Recoverit vs TestDisk and PhotoRec (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, TestDisk and PhotoRec grades higher than Recoverit: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Recoverit grades higher on features and ease of use. TestDisk and PhotoRec grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Recoverit
File recovery software for Windows and Mac from Wondershare
TestDisk and PhotoRec
Free open-source tools for lost partitions and deleted files
Which one is for you
Pick Recoverit if
- Fits if you want a scan-and-preview recovery tool on Windows or Mac
- Makes sense if you only need to recover under 100 MB
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, as the Windows free edition stops at 100 MB
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $45.99 against $46.99 for the whole year
- Watch out: monthly and annual plans renew automatically, with an email 7 days before
- Watch out: prices shown are for Windows and 2 PCs, and the Mac plans are on another page
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
| 2.4GPARecoveritFair | 2.6GPATestDisk and PhotoRecGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$46.99 a year for 2 PCs is about $3.92 a month, in the middle of the category. Monthly is $45.99 and the perpetual plan is $82.99. | AFree under GPL v2 or later, with no paid edition. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free edition with caps you will hit: Windows stops at 100 MB of recovered data. | AFree outright with no cap. No cap, no trial and no paid tier. |
| Features | BRecovery from many media, preview, partition and RAW disk recovery, bootable media, file repair and AI custom recovery. No gap shown 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 | BNo rating on record. Scan, preview and restore, nothing to set up. | DNo rating on record. The main programs are text-based and menu-driven, and the graphical QPhotoRec ships separately. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows and Mac desktops only; the Mac plans are on a separate store page. | CWindows, Mac and Linux, desktops only. Windows, Mac and Linux desktops only; no phone or web version. |
| Best for | file recovery on Windows and Mac with a free 100 MB trial | 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: Recoverit and TestDisk and PhotoRec. How we grade
Price against what you get
Recoverit starts at $45.99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TestDisk and PhotoRec has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Recoverit scores higher, and starts $45.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, 2 score higher than Recoverit 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
- TestDisk and PhotoRec is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Recoverit | TestDisk and PhotoRec | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $45.99 per month (Windows, 2 PCs) | Free |
| Free plan | Recoverit Free has the Essential features but caps total recoverable data at 100 MB on Windows. | Free software under the GNU GPL v2 or later, with no paid edition. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Wondershare | CGSecurity |
| Price read from | recoverit.wondershare.com | cgsecurity.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Recoverit
- The Free edition on Windows stops at 100 MB of recovered files.
- Monthly and annual plans renew automatically; the page says you are emailed 7 days before renewal.
- Prices shown are for Windows with 2 PCs per license; the Mac plans are on a separate store page that was not read.
- The store states a 7-day money-back guarantee, and the monthly price shown is close to the annual one.
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
Recoverit
- Recovery from many media
- The site covers hard drives, SD and memory cards, USB drives, NAS, RAID, Linux and the Windows Recycle Bin.
- Preview before restoring
- Paid plans list full file preview and unlimited file recovery.
- Partition and RAW disk recovery
- Feature pages cover lost partitions, formatted drives, RAW disks and factory-reset recovery.
- Bootable recovery media
- A WinPE bootable disk or USB lets you recover data when Windows will not start; a Mac bootable media is also named.
- Repair of corrupted files
- Paid plans list repair for corrupted videos, photos and documents, marked as an exclusive feature.
- AI-powered custom recovery
- Plans list an AI-powered custom recovery option alongside the standard scan.
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
Recoverit
Free$0
Scan and recover up to 100 MB in total on Windows.
Monthly Plan$45.99
per month for 2 Windows PCs, auto-renews
Unlimited file recovery with full preview. The store shows $65.99 crossed out and gives no end date.
Annual Plan$46.99
per year for 2 Windows PCs, auto-renews
Same features as Monthly on a year-long term. The store shows $86.99 crossed out and gives no end date.
Perpetual Plan$82.99
one-time, for 2 Windows PCs
Use the purchased major version permanently; no upgrades to future major versions. $122.99 is shown crossed out.
TestDisk and PhotoRec
Free$0
Both programs, as portable downloads with no installer.
Ways to pay less
Recoverit
- Education
30% off for students
The Recoverit page advertises 30% off an educational plan; the store has an Education tab for it.
TestDisk and PhotoRec
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Recoverit or TestDisk and PhotoRec?
As of Nov 13, 2026, TestDisk and PhotoRec is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $45.99 a month for Recoverit. Recoverit starts at $45.99 per month (Windows, 2 PCs), and TestDisk and PhotoRec is free.
Which has a free plan, Recoverit or TestDisk and PhotoRec?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Recoverit and TestDisk and PhotoRec have a free plan.
Which platforms do Recoverit and TestDisk and PhotoRec run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only TestDisk and PhotoRec lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. 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.