Apps
Blender
Local Blender profile folders accumulate per-version thumbnail caches, temporary script bytecode such as Python .pyc files, and small cache databases created while browsing assets, startup files, and recent projects. These files exist to speed up the File Browser, add-on loading, and repeated launches, but they can become stale after Blender upgrades, add-on changes, or moved asset paths. Kudu removes Blender’s disposable thumbnail and script cache data without touching .blend projects, preferences, add-ons you installed, saved startup settings, accounts, or passwords.
Why clean Blender?
- Stale thumbnail caches after files are renamed, moved, or overwritten make the File Browser show the wrong preview image, so you click a model or texture that does not match what Blender displays
- Cached Python bytecode from older add-on or script versions can conflict with updated source files, leading to startup errors, disabled panels, or operators that suddenly stop appearing
- Per-version cache folders keep growing as you browse large asset libraries, so disk usage climbs and folder views become cluttered even though the original projects are unchanged
- Thumbnail databases and cache files can retain references to missing network or external asset paths, causing slow pauses while the File Browser waits on locations that no longer exist
- After upgrading Blender, leftover script cache from the previous build can force a slower first launch and odd UI hiccups until Blender recompiles and rebuilds its caches cleanly
- Corrupted preview cache entries can cause blank or broken thumbnails for materials, HDRIs, and .blend assets, making asset selection harder until the previews are regenerated
- If Blender stores cache metadata in SQLite, page fragmentation can waste space and slow lookups; a VACUUM rewrites the database compactly without deleting rows, while cache cleaning removes only disposable metadata
What gets cleaned
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%AppData%/Blender Foundation/Blender |
macOS
~/Library/Application Support/Blender |
Linux
~/.cache/blender |
Frequently asked
Common questions about Blender
Related cleaners
Free & open source
Download Kudu and reclaim your disk space.
Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No account required, no feature gates, no telemetry without consent. All cleaning targets are open source and community-auditable.