Where Does Cargo Store Crates and Toolchains?
Cargo ~/.cargo registry cache plus rustup toolchains folder on Windows, macOS and Linux.
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Cargo keeps downloaded crates in a registry cache under .cargo in your home folder, with the git checkouts beside it. rustup toolchains live in .rustup next door.
CARGO_HOME and RUSTUP_HOME relocate both. Disk hungry Rust installs are almost always old toolchains plus registry src copies.
Where Cargo (Rust) stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\.cargo\registry
Toolchains under %USERPROFILE%\.rustup\toolchains. The cache subcommand reports sizes before you prune.
~/.cargo/registry
Same layout. Toolchain uninstall command drops versions you no longer target.
~/.cargo/registry
Same layout. Registry src copies are read only; let cargo manage them instead of editing in place.
Frequently asked questions
How do I free Rust disk space safely?
Remove unused toolchains and run the cargo cache cleanup. Registry caches re download on next build.
Where are my Rust binaries from install?
In .cargo/bin on PATH. The registry folder holds dependency sources, not your compiled programs.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.