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Best Data Recovery Software

The unthinkable happened – you lost important files on your laptop or smartphone! And to make matters worse, you didn’t do a backup! Don’t worry – you can recover your missing files by yourself with a little help from some of the best file recovery software out there! Some are free and others charge a fee. The bottomline is that you are in the driver’s seat and you can choose which software best solves your immediate problem and which one can help avoid future fiascos. Read on to see how Comparakeet ranks them!

Last Updated:
CompanyRankingRatingPriceFree TrialPlatformsDescription

Recoverit

1st9.8 out of 10$35.95 Per MonthYesMac, Windows

Recoverit Review

With its 3-step process, Recoverit offers a quick and easy data recovery solution for both Windows and Mac users. You can even start for free!Full Recoverit Review »

Disk Drill

2nd9.6 out of 10$89.00 One TimeYesMac, Windows, iOS, Android

Disk Drill Review

Disk Drill is a no-frills data recovery software that supports over 200 different file types. It's pretty cheap, too--especially if you switch over from a competing service!Full Disk Drill Review »

EaseUs

3rd9.5 out of 10$69.95 One TimeYesMac, Windows

EaseUs Review

A pioneer in the industry, EaseUS offers a wide range of data recovery programs that lets users easily restore an array of deleted files, from photos to videos, and more!Full EaseUs Review »

Recuva

4th9.3 out of 10$19.95 One TimeYesMac, Windows

Recuva Review

With superior data recovery features, Recuva allows you to easily restore a wide range of file types; perform deep scans; and even permanently delete files. And you can do it for free!Full Recuva Review »

PhotoRec

5th9.3 out of 10FreeYesMac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Blackberry

PhotoRec Review

Don't let the name fool you, PhotoRec can recover more than just photos. And the best part is it's 100% free!Full PhotoRec Review »
Also, here are some important things we looked at for our rankings.

Ease of Use

In a blink of an eye, your files can disappear with one mistaken click on the delete button or you can wake up to a corrupted hard drive. But how easy is it to retrieve the missing information?

Online data recovery software all offer the same promise to recover all or most of your precious data. But since most of us are neither techies nor software engineers, these websites need to walk us through the process in simple steps and use basic civilian language.I’s like the online version of the best file recovery for dummies!

Platforms - Hardware and Operating Systems

Which device lost the information? A no-brainer question based on physical attributes of the hardware - desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone, smartwatch, memory card, USB, external hard drive, digital camera, etc.

Now you need to narrow this down to which operating system or OS is on your device - Apple’s Mac OS, Microsoft Windows or Linux. Finally, you need to identify the edition or version of the system - Mac OS X, Windows 10, iPhone iOS 11.3, Android Oreo 8.0-8.1, etc.

Why do you have to gather this information before you start a data recovery program?  These programs are compatible with  different platforms and to determine which is the best data recovery software for your device, you need to make sure your specific platform is covered. Some are only Windows-centric and some are bi-platform friendly, working with both Mac and Windows.

Features

Other than recovering deleted files, many of the best data recovery software companies offer additional features which may influence your choice.

Can you pause the recovery and resume the process later? Do you only need a quick scan of your hard drive or would running a deep scan further calm your nerves? Do you prefer a wizard or setup assistant to guide you through the unfamiliar recovery process? Can you search for specific files and sort by name, file type and date?

Please help me find the 500 wedding photos I accidentally deleted, not the Superbowl office pool spreadsheet from 2015!

Comparakeet explores these options and makes it worth your time to read our reviews before you dive head first into the data recovery software world.

Pricing

There are free and paid versions of data recovery software, with more bells and whistles loaded on to premium offerings. Depending on your specific need - whether it be for the immediate “just restore my deleted files for now” or “l want to be proactive and be prepared for any future problems” - often upgrading will give you the peace of mind knowing that your data will be managed and on a regular backup schedule.

A freebie sounds tempting but it often comes with a limit on how much data can be recovered - some cap it at 500 MB. Sounds good but if you are an avid MMO gamer or watch the latest movies in HD, you’ll most likely be close to or over that limit.

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