Stellar Data Recovery vs TestDisk and PhotoRec (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, TestDisk and PhotoRec grades higher than Stellar Data Recovery: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Stellar Data Recovery grades higher on ease of use. TestDisk and PhotoRec grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Stellar Data Recovery
Data recovery for deleted files and drives on Windows and Mac
TestDisk and PhotoRec
Free open-source tools for lost partitions and deleted files
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.2GPAStellar Data RecoveryFair | 2.6GPATestDisk and PhotoRecGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AFree under GPL v2 or later, with no paid edition. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free download recovers up to 1 GB with no registration. That cap is easy to pass on a photo drive. | AFree outright with no cap. No cap, no trial and no paid tier. |
| Features | 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. | 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 store rating is on record, but you install it, pick a drive and scan. | 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 computer programs, with separate phone products sold apart. A license covers one PC. | CWindows, Mac and Linux, desktops only. Windows, Mac and Linux desktops only; no phone or web version. |
| Best for | bringing back deleted files from drives and cards | 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: Stellar Data Recovery and TestDisk and PhotoRec. How we grade
Where they differ
- TestDisk and PhotoRec is open source, according to its own site.
- Stellar Data Recovery also covers system monitor.
At a glance
| Stellar Data Recovery | TestDisk and PhotoRec | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $39.99 per PC | Free |
| Free plan | The free download recovers up to 1 GB with no registration. | Free software under the GNU GPL v2 or later, with no paid edition. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Stellar Information Technology | CGSecurity |
| Price read from | stellarinfo.com | cgsecurity.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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).
TestDisk and PhotoRec
Free$0
Both programs, as portable downloads with no installer.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Stellar Data Recovery or TestDisk and PhotoRec?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stellar Data Recovery starts at $39.99 per PC, and TestDisk and PhotoRec is free.
Which has a free plan, Stellar Data Recovery or TestDisk and PhotoRec?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Stellar Data Recovery and TestDisk and PhotoRec have a free plan.
Which platforms do Stellar Data Recovery 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.