Disk Drill alternative: what to run instead, and when to pay nothing
Nine tools, one for each reason to leave, and a seven-step method to switch software without making the loss worse.
The short answer: DMDE if you want to pay little (Standard is $48 for life) or recover for free one folder at a time, PhotoRec for photos and videos on a zero budget, UFS Explorer or iBoysoft on a Mac, R-Studio for RAID, a NAS or a badly damaged drive, EaseUS if you want the same point-and-click feel with 2 GB free. One thing before you pick: if your files lived on the internal SSD of a recent Mac or PC and the Trash was emptied, none of these tools will beat Disk Drill. TRIM wipes the freed blocks, and no license brings them back. We compared all nine tools in this guide and checked their prices on the vendors' own pages for 2026.
Rankings are editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why people leave Disk Drill, even when it finds their files
Disk Drill is still one of the easiest recovery tools to use. We score it 4.5 out of 5 in our data recovery comparison, top of the list. So people don't leave because the scan is bad. They leave over the sales model, the price of a one-off job, and a few cases where no software can help. Six reasons, all checked for 2026.
You can see your files, but you can't save them
Disk Drill Basic scans the drive and previews every file it finds. Saving them takes PRO. On Windows, the free tier recovers 500 MB: enough for a few documents, rarely enough for a phone's worth of video. On a Mac it's zero. The only exception is files already covered by Disk Drill's data protection, switched on before the loss. Some reviewers call this "ransomware". That's unfair (the free preview is honest), but the frustration is real.
$89 a year for a one-night job
Disk Drill PRO costs $89 for one year on auto-renewal, or $149 for a lifetime license. It covers one user and up to 3 devices, Mac and Windows included. That's fair if you recover data every month. For an SD card you wiped once, it's a lot: DMDE Standard is $48 for life and PhotoRec costs nothing. Sales tax is added at checkout.
No refund if the files won't open
CleverFiles says it plainly on its sales page: PRO purchases are non-refundable, except where consumer protection law requires it. The negative reviews look alike. Audio or video files paid for and then unreadable, a refund refused, or a partial one after pushing back. Support often asks for the list of files, their types and their sizes before deciding. Whatever tool you move to, take the lesson with you: only pay after you've opened a whole file in the preview.
A preview doesn't prove the file is whole
A preview often shows a thumbnail or the first part of a file. A fragmented video, a long audio file or a RAW photo can show up in the list and come out broken. That isn't unique to Disk Drill: every recovery tool has this limit. But because Disk Drill puts the paywall after the preview, that's where most people discover it, with their own money.
Not much control over hard cases
Disk Drill is built so you click "Search for lost data" and wait. For a RAID to rebuild, a partition to recreate by hand or a NAS, technicians reach for R-Studio, UFS Explorer or DMDE. Those tools show the drive's structure, let you set parameters and work from an image. On data recovery forums, they're the names experienced people mention first.
On an SSD with TRIM, paying does nothing
On the internal SSD of a recent Mac or PC, TRIM wipes freed blocks shortly after deletion. Once the Trash is emptied, an expert on a forensics forum sums it up: you most likely won't get anything back. Hardware encryption on T2 and Apple Silicon Macs closes the door further. Disk Drill may still list file names, with empty contents. No alternative on this page does better. Your real options are Time Machine, local APFS snapshots or a cloud backup.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right Disk Drill alternative depends on what's blocking you: price, your Mac, the kind of failure or the kind of file. Usually one line fits. Each card jumps to the full write-up below.
Free one folder at a time, then $48 for life if you want everything at once.
You just want your photos and videos back, for freePhotoRecOpen source, no size cap, on Windows, Mac and Linux.
You're on a Mac and the free tier saves nothingUFS ExplorerA $69.95 lifetime license for macOS, versus $149 for Disk Drill lifetime.
Your drive is a RAID, a NAS or physically strugglingR-StudioPermanent licenses, RAID rebuilding, the technicians' standard.
You want the same ease of use with a bigger free tierEaseUSUp to 2 GB recovered for free, with a guided wizard.
Your PC won't boot at allStellarThe Professional plan builds bootable media to recover without Windows.
Disk Drill alternatives, tool by tool
For each tool: why switch to it, who it's for, its catch, how to pick up where Disk Drill left off, and what it costs. Prices come from official vendor pages in 2026. EaseUS and Stellar prices are from their European stores, in euros. Scores out of 5 come from our data recovery software comparison.
DMDE: the cheapest lifetime license, with a real free tier
Best valueWhy switch to DMDE. Disk Drill shows you your files, then asks for $89. DMDE lets you recover up to 4,000 files per selected folder per operation for free, with no limit on the number of operations. For a normal Documents or Photos folder, that's often enough. If you want everything in one go, Express costs $20 (one year, personal use) and Standard $48 for life, updates included. We score it 4.4 out of 5, right behind Disk Drill.
Who it's for. Comfortable computer users who want to spend little, and technicians who want a cheap second tool. It runs on Windows, Linux, macOS and even DOS.
Who it's not for. Anyone who wants three big buttons. The interface looks like a disk editor, with volumes, partitions and sectors on screen. Our ease-of-use score: 3.3 out of 5.
The catch. The 4,000-file rule applies per folder, so a folder of 10,000 photos needs a license. Professional costs $95 or $133.
How to pick up after Disk Drill. If you made a byte-to-byte backup with Disk Drill's free tool, open that image in DMDE instead of the drive itself, so the original disk stops working. DMDE can also create the image or clone the drive. Run a full search, then recover folder by folder.
- Free
- 4,000 files per folder
- Paid
- Standard $48 lifetime
- Runs on
- Windows, Mac, Linux, DOS
- Catch
- technical interface
PhotoRec and TestDisk: the free pair for photos, videos and partitions
100% freeWhy switch to PhotoRec. It's open source (GPL), with no size cap and no paid tier, on Windows, Linux and macOS. PhotoRec finds files by their signature (the typical header of a JPEG, an MP4, a PDF) without relying on the file system. That's why it pulls photos off a formatted SD card or a drive that shows up as RAW. Its sibling TestDisk ships with it and repairs partition tables so a drive becomes readable again. On forums, you'll often read about a RAW drive that PhotoRec saved after TestDisk came up short.
Who it's for. Photographers, hobby videographers and anyone with no budget and a bit of patience.
Who it's not for. Anyone who needs files back with their names and folders, or who can't stand a text-mode window.
The catch. File names and folder structure are lost: you get hundreds of renamed files (f1234567.jpg) to sort by hand. You drive it with the keyboard, no mouse. Our ease-of-use score: 2.4 out of 5, for an overall 3.8.
How to pick up after Disk Drill. Write down which file types Disk Drill found that matter to you. In PhotoRec, tick only those formats in the file options menu: sorting gets much shorter. Pick an output folder on a different drive from the one being scanned.
- Price
- free, open source
- Runs on
- Windows, Mac, Linux
- Best for
- SD cards, RAW drives
- Catch
- file names lost
UFS Explorer: the serious Mac option at a one-time price
Mac and LinuxWhy switch to UFS Explorer. On a Mac, free Disk Drill recovers nothing, and its lifetime license is $149. UFS Explorer Standard Recovery costs $69.95 for a personal license, perpetual, with free updates for 360 days. The developer, SysDev Laboratories, sells one license per operating system: Windows, Linux or macOS. It's one of the two tools, with R-Studio, that forum regulars name for rebuilding a damaged HFS+ volume.
Who it's for. Mac and Linux users who want a full tool with no subscription, and freelancers who recover drives now and then.
Who it's not for. Anyone who wants a hand-holding wizard: the interface is denser than Disk Drill's.
The catch. A license covers one OS and one computer. Move from Mac to PC and you need another one. Commercial is $139.95, Corporate $209.95 (up to 10 computers), and the Professional Recovery line starts at $699.95. There's a trial version: run it first to see whether your files show up. We score UFS Explorer 4.2 out of 5.
How to pick up after Disk Drill. Connect the drive, scan the volume and compare the file list with Disk Drill's. If UFS Explorer finds the same files with their names, the $69.95 license does the job of the $149 one.
- Trial
- free trial version
- Paid
- Personal $69.95 lifetime
- Runs on
- one license per OS
- Catch
- 1 computer per license
R-Studio: for RAID, NAS boxes and tough drives
TechniciansWhy switch to R-Studio. When Disk Drill can't make sense of a drive's structure, R-Studio rebuilds it. It reassembles RAID arrays and recovers over the network (Corporate and Technician editions). On repair-shop forums it's the main tool, with DMDE as the cheaper second one. We give it 4.9 out of 5 for recovery success, the best in our comparison, for an overall 4.3.
Who it's for. Technicians, NAS and server admins, and home users whose drive really took a hit (deleted partition, broken RAID).
Who it's not for. An SD card you wiped by mistake: it's overkill for a simple case.
The catch. No real free tier: the demo shows files but won't recover in bulk. Licenses are permanent and split by file system: R-Studio FAT $49.99, NTFS $59.99, full R-Studio $79.99 on Windows, Corporate $179.99 and Technician $899.99. Mac and Linux versions exist too.
How to pick up after Disk Drill. Don't run ten scans on a sick drive. Make one image (Disk Drill's free tool is enough) and analyze that copy. Buy the smallest license that covers your file system: NTFS for a Windows drive, FAT for an SD card.
- Free
- demo, no bulk recovery
- Paid
- from $49.99 lifetime
- Best for
- RAID, NAS, technicians
- Catch
- overkill for simple cases
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: the same ease of use, with 2 GB free
Biggest free tierWhy switch to EaseUS. If you liked Disk Drill because it was simple, EaseUS is its closest match: three steps, a wizard, a preview. The difference is the free tier: up to 2 GB recovered at no cost, four times Disk Drill's 500 MB on Windows. For a handful of documents or a photo folder, free can be enough. Overall score 4.0 out of 5, with 4.8 for ease of use.
Who it's for. Home users and small businesses who want a guided tool and a free tier they can actually use.
Who it's not for. Repeat work across several computers: each license covers one computer, and Windows and Mac versions are sold separately.
The catch. Paid plans cost more than Disk Drill. On the European store, Pro for Windows is €66.69 a month, €96.69 a year or €146.69 for life. The monthly plan is the classic trap: it renews if you forget to cancel.
How to pick up after Disk Drill. Run the full scan, then filter by file type to find what Disk Drill showed you. Recover the most important files first, within the 2 GB, and open them before deciding whether to pay.
- Free
- up to 2 GB
- Paid
- €96.69/year, €146.69 lifetime
- Runs on
- Windows and Mac, sold separately
- Catch
- one computer per license
Stellar Data Recovery: when the PC won't boot
PC won't bootWhy switch to Stellar. Disk Drill offers a bootable recovery USB on the Mac. On a PC that won't start Windows at all, Stellar's Professional plan builds bootable media so you can recover without going through the broken system. The free tier recovers up to 1 GB, twice Disk Drill's Windows cap. Overall score 3.9 out of 5.
Who it's for. Home users with a dead PC who want an interface as simple as Disk Drill's.
Who it's not for. A simple deleted-file case: Standard handles it, but DMDE does the same for less.
The catch. Bootable media needs Professional, €79.99 on the European store. Standard is €49.99, Premium €99.99. Also be wary of the comparisons Stellar publishes itself: they rank Stellar first on numbers that contradict each other.
How to pick up after Disk Drill. Build the bootable media on another computer, boot the dead PC from it, and recover to an external drive. Don't run any Windows repair before your files are out.
- Free
- 1 GB
- Paid
- Standard €49.99
- Best for
- PCs that won't boot
- Catch
- needs Professional for that
iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac: a one-month license that doesn't renew
Mac, one-off jobWhy switch to iBoysoft. For the Mac, iBoysoft sells a one-month Professional license at $89.95 that does not renew. If you hate subscriptions that quietly roll over, it's the only short licence on this page that never rolls over (the lifetime licences of DMDE, R-Studio and UFS Explorer don't either, but they're a one-off purchase for good). The interface is guided, in the same spirit as Disk Drill.
Who it's for. A Mac user with one incident to deal with and nothing they want to remember to cancel.
Who it's not for. Anyone trying to pay less than Disk Drill. One month costs about the same as a year of Disk Drill ($89), a year is $99.95 and lifetime $169.95, before tax.
The catch. Like Disk Drill on a Mac, the trial scans and previews but recovers nothing without a license. Each license covers one Mac. We score iBoysoft 3.9 out of 5: simple and upfront about its trial, but pricier than Disk Drill for a shorter term.
How to pick up after Disk Drill. Run iBoysoft's scan on the same volume and compare the previews. Only buy if iBoysoft opens a file Disk Drill couldn't. Otherwise, a year of Disk Drill is cheaper.
- Trial
- scan and preview, no recovery
- Paid
- $89.95 for one month
- Runs on
- macOS, 1 Mac
- Catch
- pricier than Disk Drill
Recuva: free with no cap for a recent deletion on Windows
Windows, freeWhy switch to Recuva. Recuva recovers recently deleted files from a healthy Windows drive for free, with no size cap. Where Disk Drill stops at 500 MB, Recuva keeps going. Its interface is a short wizard.
Who it's for. A file or folder deleted not long ago, on a hard drive or USB stick that works fine.
Who it's not for. A formatted drive, a lost partition or a Mac: Recuva only runs on Windows and often gives up on those cases. Overall score 3.4 out of 5.
The catch. It finds fewer files than Disk Drill on hard cases. Forums are full of the reverse of your story: people Recuva left empty-handed and Disk Drill rescued. If your Disk Drill deep scan was long and thorough, Recuva will rarely do better.
How to pick up after Disk Drill. Run Recuva's deep scan on the folder or drive in question and recover to another drive. Our Recuva alternative guide covers its limits and what to try after it.
- Free
- no size cap
- Runs on
- Windows only
- Best for
- recent deletions
- Catch
- weak on hard cases
Windows File Recovery: Microsoft's free command-line tool
Free from MicrosoftWhy switch to Windows File Recovery. It's Microsoft's free tool on the Microsoft Store, for Windows 10 (build 19041 and later) and Windows 11. It recovers with no size cap, formatted drives included, and will never try to sell you anything.
Who it's for. People comfortable with a command line, on Windows, with zero budget.
Who it's not for. Anyone who wants to see files before recovering them: there's no graphical interface and no preview. Our ease-of-use score: 2.3 out of 5, for an overall 3.3.
The catch. You need to know the path or file type you're after and pick the right search mode. One syntax slip and the command finds nothing.
How to pick up after Disk Drill. Note the original folder and the file extension Disk Drill showed you. Then run Windows File Recovery with that path and extension, writing the output to another drive.
- Price
- free
- Runs on
- Windows 10 and 11
- Best for
- formatted drives, zero budget
- Catch
- no preview, command line
The 9 alternatives side by side
Our default picks: DMDE if a technical interface doesn't scare you, PhotoRec for photos on no budget, UFS Explorer on a Mac. The rest depends on the failure. For a sense of scale on a single recovery job: Disk Drill costs $89 (one year, cancel the renewal), DMDE $48 for life, UFS Explorer $69.95 for life, R-Studio $79.99 for life, EaseUS €96.69 a year on its European store. One row per tool: what the free version really recovers on the left, the entry price, platforms and our score on the right.
| Free version | Entry price, platforms and score | |
|---|---|---|
| Disk DrillStarting point | Full scan and preview; 500 MB saved on Windows, nothing on Mac | $89/year or $149 lifetime, Windows and Mac; 4.5 |
| DMDECheapest | 4,000 files per folder per operation | Standard $48 lifetime, Windows, Mac, Linux; 4.4 |
| PhotoRec and TestDiskFree | Everything, no cap, but without file names | Free, Windows, Mac, Linux; 3.8 |
| UFS ExplorerMac and Linux | Trial version | Personal $69.95 lifetime, one license per OS; 4.2 |
| R-StudioTechnicians | Demo, no bulk recovery | From $49.99 lifetime (FAT), $79.99 full; 4.3 |
| EaseUSBiggest free tier | Up to 2 GB | €96.69/year, €146.69 lifetime (Windows); 4.0 |
| StellarPC won't boot | Up to 1 GB | Standard €49.99, Professional €79.99; 3.9 |
| iBoysoft (Mac)No subscription | Scan and preview, no recovery | $89.95 for one month, $169.95 lifetime; 3.9 |
| RecuvaWindows, simple cases | No size cap | Free, Windows only; 3.4 |
| Windows File RecoveryCommand line | No size cap, no preview | Free, Windows 10 and 11; 3.3 |
Prices from vendors' official pages in 2026, before tax, subject to change. EaseUS and Stellar prices are from their European stores. Scores out of 5 from our data recovery software comparison.
Switch recovery software after Disk Drill in seven steps
Switching recovery tools isn't like moving an account: there's nothing to export. There's a fragile drive that every scan wears a little, and a budget you don't want to waste. Order matters.
Stop writing to the drive, and don't install anything on it
Right nowEvery file you save and every app you install on the drive that lost data can overwrite what you're looking for. If it's your system drive, shut the computer down and work from another one. Install the alternative on a different drive, never on the one it's going to scan.
Already installed Disk Drill on that drive? Don't uninstall it now: uninstalling writes too. Leave it and move on.
- Rule
- zero writes to the source
- Risk if rushed
- overwritten files
Work out what you're dealing with: hard drive, SSD, SD card, Mac
Before payingThe failure picks the tool. A hard drive or an SD card keeps deleted files for a long time. An internal SSD with TRIM wipes them fast: once the Trash is emptied, no software can help, and a license won't change that. On a recent Mac, check Time Machine and local APFS snapshots first.
A drive that clicks, isn't detected or runs hot? Power it off. Software can't fix a mechanical fault, and every attempt can make it worse. That's a job for a lab.
- Remember
- internal SSD: little hope
- Risk if rushed
- a destroyed drive
Image the drive with Disk Drill's free tool
TipThis is the least-known trick: Disk Drill's byte-to-byte backup is free on Windows and Mac, even without PRO. It copies the whole drive into an image file on another drive of equal or larger size. From then on, the original drive rests and every scan runs on the image.
So you keep the best thing Disk Drill does for free, and you search the image with whatever tool you choose. Just check that your alternative can open an image file: DMDE, for one, includes imaging and cloning.
- You need
- a drive of equal or larger size
- Cost
- free
Write down what Disk Drill found
Before you close Disk Drill, note the original folders, file types and file counts in its results. Take a few screenshots. That's your benchmark: the alternative has to find at least as much, or it isn't worth the money.
Flag the files Disk Drill's preview couldn't open, too. If another tool opens them, that's a real reason to pick it.
- Time
- fifteen minutes
- Payoff
- a fair comparison
Pick the tool for the failure, not the ad
Photos or videos on an SD card: PhotoRec. A folder deleted from a healthy drive: free DMDE or Recuva. Lost partition: TestDisk or DMDE. RAID or NAS: R-Studio. Mac: UFS Explorer, or PhotoRec for photos. PC that won't boot: Stellar Professional.
Be wary of rankings published by a recovery software vendor: almost all of them put their own tool first. Our data recovery software comparison scores every tool on the same criteria.
- Rule
- match the tool to the failure
Open a whole file before you pay
CriticalA thumbnail isn't enough. Open a photo full size, play a video to the end, scroll through a PDF. If the preview stops halfway, the recovered file will too. That's where the disappointments in Disk Drill's reviews come from.
Try several file types. A tool can nail photos and fail on videos.
- Payoff
- no wasted purchase
Recover to another drive, pay as little as possible, then cancel
Always recover to a different drive from the one you're scanning. Then buy the shortest license that does the job: DMDE Express at $20, the R-Studio edition for your file system, or iBoysoft's one-month license. If you end up back on Disk Drill, take the one-year plan and turn off renewal right away: the app stays active until the period ends.
Once your files are back, set up a backup. That's what saves you from the next recovery job, and our Backblaze alternative guide compares the options.
- Risk if rushed
- a forgotten renewal
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a recovery software switch go wrong
The same mistakes come up again and again on recovery forums and in Disk Drill's reviews. None of them is really technical: they're reflexes, and each one can cost you your files or a license you didn't need.
Paying based on a thumbnail
A preview in a list proves nothing. Almost every negative Disk Drill review is about files paid for, then unreadable, with no refund. Open at least one whole file of each type before you buy, whoever the vendor is.
Scanning a failing drive over and over
Disk Drill, then Recuva, then EaseUS, then R-Studio: four full scans on a weakening drive means four times the chance it dies. Make one image, once, and run every attempt on the image.
Running chkdsk or a repair
Windows offers to fix the drive? Say no until your files are out. A repair rewrites the drive's structure and can wipe for good what recovery tools could still see. Recovery specialists repeat it: never chkdsk before you recover.
Paying for an SSD with TRIM
On the internal SSD of a recent Mac or PC, software can list file names whose contents are empty. No tool is an exception. Before you buy, open a whole file: if it's blank or black, keep your money.
Forgetting auto-renewal
Disk Drill PRO on subscription, EaseUS monthly, iBoysoft yearly: all three renew unless you stop them. Turn off renewal the day you buy. Only iBoysoft's one-month license ends on its own.
Not turning on protection afterwards
On a Mac, Disk Drill's only free recovery covers files protected by its data protection, switched on before the loss. If you keep Disk Drill installed, turn it on now. Otherwise, set up a real backup: our Acronis alternative guide compares backup software.
- No more writes to the affected drive
- Media identified: hard drive, SSD with TRIM, SD card, Mac
- Clicking drive powered off and sent to a lab
- Drive imaged with Disk Drill's free tool or the alternative's
- Disk Drill results noted: folders, types, file counts
- Alternative installed on another drive
- One whole file of each type opened before paying
- Recovery written to another drive
- Auto-renewal turned off on purchase day
- Backup set up once the files are back
Disk Drill alternatives: frequently asked questions
Is Disk Drill really free?
Partly. Disk Drill Basic scans and previews every file it finds. On Windows it recovers 500 MB for free; on a Mac, nothing, except files protected before the loss. The extra tools (drive imaging, S.M.A.R.T. health, a bootable USB on Mac) stay free. Tip: those 500 MB are spent file by file, so save the most precious ones first.
Is Disk Drill safe to use?
Yes, as long as you download it from CleverFiles' own site. Version 6.3 is maintained in 2026 on Windows and Mac, and the free preview lets you judge before paying. The complaints are about the sales model and refunds, not security. Stay away from "cracked" copies: that's where malware hides.
What's the best free alternative to Disk Drill?
PhotoRec for photos and videos, with no cap at all but without file names. DMDE if you want names and folders: 4,000 free files per folder, unlimited operations. EaseUS if you prefer a guided interface, up to 2 GB. On Windows, Recuva and Windows File Recovery are free with no cap too.
What's the best Disk Drill alternative for Mac?
UFS Explorer for a full tool with no subscription: $69.95 for a lifetime macOS license. PhotoRec for photos and videos, for free. iBoysoft if you want a one-month license that doesn't renew ($89.95). DMDE runs on macOS as well. On an internal SSD with TRIM, none of them beats Disk Drill: check Time Machine first.
Is there a Disk Drill alternative for Linux?
Yes, three. PhotoRec and TestDisk are free and open source, DMDE runs on Linux too, and UFS Explorer sells a Linux license at $69.95. R-Studio also has a Linux version. Disk Drill itself only runs on Windows and macOS.
Disk Drill or Recuva: which one?
Recuva for a recent deletion on a healthy Windows drive: it's free with no cap. Disk Drill for harder cases (formatting, SD cards, Mac), where it finds more files, but past 500 MB you pay. Our Recuva alternative guide compares the two in detail.
Can I get a refund on Disk Drill PRO?
As a rule, no: CleverFiles says PRO purchases are non-refundable, except where consumer protection law requires it. Some customers report a partial refund after sending the list of unreadable files. The safest move is to open a whole file in the preview before you buy.
How do I cancel a Disk Drill subscription?
The $89 one-year plan renews automatically, but you can cancel any time, and the app stays active until the paid period ends. Payment goes through Paddle, CleverFiles' reseller, which handles the order. If your need is a one-off, cancel the same day you buy.
Can I recover files from a Mac SSD after emptying the Trash?
Almost never. Internal Mac SSDs use TRIM, which wipes freed blocks, and T2 and Apple Silicon chips encrypt the whole drive. Software may list names, but the files are empty. Your real chances: Time Machine, local APFS snapshots, iCloud or another backup. On an external drive or an SD card, though, the odds stay good.
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