Disk Drill vs Stellar Data Recovery (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Disk Drill grades higher than Stellar Data Recovery: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Disk Drill grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Disk Drill
Data recovery app for Mac and Windows with free disk tools
Stellar Data Recovery
Data recovery for deleted files and drives on Windows and Mac
Which one is for you
Pick Disk Drill if
- Fits if you need one recovery after a deleted folder or a formatted card
- Works for people who want to see what is recoverable before paying
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to recover files without paying, as free is scan and preview on Mac and capped at 100 MB on Windows
- Watch out: every PRO purchase is non-refundable except where consumer law says otherwise
- Tight if you need more than 3 devices, as a PRO licence covers one user on up to 3
- Watch out: deep scans of Mac system disks rely on a kernel extension the app installs
- Pricey if you only need it once, since a year is $49
Pick Stellar Data Recovery if
- Fits if you deleted something by mistake and want to see what is recoverable first
- Works for people with a card or USB drive that stopped being read
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you are recovering a large drive, as free stops at 1 GB
- Pricey if you need imaging or non-bootable recovery: Professional is $69.99 per PC
- Skip it if you want a known license term, because the page does not say whether it is perpetual
- Watch out: Mac editions have their own pricing that was not read
- Watch out: RAID recovery is Technician only at $199
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADisk DrillGood | 2.2GPAStellar Data RecoveryFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPRO Lifetime is $69 once, under two years of what the category's middle subscription costs. The yearly option is $49, which is mid-range for the category. | CStandard is $39.99 per PC, Professional $69.99 and Technician $199, each listed as discounted. The page does not state the license term, so value is graded as ordinary. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free edition scans and previews but, on Mac, does not recover; the Windows page says up to 100 MB. The disk health, cleanup and duplicate tools are free. | CThe free download recovers up to 1 GB with no registration. That cap is easy to pass on a photo drive. |
| Features | BRecovers from drives, cards, cameras and RAID, reads Time Machine, and adds disk health, cleanup, duplicates and backups. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. | CDrive and card scans, preview, disk imaging, non-bootable systems, repair and RAID. The gap: Standard leaves out system recovery and imaging, which sit on Professional, and RAID is Technician. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record. You install it and run a scan, though deep scans on Macs need a kernel extension it installs. | BNo store rating is on record, but you install it, pick a drive and scan. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac and Windows desktop only. No phone app, web version or published integrations. | CWindows and Mac computer programs, with separate phone products sold apart. A license covers one PC. |
| Best for | getting back deleted files on a Mac or PC | bringing back deleted files from drives and cards |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Disk Drill and Stellar Data Recovery. How we grade
Where they differ
- Disk Drill can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Disk Drill also covers disk cleanup.
- Stellar Data Recovery also covers system monitor.
At a glance
| Disk Drill | Stellar Data Recovery | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49 per year, or $69 one-time | $39.99 per PC |
| Free plan | Disk Drill Basic scans storage and previews every recoverable file; the Windows page says it recovers up to 100 MB for free. Disk health, cleanup, duplicate finder and backup tools are included in the free edition. | The free download recovers up to 1 GB with no registration. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | CleverFiles Inc. | Stellar Information Technology |
| Price read from | cleverfiles.com | stellarinfo.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Disk Drill
- Unlimited recovery needs PRO; the Mac page describes the free edition as scan and preview only.
- All PRO purchases are non-refundable except where consumer law requires a refund, according to the vendor's FAQ.
- A PRO license covers 1 user on up to 3 devices; business use is allowed, and larger teams get a custom Enterprise quote.
- On Macs, deep scans of system disks rely on a kernel extension the app installs.
Stellar Data Recovery
- The Windows page does not say whether a license is perpetual or time-limited, so confirm before buying.
- Windows prices are the ones listed here; the Mac editions are Standard-to-Technician with their own pricing that was not read.
- Windows edition supports Windows 11, 10, 8.1 and 8, and Windows Server 2022, 2019 and 2016; a license covers one PC.
- The free version is capped at 1 GB of recovered data.
Key features
Disk Drill
- File and partition recovery
- Scans drives, SSDs, memory cards, USB sticks, cameras and RAID arrays for deleted files and lost partitions, and previews results before recovery.
- Time Machine and snapshots
- On Mac it reads Time Machine backup disks and local snapshots as extra places to find overwritten files.
- Disk health monitoring
- Free S.M.A.R.T. monitoring watches connected disks for signs of trouble.
- Cleanup and duplicate finder
- Shows what is using disk space and finds duplicate files in several locations.
- Byte-to-byte backups and recovery drive
- Creates disk and partition images and a bootable USB drive for recovery.
- Data protection
- With protection enabled, recovery of protected files is free, according to the vendor.
Stellar Data Recovery
- Drive and card recovery
- Recovers from HDD, SSD, SD cards and USB drives, including lost partitions.
- Preview before recovery
- Preview the files found, then save them to a different drive.
- Disk imaging
- Professional and above can image a disk before recovering from it.
- Non-bootable systems
- Professional and above can recover data from a PC that will not start.
- File repair
- Professional can repair corrupt videos and photos.
- RAID recovery
- Technician recovers from software and hardware RAID arrays.
Plans
Disk Drill
Basic$0
Scan and preview recoverable files, plus the free disk health, cleanup, duplicate finder and backup tools.
PRO One-Year Subscription$49
per year, renews yearly
Unlimited recovery on Mac and Windows, all updates while subscribed, 1 user on up to 3 devices.
PRO Lifetime License$69
one-time
Same as the subscription, with updates included permanently. Shown as $69 against a crossed-out $119 with no end date given.
Stellar Data Recovery
Free$0
Free download that recovers up to 1 GB, per the vendor's Windows and Mac pages.
Standard$39.99
per PC; license term not stated on the page
Listed at $49.99 crossed out, with no end date. Recovers documents, photos and videos, including from lost partitions and encrypted drives.
Professional$69.99
per PC; license term not stated on the page
Listed at $79.99 crossed out, with no end date. Adds non-bootable system recovery, disk imaging, SMART monitoring and photo and video repair.
Technician$199
per PC; license term not stated on the page
Listed at $299 crossed out, with no end date. Adds RAID recovery and reconstruction (RAID 0, 5, 6, SHR and nested).
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Disk Drill or Stellar Data Recovery?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Disk Drill starts at $49 per year, or $69 one-time, and Stellar Data Recovery starts at $39.99 per PC.
Which has a free plan, Disk Drill or Stellar Data Recovery?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Disk Drill and Stellar Data Recovery have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.