Top 10 Data Recovery Software in 2025

Have you ever felt the anxiety of losing important files? Irreplaceable family photos, essential professional documents, creative projects… A simple click, a handling error, hardware failure, and everything can disappear in an instant. But don’t despair! Modern technology offers solutions to recover your lost data. This article explores in depth the 10 best data recovery software available in 2025, guiding you step by step towards restoring your precious files. Whether you’re a novice user or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive guide will provide you with the knowledge and tools necessary to deal with data loss and regain peace of mind.

How does data recovery work?

Understanding the fundamental principles of data recovery is essential to optimize your chances of success. When a file is deleted, whether intentionally or accidentally, the data it contains is not immediately erased from the hard drive. Instead, the operating system marks the space occupied by the file as available for writing new data. This means that the original data remains physically present on the disk until it is overwritten by new information. Data recovery software exploits this reality. They scan the hard drive looking for “traces” of deleted files. These traces can include file headers and footers, metadata information (such as the file name, creation date, and size), and data fragments scattered across the disk.

This software uses complex algorithms to reconstruct files from these fragments. The success of recovery depends on several factors, including the time elapsed since the file was deleted, the type and amount of data written to the disk since deletion, and the type of storage media (hard drive, SSD, USB drive, memory card, etc.). The shorter the elapsed time and the less writing activity there has been, the higher the chances of recovery. Additionally, data recovery software typically offers different scanning methods, ranging from quick scan (which analyzes only deleted metadata) to deep scan (which searches for data fragments across the entire disk).

Our selection of the best software

We have selected the 10 best data recovery software in 2025, taking into account their effectiveness, ease of use, compatibility with different storage media, and value for money. These software are listed without any particular order of preference. We encourage you to try several options to find the one that best matches your needs and situation. The diversity of solutions offered covers a wide range of data loss scenarios, from accidental deletions to hardware failures to malware attacks. Each of these software has its own strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the best tool will depend on the nature of the lost data, the storage media concerned, and your personal preferences.

Recuva: The free and powerful classic

Recuva is undoubtedly one of the most well-known and widely used data recovery software. Developed by Piriform (the creators of CCleaner), Recuva is available in both free and paid versions. The free version already offers impressive features, including the ability to recover deleted files from hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, and other storage media. Its interface is intuitive and easy to use, even for novice users. Recuva offers two scan modes: a quick scan and a deep scan, allowing you to adapt the recovery process to the situation. Its main advantage lies in its simplicity of use and its ability to recover a wide range of file types.

The paid version of Recuva offers additional features, such as recovering files from virtual disks, priority technical support, and the ability to create disk images. However, even the free version is often sufficient to recover accidentally deleted files. Recuva is known for its scan speed and efficient search algorithm. It displays found files with useful information, such as their recovery status (excellent, poor, unrecoverable), allowing you to assess your chances of success before starting the recovery. It’s important to note that Recuva, like all data recovery software, does not guarantee total recovery of all files.

Disk Drill: A comprehensive and user-friendly solution

Disk Drill is data recovery software developed by CleverFiles, which stands out for its user-friendliness and cross-platform compatibility (Windows and macOS). It offers a clear and intuitive user interface that guides the user throughout the recovery process. Disk Drill supports a wide range of storage media, including hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, and mobile devices. It also offers advanced features, such as real-time data protection and data recovery from corrupted or formatted disks.

Disk Drill offers several scan modes, including a quick scan and a deep scan, as well as special search algorithms for different types of files (photos, videos, documents, etc.). One of Disk Drill’s main strengths lies in its ability to preview recoverable files before starting the recovery, allowing you to check their integrity and select only the files you need. The free version of Disk Drill allows you to preview files and recover up to 500 MB of data. For unlimited recovery, you’ll need to opt for the paid version. Disk Drill also has a data protection feature, which allows you to create backup copies of your files and prevent data loss in the future.

Photorec: A powerful open-source tool

PhotoRec is open-source data recovery software, available for free for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Unlike other software, PhotoRec operates in command-line mode, which may seem intimidating to novice users. However, its power and efficiency make it a tool of choice for advanced users and professionals. PhotoRec is particularly effective for recovering photos and videos, but it can also recover other types of files, such as documents, archives, and audio files.

PhotoRec uses a recovery approach based on searching for file “signatures,” i.e., specific bit sequences that identify a particular file type. This allows it to recover files even if their file structure is corrupted or if metadata information is lost. PhotoRec supports a wide range of file systems and storage media, including hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, and CD/DVD drives. Although the command-line interface may require some adaptation time, PhotoRec offers great flexibility and precise control over the recovery process.

Testdisk: For partition and data recovery

TestDisk is another open-source software, developed by the same author as PhotoRec. While PhotoRec is primarily designed for recovering individual files, TestDisk specializes in recovering lost or damaged partitions and repairing partition tables. It can also be used to recover files, but its main strength lies in its ability to rebuild the logical structure of a hard drive. TestDisk is compatible with a wide range of file systems and operating systems, and it supports hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, and memory cards.

TestDisk is a powerful and versatile tool that can be used to solve many problems related to partitions and data loss. It can recover accidentally deleted partitions, repair damaged partition tables, rebuild boot sectors, and recover data from formatted or damaged disks. Like PhotoRec, TestDisk operates in command-line mode, which may require some technical knowledge. However, online tutorials and detailed documentation make it easier to use. TestDisk is an essential tool for system administrators, data recovery professionals, and advanced users who want to master the data recovery process.

R-Studio: Professional and powerful software

R-Studio is professional data recovery software developed by R-Tools Technology. It is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux and is designed to meet the needs of advanced users and businesses. R-Studio offers advanced features and extensive support for different file systems, storage media types, and data loss scenarios. It offers deep scanning and in-depth analysis of hard drives, SSDs, RAIDs, and network storage systems.

R-Studio is capable of recovering deleted files, rebuilding lost partitions, repairing damaged disks, and recovering data from RAID systems. It offers a user-friendly interface, although more complex than some consumer software, and advanced configuration options to customize the recovery process. R-Studio supports file recovery on internal and external hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, and virtual hard drives. It also has a disk image creation feature, which allows you to back up the current state of your hard drive before starting the recovery process. The software is paid.

Easeus Data Recovery Wizard: An easy-to-use solution

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is popular data recovery software, known for its simplicity of use and effectiveness. It is available for Windows and macOS and is suitable for users of all levels, from beginners to professionals. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard offers an intuitive user interface and a three-step recovery process: selecting the drive to scan, scanning for lost files, and recovering the files. It supports recovering deleted files, recovering lost partitions, recovering files from formatted disks, and recovering data from damaged disks.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard supports a wide range of file types, including documents, photos, videos, audio files, archives, and email files. It offers two scan modes: a quick scan and a deep scan, as well as a preview function for recoverable files before starting the recovery. The free version of EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard allows you to recover up to 2 GB of data. For unlimited recovery, you’ll need to opt for the paid version. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a reliable and easy-to-use solution for data recovery in many situations.

Stellar Data Recovery: A comprehensive and affordable option

Stellar Data Recovery is comprehensive and affordable data recovery software, available for Windows and macOS. It offers a user-friendly interface and advanced features for recovering deleted files, recovering lost partitions, recovering files from formatted disks, and recovering data from damaged disks. Stellar Data Recovery supports a wide range of file types and file systems, including hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, and RAID systems.

Stellar Data Recovery offers multiple scan modes, including a quick scan and a deep scan, as well as preview and filtering features for recoverable files. It is capable of recovering data from various data loss scenarios, such as accidental deletions, hardware failures, malware attacks, and disk formats. Stellar Data Recovery is available in several editions, each offering different features and tailored to the specific needs of users. It’s important to choose the edition that best matches your situation.

Minitool Partition Wizard Data Recovery: For partition recovery and management

MiniTool Partition Wizard Data Recovery is software that combines data recovery and partition management features. Developed by MiniTool Solution Ltd, it is available for Windows and offers a simple and intuitive user interface. This software is particularly useful for users who want to both recover lost data and manage their hard drive partitions. MiniTool Partition Wizard Data Recovery supports recovering deleted files, recovering lost or damaged partitions, recovering data from formatted disks, and recovering data from corrupted disks. It also supports a wide range of file types and file systems.

What distinguishes MiniTool Partition Wizard Data Recovery from other software is its ability to manage hard drive partitions. It allows you to create, delete, resize, format, and copy partitions. This combined functionality can be very useful if you have lost data due to a partitioning error or if you want to optimize the organization of your hard drive. The software is paid, but it offers a limited free trial version. MiniTool Partition Wizard Data Recovery is a versatile solution for data recovery and partition management, ideal for users who want to master the organization of their hard drive while protecting their data.

Undelete 360: A simple and effective solution

Undelete 360 is simple and effective data recovery software, designed for the quick recovery of deleted files. Developed by File Repair, it is available for Windows and focuses on an easy-to-use user interface and a simplified recovery process. The main goal of Undelete 360 is to allow users to quickly and easily recover their deleted files, without needing advanced technical knowledge. It is particularly suitable for accidental file deletion situations.

Undelete 360 supports file recovery from hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, and other storage media. It supports a wide range of file types. Its use is very intuitive and boils down to selecting the drive to scan, launching the analysis, selecting the files to recover, and starting the recovery. Despite its simplicity, Undelete 360 offers surprising efficiency for recovering quickly deleted files. Most importantly, it offers a limited free version. This software is an ideal solution for users looking for a simple and fast tool.

Wondershare Recoverit: A versatile and modern solution

Wondershare Recoverit is comprehensive and modern data recovery software that has built a solid reputation in the field. Available for Windows and macOS, it stands out for its elegant interface and guided recovery process that makes data restoration accessible to all users. Recoverit particularly excels in recovering more than 1000 different file types, including photos, videos, documents, emails, and compressed files, on virtually all storage media: internal and external hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, memory cards, and even digital cameras.

One of Recoverit’s strengths lies in its advanced scan algorithms that offer several levels of analysis, from quick scan to deep scan, including a special mode for video files. The software also integrates a real-time preview function that allows users to check the status of files before their recovery, thus reducing the time needed to identify important files. Wondershare Recoverit offers a limited free trial version, but requires a paid subscription to access all its features. Particularly appreciated for its high performance and high success rate in file recovery, it represents a reliable solution for both individuals and professionals facing data loss.

To conclude, data recovery is a crucial field where choosing the right software can make all the difference between the permanent loss of important files and their successful restoration. The 10 best data recovery software presented each offer their specificities, from the free Recuva to the professional power of R-Studio, through the versatility of Wondershare Recoverit. To maximize your chances of success, it is recommended to act quickly as soon as data is lost and to avoid any additional writing to the affected media. Remember that a regular backup strategy remains the best protection against data loss.