Data recovery software are applications that recover lost files from any storage medium. They can recover files accidentally deleted or lost due to virus attacks, hard drive failures, or any other reason. These programs scan the storage medium to find the lost files, recovering them—whether they are audio, video, contacts, emails, etc.
In today’s article, we will look at 7 of the best software to recover files for free.
Best Free Data Recovery Software
Not all data loss situations require a recovery program. In some cases, you can use native resources of the operating system. They can usually recover your files if you act quickly.
For example, you can recover your files from a backup or use features such as the Windows feature to recover a file from a previous version of the system. On the other hand, some cases are so severe that even using recovery software will not solve the problem — and may even make it worse.
In these situations, it is best to turn to a specialized data recovery service. Additionally, free data recovery programs can be sufficient in some cases, but they tend to be limited in their functionalities. These tools might not recognize certain types of files, run very slowly, have a complicated user interface, or perform incomplete scans.
Still, it might be worth trying a free data recovery solution if the files are not particularly valuable or if you only need to restore a few files.
After all, more extensive recovery typically exceeds the capabilities of free data recovery programs. It’s also important to remember that data recovery programs won’t work if your storage device is physically damaged and unable to interact with your operating system. In such cases, you’ll need to consult a professional data recovery service to try and resolve the problem.
If, after considering all these factors, you still want to use software, we have selected the 7 best free data recovery programs. When choosing the best option for you, consider factors like system compatibility, ease of use, types and file systems supported. The software’s guarantee and the support service provided by the solution should also be considered when choosing a tool.
1. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
One of the best and most popular data recovery programs, EaseUS Data Recovery offers various recovery functionalities, such as:
- Accidentally deleted files
- Data lost after formatting
- Files deleted due to virus attacks
- Data deleted from the recycle bin
- Data loss due to hard disk damage
- Lost partition recovery
- Files lost due to operating system failures
- RAW hard disk recovery
It can also recover data from various types of devices such as PCs, laptops, hard drives, USB drives, digital cameras, video players, etc.
Pros
- EaseUS supports Windows and Mac OS and offers flexible scanning modes like Quick Scan and Deep Scan.
- It also provides a preview before final recovery, which can avoid unnecessary data recovery.
Cons
- One downside of this data recovery program is that it presents unrecoverable files alongside recoverable ones, which can be somewhat confusing.
- Additionally, it only previews files smaller than 100 MB and does not accurately display the remaining scan time.
2. Recuva
Recuva is one of the best freeware data recovery programs for Windows. It can recover many types of files from hard drives (internal or external), memory cards, and other storage devices.
The tool can also recover data from damaged or formatted drives. An interesting feature is its ability to securely delete files from computers, making them unrecoverable with other software tools.
Moreover, Recuva has a user-friendly interface, which sets it apart from many other freeware programs.
Pros
- It is freeware with a low price for the Pro version.
- Its design has a user-friendly interface.
- It includes a preview screen and securely deletes files.
Cons
- The recovery performance is inferior to that of competing solutions.
3. Puran File Recovery
Puran File Recovery is one of the best—and lightest—free programs for recovering deleted or lost data, providing fast disk scans. Its appearance may seem quite outdated initially, but it still works well on the latest Windows operating systems and is easy to use.
However, the official website has not switched to HTTPS, which may give users the impression that the tool is not secure. Despite this, we have not found any security concerns with the application itself.
Pros
- It has a simple interface with all major features easily accessible.
- It provides both regular and deep scans.
- The program allows you to select individual hard drives to search for lost files, rather than all hard drives.
- It allows you to search the scan results to check if a specific lost file was found.
- You can restore files selectively without having to recover everything found in the scan.
- It is compatible with over 50 file formats.
Cons
- The deep scan usually does not detect more data than the regular scan and takes much longer.
- It is only for Windows computer users and has not had updates for a long time, meaning the recovery technology is outdated and may be ineffective in some cases.
4. Disk Drill
Developed by CleverFiles, Disk Drill is one of the best data recovery programs, allowing you to recover even hidden, compressed, or encrypted files.
You can use Disk Drill to recover files after emptying the recycle bin, accidentally formatting your USB flash drive, or when your device is infected by malware.
Pros
- Easy and fast to use, performing scans at a quick rate and presenting results in an easy-to-view format.
- It has features for complete partition recovery, quick scans, and support for all types of files.
Cons
- It does not offer the option to scan only a single folder, and its scanning speed (especially on iOS) is average.
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5. Wise Data Recovery
If you’re looking for the best data recovery program, Wise Data Recovery is worth checking out. This software allows you to restore deleted files for free and can also help recover your files after hard drive damage or reformatting.
While the program is designed for Windows, you can also run Wise Data Recovery on a Mac using WinPE.
Pros
- It’s free to recover recently deleted files.
- Works with most file types and Windows file systems, and it’s simple to use.
Cons
- Its simplicity can be frustrating when it fails to find the files you want to recover.
- Does not support the exFAT file system, which can be a problem for Mac users.
- The program also offers only one level of Deep Scan without much additional information.
6.Stellar Data Recovery
Stellar Data Recovery works with desktops, laptops, smartphones, servers, flash drives, memory cards, and other external storage devices.
It provides 24/5 support and offers data recovery, photo recovery, video repair, and iPhone recovery features.
- Pros
It is an easy-to-use solution with features like email repair, data recovery (including databases), among others.
- Cons
In addition to being relatively expensive, Stellar has slow scanning and low recovery speed.
Furthermore, its storage device selection is flawed.
7.Recoverit
Recoverit is one of the best data recovery programs, capable of recovering files from partitions, hard drives, USB drives, or SD cards—even after system crashes.
Moreover, the program provides unlimited file recovery, including photos, videos, audios, emails, etc. And it supports over 1,000 file formats!
Recoverit also offers free technical support 24/7.
- Pros
Recoverit works on the latest Windows and Mac operating systems, supporting file systems like FAT, NTFS, APFS, and HFS+.
Additionally, the tool is available in 8 language versions, including English, German, French, Japanese, and Chinese.
Its graphical interface is intuitive and allows previewing selected files before recovery.
The software supports various file types and formats, with advanced features for video recovery and repair.
Despite all these features, it remains easy and straightforward to use.
- Cons
Other programs slow down when running Recoverit simultaneously. Additionally, the scanning process may freeze, and the remaining time indicator isn’t always accurate.
It’s worth noting that the quality of recovered files may not be as good as the original, and its preview feature is limited. This means not all found files can be previewed.
Lastly, the free version of Recoverit helps to check lost files but cannot recover files larger than 30 MB. This requires upgrading to a paid version to save more files.
Conclusion
If your data loss is small and straightforward to resolve, there’s no shortage of free data recovery programs to assist you. However, some tools are better than others depending on their features and your specific recovery needs. It’s also worth remembering that using these programs without familiarity with their operation can do more harm than good—improper execution can worsen the situation.
Therefore, in more serious cases—involving more significant data loss—it’s ideal to rely on a professional data recovery service, like the one we offer here at Bot. Our highly skilled professionals are prepared to recover data from your device without risk of damage—operating in an environment with fully controlled dust particles.
Moreover, we accept and work on your device even if it has been opened before. If you have any questions about our data recovery process, you can find us on social media at any time of day or night: our support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We have been in the market for over a decade, successfully resolving more than 100,000 cases. Start your data recovery with us now and become one of our success stories!
