Data recovery software can bring back deleted photos, lost documents, and files from formatted drives, as long as new data hasn't overwritten them.
The best tools scan fast, preview files before you pay, and handle the messy cases: formatted partitions, corrupted USB sticks, and cranky memory cards.
This guide covers ten of the best data recovery software options for Windows and Mac, from beginner-friendly wizards to free command-line tools.
You'll see who each one suits, what it costs, and where it falls short, so you can pick the right one before you start a scan.
Quick Comparison: The 10 Best Data Recovery Tools
| Tool | Best for | Platforms | Free recovery | Price signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard | Beginners and all-round use | Windows, macOS | Up to 2GB | Lifetime listed near $150 |
| Stellar Data Recovery | Advanced users and small businesses | Windows, macOS, iPhone, Android | Up to 1GB | From about $60 a year |
| Disk Drill | Mac users and camera files | Windows, macOS | Up to 500MB | Lifetime listed near $89 |
| AnyRecover | Wide device coverage | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Up to 100MB | Lifetime listed near $100 |
| Ontrack EasyRecovery | RAID and enterprise needs | Windows, macOS | Up to 1GB | About $72 a year |
| R-Studio | IT teams and complex recoveries | Windows, macOS, Linux | Preview only (check vendor) | Tiered licenses |
| Windows File Recovery | Free, built-in Windows option | Windows 10 and 11 | Fully free | Free |
| PhotoRec and TestDisk | Free, open-source recovery | Windows, macOS, Linux | Fully free | Free |
| MiniTool Power Data Recovery | Budget Windows recovery | Windows (Mac version via Stellar) | Up to 1GB | One-time license |
| Wondershare Recoverit | Guided recovery for everyday users | Windows, macOS | Up to 100MB | Check vendor |
Prices and free limits come from TechRadar's data recovery roundup (last updated September 7, 2026) and the sources listed at the end. They change often, so confirm them on each vendor's site before you buy.
How I Built This List?
I did not run hands-on lab tests for this article. Instead, I built the list from independent published testing, official vendor and Microsoft documentation, and recent review sites, then cross-checked prices and limits where sources overlapped.
TechRadar's 2026 data recovery roundup did the most work for the top six picks. It tested recovery on a Windows 11 virtual machine with three different drives, using a mix of common and obscure file types.
I weighed five things: recovery results, ease of use, supported devices, free options, and value for money.
Before You Run Any Recovery Tool
Two habits matter more than which program you pick:
- Stop using the affected drive right away. When you delete a file, the drive usually marks that space as available instead of erasing it. New data can overwrite those files for good.
- Never install recovery software on the drive you're recovering from. Install it on a different drive, and save recovered files somewhere else too.
TechRadar adds a smart extra step: make a disk image of the problem drive first, then recover from the image.
That protects the original from further changes. Also keep in mind that software can't fix hardware damage.
If a drive clicks, won't spin, or isn't detected at all, a professional lab is the safer route.
The 10 Best Data Recovery Software Tools for Early 2026
1. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
Best for: Beginners who want a clear, step-by-step recovery experience
TechRadar gave EaseUS its Editor's Choice badge in the September 2026 update. The app runs quick and deep scans, lets you preview files before restoring them, and supports more than 1,000 file formats and 2,000 device types.
The free plan recovers up to 2GB, which is enough to test the software or rescue a handful of documents. TechRadar noted that you can keep using your computer for normal tasks while the deep scan runs.
Watch out for: Price. TechRadar called the pricing structure aggressive, and its comparison table lists the lifetime license near $150.
If cost is the sticking point, check the 70% off EaseUS Black Friday discount before Black Friday on November 27, 2026, and read the terms to see which plans it covers.
2. Stellar Data Recovery
Best for: Advanced users and small businesses
Stellar offers byte-to-byte disk backup, encrypted disk scanning, and custom file type recovery, where you define an extension or upload sample files so the software can find similar ones.
It runs on Windows, macOS, iPhone, and Android, and the free version recovers up to 1GB. TechRadar listed the Standard plan at $59.99 a year and the Professional plan at $89.99 a year.
In TechRadar's tests, Stellar recovered Recycle Bin deletions without trouble, restored about 80 percent of files from a simulated corrupted drive, and managed roughly half the files from a formatted drive.
Watch out for: Slow scans and a learning curve. A quick scan on an external hard drive took about 25 minutes, and you can't view deleted files until the scan finishes.
3. Disk Drill
Best for: Mac users, photographers, and drone or camera footage
TechRadar's top pick for Mac, Disk Drill does deep macOS scanning at the kernel extension level and adds free tools for drive health, clean-up, and duplicate files.
Standout features include Advanced Camera Recovery for corrupted photos and videos, byte-to-byte backups, and a recovery chance calculator that estimates your odds before you start. One license covers three devices, and the lifetime license is the best value, according to TechRadar.
Watch out for: It doesn't save scans, so leaving the results screen means scanning again. TechRadar also saw scans take over ten hours on a 1TB external drive, while about 600GB on an internal drive took around five minutes.
4. AnyRecover
Best for: People who need to recover files from many kinds of devices
AnyRecover covers Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, and it claims support for more than 2,000 device types.
In TechRadar's tests, it recovered 92 percent of deleted files with their filenames intact, restored 64 percent after a formatting test (without filenames), and brought back nearly all files from a damaged drive once it was pointed to the right location.
The free version previews certain file types and recovers up to 100MB across eight files.
Watch out for: The monthly plan costs more than TechRadar considered sensible, since a lifetime license sat only about $40 higher at the time of its review.
5. Ontrack EasyRecovery
Best for: RAID recovery and business use
Ontrack brings enterprise-grade tools to a friendly interface, including recovery of lost or formatted RAID volumes (on a higher-tier plan), repair of corrupt photos and media, and saved scans you can resume later. TechRadar lists the price at $71.99 a year.
Watch out for: Speed and consistency. A 500GB drive took about an hour and a half for the quick scan, and the deep scan ran up to five hours. In some tests, deleted files went undetected.
6. R-Studio
Best for: IT teams handling complex or business-critical recoveries
R-Studio covers Windows, macOS, and Linux, and offers RAID reconstruction, granular file preview, and SMART monitoring.
TechRadar also highlighted enterprise licensing and 24/7 support, and it found R-Studio reliable when recovering from a damaged USB drive with file system problems.
Watch out for: A steep learning curve and confusing license tiers. If you want a simple click-and-recover tool, EaseUS or Disk Drill will feel friendlier.
7. Windows File Recovery (Microsoft)
Best for: Free recovery on Windows with no third-party install
Microsoft's own Windows File Recovery app is a free command-line tool from the Microsoft Store.
It tries to recover deleted files from local storage, including internal drives, external drives, and USB devices, when the Recycle Bin can't help. It offers two basic modes, Regular and Extensive, and saves recovered files in a Recovery folder on the destination drive.
A typical command looks like this: winfr C: E: /regular /n \Users<username>\Documents\
Watch out for: It doesn't support cloud storage or network shares, and the command line puts off many beginners.
Microsoft also notes that Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, and it recommends Windows 11.
8. PhotoRec and TestDisk
Best for: Free, open-source recovery from badly damaged file systems
These two tools from CGSecurity are free and open-source. TestDisk repairs lost partitions and boot problems, while PhotoRec is a file carver that ignores the file system and searches for the underlying data.
It recognizes formats like ZIP, Office files, PDF, HTML, and JPEG, and you can add custom signatures for unknown formats. That makes it useful after a format or severe corruption.
Watch out for: The classic interface is text-based, though a graphical version called QPhotoRec exists.
Carving usually doesn't preserve original filenames and folders, so expect to sort through generic names afterward.
9. MiniTool Power Data Recovery
Best for: Budget-minded Windows users
The Windows edition (version 12.8 came out in January 2026, according to Pandora Recovery) offers a free tier that recovers up to 1GB and a one-time paid license.
The Mac version comes from a partnership between MiniTool and Stellar. An earlier TechRadar review described the interface as basic but noted plenty of hidden power and good photo recovery, including rarer formats like TIFF.
Watch out for: The free version limits some extras, such as bootable media and loading previous scans, according to that same review. I couldn't confirm current pricing, so I checked MiniTool's site.
10. Wondershare Recoverit
Best for: Everyday users who want a guided experience
G2's 2026 roundup of free data recovery tools picks Recoverit for guided recovery.
A Pandora Recovery comparison reports up to 100MB of free recovery and support for more than 1,000 file signatures, which is a wider range than MiniTool's roughly 200.
Watch out for: The free allowance is small, and I couldn't verify current pricing, so confirm plan details on the vendor's site before you commit.
How to Choose the Right Data Recovery Software?
| Your situation | Good starting point |
|---|---|
| You just deleted a few files and want the easiest route | EaseUS, MiniTool, or Recoverit |
| You use a Mac or recover camera files | Disk Drill |
| You want a free tool and don't mind a command line | Windows File Recovery |
| The file system is damaged or the drive was formatted | PhotoRec and TestDisk, Stellar, or R-Studio |
| You have a RAID setup or run an office | Ontrack EasyRecovery or R-Studio |
| You need to recover from phones or many device types | AnyRecover or Stellar |
Free vs. Paid Data Recovery Software
Free tools and free tiers are great for small jobs and testing. Free tiers usually cap how much you can recover (from 100MB up to 2GB in the tools above), though many still let you preview files before paying. Paid plans remove those limits and often add support, saved scans, and bootable recovery.
A smart workflow: run the free version first, preview what it finds, and pay only if your important files show up. Look for a refund policy before you buy.
How to Avoid Data Loss Next Time?
Recovery works best as a last resort. Back up important files to a second location on a regular schedule, keep a copy off your main computer, and test a restore now and then. A backup that has never been tested is only a hope.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can deleted files really be recovered?
Often, yes. A delete usually marks the space as free instead of wiping it, so recovery works if nothing has overwritten the data. The longer you keep using the drive, the lower your odds.
Is free data recovery software safe?
Reputable free tools are safe when you download them from the developer's official site. Avoid unknown download mirrors, and never install the tool on the drive you're recovering from.
How long does data recovery take?
It depends on drive size, drive speed, and scan type. In TechRadar's tests, scans ranged from seconds to several hours, with large external drives taking the longest.
Can software fix a physically damaged drive?
No. Recovery software needs working hardware. If the drive makes unusual noises or isn't detected, contact a professional recovery service.
What is the best data recovery software for Mac?
Disk Drill is TechRadar's top choice for Mac, thanks to its deep macOS scanning. Stellar and EaseUS also run on macOS.
Pick One Tool and Act Fast
Time matters more than brand. Stop using the affected drive, install a recovery tool on a different drive, and scan with the free version first. If the preview shows your files, you'll know the purchase is worth it.