Do not panic if you have accidentally deleted files from your Mac. This article shares the best free Mac data recovery software to recover them in no time.
We all make mistakes. You can correct some errors with ease. But, it is tough to correct the missteps such as accidentally deleting pictures, files, and other data from Mac. Once deleted, they often disappear from the device as the sun disappears from the sky on a cloudy day. But, you do not need to lose heart as technology has found a solution for almost everything, including recovering the deleted data from Mac. There are many Mac data recovery software to help you effortlessly retrieve the lost data.
But, if you are not willing to pay the hefty price charged by most of these programs and are wondering if there is any free data recovery software, then you have found the right article. Here, we share the best data recovery software for Mac that is free, easy to use, and safe. Let’s now begin exploring these programs.
Best Free Mac Data Recovery Software to Recover the Lost Files
Here is the best free Mac data recovery software that you need to recover the data lost due to crashing, deletion, formatting, or any other reason.
1. Disk Drill- Software for Data Recovery on a Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.11.6 and above
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Paid version: Available
Whenever the topic of Mac data recovery comes up, the name of Disk Drill is sure to come. It is among the best free data recovery software for Mac to retrieve the deleted files, photos, videos, and even the lost disk partitions. It is one of the most feature-packed programs that you can get for free. We made it a part of our list as it offers many advanced features without charging even a penny for them. Here we share those features with you.
Features of Disk Drill:
- With this software, you can recover data from internal and external hard drives, cameras, iPhones, iPad, iPods, USB flash drives, Kindles, and memory cards.
- You can preview the potentially recoverable files and determine which ones should be recovered.
- This tool allows data recovery on a mac and employs three partition recovery methods, i.e. Universal Partition Search, Lost HFS+ Partition Scan, and HFS+ Catalog File Rebuilding to do that.
- Disk Drill performs S.M.A.R.T disk monitoring to alert you about potential disk issues.
- It comes with an in-built cleaner that analyzes the disk space, locates unused files, and deletes the space-hogging files.
- Encompasses a duplicate finder to effortlessly find and delete twin files.
- This program allows you to create a bootable USB drive.
- You can protect the files with a recovery vault or guaranteed recovery.
- It allows you to create byte-to-byte disk and partition backups.
Pros of Disk Drill:
- Comprehensive
- 100% data recovery
Cons of Disk Drill:
- Not for phones
- May take time
2. Lazesoft Mac Data Recovery- Data Recovery Software for Mac
Compatibility: macOS X 10.5 and up
Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Paid version: Unavailable
Unlike most of the other free Mac data recovery programs, this software does not put restrictions on the data that you can recover. Yes, it is one of those rare utilities that offer unlimited data recovery for free. In addition to this, below are the other top features of this tool that brought it to our list.
Features of Lazesoft Mac Data Recovery:
- It supports a multitude of file systems such as HFS/HFS+, FAT, FAT32, NTFS, EXFAT, and more.
- You can recover data from any media such as internal hard disk, external hard disk, USB flash disk, iPods, memory cards, etc.
- Lazesoft Mac Data Recovery retrieves data from formatted, damaged, and deleted partitions.
- This data recovery software for mac undeletes Mac files using the file recovery and the drive recovery method.
Pros of Lazesoft Mac Data Recovery:
- Supports different formats
- Works quickly
Cons of Lazesoft Mac Data Recovery:
- Too simple interface
- Complicated
3. iSkysoft Data Recovery- Mac Data Recovery Software
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.8 and higher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Paid version: Available
If you are looking for easy-to-use Mac data recovery software, then iSkysoft Data Recovery software is one of the best options that you can consider. It lets you get back all the deleted data in a simple three-step process. Moreover, it lets you recover all types of files such as graphics, documents, videos, audio, emails, documents, and more from all kinds of devices like SSD, USB drive, digital camera, video player, camcorder, HDD, memory card, SD card, etc. Apart from this, here is what makes this software the best free data recovery software for Mac.
Features of iSkysoft Data Recovery:
- You can use this data recovery software mac to recover the files that you’ve deleted from the trash.
- With this software, it is possible to retrieve data from formatted Mac drives.
- iSkysoft Data Recovery rescues the data from lost partitions.
- It recovers the data lost due to viruses and other malware attacks.
- This program retrieves the data lost because of system crashes by creating bootable media.
- It boasts a time machine to restore lost or damaged files and other data.
Pros of iSkysoft Data Recovery:
- Preview file beforehand
- Boots data for recovery
Cons of iSkysoft Data Recovery:
- Limited features in free version
- Can not recover through the free version
4. M3 Mac Data Recovery- Data Recovery Software Mac Free
Compatibility: macOS Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra and Mac OS X El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion
Rating: 4 out of 5
Paid version: Available
Apple keeps on issuing design guidelines for different software programs. It is one of those utilities that completely adheres to these standards. Moreover, its user interface is simple and intuitive. In addition to this, it offers some of the most unique features such as retrieving the data from encrypted APFS drive and T2 secured Mac. Furthermore, below are the other features that make it one of the best Mac data recovery software.
Features of M3 Mac Data Recovery:
- It lets you recover the files even if you have deleted them permanently from the trash.
- With this software, you can recover data from unreadable as well as unmountable drives.
- This software program lets you recover the data from external drives.
- If your Mac is not turning on, you can either run this software in Recovery Mode or create a bootable media to prevent the data from getting lost.
- This data recovery mac software offers two scan modes, one is a quick scan and the other is a deep scan.
- You can preview the potentially recoverable files to see whether the files that you have lost are retrievable or not.
Pros of M3 Mac Data Recovery:
- Recovery from different devices
- Easy to use
Cons of M3 Mac Data Recovery:
- Slow Scanning
- Limited data recovery in the free version
5. PhotoRec Recovery for Mac- Data Recovery Software for Mac Free
Compatibility: Mac OS X
Rating: 4 out of 5
Paid version: Unavailable
If your focus is on recovering the deleted photos, then PhotoRec Recovery for Mac is among the best free Mac data recovery software that you can use. It undeletes the deleted pictures from all kinds of storage devices such as hard drives, memory cards, USB flash drives, and more. Further, it also boasts several other exciting features that instigate us to make it a part of our list. We share them below.
Features of PhotoRec Recovery for Mac:
- It supports multiple file formats such as FAT, NTFS, exFAT, ext2/ext3/ext4 filesystem, and HFS+.
- Boasts support for over 480 extensions include the ones other than images.
- This mac data recovery software is an open-sourced program.
- PhotoRec Recovery for Mac reads the devices block by block and cluster by cluster for recovering almost all the lost files.
Pros of PhotoRec Recovery:
- Open-sourced structure
- Supports different formats
Cons of PhotoRec Recovery:
- Improper support
- Complicated design
6. TestDisk for Mac- Data Recovery Software Free Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X
Rating: 4 out of 5
Paid version: Unavailable
Here comes another free Mac data recovery software from the developers of PhotoRec Recovery for Mac. It is an open-source program with a wide array of features, such as recovering lost partitions and fixing boot issues to delight the users. We share some of its highlighting features below.
Features of TestDisk for Mac:
- This data recovery software for mac supports almost all the file formats such as FAT16 and FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS, HFS+, ext2/3/4, LVM, and LVM2.
- You do not need to install it as it’s a portable application.
- TestDisk for Mac is also available on LiveCD.
Pros of TestDisk for Mac:
- Can create bootable files
- Open-sourced
Cons of TestDisk for Mac:
- Unattractive UI
- Time-consuming
7. Exif Untrasher- Completely Free Data Recovery Software for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.10 and up
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Paid version: Unavailable
If you are searching for the best data recovery software solely to recover lost images, then you can give Exif Untrasher a shot. It does not retrieve the deleted documents, videos, and other data. But, it boasts exceptional ability to undelete the erased pictures from your Mac as well as external storage devices. Below are a few of the striking features of this best free Mac data recovery software.
Features of Exif Untrasher:
- This data recovery mac software is among the easiest to use programs.
- Exif Untrasher supports a wide range of image formats.
- You can use this software in four languages, namely English, German, French, and Italian.
Pros of Exif Untrasher:
- Free to use
- Deep Scans
Cons of Exif Untrasher:
- No recovery from Macintosh HD
- Lack of supporting formats
8. EaseUS Data Recovery- Free Data Recovery Software for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS 10.6 and higher
Rating: 4 out of 5
Paid version: Available
Another free Mac data recovery software that you can give a shot is EaseUS Data Recovery. It is among the highest-rated programs to retrieve the lost files from hard drives, USB, trash bins, memory cards, SD cards, and more. It comes with a bunch of delightful features to make data retrieval a cakewalk. Below we share the same.
Features of EaseUS Data Recovery
- You only need to follow a three-step process with this data recovery-free mac for recovering. Simply scan the Mac, preview recoverable files, and retrieve them.
- It lets you recover data from HFS+ fusion drives.
- With this program, you can even recover data from encrypted files.
- It creates an automatic backup of deleted files.
Pros of EaseUS Data Recovery:
- Recovers files and emails
- Preview of files
Cons of EaseUS Data Recovery:
- 100 MB recovery limit
- Complicated process
9. Recoverit Mac Data Recovery- Best Data Recovery Software for Mac Free
Compatibility: macOS X 10.10 and up
Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Paid version: Available
Here is another high-rated and the best Mac data recovery software for you to retrieve the lost files on your Mac device. It lets you effortlessly recover data from even external Mac devices. Recoverit Mac Data Recovery boasts a plethora of stunning features that forced us to review and write about it. Below we share the same with you.
Features of Recoverit Mac Data Recovery:
- You can retrieve the lost data from APFS encrypted Macs.
- It boasts support for a lot of file systems such as HFS, HFS+, FAT/exFAT, and NTFS.
- With this software, you can recover the data lost due to power failures and Mac shutdowns.
- It also makes it possible for you to recover the lost data from damaged, formatted, or corrupted hard drives.
- Recoverit allows you to retrieve the lost partitions and data deleted due to virus attacks.
- This data recovery software for mac free lets you undelete the data from several different storage devices such as USB flash drives, media cards, SD cards, and more.
Pros of Recoverit Mac Data Recovery:
- File preview
- Easy to use
Cons of Recoverit Mac Data Recovery:
- Lack of advanced options
- Limited options in free version
Read More: 10 Best Mac Apps To Unarchive/Archive Files
10. Cisdem Data Recovery- Data Recovery Tools for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.12 and higher
Rating: 4 out of 5
Paid version: Available
Cisdem is another well-known name in the world of Mac data recovery software. It lets you recover the files lost due to any kind of mishappenings ranging from hard drive crashes to virus attacks. Further, it offers several features to make data recovery easy for you. Below we list out a few of its prominent features that led it to this post.
Features of Cisdem Data Recovery:
- It boasts five options to recover the lost files.
- Cisdem Data Recovery supports most storage devices and file systems such as APFS, HFS+, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, etc.
- With this software, you can recover over 200 file types like photos, music, video documents, archives, emails, folders, raw files, etc.
- You can recover the lost data in three simple steps.
- This free data recovery software for Mac does not overwrite the original data.
Pros of Cisdem Data Recovery:
- Supports different formats
- Convenient
Cons of Cisdem Data Recovery:
- Can not filter before the scan
- Complex
11. Stellar Data Recovery- Free Mac Data Recovery Software
The net product on this list of the best free Mac data recovery software is the Stellar Data Recovery software. The software is available in four different editions: Free, Professional, Premium, and Technician. You can select any edition according to your requirements.
Features of Stellar Data Recovery:
- The interface of the software supports five different languages viz. English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish for your ease.
- You can recover data of up to 1 GB size for free.
- The software allows you to recover data from corrupted or crashed computers and storage devices.
- You don’t have to be an expert to operate this software.
- Stellar allows you to recover files of different formats easily and quickly.
- Whether it is an SSD, portable HDD, jump drives, or any other device, you can recover data from all.
Pros of Stellar Data Recovery:
- Easy to use
- Supports different formats
Cons of Stellar Data Recovery:
- Limited file recovery in the free version
- Unattractive UI
Here we are at the end of our list of the best free Mac data recovery software. The last on our list is Tenorshare 4DDiG. The software was previously known as Mac Data Recovery. This data recovery software allows you to recover as many files and data as you want. You can recover the data if it is deleted, formatted, or lost due to any reason. The software is fully safe to use and provides promising recovery results within a couple of minutes.
- One of the best features of the software is that it supports Mac T2 Chip Data Recovery options.
- You can use this recovery software to get all the lost files back to the latest macOS Big Sur.
- The software recovers data effectively from a failed, crashed, or dead MacBook.
- You can recover files of over 550 formats with the help of this software.
- Whether it is human error, virus attack, system failure, or hardware failure that lost your files, Tenorshare will get them all.
- Tenorshare recovers data from hard drivers, music players, cameras, Sd cards, video players, SSDs, HDDs, and every other form of storage device.
- You can recover files from APFS, HFS+, FAT32, or exFAT systems as you want.
- Preview files beforehand
- 100% Secure
- Recovery limit of 3 GB
- Limited features in free version
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions related to the best free Mac data recovery software to help you with everything:
Q.1 When does a Mac data recovery tool work?
Any Mac data recovery software, whether free or not, helps in recovering files and data lost due to any reason. Whether you have lost the data due to formatting, deletion, system crash, accident, transfer failure, or any other reason. Mac data recovery software helps in recovering data lost due to any issue.
Q.2 What are the attributes of an ideal data recovery software?
An ideal data recovery software for Mac or any other operating system should have some attributes. These include file preview, fully safe, good results, less time consuming, deep scans, supports multiple formats, recovers from different storage devices, etc. in this article, we have listed some programs that provide all these features for Mac data recovery.
Q.3 How do I recover files on my Mac for free?
You can use any of the best free Mac data recovery programs listed in this article to recover data for free. These programs allow you to recover data easily and get your files back in no time. Just download the data recovery software, install it, and use it to get all your important files within a minute.
Q.4 Which is the best and completely free data recovery software for Mac?
To point at one free Mac data recovery software is very hard as different users have different priorities. What you should do is check out this article to get the information about different best data recovery software and select the one that suits your requirements.
Q.5 How to get maximum data recovered by software?
You can get the maximum data recovery rate by using any one of these best free Mac data recovery software. All of this software, whether paid or not, allows you to recover data on your Mac very easily.
Q.6 How to boot a Mac and recover data?
If anyone has told you that you need to boot your Mac to recover files from it, he has informed you wrong. You do not have to boot a crashed or other Mac to recover the lost data from it. If you wish to recover data without boot, you can take the help of any free Mac data recovery software listed in this article. Download and install any of these programs and get the best recovery features you can ever imagine.
Best Free Mac Data Recovery Software: Closing Thoughts
Above we shared the best free Mac data recovery software that you can use on your Mac to retrieve the lost files no matter how they got deleted. In case you want to add any other software to this list, then share the same via the comments section below. We will be pleased to use, review, and add it to the list shared here. And do not forget to subscribe to this blog for more such software recommendations if you have not already done so.
