GParted vs TestDisk and PhotoRec (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GParted grades higher than TestDisk and PhotoRec: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
GParted grades higher on features and ease of use. TestDisk and PhotoRec grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TestDisk and PhotoRec
Free open-source tools for lost partitions and deleted files
Free
Which one is for you
Pick GParted if
- Fits if you're comfortable booting from a USB stick or disc
- Works for people on Linux who want a graphical partition editor
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to run it inside Windows or macOS, since you have to boot GParted Live
- Watch out: the download page warns that editing partitions can cause data loss, so back up first
- Watch out: some actions need e2fsprogs or dosfstools installed
- Watch out: it needs 1 GB of RAM for all features, and Live 1.7.0 and later is 64-bit only
Pick TestDisk and PhotoRec if
- Fits if you've lost a partition and can work in a text menu
- Works for people who care about getting files back and not about their names
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a graphical tool, as the main programs are text-based
- Skip it if you need file names and folders back, since PhotoRec generally doesn't restore them
- Watch out: the 7.2 Mac build listed is 64-bit Intel and M1 Macs can run it
- Too light on hand-holding for a first-time rescue, as the site points graphical-tool seekers to a partner product
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAGPartedGood | 2.6GPATestDisk and PhotoRecGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under GPL v2 or later. Nothing to pay, below every price the category charges. | AFree under GPL v2 or later, with no paid edition. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright with no cap; the site asks for donations. | AFree outright with no cap. No cap, no trial and no paid tier. |
| Features | BPartition operations, a wide file system list, many storage types, alignment and flags, and rescue from lost partitions. No gap in the job. | CPartition repair, undelete and signature-based recovery on many media, but PhotoRec recovers by type and names and folder structure are generally not restored. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You boot a live image and some actions need separate file system tools installed. | DNo rating on record. The main programs are text-based and menu-driven, and the graphical QPhotoRec ships separately. |
| Platforms and integrations | DA Linux application; on Windows or Mac you boot GParted Live instead. | CWindows, Mac and Linux, desktops only. Windows, Mac and Linux desktops only; no phone or web version. |
| Best for | a free graphical partition editor, run from a live disc | free recovery of lost partitions and deleted files |
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: GParted and TestDisk and PhotoRec. How we grade
Price against what you get
GParted has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TestDisk and PhotoRec has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
GParted scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than GParted for less, and none scores higher than TestDisk and PhotoRec for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- GParted also covers disk cleanup.
In commonFree planLinuxOpen sourceFile management
At a glance
| GParted | TestDisk and PhotoRec | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Entirely free software under the GNU GPL v2 or later; the site asks for optional donations. | Free software under the GNU GPL v2 or later, with no paid edition. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | GParted project | CGSecurity |
| Price read from | gparted.org | cgsecurity.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
GParted
- Only a Linux application: on Windows or macOS you boot into GParted Live instead of running it in the OS.
- The download page warns that editing partitions can cause data loss and advises backing up first.
- Some actions depend on separate file system tools being installed, such as e2fsprogs or dosfstools.
- A minimum of 1 GB of RAM is needed to use all features, and GParted Live 1.7.0 and later ships only as a 64-bit image.
TestDisk and PhotoRec
- PhotoRec recovers files by type, so names and folder structure are generally not restored.
- The main programs are text-based; a graphical front end, QPhotoRec, is shipped separately.
- The 7.2 download page lists a 64-bit Intel macOS build (macOS 10.15 or later) and notes Apple M1 Macs can run it.
- The site's own pages point buyers who want a graphical Mac or Windows tool to a partner product, Disk Drill.
Key features
GParted
- Partition operations
- Create, delete, resize, move, copy, check, label and set a new UUID on partitions, and create partition tables such as msdos or gpt.
- Wide file system list
- The home page lists file systems including ext2/3/4, btrfs, xfs, ntfs, fat16/32, exfat, hfs/hfs+, linux-swap and lvm2 pv, with a table of which actions each supports.
- Many kinds of storage
- Works with SATA, IDE and SCSI disks, USB sticks, SSDs, NVMe drives and RAID devices, and with all sector sizes.
- GParted Live image
- A bootable CD, USB, hard-disk or PXE image lets you use GParted on x86-64 computers running Linux, Windows or Mac OS X without installing anything.
- Alignment and flags
- Align partitions to mebibyte or traditional cylinder boundaries, and turn partition flags such as boot or hidden on and off.
- Rescue from lost partitions
- The features page lists an attempt to rescue data from lost partitions.
TestDisk and PhotoRec
- Partition table repair
- TestDisk can fix a partition table, recover a deleted partition and make a disk bootable again when faulty software or human error caused the problem.
- Boot sector and table repair
- Rebuilds or restores FAT and NTFS boot sectors from backups, fixes FAT tables, repairs the NTFS MFT from its mirror, and locates ext backup superblocks.
- Undelete and copy files
- TestDisk can undelete files from FAT, exFAT, NTFS and ext2 and copy files off deleted FAT, exFAT, NTFS and ext partitions.
- Signature-based recovery
- PhotoRec searches for known file headers, so it still works when a file system is damaged or reformatted. Its file list covers more than 480 extensions.
- Read-only access
- PhotoRec reads the drive or card read-only and warns you not to save recovered files to the same partition.
- Many media types
- Works with hard disks, SSDs, memory cards, USB drives, CD-ROMs and raw or EnCase E01 disk images.
Plans
GParted
Free$0
The full application and the GParted Live bootable image, with no paid edition.
TestDisk and PhotoRec
Free$0
Both programs, as portable downloads with no installer.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GParted or TestDisk and PhotoRec?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both GParted and TestDisk and PhotoRec are free to use.
Which has a free plan, GParted or TestDisk and PhotoRec?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both GParted and TestDisk and PhotoRec have a free plan.
Which platforms do GParted and TestDisk and PhotoRec run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only TestDisk and PhotoRec lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a Linux app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.