We've put the best data recovery software to the test, from ultra-powerful platforms to free options when you just need to restore smaller files from your devices. With so much of our lives stored in data files on our phones and computers, recovery software is an absolute essential to retrieve lost, deleted, or corrupted data if anything happens to them.
Having tested all the top tools for Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile devices Easeus Data Recovery Wizard is awarded our Editor's Choice badge. This powerful platform is suitable for individuals and businesses, performed exceptionally well in our extensive restoration tests, and offers good value for money compared to competitors. Bonus points, too, for offering a free data recovery plan, too (even if it is capped at 2GB).
For those looking for a more advance program, Stellar also stood out as a top-performing system that works across desktop and mobile devices, with support for byte-to-byte disk backup and restoration and encrypted disk scanning. Read the full reviews below for more.
If you need additional options to secure your data, see our guides to the best cloud backup, and best disk cloning software we've tested.
Best overall
EaseUS has long been one of the go-to in the data recovery software world with its Data Recovery Wizard.
And 'Wizard' is absolutely the right word here. In testing this software, we found it extremely easy to use, particularly when using the modern, beginner-friendly interface.
There are two scan types available: a quick scan, which sees the Data Recovery Wizard read the drive's file directory and master files to see what's recently been deleted. Quick is accurate here, and we clocked it usually taking seconds, but maybe up to a minute depending on how packed the drive is.
Once this is complete, the deep scan begins, which will be more useful for files that have been corrupted or wiped accidentally. This takes longer, but we can't fault performance. And even during the deep scan, we could comfortably use our computer for general tasks while the app worked away in the background.
Considering what's on offer here, we felt it offered very good value for money, letting you recover over a thousand file formats, including documents, photos and videos, and apps. It's not the cheapest on the market, but that's more than balanced out by the extensive options, features, and performance.
One of the most useful feature is file preview, so you can check you're restoring the right files prior to the recovery process. There's even a 2GB free data recovery service here, which probably won't be enough to restore your drive, but we did think it useful for testing out the software.
Overall, the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro does everything most people will need to restore lost files, with performance that's more than deserving of our Editor's Choice award.
Read our full EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro review.
Best for advanced users
When it comes to data loss, we've always found Stellar Data Recovery to be one of the best out there - but particularly for advanced users and businesses.
We found the software to be reliable, with options to recover even customizable file types. This is particularly interesting, as it means by either defining the file extension or uploading raw file formats of the same, the software will detect the file structure to find others of the same type that have been lost or corrupted.
There are scanning options - a quick scan and a deep scan. Now, when we ran the quick scan on an external hard drive, the process took 25 minutes, which in the world of data recovery isn't especially quick at all. But you do have the ability to pause and resume scans. Nor could we view the deleted files until the scan had fully completed, unlike rivals like EaseUS where this is an option. So, overall, it's a slow process, but the results were very good.
Using the software itself is relatively straightforward, but there is a learning curve here. For example, selecting to pause a scan will do just that - but you won't be able to return to the main screen to scan another drive; click stop and you'll need to re-scan the entire drive all over again. It's all a little quirky, and if you're coming from another tool, it may take time getting used to how best to operate Stellar.
But we have relatively few complaints beyond that. The core function is great, and value for money is superb, with well-priced plans and a good set of features and tools.
Read our full Stellar Data Recovery review.
Best for Mac
For data recovery on Mac devices, Disk Drill remains our top overall choice. While plenty of other software works on Apple's operating system (and this one works on Windows, too), we found the deep macOS scanning via KEXT gives Disk Drill the edge over competitors. Add in free Mac clean-up and a duplicate file finder and you have an exceptionally well-rounded, high-performance tool here.
Using the tool is very simple thanks to an intuitively color-coded interface that feels modern, staying easy to navigate and understand through the recovery process. If we had one complaint, it's that Disk Drill doesn't save your scans. So, after completion, you can view what's been found, but if you return to the main screen before restoration, you'll need to perform a re-scan.
Based on our testing, the feature-set is excellent. There's wide file format support, byte-to-byte backups, and plenty of free tools for monitoring device health across the Apple, Windows, and Android ecosystems.
One of the highlights for us was Advanced Camera Recovery. This featured worked beautifully, letting you restore corrupted and lost image and video files from everything from cameras to drones. If you're a content creator, this is a real stand-out feature. Another tool we really liked was the recovery chance calculator, which does exactly what you think it does: it estimates your chances of a file recovery before you even begin.
Now, we did feel scanning could be slow overall - more than ten hours for a 1TB external drive scan. However, internal drives are a lot faster, with our own tests taking around five minutes to scan 600GB of data.
Price-wise, it's not the cheapest out there, but this accounts for the ability to add it to three devices (many only let you run the software on a single device). We find the lifetime license offers the best value here.
Overall, using Disk Drill felt seamless and beginner-friendly, and we experienced no data recovery issues during our time using it.
Read our full Disk Drill data recovery review.
Best for device coverage
While there are plenty of data recovery tools on the market, very few are as comprehensive as AnyRecover. The utility is available not just for Windows and Mac but is also designed to recover data from iOS and Android devices.
AnyRecover touts itself as a data recovery solution for over 500 data loss scenarios for over 2000 different types of devices. The website also claims that over 1000 file formats are supported.
In our first test with AnyRecover, we found it was able to recover 92% of files that had been deleted from a drive, with filenames intact.
The second test was performed on a drive which had been formatted after the files were deleted. In that case AnyRecover was able to successfully restore 64% of the missing files, without their filenames.
Our final test simulated a corrupted/damaged drive. AnyRecover didn't see this at first but as soon as we clicked "Couldn't Find Location" from within the utility, the drive appeared and scanning began. AnyRecover was able to restore all but one of the missing files with their filenames.
AnyRecover can be downloaded free of charge from the main website by clicking "Try it Now". You can use the free version to 'Preview' certain file types and recover up to 100MB of data in up to 8 files.
If you choose to buy in, AnyRecover can be installed on up to three devices and two PCs with a $59.99 monthly subscription, while a yearly subscription is $79.99. A lifetime licence is $99.99 and covers five devices and three PCs right now.
It seems a little bizarre to purchase a one-month plan, in our opinion, and especially at the moment when lifetime access is just $40 more.
Read our full AnyRecover Review.
Best for RAID
Ontrack EasyRecovery is a wide-ranging data loss recovery tool designed for everything from individuals to enterprise and government departments. But what really caught our eye was the RAID recovery, which you don't always find from similar software. Now, of course, it recovers lots of file formats from a whole range of devices, but that support for lost or formatted RAID volumes really stands out to us.
It's worth noting that RAID volumes does require a higher-tier plan, which is more expensive. However, in general, we found costs to be competitively priced and about what you'd expect from others in the market.
Alongside RAID recovery, there's also options to restore files from CDs, DVDs, and external drives - although exactly what features you get depends on which plan you're on.
It's all very easy to use, with a modern look and feel. Even if you're new to recovering data, you'll be up and running in no time. There is an option to preview files before recovery takes place, but you won't be able to actually do this properly until the scan is fully completed.
Scanning, which comes in two flavors - full 'quick' scan and deep scan - turned out to be slow for us. A 500GB drive took around an hour-and-a-half to scan. And that's for the quick option. The deep scan lasted up to five hours, depending on scan location and file complexity.
Performance was good, but not outstanding. True, CPU usage was relatively low at around 4% on average (most use about 10%), and we felt this harmed the overall effectiveness of the software. In some cases, deleted files weren't detected during testing.
Ontrack EasyRecovery is very good at those core functions most people need from a recovery platform, and one of the few to offer enterprise-grade solutions. But to get the most from the service, patience during slow scans and a higher-tier plan are essential.
Read our full OnTrack Data Recovery review.
Best for business
✅ You need to recover damaged and well as overwritten data: R-Studio’s advanced toolkit—covering RAID, granular file preview, and SMART monitoring—proved its reliability in our tests with even damaged or partially overwritten devices, making it ideal for business-critical recoveries.
✅ You have complex recovery scenarios: With 24/7 support and flexible enterprise licensing options, R-Studio is tailored for organizations that require continuous access and technical depth, not just basic file recovery.
❌ Flat pricing and intuitive setup matter to you: R-Studio’s pricing model is complex, with multiple license types and upgrade paths, and its interface demands more orientation than most entry-level tools.
❌ You expect minimal training and simple licensing: If user-friendliness and straightforward controls are your priority, EaseUS or similar tools offer a less technical experience than R-Studio’s admin-focused interface.
R-Studio stands out as a business-grade data recovery solution, offering a deeply capable toolkit that includes advanced features like RAID reconstruction, granular file previewing, and SMART monitoring. These are critical for organizations needing reliable, full-spectrum recovery. Its ability to handle recovery across virtually every major operating system, including Windows, Mac, and Linux, as well as working with networked and external drives, positions R-Studio as an ideal choice for IT teams supporting diverse device fleets. Unlike Stellar, R-Studio provides more robust disk management tools and broader platform support, giving it an edge for enterprises with complex infrastructure.
In our hands-on tests, R-Studio proved its reliability in challenging scenarios. When recovering from a damaged USB drive with missing media and file system issues, it completed the process quickly and efficiently, retrieving deeply buried files without data loss. This level of performance is essential for businesses that can't afford downtime or incomplete recoveries.
The user experience is geared towards IT admins: R-Studio detects new disks automatically, offers flexible scan controls, and enables granular filtering by file type or time range. The built-in file preview helps validate recoverability before committing to restore, saving time and reducing the risk of restoring corrupted assets.
Compared to EaseUS, which excels in simplicity and offers a generous free tier, and OnTrack, which is more transparent on pricing, R-Studio prioritizes depth and technical control. It's best suited for users who need thorough recovery features and don't mind a steeper learning curve to unlock powerful admin tools.
That said, R-Studio's pricing structure can be confusing, with multiple license tiers for different OSes and features. The interface also requires more orientation than entry-level tools, so it's not the most approachable option for simple, one-off recoveries.
R-Studio is a top pick for organizations that need robust, feature-rich recovery and round-the-clock support. If technical depth and enterprise readiness matter more than simplicity or cost transparency, it remains a leading choice.
Best free
Stellar Data Recovery is one of the best data recovery tools we’ve used, with highly customizable searches, a huge file-type library, and deep scan abilities. However, while a number of paid plans are available, there is also a free tier available.
Stellar Free Data Recovery Software offers up to 1GB of free data recovery for both Windows and Mac users. This enables users to retrieve deleted, lost, and unavailable objects from a hard drive, USB stick, or almost any other storage device. All of the advanced data recovery tools are otherwise available. This includes the ability to 'preview' from within Stellar Data Recovery, so you can check to see which files are recoverable even if you're over the 1GB free limit.
During our tests, we found that Stellar was able to recover files that had been deleted from the Recycle Bin without any issue whatsoever. It had less success with drives which had been formatted, however, only being able to recover around half the files. When we simulated a corrupted hard drive however, Stellar was able to recover 80% of the missing files. Scans were completed in seconds.
Overall, Stellar Data Recovery is a great file retrieval tool with powerful advanced options for business. In its simplest form, it enables anyone to retrieve lost data from a computer or external storage device. Paid subscriptions are a little expensive, but the free program’s impressive performance and user-friendly interface mean it's well worth using.
The only concern would be whether 1GB of free recovery is enough for your needs, or if one of the paid tiers would be worth considering instead.
Read our full Stellar Data Recovery review.
Compared
Provider: |
EaseUS |
Stellar |
Disk Drill |
AnyRecover |
OnTrack |
CrashPlan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Devices: |
Windows, Mac, HDD/SSD, SD, USB/Pen Drive, NAS, more |
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, HDD/SSD, SD, USB/Pen Drive, NAS, more |
Windows, Mac, iOS (via Mac version), Android (via Mac version), HDD/SSD, SD, USB/Pen Drive, NAS, more |
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, HDD/SSD, SD, USB/Pen Drive, NAS, more |
Windows, Mac, HDD/SSD, SD, USB/Pen Drive, NAS, more |
Windows, Mac, Linux, HDD/SSD, SD, USB/Pen Drive, NAS, RAID arrays, Network disks, more |
Quick Scan: |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Deep Scan: |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Recovery Rate: |
99.7% |
98.6% |
Not advertised |
99.7% |
85% |
N/A |
Free Recovery: |
Yes (Up to 2GB) |
Yes (Up to 1GB) |
Yes (Up to 500MB) |
Yes (Up to 100MB) |
Yes (Up to 1GB) |
Yes* capped at 256 KB per file |
File Preview: |
Yes (Free) |
Yes (Paid) |
Yes (Free) |
Yes (Free) |
Yes (Free) |
Yes |
Support options: |
Phone, email, live chat, remote assistance, tutorials |
Phone, email, support tickets, tutorials |
Email, live chat, tutorials |
Email, support tickets, tutorials |
Phone, email, support tickets, tutorials |
Email, support tickets, live chat, tutorials |
Lifetime price: |
$149.95 |
$99.99 |
$89 |
$99 |
None ($71.99 per year) |
$49.99 (FAT/NTFS specific), $79.99 (Standard), or $899 (Technician) |
Best data recovery software: FAQs
What is the best data recovery software?
When deciding which data recovery software to download and use, first try to determine how difficult the data might be to recover. For example, some dual-disk RAID configurations mean that recovery isn't going to be a simple process. Additionally, free or budget software options may have built-in limitations on how much data or how many files you can actually recover.
The golden rule of data recovery is never to install the data recovery program onto the same drive from which you want to recover data. The reason for this is that your system will see the space occupied by deleted files as available for new data, which means they could be overwritten.
If your utility supports it, you should also consider creating a disk image of the drive which contains your missing data. This allows you to recover your files safely without risking overwriting the missing data on the original disk. Creating a disk image also means you can make it available for download to professional data recovery services.
If you do decide to go it alone, make sure to download the free version of your chosen data recovery utility first. You can usually 'preview' recovered files within the program, so you can decide if it's worth paying for a monthly or annual subscription.
How does data recovery software work?
When it comes to a hard drive or other storage medium, data that is stored on the drive isn't physically removed from the drive. It still exists, and the delete button simply marks the space that the file is occupying as available.
That means that if you act fast enough, you can recover files that are deleted before the space is overwritten with new data. If, however, you have already heavily modified the drive then the chances of retrieving lost data are slim.
The same can be said for damaged drives. The data is still stored on the drive but your computer may not be picking up its connection due to a broken connection or faulty driver.
Once the data you are trying to recover has been identified, the software will mark the occupied space on the drive as 'taken', rather than free. Viola, your data will (hopefully) have been recovered.
How do I use data recovery software?
First, find your data recovery software of choice and install it. Our top recommended pick is the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.
Now, use the data recovery software to find the drive you would like to recover the files from. This can be a built in drive on your Windows, Mac, phone, external storage, or other storage type such as NAS.
Click the 'Scan' or button to launch a scan of the drive to see if there are any files that can be retrieved. These scans can take time, especially if the drive has a lot of data on it or it has been formatted.
Once the scan is complete, you will be able to 'Preview' the files that can be recovered from the drive. This allows you to select the files you are looking for, and specifically recover them. Alternatively, you will be able to choose to recover all of the identified files.
Click 'Recover' and the files will be restored to their original location. Just be aware that if you have waited a while or modified the afflicted drive after losing the files, some of them may become corrupted or unrecoverable.
When can data recovery software not be used?
There are some instances when, unfortunately, data recovery software won't work.
For example, when data has been overwritten - meaning that the space left when the data was damaged or lost, has been taken up by another file.
Another case, is if your physical hardware has been damaged - as the software needs the drive's components to be functioning properly.
How we tested the best data recovery software
To test for the best data recovery software we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, whether as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service to see how the software could be used for recovering data using a virtual machine running Windows 11, to which we attached three different drives. This allowed us to benchmark various data loss scenarios, such as trying to recover files from a corrupted drive.
The files we chose for recovery are an album of Mozart's Music available from the Internet Archive. We did this as we wanted to see how the utility performed with a wide variety of files, including both common and more obscure formats.
The aim was to push each software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.
We do not believe that running data recovery tools in a virtual environment has a significant effect on how they function. Still, if you're considering buying software we encourage you to read all reviews thoroughly and make sure that the developer offers a refund policy.
Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
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