The most important components of our digital lives are the ones we don’t even realize play such an integral role until something goes wrong. Take storage drives, for example: only when a disk fails do we realize just how much personal data is stored on that 2TB hard drive. Fortunately, there are apps and services to handle such emergency situations and help get that the data back.
If you are dealing with logical failure, accidental file deletion, or drive formatting, then it could be possible to recover the data via DIY software in the comfort of your own home. If it comes to it that you will need to turn to such software, then this just opens up another can of worms: where do you begin making a choice when there are so many tools to choose from? Well, comparing apps developed for the Apple ecosystem is the best way of beginning the process of restoring your files.
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Enigma Recovery
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Asking Google about the best data recovery software for Mac may produce great search results, but that’s only the first step toward solving the problem and retrieving the data. Before jumping into a subscription or a lifetime license for any old data recovery app, there are certain features that users would be smart to take into consideration. For example, of course it’s good to have a data recovery tool that can bring back your lost photos, but is it capable of recovering other document types, too, such as DOCX, MOV, or MP3? If so, then this is what’s known as a general data recovery application.
In this sense, it’s wise to check the list of supported file types since good-quality apps usually support all major file extensions and users can either request support or instruct the app to look for specific files. With that in place, the next aim is to check whether the software supports multiple storage mediums, such as HDDs, CD/DVDs, and flash drives. For the price you are going to pay, it’s good to have an all-in-one solution because you never know what types of volumes you’ll need to scan again to restore data.
While the type of lost data will obviously be one of the key features that every user will look for in a data recovery application, it’s wise to also consider the additional features such as filtering. Struggling with the hassle of finding the data you are looking for in the abundance of recovered data will quickly make you start appreciating apps that provide an advanced filtering option since this will reduce the time spent searching for the actual file. Combine this advanced filtering with a preview feature that supports the file type that has been lost and you’ll be certain that this is the app you’ve been looking for. At this point, it’s time to consider the price factor.
Since there are a variety of solutions available on the market, cost is another key factor that users must think about on top of the features that are packed into any given data recovery software. While the subscription-based pricing model is gaining traction in the industry, the good news is that lifetime licenses can still be bought. It all comes down to what you’d like to have: a single program that is yours for forever, or software you that is essentially rented for a year or two. Both of these pricing strategies each have their own pros and cons.
What you’ll find in the market is an average price ranging from $89 to $99 for one lifetime license fee, which compares to the yearly subscription of $79 for Stellar Mac Data Recovery software. Considering most developers allow users to install the software on multiple Macs that they own, and as such the total cost can be divided by the number of allowed installations.
But even if we keep in mind the overall cost of a DIY data recovery software license, it’s important to note that it’s still significantly cheaper than a visit to a data recovery service, where the bill starts at $200-$300. And that’s just the basic cost, so unless the data on the dead hard drive is worth thousands of dollars there’s not really any reason to hire a professional.
There are completely free Mac data recovery apps ready to use so if you are on a budget, then that’s the best way to save money on these solutions. However, as with all freeware you’ll need to consider the limitations they come with: the limited number of supported files, a cumbersome user interface, restricted amounts of data recovery, and the like. One of the most common problems with freeware is that it doesn’t support the latest operating systems, which likely renders them useless in most cases.
Another option is the free version of a paid Mac data recovery solution. Fortunately, all major solutions have a free version – except for DiskWarrior for Mac, which is an established name in the industry – that typically give access to almost all the utilities that these services provide, except for the recovery itself.
The free version or free trial of the data recovery app will still scan the failed hard drive looking for any deleted data, and the good part is that you can make a purchase decision after receiving the full results of what the software is able to deliver. However, after committing to a lifetime license or subscription there is no way back as only a limited number of apps offer a money-back guarantee.
Checking the efficiency and compatibility of a data recovery application takes time and nerves, and sometimes it will also bring failures. That’s why at Best Reviews we are here to help you make a well-informed decision to get the best value for your money. We perform comprehensive tests to check whether an app lives up to both yours and our high standards and then summarize our findings in the reviews section.
For more in-depth information – such as how the software matches up to the competition – then our comparison articles will be of help as they serve the purpose of putting these apps side-by-side to find out which one is better. This way you won’t need to waste your time on downloading tons of apps, and instead can find all the info you need to grab the one that’s perfect for your needs.
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