If you've recently lost favorite photos and videos or important documents stored on a drive, you might be able to get them back with free data recovery software. It's all too easy to accidentally delete files when you select more than one at a time. Malware attacks and drive malfunctions can also cause data loss.
While that information might be inaccessible to Windows or macOS, the best data recovery software performs deep scans and has advanced methods of restoring files. Even free solutions can help you get your data back from hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), and external USB drives.
I reviewed EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro, the paid version, and was impressed by its ability to restore all my HDD files and even some from my SSD. SSD recovery is much more difficult, and EaseUS’ partial success could have been the result of lucky timing. Still, it’s the only time I’ve recovered anything useful from SSD storage.
EaseUS also offers a free app that includes the same features but lacks live support and restricts the amount of data you can restore. After you've recovered files that total a combined size of 500MB, EaseUS will prompt you to share the app on social media to unlock another 1.5GB worth of files.
That sounds like a reasonable request for free use of one of the best data recovery apps available for Windows and macOS. The unlimited version costs $100 per year.
Recuva is a free data recovery app for Windows that lets you restore all your files with no limitations on the size, number, or type of data. It works with HDDs, SSDs, and external drives.
I reviewed the subscription version, Recuva Professional, which can also access drives for virtual machines. I found it to work best for HDDs, but it also found a lost partition on a thumb drive. It's not as good as some other data recovery software, missing a few files in my HDD tests and restoring none of my SSD files.
The free Recuva app is just as fast and easy to use as the paid version. If you need help with data recovery, it's worth upgrading to Recuva Professional since it only costs $25 for a full year and lets you email support with about a one-day response time.
DMDE is a powerful file restoration app that you can use for free. There are apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. There are two restrictions: it won’t recover folders, and it can only restore 4,000 files at a time.
Those limitations might not matter if you only store hundreds or a few thousand files in a single folder. You can recover one folder at a time and make your way through an entire drive.
On the other hand, the paid app is so inexpensive that you might want to save yourself the extra time and effort of manually selecting and restoring folders. It’s only $20 annually or a $48 one-time purchase.
The developer recommends trying the free app first to ensure DMDE can find and recover your lost files.
Stellar Data Recovery is the free version of this advanced data recovery software. It includes the same features as the Standard subscription plan that can restore lost HDD files with ease. The free app limits data recovery to 1GB, but that might be all you need.
In my review of Stellar Data Recovery Premium, it restored all my HDD files. If you like the look of the free app, upgrading to a paid subscription removes the 1GB recovery cap and provides advanced photo and video repair tools.
Stellar Data Recovery couldn't restore any SSD files, but that's a common problem. While SSDs are faster than HDDs, the potential to lose files forever means hard drives will continue to be useful for backing up data.
Stellar offers a free app for Windows and macOS.
Disk Drill has a unique feature called the Recovery Vault. If it's installed prior to your data loss, it can help restore files that might otherwise be unrecoverable.
The Recovery Vault isn't a complete backup. It saves a small piece of metadata for each file you delete. While that feature only helps with future data loss, Disk Drill can often recover files without that extra metadata.
Disk Drill for Windows can recover 500MB of data for free. After that, you have to buy the app. The Mac version is more restrictive, only letting you scan to find lost files, but requiring payment before you can restore any files.
The price sounds high at $89, but it's a one-time payment that includes apps for both Windows and macOS. A lifetime upgrade option adds $19 to the cost.
Wise Data Recovery is a free app for Windows that lets you restore up to 2GB of files. That's a generous amount of data, but videos and large photos might use it up quickly. Wise says its free app works best with recently deleted files that it can find with a quick scan.
A one-computer subscription plan is affordable, starting at $40 per year. However, Wise Data Recovery Pro really stands out if you want to use this app on more than one computer. It's only $10 more to add two more PCs.
When I tried Wise Data Recovery Pro on my Windows PC, I had mixed results. The website shows a Mac version but notes it's made by Stellar, the data recovery app mentioned above.
Most app subscriptions include priority service, sometimes via live chat but most often by email. Data recovery software developers must pay employees or outsource to respond to customer requests. That's why paying customers enjoy the best support.
That doesn't mean free users have no way to get help. Most company websites have a support center where you can find answers to the most common problems. You can also look in community forums or do an internet search to find solutions for the app you're using.
TestDisk and PhotoRec are free, open-source command line tools that help restore lost files. TestDisk can take care of lost partitions, undelete files, and rebuild boot sectors on Windows, macOS, and Linux computers.
PhotoRec specializes in restoring photos and videos, but it works with other filetypes also. The combination of these two apps can let you get your missing data back from your PC or Mac terminal app.
Linux users will feel right at home with this app, but it might feel strange typing commands to interact with the app from a Windows or Mac computer.
If the free apps mentioned above don't work or you've restored as many files as you can for free, it's time to check out premium services with unlimited data recovery and more advanced features. Paid solutions can get data from computers that can't boot up, restore files from lost partitions, access RAID arrays, and repair damaged photos and videos.
Our guides to the best data recovery software for Windows PCs and the best data recovery apps for your Mac and MacBook will help you find the tools you need at an affordable price.
Alan Truly is a Writer at Digital Trends, covering computers, laptops, hardware, software, and accessories that stand out as the most unique and effective solutions. Alan also researches and reviews VR headsets, AR glasses, AI, and robotics, the advances that can redefine how we live and work.
As a kid, Alan marveled at Star Trek, Popular Science, and other science news and sci-fi concepts on the horizon. Now, that future is fast approaching as we work from home, converse with computers thanks to AI, and visit the equivalent of a holodeck with VR and AR. The robot revolution began in factories but could soon reach our homes. What a time to be alive!
Alan's degree in Computer Science from Cal State Fullerton set him up for a diverse career centered around advanced technology. His first job in journalism was as a roving reporter and video editor at a cable TV station in Laughlin, NV before returning to California and starting a video production company specializing in computer animation. After the internet boom, Alan shifted to website design and marketing. He also spent several years as COO of a tablet accessory manufacturer, before returning to communications.
With bylines at Android Police, Peta Pixel, Mixed, and Screen Rant, Alan has written about every type of technology from mobile devices, watches, and tablets to drones, electric vehicles, and space habitats. It's all fascinating and all powered by computing.
Alan lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. A tech-enthusiast since his youth, he stays current on what is new and what is next. With over 30 years of experience in computer, video, and photo equipment, you can expect useful tips and insights in his writing. To stay flexible in mind and body, he practices daily yoga, light cardio, and eats a whole food diet, based on minimally processed plants.
When the weather is nice, and sometimes when it's not, Alan enjoys bringing tech on adventures with beach visits and woods walks. There's no better way to review an FPV drone, AR glasses, and 3D cameras.
Whenever the opportunity arises, Alan advocates for animal rights, green energy, and universal basic income to ease the burden of those without a voice and those who are less fortunate. In his free time, he catches up on the fascinating and unfolding UAP revelations that suggest humans aren't the only intelligent species in the cosmos.
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