The best data recovery software for Mac in 2025
19.0K views
9 min read
Finding a good Mac disk recovery software can be frustrating. I’ve sifted through dozens of tools that either don’t recover data, or fail to deliver on their promises.
After thorough testing, however, I’ve compiled a list of 9 tools that actually work. Below, you'll find both free tools (usually, they have limited functionality, like recovering up to X GB, but they are still great for some cases) and absolutely stunning paid tools that won't break the bank.
Top best data recovery software for Mac
To save you time, I've briefly described all the tools from the article in this table. If you need more details about any of them, just scroll down.
| Tool to try | Its best features | Price/month |
| Disk Drill | Recovers data from Mac, external drives, SD cards, and connected iPhones. Makes backups, and monitors space. | Included in Setapp for $9.99, along with 250+ other apps |
| Stellar Data Recovery | Restores photos, videos, audio, and general files. | From $7.5 (with a yearly plan) |
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard | Advanced partition recovery. | Free up to 2GB; from $5.8 (with a yearly plan) |
| Recoverit | Supports 1,000+ file formats and 2,000+ devices. | From $7.5 (with a yearly plan) |
| DiskWarrior | Recovers from corrupted drives, repairs Disk Utility errors; prevents disk wear. | $119.95 |
| TestDisk | Command-line tool; recovers partitions and file systems. | Free |
| R-Studio | Advanced data recovery; supports network recovery. | Free trial; full license $79.99+ |
| iBoysoft Data Recovery | Works with unbootable Macs. | Free up to 1GB; full — from $8.3 (with a yearly plan) |
| PhotoRec | Focuses on media recovery; command-line tool. | Free |
How to choose file recovery software for Mac
When compiling this list, I took the following things into consideration:
- Supported file types: I focused on general tools that can recover almost anything — documents, photos, videos, etc. However, you’ll also find some specific tools (e.g., for photo recovery).
- Ease of use: Here are one-click solutions or at least apps that are intuitive. Since file recovery often involves irreversible processes, it’s important to choose a tool with a user-friendly interface that you can fully understand. The easier the tool is to use, the more likely you’ll recover all your accidentally lost files.
- Preview before recovery: This feature is usually included.
- Recovery from various sources: I targeted apps that work with internal drives, external drives, USBs, and more.
- Price: While some hard drive recovery tools for Mac are free, when it comes to your data, it’s best to rely on professional apps — even if it means paying a bit to recover your files (which are presumably more valuable). However, you don’t always need a subscription; some tools offer one-time payments.
Now that you know the principles I applied, let’s dive in!
9 best data recovery software for Mac
Here are the best data recovery software for Mac I recommend.
1. Disk Drill
If you want a great data recovery app that’s simple to use and instantly recovers your files right after deletion, you might as well stop at Disk Drill.
Disk Drill is a near-perfect data recovery app for Mac, as well as SD cards, external hard drivers, connected iPhones, iPads, etc. The app works for data corruption, accidental deletions, macOS errors, and more.
To recover data on Mac with Disk Drill:
- Install and open Disk Drill.
- Select your hard drive.
- Click “Search for lost data”
In addition, Disk Drill is a great app for monitoring available disk space and flagging potential risks, backing up your data to an external hard drive, completely shredding sensitive files, and cleaning up unused files that take up lots of space.
2. Stellar Data Recovery
Another popular Mac data recovery option comes from Stellar, a US-based company that creates enterprise recovery solutions. They do, however, offer an app for individuals as well.
Stellar Data Recovery for Mac can recover general files, photos, videos, audio, and more, whether they were accidentally erased or corrupted. Most Macs and macOS versions are supported.
While the app itself feels a bit outdated, it’s quite straightforward to use. You can download a free version, which lets you preview files available for recovery. To actually recover the files, you have to purchase a license which starts from $99.99/year.
3. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard
Since 2004, EaseUS has been helping Mac and Windows users get lost files back. The company has released a dozen apps that cover not only data recovery but also data partition, backups, data transfer, and more.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a very simple data recovery app that can be installed for free to bring back up to 2 GB of deleted files. To recover more, users have to purchase a premium version for $89.95.
4. Recoverit
Wondershare Recoverit is a powerful and intuitive data recovery software for Mac. It works with most causes of data loss, from software failures to human errors, viruses, and system crushes.
Recoverit supports over 1,000 file formats, which is true live-saver for those who need to restore obscure audio or archives. More than 2,000 storage devices are also supported, from USBs to hard drives to memory cards — you name it!
Just select the drive to scan, preview your lost files, and recover them. You do have to pay for the license, however, anywhere from $109.99 to $169.99, depending on the feature set you want.
5. DiskWarrior for Mac
If your data loss seems really bad, another professional tool like DiskWarrior might be able to help.
DiskWarrior has been on the market for a long time and might seem outdated, but it’s also really powerful. It can repair Disk Utility errors, doesn’t wear out your hard drive, issues warnings where your drive might need replacement, and much more.
The only downside is that DiskWarrior is not free, there’s no free trial available, and the purchase will set you back $119.95.
6. TestDisk for Mac
Unlike other options above, TestDisk is a free tool to recover your files on Mac. The catch? It has no graphical user interface and operates from the command line. So if you’re not comfortable in the CLI world, we strongly suggest using a tool like Disk Drill.
However, if you’re willing to dive in, there are step-by-step instructions available on the TestDisk website. Since the tool is free and rarely updated, there are also no reassurances regarding compatibility with Apple Silicon Macs.
7. R-Studio Data Recovery
R-Studio for Mac is another great tool from a respectable company that has been developing recovery solutions for 20 years. The app is well-maintained and works on all Macs. It can be downloaded for free if you want to test it out, with the only limitation of not being able to restore files larger than 256 KB. When you buy the license for $79.99, the limitation is removed. There are also licenses available for technicians and corporate accounts.
8. iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac
If you need to recover just up to 1 GB of data for free, iBoysoft Mac Data Recovery might be a good option. This easy-to-use tool supports all recent macOS versions as well as M1 and M2 Macs, is able to recover data even from unbootable Macs, external disks, and more.
The only downside is that iBoysoft works by subscriptions, asking $89.95 for a monthly or $99.95 for an annual license.
9. PhotoRec for Mac
Since a lot of the lost data we want to recover is usually related to some form of media (e.g. video, audio, photos), some of the best recovery data software for Mac actually specializes in them.
PhotoRec for Mac is made by the same company as TestDisk mentioned above but specifically targets lost photos, whether from CDs, hard drives, or camera memory.
Even though PhotoRec is free, it faces the same issues as TestDisk — namely, it doesn’t have an easy-to-use graphical interface and relies on the command-line interface instead.
How to delete excess data from your Mac automatically
One thing I’ve noticed is that the more cluttered my Mac is, the more likely I am to accidentally delete something important. That’s why cleaning up my Mac has become one of the best ways to prevent data loss. If you think this approach could work for you, give CleanMyMac a try. For me, it's the best way to optimize my Mac and get rid of any junk I don’t need (including invisible system junk and app leftovers). It features a list of powerful scans that do everything from stopping malware to deleting duplicates and useless files.
CleanMyMac is a one-stop shop when it comes to getting your Mac in shape.
- Install and open CleanMyMac.
- Select Smart Care from the sidebar.
- Click Scan.
- Review what the app finds (junk, malware, clutter, etc.) and delete what you don't need. Then, run the recommended tasks.
Another great tip for avoiding deleting the wrong files is using Spotless.
Spotless automatically organizes your files by preset rules, so you never have to move any of them manually. Predefine destination folders and specific extensions, and Spotless would put the right files in the right place without you even noticing.
Data recovery on Mac: Your next step
Now you’re fully equipped to restore any file that might be lost on your Mac. My suggestion is to start with Disk Drill, and it’s likely that you’ll never need another Mac disk recovery software anytime soon. In addition, keep your Mac optimized with CleanMyMac to reduce accidental errors.
Best of all, Disk Drill, CleanMyMac, and Spotless are available for free for seven days with the trial of Setapp, a platform with more than 250 apps for Mac and iOS. Try every Setapp app at no cost today and discover a new world of curated favorites.
Security-tested
