

Yes. It only holds downloaded packages; npm install (or pnpm, yarn, bun) rebuilds it. With a lockfile you get exactly the same versions back.

How do I find all node_modules folders on my Mac?

From your code folder, run: find . -type d -name node_modules -prune -exec du -sh {} + | sort -h. It lists each one with its size. npx npkill does it interactively.

Why doesn't deleting node_modules free space with pnpm?

pnpm links files from a shared store instead of copying them. Run pnpm store prune afterwards to remove the packages no project uses.

How to find and delete old node_modules folders on Mac

In short

node_modules only holds downloaded packages: npm install (or pnpm, yarn, bun) rebuilds it from the lockfile. Deleting it in projects you haven't touched for a while is safe and often frees tens of gigabytes. The same goes for Python's .venv, Rust's target and build folders like .next.

Why it's safe to delete

node_modules is a copy of the packages listed in package.json. Your code isn't there. If the project has a lockfile (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock or bun.lock), installing again brings back exactly the same versions:

npm ci          # or: pnpm install, yarn install, bun install

The cost is time and a download the next time you open the project. That's why it makes sense for projects you haven't touched in weeks, not for the one you're working on today.

Find them all, with their size

Run this from the folder where you keep your code (here ~/Code; change it to yours). It lists every node_modules with its size, the biggest last, without going into the nested ones:

find ~/Code -type d -name node_modules -prune -exec du -sh {} + 2>/dev/null | sort -h

If you prefer a list where you pick, npx npkill does the same from the current folder and deletes the one you select with the space bar.

Delete them

Inside the project:

rm -rf node_modules

With pnpm, files in node_modules are links to its shared store, so deleting them frees little by itself. Run pnpm store prune afterwards to remove the packages no project uses any more.

The same idea in other languages

Python: .venv or venv. Comes back with uv sync or pip install -r requirements.txt.
Rust: target, often several GB. cargo clean deletes it; the next build recreates it.
Build output: .next, .nuxt, .turbo, .svelte-kit, .parcel-cache, Swift's .build. They're rebuilt on the next run.
Xcode keeps builds outside the project, in DerivedData (see the Xcode guide).

When to be careful

No lockfile: installing again may bring newer versions that behave differently.
Old projects may need the Node version they used (look for .nvmrc or engines in package.json), especially if they have native modules.
Private packages: you'll need access to that registry (and maybe a VPN) to install them again.
Edited files inside node_modules are lost. If you patched a package, keep the patch with patch-package or your package manager's patch command.

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Folders in this guide

npm cache~/.npm/_cacacheRecreates itself
npx temporary packages~/.npm/_npxRecreates itself
pnpm store~/Library/pnpm/storeRecreates itself
Yarn cache~/Library/Caches/YarnRecreates itself
Bun cache~/.bun/install/cacheRecreates itself
uv cache (Python)~/.cache/uvRecreates itself
Global npm packages~/.npm-globalReview