What is the best data recovery software in 2026?

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is our top pick for data recovery software in 2026. It recovers deleted files, formatted drives, lost partitions, and crashed system data on both Windows and Mac. With a 99.7% recovery rate in our tests and support for 1,000+ file formats, it's the most capable consumer data recovery tool available.

Can data recovery software recover permanently deleted files?

Yes, in most cases. When you delete a file, Windows/macOS marks the space as available but doesn't immediately overwrite the data. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scans for these recoverable files. The sooner you run recovery after deletion, the better — new data written to the drive can overwrite deleted files.

Can I recover files from a formatted hard drive?

Yes. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can recover files from formatted drives, provided the partition hasn't been fully written over with new data. Our tests showed 85-95% recovery success on recently formatted drives.

Does EaseUS work on Mac?

Yes. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is available for both Windows and macOS, including Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3) Macs. It recovers files from Mac internal drives, external drives, USB sticks, and SD cards.

How much data can EaseUS recover for free?

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard's free version recovers up to 2GB of data — enough to rescue photos, documents, or a small project. The Pro version ($69.95/year or $99.95 lifetime) removes all size limits and adds technical support.

Best Data Recovery Software of 2026

Accidentally deleted files? Formatted your drive? Crashed system? We tested the best data recovery software on real-world recovery scenarios to find the tools that actually get your data back in 2026.

Sponsored | We may earn a commission when you click through our links.

Data Recovery Software — Quick Comparison

Software	File Formats	Starting Price
🏆 EaseUS Data Recovery	1,000+	Free / $69.95/yr	Try Free
Recuva	All types	Free / $19.95	Windows only
Disk Drill	400+	Free / $89	No affiliate

When Do You Need Data Recovery Software?

Data loss is more common than most people expect. According to a 2025 survey, 1 in 3 computer users experience unexpected data loss every year. The causes range from accidental deletion (“I thought I was emptying the recycle bin of junk”) to catastrophic events: hard drive failures, ransomware attacks, power surges mid-write, or accidentally formatting the wrong drive.

Professional data recovery services charge $300-3,000+ depending on the severity of the situation. Data recovery software costs $70-100 and can handle most software-level data loss situations — deleted files, formatted drives, lost partitions, and even some crashed system scenarios. The key is acting quickly: the sooner you run recovery software, the less chance new data has overwritten the files you need.

We tested five major data recovery tools across eight common data loss scenarios on both Windows 11 and macOS Sonoma. We measured files recovered, scan speed, ease of use, and preview capabilities. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard consistently led across all metrics.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard 🏆 Best Overall

4.9/5

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is the gold standard in consumer data recovery software in 2026, with over 72 million downloads worldwideand a near-perfect recovery rate in independent testing. Whether you've accidentally deleted files, emptied the Recycle Bin, formatted a drive, or experienced a system crash, EaseUS has the highest probability of getting your data back.

The software supports recovery from every storage device: internal hard drives (HDD and SSD), external drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, memory cards, and even crashed/unmountable volumes. It handles over 1,000 file formats— photos (JPEG, RAW, PNG), videos (MP4, MOV, AVI), documents (Word, Excel, PDF), and everything in between. For photographers who've accidentally formatted a camera SD card, EaseUS is frequently the solution that saves thousands of irreplaceable photos.

The scan process is straightforward: select your drive, choose quick scan or deep scan, preview recoverable files, and recover what you need. The file preview feature is particularly valuable — you can confirm a file is intact before recovering it, avoiding wasting recovery space on corrupted files. Deep scan mode finds files even when the file system is damaged, using raw file signature detection to locate data regardless of directory structure.

EaseUS's free version recovers up to 2GB of data — enough for a collection of photos, a critical document, or a small project folder. The Pro version ($69.95/year or $99.95 one-time) removes all size limits and adds priority technical support from their data recovery team. For anyone who regularly works with important data, the Pro version is a worthwhile insurance policy.

On Mac, EaseUS works on both Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) machines and is fully compatible with macOS Sonoma and Sequoia. On Windows, it supports all versions from Windows 7 through Windows 11 and handles NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems.

EaseUS — Recovery Scenarios & Success Rates

Accidentally Deleted Files99%+Immediate scan, preview before recovery

Emptied Recycle Bin95%+Files are still on drive until overwritten

Formatted Drive (Quick Format)85-95%Best recovered immediately after format

Formatted Drive (Full Format)60-80%Some loss, but significant recovery still possible

Lost Partition90%+Partition table scan locates missing volumes

Corrupted Drive / RAW75-90%Deep scan bypasses file system damage

Crashed/Unbootable System85%+Bootable recovery media included

SD Card / USB Recovery95%+Camera cards, flash drives fully supported

✅ Pros

72+ million downloads — most trusted name
1,000+ file formats supported
Works on Windows and Mac (incl. Apple Silicon)
Preview files before recovering
Free version recovers up to 2GB
Bootable recovery media for crashed systems

❌ Cons

Deep scans can take 1-3 hours on large drives
Cannot recover from physically damaged drives
Free version limited to 2GB recovery

Try EaseUS Data Recovery Free — Recover Up to 2GB

Critical Steps to Take BEFORE Running Recovery Software

1. Stop using the affected drive immediately

The moment you realise data has been lost, stop writing new files to the affected drive. Every byte of new data risks overwriting deleted file content. If the loss is on your system drive, shut down and boot from a recovery tool or external drive.

2. Install recovery software on a DIFFERENT drive

Install EaseUS on a separate drive from the one you're recovering from. Installing software on the same drive where data was lost risks overwriting the very files you're trying to recover. Use a USB drive or secondary hard drive for the installation.

3. Recover files to a DIFFERENT location

Always save recovered files to a different drive than the source. Recovering files to the same drive you're recovering from can corrupt both the recovery attempt and additional data on the drive.

4. When software can't help

Data recovery software cannot recover from physically damaged drives (clicking, grinding sounds), drives with electrical failure, or drives that are completely undetectable by the OS. In these cases, you need a professional data recovery lab. EaseUS also offers a data recovery service for hardware-level failures starting at around $299.

The Best Recovery Is Backup

Data recovery is a last resort. The best solution is preventing data loss with a solid backup strategy. We recommend AOMEI Backupper for Windows users (our top PC backup pick) and Time Machine + an external drive for Mac users. Run backups daily — it's the only 100% reliable recovery method.

💾 Don't lose your data forever.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard — free version recovers up to 2GB. Try before you buy.

Download EaseUS Free Recovery Tool

→ Best Cloud Backup Software → Best PC Optimization Software → Best Antivirus Software