Developer IDEs

Clear Rider Cache on Mac

To clear the Rider cache, start inside the app with File > Invalidate Caches, then restart it. This removes only the caches of the current release, and the app rebuilds them automatically.

Last updated: October 31, 20262 min read

Clear the Rider cache without guessing

Rider data usually takes 2 GB – 30 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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Application: Rider
Typical data size: 2 GB – 30 GB
Category: Developer IDEs
File Location: ~/Library/Caches/JetBrains

Clear it from inside Rider first

The safest way is the option built into the app: File > Invalidate Caches, then restart; this clears only the current version's caches, not folders left by older releases or by other JetBrains IDEs.

Rider cache folders you can clear

These folders are rebuilt automatically, so removing them does not touch your own files.

~/Library/Caches/JetBrains Cache · indexes and caches of JetBrains IDEs, one subfolder per product and version Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Saved Application State/com.jetbrains.rider.savedState Window state · window positions from the last session Yes, rebuilt automatically

Locations are the standard macOS folders Rider uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.

What the Rider cache holds and when clearing it helps

Specific to Rider

Most of the cache sits in ~/Library/Caches/JetBrains as indexes and caches, and the data can take 2 GB – 30 GB. Each release gets its own versioned folder there, so upgrades leave old gigabytes behind. Clearing helps when indexing runs again and again, code completion is wrong, or old version folders keep piling up. The NuGet package cache is shared with other .NET tools, so leave it alone.

What happens after you clear the Rider cache

Your projects stay in their own folders, and Invalidate Caches does not touch your settings or plugins. The first start afterwards is slower because indexing has to run again. Logs and older release folders belong to other versions or products, so they remain until you remove them yourself.

Save your open work and note which projects you have open.In the app, choose File > Invalidate Caches, then restart.Wait for the first start to finish indexing before judging the result.Quit the app before removing any old version folder from Caches.

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Account and sync: Paid JetBrains IDEs are activated with a JetBrains Account; settings can also be synced to that account with Backup and Sync.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes. Folders marked “Yes, rebuilt automatically” are rebuilt automatically; removing them only makes the next start slower.

Will my projects still open after clearing?

Yes. Projects stay in their own folders, and the IDE only keeps a .idea folder inside each project.

Why is the first start slow after clearing?

The app rebuilds its indexes from scratch, so it takes longer until indexing finishes.