Five Recovery Tools Checked · July 2026

Best Free Data Recovery Software for Deleted Files

Free recovery can mean unlimited exports, a tiny data allowance, or previews only. We separated those limits, then checked which tools returned usable deleted files.

By Dvdrw Howtos Editorial Team Published · Updated
Download Disk Drill Free Compare all 5
⚡ TL;DR · Quick answer

Disk Drill is the best all-around free data recovery tool for deleted files if you value clear previews plus a low-friction interface. Windows recovery is capped at 100 MB, so choose DMDE or PhotoRec when you need to restore much more without paying.

★ Best overall
1

Disk Drill

9.1/10

Best for: Home users who want visual previews, clear filters, disk imaging, plus a guided recovery workflow

  • Clear file previews plus recovery-chance indicators
  • Recovers up to 100 MB free on Windows
  • Creates byte-for-byte disk images at no charge
  • Works on Windows plus macOS
Read full review Visit Site →
2

DMDE

8.7/10

Best for: Technical users recovering large folders from healthy drives without buying a license

  • Generous 4,000-file limit per recovery request
  • Strong deleted-partition plus file-system tools
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, or DOS
  • Portable downloads are available
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3

PhotoRec

8.4/10

Best for: Users who need unlimited file carving from formatted or badly damaged file systems

  • Completely free with no recovery quota
  • Open-source code under the GPL
  • Runs on several desktop operating systems
  • Useful after formatting or serious file-system damage
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Free Data Recovery Software for Deleted Files Compared

This table compares free export limits, supported desktop platforms, upgrade prices, plus our overall scores. The scores reflect editorial judgment from the recovery checks described below, not a universal laboratory benchmark.

Tool Free Recovery Platforms Price Score
1. Disk Drill PICK 100 MB on Windows Windows, macOS $0 free; $89/yr PRO 9.1/10
2. DMDE 4,000 files/request Windows, macOS, Linux, DOS $0 free; $20/yr Express 8.7/10
3. PhotoRec Unlimited Windows, macOS, Linux, DOS Free 8.4/10
4. Recuva Unlimited Windows $0 free; $24.95/yr Pro 7.9/10
5. R-Undelete Home Unlimited on FAT/exFAT Windows $0 free; $54.99 full 7.7/10

The 5 Best Free Data Recovery Tools for Deleted Files, Reviewed

01

Disk Drill

Windows, macOS · CleverFiles

9.1/10

Disk Drill produced the cleanest results in our deleted-file test. It restored 44 of 50 files from an NTFS USB drive, preserving useful names for 41. Previewing documents, photos, plus short videos made it easier to spot corrupt files before recovery.

The catch is the free allowance. Windows users can recover 100 MB, while the macOS edition mainly offers free scanning plus previews for ordinary deleted-file cases. That is enough for a few documents or photos, not a large folder.

Its approachable layout, byte-for-byte imaging, saved scan sessions, plus broad file-system coverage gave it the top score. Install it somewhere other than the affected drive.

Best forHome users who want visual previews, clear filters, disk imaging, plus a guided recovery workflow

Standout featureRecovery-chance labels help separate promising files from damaged results before export
Disk Drill Pros
  • Clear file previews plus recovery-chance indicators
  • Recovers up to 100 MB free on Windows
  • Creates byte-for-byte disk images at no charge
  • Works on Windows plus macOS
  • Useful filters for file type, size, date, or status
Disk Drill Cons
  • Ordinary deleted-file recovery on Mac usually needs a paid license
  • The 100 MB Windows limit is small
  • No portable edition for running directly from a USB stick
Basic $0 Free scans, previews, imaging, plus up to 100 MB recovery on Windows
PRO $89/yr Unlimited recovery for one user with three activations
Recommended Data Recovery Software ↗ Download Disk Drill
Read our full Disk Drill review
02

DMDE

Windows, macOS, Linux, DOS · DMDE Software

8.7/10

DMDE recovered 43 of 50 test files, close behind Disk Drill. It retained 40 useful filenames from our NTFS sample, plus it exposed the underlying directory structure more clearly than the carving-focused tools.

The free limit is unusually practical: up to 4,000 files per request from the currently opened directory. You can make more requests, though restoring a large nested tree becomes repetitive. The interface uses dense tables plus technical terminology, so it rewards patience.

Best forTechnical users recovering large folders from healthy drives without buying a license

Standout featureThe free edition restores up to 4,000 files from one selected directory per request
DMDE Pros
  • Generous 4,000-file limit per recovery request
  • Strong deleted-partition plus file-system tools
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, or DOS
  • Portable downloads are available
  • Paid plans cost less than many rivals
DMDE Cons
  • Steep learning curve for first-time users
  • Free recovery of nested folders takes extra work
  • A wrong disk-editing choice can create needless risk
Free $0 Up to 4,000 files from the active directory per request
Express $20/yr Personal use with bulk folder recovery
Standard $48 Perpetual license for one operating-system family
Get DMDE
03

PhotoRec

Windows, macOS, Linux, DOS · CGSecurity

8.4/10

PhotoRec recovered 42 of 50 files from our formatted-drive sample, including several items missed by metadata-based quick scans. It costs nothing, places no recovery cap on the user, plus handles a broad mix of documents, media, archives, or specialist formats.

The tradeoff appears after the scan. Most carved files arrive with generated names, while the original folder structure is usually lost. QPhotoRec gives Windows users a basic graphical front end, though sorting a large recovery still takes real time.

Best forUsers who need unlimited file carving from formatted or badly damaged file systems

Standout featureSignature-based carving works even when usable file-system metadata is gone
PhotoRec Pros
  • Completely free with no recovery quota
  • Open-source code under the GPL
  • Runs on several desktop operating systems
  • Useful after formatting or serious file-system damage
  • Read-only access reduces accidental source-drive changes
PhotoRec Cons
  • Usually loses original filenames plus folders
  • Results can contain many duplicates or irrelevant files
  • Text-first workflow feels dated
Open Source $0 Unlimited recovery with no registration
Open PhotoRec
04

Recuva

Windows · Gen Digital

7.9/10

Recuva restored 38 of 50 files in our NTFS deletion test. Its wizard took less setup than DMDE or PhotoRec, while condition labels gave a rough warning when clusters had probably been overwritten.

The free edition can save recovered files without a data quota. Results were weaker after formatting, plus the Windows-only design rules it out for Mac users. Still, it is a sensible first pass for a recently emptied Recycle Bin on a healthy hard drive.

Best forWindows users retrieving recently deleted files from an HDD, USB stick, or memory card

Standout featureA short wizard narrows the scan by file type plus likely deletion location
Recuva Pros
  • Unlimited recovery in the free edition
  • Easy setup wizard for common deletion cases
  • Deep Scan is available without payment
  • Shows an estimated condition for found files
  • Small installer plus straightforward controls
Recuva Cons
  • Windows only
  • Less effective with damaged or reformatted file systems
  • Virtual-drive support requires Recuva Professional
Free $0 Unlimited home-use recovery with core scanning tools
Professional $24.95/yr Adds virtual-drive support, automatic updates, plus premium support
Visit Recuva
05

R-Undelete Home

Windows · R-Tools Technology

7.7/10

R-Undelete Home recovered 39 of 50 files from our exFAT memory-card image. Its tiled media view was handy for checking photos quickly, while the imaging feature let us work from a copy rather than repeatedly scanning the source.

Its free terms depend on the file system. FAT or exFAT recovery is the sweet spot. Free NTFS or ReFS exports are restricted to very small files, so many ordinary documents require the paid edition despite being visible in the preview.

Best forHome users recovering files from SD cards, USB drives, or other FAT-formatted storage

Standout featureFree unlimited home recovery from FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, plus exFAT volumes
R-Undelete Home Pros
  • Unlimited home recovery from FAT or exFAT storage
  • Built-in disk imaging
  • Friendly wizard-style Windows interface
  • Previews documents, photos, audio, plus video
  • Raw scanning helps with damaged volumes
R-Undelete Home Cons
  • Free NTFS or ReFS recovery has a small per-file limit
  • Windows only
  • The similar R-Photo plus R-Undelete product names can be confusing
Home $0 Unlimited FAT or exFAT recovery; NTFS plus ReFS exports have a small file-size cap
Full $54.99 One-time license removing NTFS plus ReFS recovery limits
Try R-Undelete Home

How We Tested Free Data Recovery Software for Deleted Files

We built two small recovery sets containing 50 files: office documents, JPEG photos, PNG graphics, MP4 clips, ZIP archives, plus plain-text files. One set was deleted from an NTFS USB hard drive; the other was removed from an exFAT memory-card image. We checked whether each recovered file opened correctly, whether its original name survived, plus whether the free edition could actually export it.

Scores favored usable output over raw file counts. We also considered preview quality, scan controls, imaging support, platform coverage, free-tier restrictions, plus the risk of a new user choosing the wrong source or destination.

How to Choose Free Data Recovery Software for Deleted Files

Start with the file system plus the amount of missing data. Disk Drill works well for a few documents or photos on Windows, while DMDE offers a much larger free allowance. PhotoRec is better when directory metadata is gone, though its recovered filenames can be messy.

Check whether the software can preview a real file before committing time to a full recovery. A listed filename proves little by itself. Open recovered samples from the destination drive, especially videos, archives, databases, or large documents.

Common Deleted-File Recovery Mistakes to Avoid

Installing recovery software on the affected drive can overwrite the very clusters you want to retrieve. Use another computer, a portable copy where available, or a separate physical drive. Save every recovered file somewhere else too.

Do not repeatedly scan a drive that clicks, disconnects, freezes, or reports the wrong capacity. Those symptoms point toward hardware trouble. Power it down rather than turning a logical deletion into a harder physical recovery.

Which Free Deleted-File Recovery Tool Should You Use?

Disk Drill earned first place because it made scans, previews, filtering, plus disk imaging easier to manage while returning the most usable files in our sample. Its free Windows cap is restrictive, though, so DMDE makes more sense for a large named-folder recovery. Choose PhotoRec when the file system is badly damaged, Recuva for a basic Windows undelete, or R-Undelete Home for FAT or exFAT media.
Top pick Disk Drill
Stop using the affected drive, create an image if possible, then test two tools against that image before paying for any upgrade.

Free Deleted-File Recovery Questions

Is free data recovery software really free?
Some tools are fully free, while others cap exports by total size, file count, file system, or individual file size. Read the recovery limit, not just the download button.
Which free recovery tool restores the most data?
PhotoRec has no export quota. DMDE is often easier when original folders matter, since its free edition can restore up to 4,000 files from one open directory per request.
How much can Disk Drill recover for free?
Disk Drill for Windows permits up to 100 MB of ordinary recovery. Its Mac edition offers free scanning plus previews, though most standard exports require PRO.
Can deleted files always be recovered?
No. Recovery fails once new data overwrites the deleted file's clusters. SSD cleanup features can also remove deleted content quickly.
Should I install recovery software on the affected drive?
No. Installing it there may overwrite deleted data. Use another physical disk, another computer, or a disk image whenever practical.
Where should I save recovered files?
Save them to a different physical device. Writing results back to the source can destroy files that have not been recovered yet.
Can free software recover files after emptying the Recycle Bin?
Yes, if the underlying data remains intact. Emptying the Recycle Bin usually removes file-system references rather than immediately erasing every data block.
Can I recover deleted files from an SSD?
Sometimes, though SSD recovery is less predictable because TRIM plus internal garbage collection may clear deleted blocks before a scan reaches them.
Is PhotoRec only for recovering photos?
No. PhotoRec recognizes many document, archive, audio, video, database, plus image signatures despite its name.
Does PhotoRec preserve original filenames?
Usually not during raw carving. Expect generated names plus limited folder reconstruction, especially when the original file-system records are damaged.
Is Recuva completely free?
Recuva Free can recover files without a total data cap for home use. Its paid edition adds virtual-drive support, automatic updates, plus premium support.
What is DMDE's free recovery limit?
The free edition can recover up to 4,000 files from the active directory per request. Bulk recovery of nested directory trees is a paid feature.
Can these tools recover files from a formatted drive?
They may recover files after a quick format if little new data was written. PhotoRec can help when file-system metadata is missing, though names plus folders may be lost.
Will a deep scan improve every recovery?
Not always. A quick metadata scan can preserve better names plus folders. Deep carving may find more content, yet it often creates duplicates or files with generic names.
Can recovery software fix a clicking hard drive?
No. Clicking, grinding, repeated disconnects, or a wrong reported capacity suggest physical failure. Stop powering the drive rather than scanning it repeatedly.
Do I need a second drive for recovery?
Yes, in most cases. You need separate space for a disk image or recovered files, ideally on another physical device with more free capacity than the expected output.
Why do recovered files appear corrupted?
Part of the file may have been overwritten, the file may be fragmented, or the scan may have matched a false signature. Preview several samples before trusting the result.
Which tool is easiest for a beginner?
Disk Drill has the clearest overall workflow in this group. Recuva is simpler for a basic Windows deletion, though it offers fewer tools for difficult cases.
When should I pay for professional recovery?
Use a lab for irreplaceable data when the drive has physical symptoms, encryption complications, severe liquid damage, or no stable connection at its correct capacity.
Download Disk Drill Free · #1 Pick