➤ 13 Best Mac & Windows Data Recovery Software (2024)

What is the best data recovery software?

Here are my top picks for the best data recovery software to use this year.

1. Cleverfiles Disk Drill Data Recovery.

Disk Drill Data Recovery is the best data recovery software out there. It's simple to use and yet offers several features and options that can help you with even the most difficult recoveries.

Rating: 9.3/10
Best for: General
Price: $0-$499
Annual discount: No

Try Disk Drill Data Recovery

Disk Drill Data Recovery is an impressive data recovery tool for Windows and Mac.

It is a user-friendly tool used to retrieve data from a plethora of devices using highly advanced analysis algorithms.

The good news is that it's a holistic, DIY data recovery application, which means it's also suitable for beginners.

Best for

It is ideal for technicians and IT specialists to recover lost or encrypted customer files, remotely or on site.

Features

Full data recovery - Enables global data recovery regardless of the cause of data loss.
Full file system recovery - It can recover your data from file systems like NTFS, FAT32, HFS+, EXT, etc.
Multiple scan option - Allows you to use scan options like quick scan, deep scan, etc.
High-end data protection - Don't wait for your data to be lost. On the contrary, it starts to protect all of your data 24 hours a day.
Recovery Vault feature - This feature helps protect your existing files and prevent data loss.

Pricing

Disk Drill offers three pricing plans, namely the “Free,” “Pro,” and “Enterprise” plans.

The latter two cost 89 and 499 dollars respectively.

Start using Disk Drill Data Recovery software for Windows hither.
Start using Disk Drill Data Recovery for Mac hither.

Try Disk Drill Data Recovery

2. EaseUS.

EaseUS is another great tool to consider if you are looking for data recovery software. With millions of users worldwide, EaseUS has proven to be a reliable and powerful data recovery tool that can get the job done.

Rating: 8.8/10
Best for: IT professionals
Price: $69.95/month - $149.95/month
Yearly discount: Yes - Save 31%

Try EaseUS

EaseUS is one of the most reliable data recovery tools, used in 160 countries by over 530 million users.

It helps you recover lost files in just a few clicks and is compatible with Windows and Mac.

Best for

Its usability and the richness of its functionalities make it an ideal tool for professional use as well as for individual use.

Professionally, it is especially suitable for consultants, technicians, IT specialists and other service providers.

Features

Robust backup methods - Provides numerous backup methods including scheduled, incremental, differential, and full backups.
Centralized Management - Offers a holistic, centralized management console.
Disk Management - All-in-one disk management optimizes the use of your drives and helps you make the best use of internal and external storage.
Multiple Support - Support for MBR and GPT drives, hardware RAID, UEFI boot, WinPE boot disk, NAS, etc.
Bootable media - Recover lost data even when your system can't boot.

Pricing

It offers various pricing plans depending on your operating system and needs.

3. Stellar Data Recovery.

Stellar Data Recovery is a cross-platform software that is compatible with almost any type of file. It can also recover lost or deleted data on any storage media, including hard drives, solid state drives, memory cards, USB drives, and more.

Rating: 8.5/10
Best for: Windows and Mac
Price: $59.99/year/$299/year
Annual discount: No

Stellar Data Recovery is a safe and easy to use software that is available for Windows and Mac.

It can help you recover data, photos, videos, files, emails, and other documents from internal hard drives and all removable data storage devices.

Best for

It is a tool suitable for IT professionals looking to recover lost files on their systems. The good news is that you can use Stellar Data Recovery even if you are a beginner.

Features

Video recovery - Can recover data from DSLRs, drones, digicam, cameras, and your cell phones.
Formatted drive recovery - Support for data recovery in NTFS, FAT, FAT16, FAT32, and exFAT file systems.
RAW recovery - You can use this module if you are unable to recover data after other normal and advanced analysis options.
Deep Scan - This feature comes in handy when you are unable to find the desired partition even after scanning the entire hard drive.

Pricing

Stellar Data Recovery is available in several formulas.

They range from $59.99 to $299.

4. Kernel Data Recovery.

Kernel offers a wide range of data migration and recovery solutions, making it an excellent choice for those who want to ensure that their data migration process runs smoothly.

Rating: 8.1/10
Best for: All purpose
Price: Various
Annual discount: No
Promotion: 30-day warranty

Try Kernel Data Recovery

Kernel is one of the best data recovery tools that offers a wide range of data migration and recovery solutions.

Its intuitive interface and ease of use make it the first choice for all types of industries, whether it's a small business or a large business.

Best for

It's a great data recovery tool for professionals from all walks of life, whether you're a beginner or an expert technician.

Features

Holistic database recovery - It can repair and access inaccessible files from SQL, Access, SharePoint, MySQL, Paradox.
File recovery - It allows you to repair and recover MS Office issues.
Calc repair - This is an effective tool for recovering inaccessible data from ODS files, such as rows, columns, cell data, images, charts.
Video Repair Tool - Specific tool to repair corrupt and damaged video files
Virtual Disk Recovery - A tool to recover data from corrupt or damaged VHD/ VHDX files.

Pricing

Pricing is based on a quote and may vary depending on the specific needs of the business.

You should contact the sales representative to find out the actual cost based on your needs.

5. DoYourData.

If you have deleted your data unintentionally or if your hard drive has been formatted, DoYourData can still help you recover your lost data. Even if you have accidentally formatted your hard drive, DoYourData can scan your drive and recover your lost data.

Rating: 7.8/10
Best for: Experts
Price: $49/mo-$89/one-time
Yearly discount: Yes - Save 29%
Promotion: 30-day trial

Try DoYourData

DoYourData is one of the most powerful and easy to use data recovery tools to recover formatted, lost, and deleted data.

It is compatible with operating systems like Windows 10, Vista, and Mac OS, and offers 100% security to its users.

Additionally, the tool focuses on retrieving data by yourself, so you don't necessarily need prior technical experience.

Best for

The tool is particularly suitable for enterprise-level security experts who need to recover and erase data.

Features

Raw recovery - You can recover damaged files generated by raw hard drives, system failures, distribution losses, and more.
Recovering deleted files - This feature helps you recover files deleted by the “Shift+ del” function and those that were deleted from the trash.
Deep Scan - This advanced feature helps recover corrupt files that are not accessible by quick scans.
Flexible options - You can import/export data recovery scan results, pause/stop scans, and quickly locate files.

Pricing

There is a basic free version for minimal functionality.

Then, paid plans start at $49 per month depending on the length of your license.

A lifetime license costs 89 dollars.

6. PhotoRec.

PhotoRec is a free, open-source recovery software that can help you recover video and audio files, documents, texts, archives, and images.

It is particularly useful for digital camera recovery and provides the best results even in the case of a damaged or corrupt target system.

Best for

This tool is suitable for professional photographers and creative artists who work with digital cameras and DSLR photographs. It's also ideal for business and personal users who are on a budget.

Features

Read-only access - This type of access, when manipulating target devices, allows you to avoid rewriting or overwriting.
Extensive file format recovery - Retrieves numerous formats like ZIP, Office, PDF, HTML, JPEG, etc.
Add a custom file signature - This can help detect and recover lesser-known files.
File splitting - The tool uses this method and reassembles files from fragments when metadata is not available.

Pricing

PhotoRec comes with two recovery modes, namely “Paranoid” and “Expert.” Both are free.

7. UNDELETE 360.

UNDELETE 360 is a great tool that retrieves and restores accidentally deleted files from your computer, trash, digital camera, flash drive, etc.

Its efficient algorithm covers accidental deletions, virus attacks, software, and computer crashes.

Best for

UNDELETE 360 is more suitable for technicians or IT specialists who need to do a lot of work in a limited amount of time. It's also useful for professionals in specific teams as well as for enterprise-wide deployment.

Features

Classification of entries - Each time you enter a file to be recovered, it is ranked according to the chances of recovering the data.
Excellent filtering function - The filter function allows you to precisely locate the location of your files (photos, videos, and Word documents).
Pop-up tips - Even if you don't take the initiative, pop-ups ask for the configuration of the desired recovery options.
File recovery tools - It helps you open files that are difficult to open and access.

Pricing

It's completely free.

8. Remo Recover.

Remo Recover is another standout tool on this list, available for both Windows and Mac.

It is capable of recovering data from a wide range of devices.

Additionally, the interactive interface of the tool helps you recover all the data quite easily.

Best for

It is ideal for IT technicians working in a professional environment. In addition, it is suitable for both individuals and large companies.

Features

Global file system compatibility - It can recover data from file systems like FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5, and exFAT.
Creating a disk image - Helps you create a disk image of your hard drive by bypassing bad sectors.
Multi-network compatibility - Can recover files from formatted, deleted, or damaged partitions in networks like RAID0, RAID1, and RAID5.

Pricing

There are different versions for Windows, Mac, and Android. Packages start at $39.97 and go up to $79.97.

9. Recuva.

Recuva is user-friendly and one of the most affordable data recovery tools on this list. It focuses on efficiency and speed of use, and can restore any type of file.

The good news is that you don't necessarily need to install it, making it one of the more flexible options out there.

However, it only works on the Windows operating system.

Best for

The basic version is ideal for personal use. The other versions are excellent for professional use by software engineers and technical consultants.

Features

Deep Scan - This feature allows you to search your device for any traces of deleted or lost files.
Secure overwrite function - Their military-standard deletion techniques ensure that files remain deleted.
Damaged file recovery software - It can recover files from damaged and recently formatted drives. It also allows you to access file previews and access your recovered files
Wizard Recovery Mode - Specific mode to help novice users recover data.

Pricing

The basic software costs $19.95, but you can upgrade to the full suite for $10 more and pay $29.95.

10. Jihosoft.

Jihosoft is a data recovery tool that is only compatible with Android devices.

However, it can work on Windows and Mac systems for data recovery.

In addition, it supports over 6000 Android phones and tablets and works perfectly with Android v2.1 to v9.0 operating systems.

Best for

It is suitable for smartphone repairers and IT technicians who are often faced with the problem of recovering data on Android systems. It is also ideal for SMEs, start-ups and freelancers.

Features

Global Data Recovery - You can recover a wide range of data like contacts, photos, audio and video files, call history, Whatsapp, and Viber data.
Analysis and preview - Allows you to scan and preview all recoverable files and then selectively recover them.
Recovery from multiple data loss scenarios - You can easily recover data in the event of a factory reset, malware attacks, and more.

Pricing

There are 2 editions available, one for Windows and the other for Mac. They both cost $59.

11. TestDisk.

Just like PhotoRec, TestDisk is also a free and powerful data recovery software.

It helps you recover lost partitions and make unbootable disks bootable again.

Additionally, it can recover data very effectively in the event of faulty software, human error, or virus attack.

Best for

This tool is suitable for IT technicians, SMEs and freelancers, especially because of its open-source nature.

Features

File system and partition support - You can recover many different file systems and partition layouts.
Multiple Disk Partition Recognition - Can recognize patterns like Intel Partition Table, Apple Partition Map, Sun Solaris Slice, GUID Partition Table, etc.
Open source - ensures that the tool is highly customizable and completely free.

Pricing

As it is an open source platform, it is completely free.

However, you can donate for maintenance and improvements.

12. R Studio.

Enriched by the latest data recovery technologies, R Studio is one of the most comprehensive and advanced data recovery solutions.

In addition, it is intuitive and user-friendly and is a weapon of choice against the uncertainty associated with periodic data loss.

Best for

It's a bit technical, and a beginner might find it a bit difficult to use. It is best suited for experts who deal with customer data in a business environment.

Features

Raw file recovery - Specific recovery mode for damaged or unknown file systems.
Holistic functionality - Can work in multiple data loss situations and on local and network drives, even if these partitions are formatted, damaged, or deleted.
Flexible set-up - It gives you absolute control over data recovery.
Advanced data recovery algorithm - It increases the quality of file recovery in cases of undamaged files. It also helps you recover files that you cannot otherwise recognize in the file system metadata.
DeepSpar Disk Imager integration - Offers specific integration with DeepSpar for recovering data from hard drives with hardware issues.

Pricing

The price of the tool starts at $49.99 and can go up to $899.99.

13. Paragon Software.

Paragon Software is one of the best data recovery solutions available.

It is a comprehensive tool that helps you protect your data from threats and incidents such as hardware failures, faulty hard drives, system errors, system crashes, ransomware, and more.

In addition, it is a user-friendly and intuitive tool that is used by over 6 million people worldwide.

Best for

It is an excellent choice for novices starting out in an SME or a start-up. It is suitable for both small-scale use and large-scale use by seasoned experts who are a bit on a tight budget.

Features

Emergency Rescue - Create a WinPE recovery environment at startup in case of emergency. You can access your PC and hard drives and restore sessions even if Windows doesn't start up.
Automated backups - Set and perform backups automatically at predefined time intervals.
Instant restore - You can quickly restore your operating system, installed programs, and settings in the event of a hardware failure.
Disk Space Management - Allows old backup images to be automatically deleted.

Pricing

For personal use and for up to three licenses, this software costs $79.95.

For professional purposes, you should use the version”Hard Disk Manager“.

Note: Other tools that are not yet on this list include Prosoft Data Rescue 5, MiniTool Power Data Recovery, Wise Data Recovery, and Piriform CCleaner.

What is data recovery software?

Simply put, data recovery software backs up and restores your data.

These tools are capable of examining, identifying, scanning, and extracting usable copies of corrupted, formatted, or deleted data in a reusable form.

Sometimes, data recovery tools can also help you recover information from a system that is a victim of cybercrime or espionage.

In this case, built-in mechanisms hide data that you can no longer access normally. These tools make it possible to break data encryption to access and recover files.

Most data recovery tools are also capable of reversing actions such as deleting the trash and deleting using the “Shift+ del” function.

It also takes care of accidental deletions.

Because of the prevalence of cybersecurity crimes, data recovery tools have become a necessity rather than a luxury.

Some of the most striking examples include: Disk Drill Data Recovery, EaseUS and Stellar.

Data recovery software use cases

There are a lot of different use cases for data recovery software.

Some people use it to recover files that have been accidentally deleted, while others use it to recover data from damaged or corrupt storage devices.

Additionally, data recovery software can be used to create backups of important files or to copy data from one storage device to another.

Whatever your needs are, there's likely a data recovery solution that will meet your needs.

A common use case for data recovery software is the recovery of files that have been accidentally deleted.

You may have deleted a file from your computer's hard drive, or a document from your USB flash drive.

In either case, if the file was important to you, you would want to be able to recover it. Data recovery software can often undo the accidental deletion of files, allowing you to recover them and get back to work.

Another common use case for data recovery software is recovering data from damaged or corrupt storage devices.

If your hard drive crashes or if your USB flash drive is corrupt, the data on it may become inaccessible.

However, data recovery software can often extract data from these damaged storage devices, allowing you to recover your important files.

Additionally, data recovery software can be used to create backups of important files. This is especially helpful if you have sensitive data that you can't afford to lose.

By creating regular backups using data recovery software, you ensure that you always have a copy of your important files, even if something happens to the originals.

Finally, data recovery software can also be used to copy data from one storage device to another.

This is useful if you need to migrate data from an old storage device to a new one, or if you need to move data from one computer to another.

Data recovery software makes this process quick and easy, allowing you to get your data back where it needs to go without any issues.

How do I use data recovery software?

Using data recovery software starts with corrupting or deleting data from a hard drive.

If you don't take the necessary precautions to recover the data, you could lose it forever.

This is why experts usually do most of the data recovery work in businesses.

But how do you use such a tool if you are a novice?

Here are a few steps:

Most of these tools offer a limited trial version. It's a good idea to try a free data recovery software or a trial version before making a final purchase.
Test unknown waters with the trial version and try to recover some damaged files.
Try to assess the usability, the specifics of the dashboard, the speed, the intuitiveness of the interface.
Determine if the features of the tool match the needs of your business.
If you think the trial version meets your expectations and is reasonably powerful, you can proceed with the purchase.
If you like the demo version, chances are you'll also like the paid version.

What should you look for in data recovery software?

The type of data recovery software you want may vary depending on the needs of your business.

But some of the essential characteristics that you should have are the following:

Maintaining the folder hierarchy - The tool should maintain the hierarchy of folders on the disk so that you can find each directory in its original format after the recovery is complete.
Option to search for a specific file location - This option can help locate a particular file through a simple search, in order to make it easier for users.
Sorting retrieved items by name and size - The option to sort files however you want can save you valuable time and effort. Otherwise it becomes extremely tedious.
Recover files from the empty trash - Sometimes you need to recover deleted files from the trash. That's why it's always handy to have this feature in your data recovery software.
Recover data from formatted and raw partition - It can help you against accidental or sometimes intentional formatting and restore all data.
Restoring corrupt media files - It allows you to restore corrupt media files like photos, audio files, music files, etc. in case you need them later.

Aside from that, you might also want features like preview options, FAT & NTFS partition recovery, and more.

FAQs

How do I know if I need data recovery software?

You should use data recovery software if you have lost or deleted files unintentionally and the files are no longer accessible through Windows Explorer.

You can also use data recovery software to restore files that have been damaged by a virus or other type of malicious software.

Can I use data recovery software on my Mac?

Yes, most data recovery software is designed to work with Windows and Mac operating systems.

What type of files can I recover with data recovery software?

You can usually recover most file types with data recovery software. However, the specific file types that are supported vary depending on the software you are using.

What should I do if my computer won't start up?

If your computer does not boot, you will need to use a bootable CD or USB drive to launch the data recovery software. Some data recovery software can also be installed on another computer and used to recover files from a damaged or non-functional computer.

What should I do if I can't find my files?

If you cannot find your files, you can use the search function of the data recovery software to help you locate them. You can also try to use the file preview feature to view the contents before retrieving them.

Summary.

To fight cybercriminals and bad actors, data recovery tools are more important than ever.

And there are plenty of data recovery tools to choose from.

However, it is essential that you choose according to your business needs and keep your budget in mind.

For example, if you need a tool for personal use and don't want to spend a lot, you could try a free option like PhotoRec or TestDisk.

And if you need a more feature-rich tool like Stellar or EaseUS, sign up for a trial and get started today.

In the end, choose the tool that best fits your business requirements, personal preferences, and database software.