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How to Completely Uninstall MongoDB Compass on Mac

To remove MongoDB Compass, quit the app and drag it to the Trash. However, this action only removes the application binary and does not delete associated data folders.

Last updated: 3 min read

Remove MongoDB Compass and everything it leaves behind

MongoDB Compass data usually takes 200 MB – 2 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+

Application
MongoDB Compass
Typical data size
200 MB – 2 GB
Category
Developer Tools
File Location
~/Library/Application Support/MongoDB Compass

Manual cleanup steps

  1. Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
  2. Move MongoDB Compass from the Applications folder to the Trash.
  3. Remove the folders MongoDB Compass left behind, listed in the table below.
  4. Empty the Trash to free up the space.

Everything MongoDB Compass keeps on your Mac

2 locations. Tick each one as you remove it; back up anything marked as your data first.

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

What MongoDB Compass leaves behind

Specific to MongoDB Compass

Dragging the app to the Trash leaves behind preference files and a support folder containing 200 MB – 2 GB of data. These remaining files include your saved connections, favorite queries, logs, and various automatically rebuilt caches. Because it is an Electron app, these items are stored separately in the Library and remain on your disk until you manually delete them.

License
MongoDB Compass is free.

Preparing to uninstall MongoDB Compass

Before removal, ensure you have backed up all personal configurations since deleting the app does not preserve accessibility to these settings. You should secure your connection strings and credentials externally. Since the databases you browse are stored on your servers and not locally, those records are unaffected by the uninstallation process.

0 of 4 done

By hand or with OptiClear

By handWith OptiClear
Places to check2 folders, one by oneOne scan
File sizesYou look them up yourselfShown for every item
Removing the wrong thingEasy to delete the wrong folderGoes to the Trash first, so it can be restored
CostFreeScan is free; cleaning needs Pro (yearly plan has a 7-day free trial)

See it working

OptiClear — Scan overview — every category on one screen
Scan overview — every category on one screen
OptiClear — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach
Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach
OptiClear — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you
Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you

Try it without risk

  1. Download and scan for freeSee every MongoDB Compass file and its size. No account needed.
  2. Clean free for 7 daysStart the 7-day free trial of the yearly plan inside the app.
  3. Keep it or cancelCancel in your App Store settings at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won't be charged.
Download free and scan

After the free trial, Pro costs $39.99 per year in your country's App Store; cancel any time.

Frequently asked questions

Not all of them. Folders marked “Back up first: your data” hold your own MongoDB Compass data: back them up before removing them. Folders marked “Yes, rebuilt automatically” are rebuilt automatically; removing them only makes the next start slower. Folders marked “Yes, settings reset” hold settings, which return to their defaults.
Where are my saved connections stored on macOS?
They are located in ~/Library/Application Support/MongoDB Compass along with your favorite queries and logs.
Will uninstalling the app delete my actual database data?
No, because the databases you browse are kept on your MongoDB servers, not within the app folders.

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