SoftPerfect Virtual Disk Trim reclaims host storage by rebuilding virtual machine disk images without blocks that the guest file system marks as unused. It supports VHDX, VHD, VMDK, VDI, qcow2 and raw images, along with file systems used by Windows, Linux and macOS guests. Images can be analyzed, trimmed individually or processed in folders without starting a virtual machine or installing its hypervisor.
| Author: | SoftPerfect |
| License: | Shareware |
| Price: | $29.00 |
| Released: | Oct 9, 2026 |
| File size: | 6.86 MB |
| Downloads: | 25 |
| Keywords: | softperfect, virtual disk image tool, kvm, proxmox, qcow2, vmware, disk image, reclaim space, VHDX, trim vmdk file, qemu, VMDK, trim, virtualbox, shrink virtual disk, hyper-v, compact, virtual machine, raw, shrink, reclaim vm disk space, windows, compact vhdx image, VHD, virtual disk, virtual disk trim, VDI |
| Author URL: | https://www.softperfect.com |
SoftPerfect Virtual Disk Trim reduces the host storage used by virtual machine disk images after data has been deleted inside the guest. Virtual disks commonly grow as files are added but retain their allocated space when those files are removed. The utility examines the guest file system's record of used blocks and rebuilds the image without unused areas. It is intended for administrators and virtual machine users who need to reclaim storage without starting the guest or installing its hypervisor.
The program works with VHDX, VHD, VMDK, VDI, qcow2 and raw disk images, including split VMDK files. It supports file systems used by Windows, Linux and macOS guests, such as NTFS, FAT, exFAT, ext2/3/4, XFS, btrfs, APFS and HFS+. LVM volumes and Linux swap are also supported. Since the image is read directly, the virtual machine does not need to be running, the disk is not mounted, and guest files are not modified. Free space does not have to be overwritten with zeros before processing.
Before replacing an image, Virtual Disk Trim reads the rebuilt result and compares it with the original. Users can instead save the trimmed result as a separate copy. The program can also omit page, swap and inactive hibernation files. It checks images for conditions that make trimming unsafe, including snapshots, encryption, a disk currently in use or a guest that was not shut down cleanly, and reports why it declines to process an image. These safeguards help users identify unsuitable files before changing their storage workflow.
A graphical interface supports processing individual images, while folder processing handles collections in one operation. A command-line tool provides batch processing and JSON reports, and can convert supported image formats while trimming. The utility does not require Hyper-V, VMware, VirtualBox, QEMU, KVM or Proxmox to be installed, making it useful for managing images independently of the platform that created them. Its analysis function estimates recoverable space for images without trimming them.
This Windows edition requires 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11; the software is also available for macOS and Linux. The interface offers multiple languages. Analysis is free and unlimited, while trimming requires a licence. Virtual Disk Trim is shareware.