Disk Drill is not only about Mac data recovery. It's also packed with useful disk tools for all data professionals and home users. The following extra tools are free and packed in Disk Drill right out-of-the-box. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is a reliable Mac data recovery software that can recover lost data from emptying trash bin, accidental deletion or other causes. EaseUS Mac Data Recovery software is a data recovery tool that may be able to help when Mac data lost. Joyoshare iPhone Data Recovery for Mac is the best comprehensive tool to retrieve 20+ types of lost data files from any possible scenarios with just 3 easy steps.
So, you just found that you had deleted or lost some files? Maybe on your computer hard drive or an external storage device.
And you also learned that there are data recovery software might be able to recover the files.
There’s more than meets the eye, though. Some of the data recovery programs are good, some are not. Some claim to be free — but when you try to use them, you find out you have to purchase a license to fully recover or save your files.
Seriously, I hate the trick! Yes, I call it a “trick”.
How do you tell good, solid data recovery software from wallet-sucking fraudulent programs?
Here’s your answer: I’ve personally downloaded, tested 50+ data recovery programs on my Windows 10 based PC and macOS based MacBook Pro, sorted out the truly free data recovery tools and put them all in one place.
The apps listed below are 100% free, or open source, or freeware, which means there’s no catch and you can use them to scan, recover and save your files without any restrictions. No need to purchase a license!
Before you read the list though, check out these practical data recovery tips to increase your chances of recovering the data. Saving additional data to the disk drive in question could overwrite your deleted data, making it difficult to restore your lost information.
Update Note (July 2018):
Hey, it’s been a while since I check this roundup post again. Sadly, a few programs in this list are no longer free. Some got acquired, some don’t work anymore due to lack of updates. For the accuracy of this post, I have to remove some programs from this list. Previously there were 20 truly free data recovery programs got featured, now much fewer.
This is unfortunate, but understandable if you stand from the developer’s point of view. These days it’s really hard for software developers to keep updating a piece of free software (especially Mac apps) to make it still work with the latest operating system.
Also, some free data recovery software are pushing users to buy their Pro versions. A good example is Recuva. I just tested the last version of Recuva on a Windows-10 based PC, and I instantly felt the maker is promoting Recuva Professional more aggressively than before though the free version should be enough to handle your data recovery needs. By the way, in case you don’t know. The maker of Recuva and CCleaner, Piriform, got acquired by Avast in 2017. Now you get the point 🙂 But Recuva is still free to use if you can spot out the catch (and I’ll point it out below).
Anyway, thanks for your attention and I appreciate your feedback on this article. Quite a few readers emailed me personally, thank you for taking the time. And if you get to know a new free data recovery tool, leave a comment or send me an email.
P.S. Okay, I get your feedback that sometimes free data recovery software just don’t work that well. If you are willing to try a paid data recovery program, I recommend Stellar Data Recovery – they have both Windows and macOS versions and support recovering data from mobile devices like iPhones and Android phones as well. Free trails are available but won’t allow you to save your files (if found after the scan). Your success rate may vary.
Also read our in-depth reviews:
1. Recuva (Windows)
If you want to get back the files you accidentally deleted from Windows Recycle Bin or USB stick, then Recuva is absolutely the first program you should try. A couple of years ago, I used it to recover most of the photos and videos for a friend in San Francisco who accidentally formatted her camera SD card. Recuva is 100% free for personal use.
You can get Recuva from its official website here. Just scroll down on the page and click the green “Free Download” button, when using the program do not be bothered by the upgrade pitch 🙂
Here’s a video tutorial you may find useful:
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2. PhotoRec (Windows/Mac/Linux)
Created by Christophe Grenier, PhotoRec is a free, open source file recovery program that works amazingly well on almost every operating system. PhotoRec isn’t just a photo recovery tool (don’t be fooled by its name). You can use this powerful software to recover nearly 500 different file formats from hard disks or removable media. Here’s a tutorial on how to use PhotoRec step by step.
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3. Puran File Recovery (Windows)
Another powerful, yet free data recovery utility. Puran File Recovery works great to rescue data from practically any storage medium. The software supports ten different languages. All Puran utilities are totally free for private and non-commercial use. You can see a video tutorial from YouTube here.
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4. Glary Undelete (Windows)
A great undelete tool similar to Recuva, Glary Undelete “unerases” items from FAT and NTFS disks. It’s simple to use: just choose a drive to scan, click “Search”, and wait for a while, depending on the volume of the disk selected. You’ll see a bunch of files found. Once you do, just navigate to the folders on the left, use the preview function to locate your targeted items, and you’re good to go! Check out more from this video tutorial (from Vimeo).
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5. SoftPerfect File Recovery (Windows)
This is another nice tool to bring your accidentally deleted files back to life. SoftPerfect File Recovery(scroll down on the page to download the program, skip the EaseUS recommendation) was primarily developed to help you rescue data that was accidentally deleted from hard disks, USB flash drives, SD and CF cards, etc. It supports popular file systems such as FAT12/16/32, NTFS, and NTFS5 with compression and encryption. The program runs under Windows XP through Windows 10.
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6. Exif Untrasher (macOS)
Exif Untrasher is another totally free program that runs on Mac (macOS 10.6 or above). It’s primarily designed to recover JPEG photos that have been deleted from a digital camera. It also works if you want to get back lost JPEGs from an external drive, USB stick, SD card, etc., as long as it’s a removable disk you can mount on your Mac.
Csgo map makers tool for mac. What I Like:
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7. Tokiwa Data Recovery (Windows)
If you want to recover your lost files quickly, Tokiwa Data Recovery is a nice option. It’s a standalone application, which means little time is required for the installation process. In my case, Tokiwa found 42,709 files in less than a minute — very efficient! Tokiwa claims it can retrieve and wipe documents, archives, pictures, videos, and more from common storage media. Lg mobile support tool for mac.
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8. PC INSPECTOR File Recovery (Windows)
Another super-powerful freeware, PC Inspector File Recovery helps recover deleted, formatted files from disks or partitions, even if the boot sector has been erased or damaged. The program won’t help if you have mechanical problems with your disk drive, however, and it can’t be installed on the same drive you’d like to recover files from. A video tutorial is available on YouTube here.
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9. Wise Data Recovery (Windows)
Another excellent freeware from the WiseClean family. Wise Data Recovery helps you recover files and folders from various devices. The software is intuitive: select the drive you want to scan, wait, then can browse the item tree to recover your precious files.
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10. UndeleteMyFiles Pro (Windows)
Don’t be fooled by the software name. While it sounds like a pro edition that requires a purchase to use, UndeleteMyFiles Pro is absolutely free, and comes with tools for data recovery and file wipe as well. Just select the drive, scan it, and you should be able to view a list of missing files. SeriousBit, the developers, says UndeleteMyFiles Pro works well for recovering deleted files from hard disks, USB, SD/CF cards, and other storage media.
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11. TestDisk (Windows/Mac/Linux)
TestDisk, PhotoRec’s sister program, is an extremely powerful partition recovery tool developed to help find deleted/lost partitions, make crashed disks bootable again, and a whole lot more. TestDisk is like an experienced doctor that cures most of the problems related to computer hard disks. A video tutorial about how to use TestDisk is here.
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12. Undelete360 (Windows)
Like the name says,Undelete360undeletes files you accidentally removed from your computer, Recycle Bin, flash drive, digital camera, memory card, etc. You’ll see two tabs when the program is launched: “Recover Files” and “Wipe Files“. To get back your deleted items, stay on the “Recover Files” tab, highlight the disk drive, and start searching.
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13. FreeUndelete (Windows)
As the name indicates,FreeUndeleteis freeware tool that undeletes files from any NTFS- and FAT-based volume. FreeUndelete runs on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP. During my test, I found the program intuitive, and the process of data scanning is pretty fast. However, what frustrated me was that the found files and folders are not well-organized, making it hard to actually select and recover those you want to recover.
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14. Lazesoft Recovery Suite Home (Windows)
If you are looking for an ultimately powerful windows rescue solution, then Lazesoft Recovery Suiteis the one. Besides recovering data from common disks, Lazesoft also comes with a set of utilities that rescues your Windows system when you forget your login password, or even won’t boot.
Note: the software has several editions, but only the Home Edition is free.
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Data Recovery Tool For Android
15. WinHex (Windows)
WinHexis targeted more toward forensics data recovery needs. After you download the archive, unzip it and click on “WinHex.exe” to run the program. It might be a little overwhelming the first time you open it. To scan and recover data, move to “Tools” -> “Disk Tools” -> “File Recovery by Type”. TechTarget also has a detailed tutorial here.
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Which Free Recovery Software Is The Best?
So, what do you think of this list? Have you tried some of them? Did it work to retrieve your lost files?
I’d like to know your stories. For me, I really like Recuva for Windows and Exit Untrasher for Mac because they helped me pull back some of my deleted items.
Also, if you found another free data recovery software that I missed, please leave the comment below and let me know. I’d be happy to test it out and may feature it here as well.
Don’t forget to backup your computer and hard drive! I just did so with my MacBook, see my recent post: how to backup Mac to an external drive.
Either way, thanks for reading, and I wish you best of luck getting back the lost data.
The best free data recovery software for Mac available online is described below. These five applications vary in their characteristics. However, all share one commonality, they are free, and therefore useful for the casual user.
This article is fully updated and valid for the latest macOS Mojave
1. Disk Drill
Disk Drill is the free top data recovery app for Mac OS X. Disk Drill Basic, in addition to having previewing capabilities for recovered files, contains several other functionalities, such as Recovery Vault and Guaranteed Recovery, lost partition restoration, boot disk maker and so on, which make it one of the best Mac data recovery software applications available.
Disk Drill works on internal and external hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards and many other appliances that can be connected to a Mac, including iOS and Android devices. Its last version has an extensive database of file signatures that can be restored from drives even after formatting and uses very efficient and fast scanning algorithms.
Disk Drill is constantly updated and supported by its ever-growing team and covers cases of data corruption resulting from loss of power, or removal of a device without first unmounting it.
Data recovery for free
Your Companion for Deleted Files Recovery Free Features:
#1 Recovery Vault is an advanced extra layer to the Trash Bin that keeps a reference to deleted data.
#2 Guaranteed Recovery is a background service that saves a copy of each file to a user-specified folder. Both data protection modules substantially reduce the possibilities of permanently losing critical data.
#3Data Backup feature provides users with the ability to recover lost data from a byte-to-byte clone version of the device/partition, without having to risk the original storage source.
#4 In addition to that, multiple extra tools like Duplicate File Finder, Disk Health Monitor, Disk Space Analyzer, Emergency Recovery Boot Drive, are available for free.
The user interface is very friendly, and the Pro version includes an effective support service and a lifetime-upgrade option that covers every new version. Disk Drill successfully manages the balance of essential and advanced features for the casual, professional and enterprise users alike, that makes it worth the money spent on the upgrade. There’s something in Disk Drill for Mac Enterprise that even forensic experts and law enforcement organizations will find useful.
2. PhotoRec
PhotoRec is not the most powerful free Mac data recovery tool, but it has the advantage of being open source. This basically means that not only the application but also the source code is available to the public.
PhotoRec can work with OS X, Linux, Free BSD, Net BSD, Open BSD, and Windows. It can recover the most common file formats, such as JPEG pictures, MP3 audio files, OpenDocument and Microsoft Office files, PDF documents and ZIP archives. Files can be recovered from different devices such as digital camera memory cards, USB flash drives and hard disks.
Free Features:
This free file recovery Mac app uses a powerful technology known as file carving. This method consists of two steps. Firstly, it searches for the data block or cluster size. If the file system is not corrupted, this value is obtained from the superblock (ext2/ext3/ext4) or volume boot record (FAT, NTFS). If this is not possible, the app checks each sector of the device, and using the first ten files found, it calculates the block or cluster size.
Secondly, the app reads the device, block by block/cluster by cluster, checking against the different file signatures available in the app’s database, thus assembling and recuperating the available files. Though it’s unclear how many of those file signatures are known to the app.
Overall, it is a nice tool to use when in need to recover some personal files, without having to resort to a professional application.
3. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is another one of the best data recovery Mac software applications. The developer has released three different versions: free, Pro and unlimited.
Free Features:
The free version is limited to a maximum of 2GB of restored data. This free data recovery software can recover data from Mac notebooks, desktops, hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, memory cards, digital cameras, etc. It works on internal HFS+ drives, and on FAT/FAT32 file systems used in USB flash drives and external hard drives connected to an Apple computer.
Easeus tool recovers file formats most commonly used in image, video, music and document files. It is mostly designed for recovering lost files due to unintentional deletes or drive formatting.
Summarizing, EaseUs free data recovery tool is a handy app designed for casual unintentional file deletions.
4. Softtote Mac Data Recovery
Softtote’s app can recover lost files from internal and external hard drives. File types include ONLY .bmp, .jpg, .png, .tif and .mp3. It works on devices supported by NTFS, HFS/HFS+ and FAT file systems. The application has the capacity to preview file details, such as image size and creation date before recovering them.
Just like other apps in this list, this free data recovery software Mac comes with free technical support.
In brief, Softtote’s software can be included among the best data recovery software Mac, and even though it is not so well known, it deserves a try in case of accidental file loss, but mind the limited set of supported file types.
5. MiniTool Power Data Recovery
MiniTool can recover photos, music, videos, emails, documents, and other types of data from Mac computers or other common storage devices. The free version only offers support via email.
This data recovery software for Mac works in four different modes. The first, “Undelete Recovery”, can be used to quickly recover data lost due to accidental deletion. The second, “Damaged Partition Recovery”, recovers lost data from existing partitions. The third, “Lost Partition Recovery”, recovers lost data from lost or deleted partitions, subject to success in finding them. And finally, the “Digital Media Recovery” mode, recovers multimedia files from portable storage devices.
Free Features:Free Iphone Data Recovery App For Mac
This data recovery Mac software has a personal edition that is free for use only on one computer and with a maximum restore capacity of 100MB. Is that why it’s called a Mini Tool? Possibly. The developer also offers commercial, enterprise and technician editions of the software.
Overall, MiniTool offers a valid option for the casual accidental delete, in cases that don’t involve big volumes.
The Bottom Line?Best Mac Data Recovery Software
We recommend going with Disk Drill, as it delivers on its data recovery odds. This awesome data recovery tool is backed up by good looks, a more intuitive user interface and a ton of free disk tools that may become handy for any user.
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