Start free: check your backups, then try Recuva or Microsoft's Windows File Recovery on Windows, or PhotoRec on Windows, Mac or Linux. If you need paid software, EaseUS recovers the most free at 2 GB, Stellar has the lowest yearly price at $59.99, and Disk Drill supports the most Windows versions. If the drive clicks, will not spin or is not detected, skip software and get a free lab evaluation from Secure Data Recovery or DriveSavers, which charge nothing if your data cannot be recovered.
Data recovery comes in two forms: software you run yourself on a working drive, and lab services for drives that are physically failing. We compared Recuva, EaseUS, Stellar and Disk Drill software with Secure Data Recovery, DriveSavers and Ontrack labs.
For software, the differences that matter are how much you can recover free, whether it runs on your operating system and whether you pay monthly, yearly or once. For labs, it is how they quote and whether you pay if nothing comes back.
Below you will find free options to try first, how to tell if you need a lab, each pick with its listed terms and weak spots, and the mistakes that make recovery harder.
How we chose
We compared data recovery software on price and billing term, free recovery limit, operating systems supported and refund policy, and lab services on how they quote, whether you pay if nothing is recovered, turnaround and published cleanroom and security certifications. All facts came from each company's official site, checked October 12, 2026, and free tools came from Microsoft, Apple and CGSecurity. We ranked software before labs because most data loss is a deleted file on a working drive: Recuva first as a free Windows tool, EaseUS for the largest free limit, Stellar for the lowest paid yearly price, and Disk Drill for the widest Windows support despite a 100 MB free limit. Among labs, Secure Data Recovery leads for its no data, no recovery fee policy and free diagnostics, DriveSavers follows for its capped quotes, and Ontrack last because it does not state a no-fee policy on its main service page. We did not test recovery rates. Read our full methodology.
Free ways to recover files first
Stop using the drive right away. Deleted files stay on the disk until new data overwrites them, and Microsoft notes this is especially likely on an SSD.
- Check your backups. Look in the Recycle Bin or Trash, File History, OneDrive or iCloud, and Time Machine on a Mac, which can restore your personal files through Migration Assistant.
- Windows File Recovery. Microsoft’s free command-line app from the Microsoft Store recovers deleted files from internal drives, external drives and USB devices on Windows 10 and 11. It does not work on cloud storage or network shares.
- PhotoRec. A free, open source tool that runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, reads the drive in read-only mode and works even if the file system is damaged or reformatted.
- Free versions of paid software. Recuva is free on Windows, EaseUS recovers up to 2 GB free, Stellar 1 GB and Disk Drill 100 MB on Windows.
Software or a lab service: which you need
Use software when the drive works normally and files were deleted, a drive was formatted or a partition was lost. Install the software on a different drive than the one you are recovering from, and save recovered files somewhere else.
Use a lab when the drive clicks, will not spin up, is not detected, was in water or fire, or holds data you cannot afford to lose. Labs open drives in a cleanroom; Secure Data Recovery lists a Class 10 ISO 4 cleanroom and DriveSavers an ISO Class 5 cleanroom.
How much data recovery costs
Software is a fixed price; lab work is quoted after the lab examines the device.
| Option |
Price, as listed October 2026 |
Free recovery |
| Recuva |
Free; Pro $24.95 |
Free version |
| EaseUS |
$69.95 a month, $99.95 a year, $149.95 lifetime |
2 GB |
| Stellar |
From $59.99 a year |
1 GB |
| Disk Drill |
$89 a year |
100 MB on Windows |
| Secure Data Recovery |
Quote after free diagnostics |
No data, no recovery fee |
| DriveSavers |
Quote range after free evaluation |
$0 if not recoverable |
| Ontrack |
Quote after free consultation |
File list before paying |
None of the three labs publishes a price list. DriveSavers says a successful recovery generally falls in the top third of its quoted range and never exceeds the maximum.
How to choose data recovery software
- Match your operating system. Recuva is Windows only. EaseUS, Stellar and Disk Drill have Windows and Mac versions.
- Scan before you pay. Each of these tools has a free version, so you can scan and check what is recoverable before you buy.
- Compare free limits to what you lost. 100 MB covers a few documents; 2 GB can cover a folder of photos.
- Check the billing term. Stellar and Disk Drill are yearly subscriptions; EaseUS also sells a lifetime license.
- Look for read-only scanning. Stellar and PhotoRec say their scans do not write to the drive.
Red flags with data recovery
- Prices that change between the page and checkout. Confirm the final price, term and renewal before you pay.
- Labs that charge for a failed attempt. Secure Data Recovery and DriveSavers say you owe nothing if data cannot be recovered; ask any other lab for this in writing.
- Quotes with no maximum. DriveSavers caps its final price at the top of its first quote; ask other labs for a written maximum.
- Saving recovered files to the same drive. This can overwrite the files you are trying to save.
Terms to know
- Cleanroom
- A dust-controlled lab space where technicians can open hard drives without damaging the platters.
- Deep scan
- A slower scan that searches the raw drive for file traces a quick scan misses.
- Read-only scan
- A scan that reads the drive without writing to it, so it does not overwrite lost data.
- TRIM
- An SSD feature that clears deleted data blocks, which can make deleted files unrecoverable.
- RAID
- A setup that combines several drives into one, which often needs a lab to rebuild after failure.
- Free recovery limit
- The amount of data a trial version will restore before you must buy a license.
