diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/core/base.py b/src/spikeinterface/core/base.py
index b51bace55f..1a8674697a 100644
--- a/src/spikeinterface/core/base.py
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/core/base.py
@@ -788,7 +788,7 @@ def save_to_memory(self, **kwargs) -> "BaseExtractor":
         return cached
 
     # TODO rename to saveto_binary_folder
-    def save_to_folder(self, name=None, folder=None, verbose=True, **save_kwargs):
+    def save_to_folder(self, name=None, folder=None, overwrite=False, verbose=True, **save_kwargs):
         """
         Save extractor to folder.
 
@@ -819,6 +819,8 @@ def save_to_folder(self, name=None, folder=None, verbose=True, **save_kwargs):
         folder: None str or Path
             Name of the folder.
             If "folder" is given, "name" must be None.
+        overwrite: bool, default: False
+            If True, the folder is removed if it already exists
 
         Returns
         -------
@@ -839,7 +841,12 @@ def save_to_folder(self, name=None, folder=None, verbose=True, **save_kwargs):
                         print(f"Use cache_folder={folder}")
         else:
             folder = Path(folder)
-        assert not folder.exists(), f"folder {folder} already exists, choose another name"
+        if overwrite and folder.is_dir():
+            import shutil
+
+            shutil.rmtree(folder)
+
+        assert not folder.exists(), f"folder {folder} already exists, choose another name or use overwrite=True"
         folder.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=False)
 
         # dump provenance