How We Tested and Chose Data Recovery Software for Mac
To test the 5 most mentioned data recovery applications in this article, we created virtual machines with Mac OS X 10.9, macOS 10.14, and macOS 13 to test the compatibility and data recovery success rate.
We prepared an external hard drive with a damaged file system and it contained several different file formats like DOC, JPG, AVI, MP3 and ZIP. Then we created 7 clones of each original virtual machine to make sure all data recovery applications work in the same system environment. These attempts allow us to eliminate most of the factors that may influence the scan and recovery results. Therefore, we believe that the experiments and conclusions in this article are objective and accurate.
iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac
iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac is a fully developed tool that helps users recover deleted or lost data from Mac hard drives and external storage devices safely and quickly.
Positive points:
- Includes 1GB of free data recovery
- Supports Apple T2 chip encrypted Mac
- Works with Apple M1 Pro/Max hardware profiles
- Ability to recover files from lost partitions
- Data Recovery from Unbootable Macintosh HD
- Preview recoverable data before data recovery
- The analysis session can be saved and resumed
- Supports macOS 13 – OS X 10.9 Mavericks
- Support for (encrypted) file system APFS, HFS+, FAT32, exFAT
Negative points :
- No function to repair corrupted photos and videos
- No support for NTFS file system
- No telephone support
How to Use iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac Software
- Download the free Mac data recovery software and install it on your Apple computer.
- Launch the data recovery application.
- Select the disk or volume and click the Scan for Lost Data button.
- Preview the files you want to recover, then click the Recover button to get them back.
Overall experience
We have tested this software on various consumer hard drives like WD and Seagate and recovered all lost files on Mac including photos, pictures, notes, documents, spreadsheets, videos and music files.
This excellent tool is designed to recover deleted files on Mac that have been moved to Trash or emptied from Trash. It supports SD card recovery and restore lost data from your Macintosh hard drive, external hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, etc.
Moreover, it is compatible with a wide range of Mac operating systems (from macOS Ventura to OS X 10.9 Mavericks) with a high success rate. You can also rely on it to recover Word documents on Mac and 1000+ file formats of office documents, images, videos, audio, emails and archives on hard drives with the following file systems: APFS, Encrypted APFS, HFS+, exFAT and FAT32.
You can use iBoysoft Data Recovery application for all types of data loss scenarios, including recovering files from formatted drives (no disk unformatting tool needed), as well as unreadable, unmountable or unrecognized hard drives.
Besides being a reliable recovery tool for Intel-based Mac, it is also a Mac M1 data recovery software with solid performance. Moreover, this software can handle complicated cases like Apple T2 data recovery and recover data even when your MacBook Pro won't boot completely.
Like a few other data recovery applications, iBoysoft offers the ability to create a bootable utility for an unbootable Mac, but even that won't be helpful if you can't boot from an external USB flash drive! This is where iBoysoft stands out from its competitors, as it allows users to run Mac data recovery in Apple's recovery mode.
iBoysoft Data Recovery is the best free Mac data recovery software because it provides professional data recovery functions while maintaining good user experience.
It allows you to preview recoverable files and filter scan results. Whether you are experienced or not, with iBoysoft Data Recovery's intuitive graphical user interface, your data is just a few clicks away.
PhotoRec for Mac
When it comes to free file recovery software for Mac, PhotoRec should be on your list, although it is not suitable for users who have no experience using a command-line interface. This free photo recovery software for Mac is open-source and designed to restore data lost after deletion, disk formatting, file system corruption, etc.
Good points :
- Completely Free Mac Data Recovery Software
- Powerful file cutting technology
- Advanced Data Recovery from Corrupted Hard Drives
- Supports HFS+, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, ext2, ext3, ext4 file systems.
Negative points :
- Unfriendly command line interface
- Does not support APFS encrypted file system
- Slow data analysis and retrieval
- No technical support or service
- Supported only up to Mac OS X
Overall experience
PhotoRec aims to provide photo recovery functions for DSLR camera users. But this completely free recovery software for Mac also supports a large number of devices such as external hard drives, CD-ROMs, memory cards and USB drives, as well as Mac computers.
Locating data by block and cluster size contained in superblock (ext2/ext3/ext4) or MBR datasets, this tool can calculate the block or cluster size using the first ten files found, and then recover lost data from Mac.
We used this Mac data recovery freeware and successfully recovered JPEG images, audio files MP3 and Microsoft Office files.
However, it should be noted that using PhotoRec to recover files on Mac requires knowledge of the command line, as its user interface is similar to Terminal (the command prompt on Mac), which is not at all a modern and user-friendly graphical interface.
Although it is not compatible with newer Mac operating systems like macOS Ventura and Big Sur, PhotoRec can still be recommended to recover lost data on Mac OS X. However, this freeware is not an option for people who have no idea how to use command lines.
Wondershare Recoverit Mac Data Recovery
Wondershare Recoverit Mac Data Recovery is another free data recovery tool that helps recover files on Mac computers with satisfactory results.
Good points :
- 100MB Free Mac Data Recovery
- Macintosh HD Data Recovery from Crashed Mac
- Advanced Video Recovery and Repair on Mac
- Works with T2 and M1 Macs
- Thumbnail preview before recovery
- macOS 13 Support – OS X 10.10
- Support for encrypted APFS, encrypted HFS+, FAT32, exFAT, ext2, ext3, ext4 file systems
Negative points :
- Does not support NTFS file system
- No premium consulting services
Overall experience
Recoverit for Mac claims a 96% success rate for recovering data from Mac hard drives and external hard drives with 1000+ file formats. But of course, there is no guaranteed result with any data recovery software.
For the purpose of this review, we tried deleting files (up to 100MB in total size) from the Recycle Bin, external hard drives and pen drives, SSDs, USBs, and memory cards – and Recoverit Mac Data Recovery recovered most of them in no time. Moreover, this free Mac file recovery software has other interesting features.
We used this free Apple data recovery software and successfully recovered JPEG images, MP3 audio files and Microsoft Office files.
Wondershare Recoverit for Mac can recover lost or deleted photos, videos, Office documents, emails… And its advanced video recovery technology – exclusive to Wondershare Recoverit – also makes this Mac data recovery software highly praised.
Recoverit Mac Data Recovery only allows us to recover lost data on Mac up to 100MB for free, which is not enough most of the time. But if we accidentally deleted only a few photos or documents, this MacBook Pro data recovery software could be a solution. For lost videos or large file sizes or advanced corrupted video repair and recovery options, a subscription is required.
Stellar Phoenix Mac Data Recovery
Another file recovery solution for Mac is Stellar Phoenix Mac Data Recovery, which claims to be a lifesaver for data recovery. It works with LaCie® USB-C hard drives, SSDs, portable hard drives, etc. and can recover lost files from your Mac’s built-in applications, such as Photos, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, TextEdit, or Mail.
Good points :
- Recover Deleted and Lost Data on Mac
- Restore data from a Mac that won't boot
- Disk Health Monitoring and Cloning
- Preview recoverable data before recovery
- Supports macOS 13 – OS X 10.11
- Support for M1 and T2 Macs
- Supports APFS, HFS+, FAT32, NTFS and ExFAT.
Negative points :
- The free download only applies to data analysis and preview.
- No support for recovery of encrypted APFS data
Overall experience
Stellar Mac Data Recovery is a free download software to scan and preview lost or deleted data. But for complete unlocking or data recovery from deleted APFS partition or lost files from SSD, SD card, USB flash drive, jump drive or USB-C portable hard drive, you will have to pay for the professional version.
Stellar is a comprehensive Mac file recovery tool (if you can afford to pay $79,99 for the one-year pro version) that works with MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, and other models.
The highlight of this software is its ability to repair corrupted photos and videos, which is essential for professional users who work with Logic Pro, InDesign, Final Cut Pro, iMovie and other Mac applications.
Unfortunately, the free trial version of Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac only allows previewing lost or deleted files. So, it can be a solution when you need to monitor the health of lost files and hard drive. But it doesn’t offer any real option for free Mac file recovery on MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Mini unless you pay.
Disk Drill for Mac
Disk Drill is another free Mac file recovery tool for Mac OS X and later. Designed to recover, manage, and clean up Mac data, it also comes with useful disk tools for all subscribed users.
Good points :
- Recovery Vault and guaranteed data recovery
- SMART Disk Health Monitoring
- Preview recoverable data before recovery
- macOS 13 Support – Mac OS X 10.5
- Supports Intel and M1 Macs
- Supports APFS, HFS+, FAT32, exFAT, ext3 and ext4 file systems.
Negative points :
- The free download only allows a preview of the losses
- No support for recovery of encrypted APFS data
Overall experience
In addition to recovering deleted files on a Mac, Disk Drill's built-in Recovery Vault and Guaranteed Recovery can prevent accidental data loss from failed hard drives by backing up files with Time Machine in case users need to recover data from an emptied Trash on their Mac.
Disk Drill is available for macOS, iOS, and Android devices for data recovery, which means it can recover data from hard drive, USB flash drive, iPhones, digital cameras, Android phones, and memory cards.
This Mac recovery software comes with free SMART disk monitoring, Mac storage cleanup, Mac duplicate file finder, recovery drive, Data protection and data backup.
What makes this software stand out is its ability to repair corrupted photos and videos, which is essential for professional users who work with Logic Pro, InDesign, Final Cut Pro, iMovie, and other Mac applications.
Like iBoysoft Data Recovery software, Disk Drill allows users to preview the files it detects before they finally decide to recover them. As we found out, this software is capable of finding more than 190 types of files that we use daily, such as various photos and documents.
The basic version of Disk Drill is a free application to check the status of your lost data, but users have to pay for real data recovery on Mac. Also, it is a bit difficult to navigate the main interface to find the desired function. Anyway, it could be a commercial data recovery solution if you are willing to pay.
