Disk Drill alternatives: 10 data recovery tools compared
Disk Drill is a Mac and Windows recovery tool from CleverFiles that scans for free and charges for the recovery itself. People look at others when they want a clear price before scanning, no automatic renewal, a free tool that restores more, or software that deals with RAID, odd file systems or raw disk images.
Short answer: Looking for a replacement for Disk Drill? TestDisk and PhotoRec, DMDE and UFS Explorer Standard Recovery come first in our data recovery software ranking. Our rule for order: vendors outside the big brands go first, and the largest names are not placed in the top three. Start with TestDisk and PhotoRec if you want free tools with source code and can live with unnamed recovered files. The 10 entries that follow are all ranked in Best Data Recovery Software in 2026; each one explains what sets it apart from Disk Drill.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
Pricing: Published lifetime or yearly licences covering three devices; free edition scans and previews
Established in: United States
Built for: Mac and Windows users who want one licence across both systems
Not for: Linux workstations and buyers who want a refund window
01
Why buyers look past Disk Drill
01
The product page shows buttons, not prices
On the CleverFiles page we read, the paid edition appears only as Upgrade to PRO buttons, with no price, billing basis or limits shown. Our category record lists a lifetime licence or a yearly subscription covering three devices. You learn the cost only when you decide to buy, which makes comparing tools harder.
02
The free edition finds files but recovers little
The free app scans and previews, and the Windows page offers up to 100 MB of recovery. The page says a PRO upgrade is needed to recover all deleted files, though protected-file recovery is free when data protection is switched on. A large rescue therefore means paying before you know if the files are intact.
03
Purchases are final and the yearly plan renews
Our category record notes that all PRO purchases are non-refundable and that the subscription renews on its own. Someone who needs one rescue and picks the yearly option must remember to cancel. The product page mentions no trial period, so the free scan is the only way to test.
you want a human to help by remote session during the recovery
#10
03
What each one does differently
1
TestDisk and PhotoRec
France · Published
TestDisk repairs partition tables and boot sectors, and PhotoRec carves files by signature even when the file system is damaged. Both are French-maintained, published under GPL v2 or later, and run on DOS, Windows, Linux, BSD, SunOS and macOS. Carved files lose names and folders, and help is a forum and documentation.
Switch from Disk Drill if you want free tools with source code and can live with unnamed recovered files.
DMDE lets you recover up to 4,000 files per chosen folder for nothing, repeatedly, so you can open results before paying. Paid editions run from a one-year Express licence to perpetual Standard and Professional. It began as a professional disk editor, and refunds are refused after activation.
Switch from Disk Drill if you want to inspect real recovered files before buying anything.
UFS Explorer Standard Recovery works on single drives, memory cards and disk images, with separate RAID and network RAID editions. Licences are perpetual, bought per operating system, and include 360 days of updates. The trial has no time limit but copies only files below 768 KB, so you judge by preview.
Switch from Disk Drill if you need disk images or RAID later and want a perpetual licence.
ReclaiMe offers Standard for Windows disks and Ultimate, which also reads Linux, Mac and NAS disks, each for life or as a 7-day key. Evaluation is by preview. The program itself runs only on Windows, so a Mac disk must be attached to a Windows PC, and refunds cover technical malfunction only.
Switch from Disk Drill if a 7-day key for a single rescue suits you better than a yearly plan.
GetDataBack Pro reads NTFS, FAT, exFAT, ext and Apple HFS+ and APFS volumes under one licence, works read-only on the source drive, and promises free updates for the life of the software. It is free to try and sold at a single published price. It runs on Windows only.
Switch from Disk Drill if you want one fixed price with free updates and a read-only approach.
R-Studio, from R-Tools Technology of Ontario, rebuilds RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, 6 and nested levels, images entire disks and recovers over a network. Licences are permanent and priced by edition. The demo recovers nothing above 1,024 KB, and its feature table runs to dozens of rows.
Switch from Disk Drill if you are rescuing an array or a remote machine, not a single laptop.
Recuva restores deleted files from PCs, recycle bins, memory cards, external drives and MP3 players, with a deep scan and secure overwrite. A free version exists and Professional is listed at EUR 24,95, adding virtual hard drive support and priority support. Gen Digital owns it, and the page lists no RAID or NAS recovery.
Switch from Disk Drill if your loss is a simple deletion on Windows and a low one-off price matters.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery has a free edition capped at 1 GB, personal licences by the month, the year or perpetually for three PCs, and business tiers up to 299 machines. Several licences include a WinPE bootable builder. Personal monthly and annual licences renew automatically, each covering one PC.
Switch from Disk Drill if you need a bootable rescue disc for a PC that no longer starts.
Stellar Data Recovery for Windows recovers 1 GB without registration, then splits into Standard, Professional and Technician. Professional adds non-bootable systems and Technician adds RAID. Lost-partition recovery sits above Standard, so a wrong pick means buying twice. The company is Indian, with offices in the Netherlands and US.
Switch from Disk Drill if you want a larger free allowance and expect to need tiers later.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard has a free edition up to 2 GB and Pro licences by the month, year or for life, each including remote assistance. The legal entity is Chengdu Yiwo Tech Development. A monthly licence costs close to a lifetime one, so a short rescue is billed near full price.
Switch from Disk Drill if you want a human to help by remote session during the recovery.
You want to open real files before paying anything
DMDE: The free edition recovers up to 4,000 files per chosen folder, as often as you like, with paid editions from a one-year licence to perpetual.
02
You are rescuing a RAID array
R-Studio: It rebuilds RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, 6 and nested levels, and recovers over a network, with permanent licences by edition.
03
You want free, open source tools
TestDisk and PhotoRec: Both are published under GPL v2 or later; PhotoRec carves files by signature but they lose names and folders.
04
You need a bootable disc for a PC that will not start
MiniTool Power Data Recovery: Several licences include a WinPE bootable builder, and the free edition is capped at 1 GB.
05
You want a single price and free updates
GetDataBack Pro: One licence covers NTFS, FAT, exFAT, ext, HFS+ and APFS, with free updates promised for the life of the software on Windows.
04
When Disk Drill is still the right choice
Disk Drill remains a good fit if you use both a Mac and a Windows PC and want one tool with a free scan and preview before paying. The free app also bundles disk health monitoring, cleanup, a duplicate finder, a recovery drive, data protection and backup tools, and PRO is licensed for up to three devices. Check the refund and renewal terms before you buy.
05
What moving off Disk Drill involves
01
Stop writing to the affected drive
Whatever tool you pick, avoid installing it onto the disk you are rescuing and save recovered files to a different drive. A scan with a new tool can be repeated safely as long as the source has not been written to in the meantime.
02
Preview results before spending money
Run the free scan or evaluation of each shortlisted tool on the same drive and open a few recovered files. Tools differ in how they treat names and folder structure, so compare the same sample rather than trusting a headline file count.
06
Questions about replacing Disk Drill
6 answers
How much does Disk Drill PRO cost?
The CleverFiles page we read shows no PRO price, only Upgrade to PRO buttons. Our category record lists a lifetime licence and a yearly subscription for up to three devices, so confirm the amount on the checkout page.
Does Disk Drill recover files for free?
The free app scans and previews, and the Windows page offers up to 100 MB of recovery. The page says PRO is needed to recover all deleted files, while protected-file recovery is free if data protection was already enabled.
Which tools are free to start with?
TestDisk and PhotoRec are free under GPL v2 or later. DMDE recovers up to 4,000 files per folder, EaseUS up to 2 GB, Stellar 1 GB, MiniTool 1 GB, and Recuva has a free version.
What works for a RAID array?
R-Studio rebuilds RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, 6 and nested levels, and UFS Explorer sells separate RAID and network RAID editions. Stellar lists RAID in its Technician edition.
Can I recover a Mac disk without a Mac?
ReclaiMe Ultimate and GetDataBack Pro read Mac volumes, but both programs run on Windows only, so the disk must be connected to a Windows computer. TestDisk and PhotoRec also run on macOS.
Which options avoid automatic renewal?
UFS Explorer, R-Studio, GetDataBack Pro and DMDE Standard sell perpetual licences. MiniTool's personal monthly and annual licences renew automatically, and Disk Drill's subscription renews on its own.
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Sources
Checked 7 November 2026
Disk Drill product page: Free and PRO editions, no price shown, free scan and recovery wording, bundled tools, no trial mentioned.
Founder of The Knowledge Engineers and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page on this site; research and drafting are AI-assisted.
Checked and edited by Sebastiaan Smits, last on 7 November 2026. The editorial process explains the method.
