Best Data Recovery Software for HDD & SSD (2025)
Hard drives and SSDs fail differently. Here's which recovery tool fits each scenario — and what to do first when a drive stops working.
Expert Recommendations
Pros
- Highest recovery success rate in our tests
- Supports almost any file format
- Deep scan finds deeply buried data
Cons
- Free version only allows 1GB recovery
- Standard plan is a bit pricier than peers
Pros
- Excellent modern interface
- Built-in S.M.A.R.T. monitoring
- Recovery Vault prevents future loss
Cons
- Scanning speed is slightly slower
- Mac version is arguably better than Windows
HDD and SSD data loss require different approaches. Hard drives fail mechanically (clicking, grinding, slow reads); SSDs fail electronically (often silent and sudden). In both cases, the software you choose and how quickly you act determines whether recovery succeeds.
HDD Recovery: What Works
Traditional hard drives store data magnetically. When a partition becomes corrupted or files are deleted, the data is almost always still physically present on the platters — it’s just the addressing layer (file table) that’s broken. Recovery software works by bypassing the broken table and reading the raw sectors directly.
Stellar is the top recommendation for HDD recovery based on consistently high third-party benchmark results for formatted and corrupted drive scenarios. Its deep scan is particularly effective on older NTFS and FAT32 drives.
Disk Drill is a strong alternative that adds built-in S.M.A.R.T. monitoring — useful for identifying drives that are starting to fail before you lose data.
SSD Recovery: Different Rules Apply
SSDs use a process called TRIM that, when enabled, permanently erases deleted file sectors in the background. This means:
- Act immediately — on SSDs with TRIM active, deleted files can be gone within minutes to hours
- Put the SSD in read-only mode if possible before scanning
- Deep scans are often less effective on SSDs compared to HDDs
The good news: formatted SSDs (as opposed to deleted files) often survive TRIM because TRIM only runs on specifically deleted blocks. If you accidentally formatted an SSD, full deep scan recovery is still viable.
NVMe vs SATA SSD
Both Stellar and Disk Drill support NVMe SSDs. Ensure your recovery tool is connected to the drive via the fastest available interface (PCIe/NVMe, not USB) for fastest scan times.
When Software Won’t Help
If your HDD makes clicking or grinding sounds, stop immediately — running software on a mechanically failing drive can cause further platter damage. Contact a professional data recovery service. SSDs that won’t mount at all (not recognized by BIOS) also typically require professional hardware-level recovery.