# TestDisk and PhotoRec review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source tools for lost partitions and deleted files Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. TestDisk and PhotoRec are two free, open-source recovery programs shipped together. TestDisk repairs partition tables and boot sectors and can undelete files from some file systems. PhotoRec ignores the file system and carves lost files out of the raw data using file signatures. - **Category:** Desktop Utilities - **Made by:** CGSecurity - **Website:** https://www.cgsecurity.org - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you want a graphical tool, as the main programs are text-based. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, TestDisk and PhotoRec is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free software under the GNU GPL v2 or later, with no paid edition. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | Both programs, as portable downloads with no installer. | Read from https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with TestDisk and PhotoRec before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Recovering lost partitions or fixing a disk that no longer boots - Pulling photos and documents off a formatted card or drive for free - Technical users comfortable with a text-based interface ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. TestDisk and PhotoRec are free, open-source tools for repairing partition tables and recovering deleted files on Windows, Mac and Linux. They run in a text window, and PhotoRec generally doesn't bring back file names or folders. - **Value for money: A.** Free under GPL v2 or later, with no paid edition. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright with no cap. No cap, no trial and no paid tier. - **Features: C.** Partition 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: D.** No rating on record. The main programs are text-based and menu-driven, and the graphical QPhotoRec ships separately. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Windows, Mac and Linux, desktops only. Windows, Mac and Linux desktops only; no phone or web version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from CGSecurity's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among desktop utilities - TestDisk and PhotoRec's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 69 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 46. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 107 of 186) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0). - TestDisk and PhotoRec has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/utilities ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** TestDisk and PhotoRec is free, so making your own would save you nothing. - You could not: A file manager working directly on your disk. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Open source, File management, Works offline ## Alternatives - [Disk Drill](https://toolgpa.com/tools/disk-drill): Data recovery app for Mac and Windows with free disk tools. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/disk-drill-vs-testdisk-and-photorec) - [Recoverit](https://toolgpa.com/tools/recoverit): File recovery software for Windows and Mac from Wondershare. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/recoverit-vs-testdisk-and-photorec) - [Stellar Data Recovery](https://toolgpa.com/tools/stellar-data-recovery): Data recovery for deleted files and drives on Windows and Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/stellar-data-recovery-vs-testdisk-and-photorec) - [R-Studio](https://toolgpa.com/tools/r-studio): Data recovery software for Windows, Mac and Linux with RAID support. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/r-studio-vs-testdisk-and-photorec) - [GParted](https://toolgpa.com/tools/gparted): Free graphical partition editor for Linux, run from a live disc. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/gparted-vs-testdisk-and-photorec) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.cgsecurity.org/ - https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk - https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec - https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/testdisk-and-photorec Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).