Stellar Data Recovery review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Data recovery for deleted files and drives on Windows and Mac
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Stellar Data Recovery report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for bringing back deleted files from drives and cards
Stellar Data Recovery scans drives, memory cards and USB sticks for lost files and shows a preview before recovery. The free download recovers only 1 GB, and the page does not say whether a paid license is perpetual or time-limited.
Who Stellar Data Recovery is for
- 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
Who Stellar Data Recovery is not for
- 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
Why Stellar Data Recovery gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyStandard 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.
- CFree plan and trialThe free download recovers up to 1 GB with no registration. That cap is easy to pass on a photo drive.
- CFeaturesDrive 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.
- BEase of useNo store rating is on record, but you install it, pick a drive and scan.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWindows and Mac computer programs, with separate phone products sold apart. A license covers one PC.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Stellar Information Technology's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Stellar Data Recovery? Put this grade on your site
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/stellar-data-recovery#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/stellar-data-recovery.svg" alt="Stellar Data Recovery: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Stellar Data Recovery stands among desktop utilities
Stellar Data Recovery's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 13 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 78 of 186) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 187 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. Stellar Data Recovery’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 186, level with 22
- CFree plan and trialAbove 8 of 186, level with 66
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 186, level with 110
- BEase of useAbove 78 of 186, level with 108
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 111 of 186, level with 60
Keep Stellar Data Recovery, or make your own?
Keep it
Nothing Stellar Data Recovery does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 3 things listed below take a company.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 152 of the 186 other desktop utilities grade higher.
What you could not
- A file manager working directly on your disk.
- Readings from inside the operating system.
- A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Stellar Data Recovery’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Stellar Data Recovery?
Stellar Data Recovery scans internal and external drives, memory cards and USB drives for deleted or lost files and previews them before recovery. Windows editions are Standard, Professional and Technician; Mac editions and separate iPhone, Android and tape recovery products are also sold.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Stellar Data Recovery pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stellar Data Recovery has a free plan, and paid plans start at $39.99 per PC.
- Starts at
- $39.99 per PC
- Free plan
- The free download recovers up to 1 GB with no registration.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Free download that recovers up to 1 GB, per the vendor's Windows and Mac pages. |
| Standard | $39.99per 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 | $69.99per 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 | $199per 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). |
Read from stellarinfo.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Stellar Data Recovery before you buy.
Stellar Data Recovery alternatives
- Stellar Data Recovery vs R-Studio
Free trial · from $49.99 one-time
- Stellar Data Recovery vs Disk Drill
Free plan · from $49/yr
- Stellar Data Recovery vs Recoverit
Free plan · from $45.99/mo
- Stellar Data Recovery vs DiskGenius
Free plan · from $69.90/mo
Common questions
Does Stellar Data Recovery have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Stellar Data Recovery is listed for Windows and macOS.
Does Stellar Data Recovery have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Stellar Data Recovery is listed for Windows and macOS.
Is Stellar Data Recovery open source?
Stellar Data Recovery is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.