If you’ve recently lost files on a storage drive, free data recovery software might be your savior. Whether it’s an accidental deletion, a malware attack, or a drive malfunction, these apps can perform deep scans and recover your precious data from hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), and external USB drives.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard offers a free version with limitations, but it can still recover a significant amount of data. It impressed with its ability to restore files from both HDDs and SSDs, though SSD recovery is more challenging. The free app allows you to restore up to 500MB of data, after which you can unlock another 1.5GB by sharing the app on social media.
Recuva, another popular free option for Windows, lets you recover unlimited data without restrictions on size, number, or type. It works seamlessly with HDDs, SSDs, and external drives, even accessing drives for virtual machines. While it performs well for HDDs, it might struggle with SSDs. If you require more advanced features or need support, Recuva Professional offers a full year of access for just $25.
Stellar Data Recovery is another excellent choice for recovering lost files from HDDs. The free version allows you to restore up to 1GB of data, which could be sufficient for many users. It can handle various file types and boasts a user-friendly interface. For unlimited data recovery and advanced features like photo and video repair, consider upgrading to a paid subscription plan.
Disk Drill boasts a unique feature called Recovery Vault that can help recover files that might be lost otherwise. It works by saving small pieces of metadata for each deleted file. While it doesn’t provide a complete backup, it can significantly improve your chances of recovery. Disk Drill for Windows offers 500MB of free data recovery, while the Mac version requires payment for any recovery after scanning.
Wise Data Recovery is a free Windows app that offers a generous 2GB of data recovery. It excels at recovering recently deleted files with a quick scan. For more advanced recovery options and deep scans, the paid version is available. Wise Data Recovery Pro offers affordable plans starting at $40 per year for a single computer, or you can add two more PCs for an additional $10.
If free options don’t meet your needs, premium services offer unlimited data recovery and advanced features. These paid solutions can recover data from non-bootable computers, restore files from lost partitions, access RAID arrays, and repair damaged photos and videos.
Ultimately, choosing the right data recovery software depends on your specific needs and budget. Explore these options to find the perfect fit for your recovery needs and ensure your valuable data remains safe.
