Best Data Recovery Software for Mac (2026) — Top 6 Compared
Expert-tested reviews of the most reliable Mac file recovery tools — find the right one before your lost files get overwritten.
Last updated: May 2026
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Our recommendations are based on independent testing and editorial judgment.
Quick Comparison
Software
Free Plan
Starting Price
Deep Scan
Apple Silicon
Best For
Disk Drill
500 MB
$89.99/yr
✅
✅
Overall best
EaseUS
2 GB
$79.95/yr
✅
✅
Beginners
Stellar
1 GB
$79.99/yr
✅
✅
Corrupted files
Recoverit
100 MB
$79.99/yr
✅
✅
Video recovery
PhotoRec
Unlimited
Free
✅
✅
Tech-savvy users
Data Rescue
Scan only
$99/yr
✅
✅
Failing drives
1. Disk Drill Top Pick
Disk Drill by CleverFiles is our top recommendation for Mac data recovery in 2026. It combines an intuitive interface with powerful recovery algorithms, supporting over 400 file formats across virtually every storage device type — internal SSDs, external hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, and even iOS devices.
Our Verdict: The best all-around Mac data recovery tool. Clean interface, excellent scan results, and strong Apple Silicon support make it our #1 pick for most users.
✅ Pros
Recovers 400+ file formats
Free recovery up to 500 MB
Native Apple Silicon support
Includes free data protection tools (Recovery Vault, Guaranteed Recovery)
Best for: Most Mac users who want a reliable, feature-complete recovery tool with a generous free tier and strong all-around performance.
2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is one of the most popular data recovery solutions worldwide, trusted by over 530 million users across 160 countries. Its Mac version offers a clean, step-by-step interface that guides beginners through the recovery process with minimal jargon.
Our Verdict: The most beginner-friendly option. If you're not tech-savvy and just need to recover lost photos or documents quickly, EaseUS makes the process nearly foolproof.
✅ Pros
2 GB free recovery limit — most generous free tier
Simple, wizard-driven interface
Supports APFS, HFS+, NTFS, FAT32, exFAT
Filters by file type, date, and size
Preview before recovery
❌ Cons
Deep scan can take significantly longer than competitors
Best for: Beginners and non-technical users who value simplicity and the most generous free recovery allowance.
3. Stellar Data Recovery for Mac
Stellar Data Recovery stands out for its ability to repair corrupted files during recovery — not just retrieve them. If your documents, photos, or videos are damaged rather than simply deleted, Stellar's repair engine can often restore them to a usable state, which sets it apart from most competitors.
Our Verdict: The go-to choice when your files aren't just missing but corrupted. Stellar's repair-while-recovering approach saves files that other tools leave broken.
✅ Pros
Repairs corrupted photos and videos during recovery
Supports Time Machine backup recovery
Creates bootable USB recovery drive
Encrypted drive support (FileVault)
Monitors drive health (S.M.A.R.T.)
❌ Cons
Interface feels dated compared to Disk Drill
Free version limited to 1 GB
Professional tier needed for video repair
Pricing: Free (1 GB) | Standard $79.99/yr | Professional $99.99/yr | Premium $149.99/yr
Best for: Users recovering corrupted media files — especially photos and videos — and those who need FileVault encrypted drive recovery.
4. Wondershare Recoverit
Wondershare Recoverit specializes in video and large media file recovery, with a proprietary Advanced Video Recovery engine that can reconstruct fragmented video files. If you've lost important video footage from your Mac, camera, or drone, Recoverit is purpose-built for that scenario.
Our Verdict: The best tool for recovering lost video files. Its Advanced Video Recovery technology reconstructs fragmented MP4, MOV, and other formats that other tools often fail to recover intact.
Best for: Videographers, content creators, and anyone who needs to recover large or fragmented video files from Mac storage.
5. PhotoRec Free & Open Source
PhotoRec is a free, open-source data recovery tool that ignores the file system entirely and searches for file signatures directly on the raw disk. While it lacks a graphical interface (it runs in Terminal), it's incredibly powerful and completely free with no recovery limits — a favorite among IT professionals and developers.
Our Verdict: The best free option for users comfortable with the command line. No limits, no subscriptions, and surprisingly effective — if you can handle the text-based interface.
✅ Pros
Completely free, no recovery limits
Open source and actively maintained
Works on virtually any file system
Lightweight — runs from a USB stick
Bundled with TestDisk for partition recovery
❌ Cons
No graphical interface — Terminal only
No file preview before recovery
Recovers files with generic names (no original filenames)
Not beginner-friendly
Pricing: 100% free and open source (GPL license)
Best for: Tech-savvy users, IT professionals, and anyone who wants powerful, unlimited data recovery without paying a cent.
6. Prosoft Data Rescue for Mac
Data Rescue by Prosoft Engineering has been a trusted name in professional data recovery for over 20 years. It's particularly strong at recovering data from physically failing or degraded drives, with a clone feature that creates a byte-level copy of your failing drive before attempting recovery — minimizing further data loss risk.
Our Verdict: The most reliable option for recovering data from failing or degraded drives. Its clone-first approach prevents further damage during the recovery process.
✅ Pros
Drive cloning for failing hardware
Professional-grade recovery algorithms
Detailed scan results with file quality indicators
File preview with quality assessment
RAID recovery support
❌ Cons
More expensive than most competitors
Free version only allows scanning, no recovery
Interface is functional but not modern
Pricing: Free scan (no recovery) | Standard $99/yr | Professional $399/yr
Best for: Users with physically failing drives who need a clone-first recovery approach to prevent further data loss.
How to Choose the Right Mac Data Recovery Tool
When selecting data recovery software for your Mac, consider these key factors:
Urgency: Stop using the affected drive immediately. Every write operation risks overwriting your lost files.
Drive health: For failing drives, use Data Rescue's clone feature first. For healthy drives with accidental deletion, any tool on this list will work.
File types: Need video recovery? Choose Recoverit. Corrupted photos? Go with Stellar. General use? Disk Drill is your best bet.
Budget: If you're broke, PhotoRec is free and powerful. If you can afford it, commercial tools offer previews, better file naming, and customer support.
Technical skill: Beginners should stick with EaseUS or Disk Drill. Terminal veterans will love PhotoRec.
Apple Silicon compatibility: All six tools in this list support M-series Macs natively in 2026.
Common Causes of Data Loss on Mac
Understanding why you lost data can help you choose the right recovery approach:
Accidental deletion: Emptying the Trash or using ⌘-Delete — the most common and easiest to recover.
Drive formatting: Accidentally formatting the wrong drive — recoverable with deep scan.
macOS update failure: System updates that go wrong can corrupt the file system.
Malware or ransomware: Though rare on Mac, malicious software can encrypt or delete files.
Physical damage: Drops, water damage, or SSD wear-out — may require professional services.
Partition loss: Resizing or merging partitions that goes wrong — PhotoRec + TestDisk excel here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can data recovery software recover files from a failed Mac SSD?
Yes, most data recovery tools can recover files from Mac SSDs, though success rates vary. Tools like Disk Drill and Stellar support T2 and Apple Silicon Macs. However, SSDs with hardware-level failure may require professional clean-room recovery services.
Is free data recovery software for Mac reliable?
Free tools like PhotoRec are reliable for basic recovery. However, most commercial tools offer free scans with limited recovery (typically 1–2 GB). For full recovery of large volumes, a paid license is usually required.
How much does Mac data recovery software cost?
Mac data recovery software ranges from free (PhotoRec) to around $99–$119 for a one-year license. Lifetime licenses typically cost $149–$299 depending on the tool and features included.
Can I recover files after emptying the Trash on Mac?
Yes, emptying the Trash does not immediately erase the data from your drive. Data recovery software scans the raw disk for file signatures and directory entries to recover trashed files, as long as the storage space hasn't been overwritten.
Does data recovery software work on Apple Silicon (M-series) Macs?
Yes, most major data recovery tools have been updated to support Apple Silicon Macs. Disk Drill, EaseUS, Stellar, and Recoverit all run natively on M1/M2/M3/M4 Macs. Note that some advanced features may require disabling SIP temporarily.
How long does Mac data recovery take?
A quick scan typically takes 5–15 minutes. A deep scan of a large drive (1 TB+) can take 1–4 hours depending on drive condition, file system, and the amount of data. SSDs generally scan faster than HDDs.
Our Testing Methodology
We tested each data recovery tool on a 2024 MacBook Pro (M4 Pro, macOS Sequoia 15.5) with a 1 TB external SSD formatted as APFS. We created a standardized test set of 500 files (photos, documents, videos, and archives), deleted them, emptied the Trash, and measured: (1) scan speed, (2) percentage of files found, (3) percentage of files fully recoverable, (4) file preview accuracy, and (5) ease of use. Each tool was tested with both quick scan and deep scan modes. Pricing was verified as of May 2026.