Developer IDEs

How to Completely Uninstall Rider on Mac

To remove Rider, either uninstall it via the JetBrains Toolbox app if you used it for installation, or drag the application icon to the Trash. Simply moving the app to the Trash does not remove its associated data folders.

Last updated: November 1, 20263 min read

Remove Rider and everything it leaves behind

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.

Scan your Mac free

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

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

Rider has its own uninstaller

Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
If installed through JetBrains Toolbox, uninstall it there; otherwise drag the app to the Trash and delete only the Rider version folders in Caches, Application Support and Logs, since other JetBrains IDEs share those parents.
Remove the folders Rider left behind, listed in the table below.
Empty the Trash to free up the space.

Everything Rider keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Caches/JetBrains Cache · indexes and caches of JetBrains IDEs, one subfolder per product and version Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains App data · settings and plugins for every JetBrains IDE, one folder per version Back up first: your data~/Library/Logs/JetBrains Logs · IDE logs for every JetBrains IDE, one folder per version Only if no other app uses it~/RiderProjects Your files · default folder for new Rider projects Back up first: your data~/Library/Preferences/com.jetbrains.rider.plist Settings · app preferences Yes, settings reset~/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 Rider leaves behind

Specific to Rider

Dragging the app to the Trash preserves settings, plugins, indexes, and logs. Because each release creates its own versioned folder, old installations can occupy 2 GB – 30 GB over time. These remain in your library alongside your projects in ~/RiderProjects. To fully clean the system, manually delete only the versioned folders belonging to the app within the Caches, Application Support, and Logs directories.

Background items: JetBrains Toolbox, if used, keeps its own app and settings under ~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/Toolbox.
License: Rider is free for non-commercial use; commercial use needs a subscription tied to a JetBrains Account.
Account and sync: Paid JetBrains IDEs are activated with a JetBrains Account; settings can also be synced to that account with Backup and Sync.

Preparing to uninstall Rider

Before removal, ensure all work is saved and accounts are handled. Your license is tied to your JetBrains Account, but local preferences and custom configurations reside in your library. Since the app shares some parent folders with other products from the same company, avoid deleting entire directory trees. Quit the app before attempting to remove any of its support files.

Commit or move projects outside of the IDE foldersExport settings via File > Manage IDE Settings > Export SettingsTurn on Backup and Sync or log out via Help > RegisterQuit the app before deleting any files

0 of 4 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	6 folders, one by one	One scan
File sizes	You look them up yourself	Shown for every item
Removing the wrong thing	Easy to delete the wrong folder	Goes to the Trash first, so it can be restored
Cost	Free	Scan 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

Download and scan for freeSee every Rider file and its size. No account needed.
Clean free for 7 daysStart the 7-day free trial of the yearly plan inside the app.
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 Rider data: back them up before removing them. Items marked “Only if no other app uses it” are also used by other apps from the same company; keep them while any of those apps is installed. 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.

Will deleting the app remove my .NET SDK?

No, the .NET SDK and NuGet package cache are shared with other tools and are not removed.

Does removing the app cancel my subscription?

No, the license follows your JetBrains Account regardless of whether the app is installed.