Best Recuva Free Alternative – File Recovery Software Free Download

Updated to File Recovery Tips by Nancy on Feb 26, 2024 | Approved by Daryl Baxter

Regarding free data recovery software, most users think of Recuva. It is a lightweight tool developed by Piriform. It is designed to help users retrieve lost files from various storage devices, like hard disks, memory cards, and USB drives. If you want to use it to help you recover disappeared data, then you can continue reading this article to learn about Recuva's pros and cons, how to use it, and the alternatives available when it doesn't work. For that, keep scrolling down for more details.

Quick Navigation
Part 1. Pros and Cons of Recuva
Part 2. How to Use Recuva to Get Your Lost Data
Part 3. The Criterion for Choosing Recuva Data Recovery Alternatives
Part 4. 10 Recuva Data Recovery Software for Windows PC Alternatives
Part 5. Frequently Asked Questions

Pros and Cons of Recuva

Pros of Recuva
Ease of Use: Recuva provides a simple interface and step-by-step wizards that allow users of all levels to complete the recovery process quickly.
Broad File Format Support: It supports many file formats, including documents, photos, videos, music, emails, etc.
Preview and Selective Recovery: Recuva lets users preview recoverable files before initiating recovery to verify file integrity and select only the desired files, saving time and storage space.
Cons of Recuva
No Nearby Options: Recuva only provides data retrieval functionality and cannot repair corrupted files.
No Mac Version: It is only available for Windows PCs. If your system is macOS, you can only use Mac data recovery software from other developers.
Limited Deep Scan Options: While Recuva offers deep scanning, the options for fine-tuning the scanning process may be limited compared to some other data recovery software.
Limited Official Support/Update: It is freeware, and official support from the developer may be limited compared to paid software options. Also, The last update was in 2016. Hence, it might need to be fixed for new computer systems.

After knowing the characteristics of Recuva, you should know that it is very suitable for simple data loss scenarios. Therefore, you can follow the steps below to use Recuva to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 11, 10, and 7.

How to Use Recuva to Get Your Lost Data

Recuva only works on Windows PCs. There is no equivalent version for macOS. If you have a Mac, you must get an alternative to Recuva for Mac to recover lost files. Finally, immediately stop using the affected storage device after data loss to increase the success rate.

  1. Go to Recuva's Website and download the setup file. To prevent data overwritten issues, you should install Recuva on a drive different from that from which you want to recover files.
  2. Once the installation is completed, launch Recuva. If you are specific about the file type(s) to restore, select that file type. If you don't know the exact file type, choose All Files as an option, then click on Next.
  3. Select the drive from where the files were lost or deleted. You can choose between recovering from your whole computer, recycle bin, in My Documents, and equally from a specific location such as a particular drive on the computer or an external drive, then click Next.
  4. Click Start without ticking the deep scan box for a quick scan. If the quick scan does not yield the desired results, you can beat the deep scan box and click again on Start to begin a more in-depth search.
  5. Once Recuva finds the files, select them and click Recover to save them on your computer.

Above are the detailed steps on how to use Recuva. If you don't get your lost files back, refer to the following guidelines to choose a replacement.

The Criterion for Choosing Recuva Data Recovery Alternatives

When considering alternatives to Recuva for file recovery, evaluating them based on specific criteria is essential to ensure they meet your needs. Here are some critical criteria to consider when choosing Recuva alternatives:

By considering these criteria and evaluating your specific data recovery needs, you can select a suitable Recuva alternative that best fits your requirements for successful data recovery. To save you time, here we list 10 Recuva alternatives.

10 Recuva Data Recovery Software for Windows PC Alternatives

Though Recuva for PC is the most widely used and popular software, it has some flaws. So, to give you a better data recovery experience, we've selected 10 Recuva software alternatives based on the above criteria:

  1. iBeesoft Free Data Recovery
  2. Have you lost a family photo or a vital office document? Worry not, as iBeesoft data recovery freeware is here to rescue you. Being a hard drive data recovery software, it recovers formatted, lost, deleted, or corrupted data from the external hard disk, USB drive, SSD, digital camera, SD card, etc. It is available for Windows and Mac and has a simple, easy-to-use interface.

    Pros:
    Compared to other tools, it is the one that can recover the most data for free (2GB without any limitations)
    It has an easy-to-use interface and can repair files corrupted during loss.
    The software has a 60-day money-back guarantee.
    Cons:
    This alternative to Recuva sometimes gets slow, especially when deep scanning.
  3. EaseUS Free Data Recovery Wizard
  4. The second alternative to Recuva is EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, a recovery software compatible with several file types, which recovers accidentally deleted files and lost data due to formatting a disk drive and RAW drive recovery that computer’s Operating System (OS) unrecognizable.

    Pros:
    Can work on different OS.
    Has a cutting-edge user interface.
    Fast scanning of preferable data.
    Cons:
    The free version has a limited retrieving capability.
    Costly as compared to other data recovery tools.
    It has no section for selecting a specific folder for scanning.
  5. Aiseesoft Data Recovery
  6. The third tool on the list of data recovery tools is Aiseesoft Data Recovery. Whether you deleted a file accidentally or emptied the recycle bin and now want it back, Aiseesoft is all you need. One of the unique features of the tool is its filter option. By applying it, you can easily find out your file and recover it.

    Pros:
    Two scanning modes
    It has a clean user interface and no clutter at all.
    It provides a 30-day money-back guarantee.
    Cons:
    It doesn't work on Linux or Unix OS.
    A quick scan is required for deep scanning, which consumes extra time.
    The free version doesn't support file recovery.
  7. TestDisk
  8. Next on the list of data recovery tools is TestDisk, which is a freeware Recuva open-source alternative data recovery software. Developed and maintained by Christophe Grenier, the tool recovers lost disk partitions and fixes bootable disks. Moreover, the software also generates information concerning a corrupted drive, which technical support specialists use for troubleshooting.

    Pros:
    It’s free to use and can be modified.
    Supports Windows, macOS, and different Unix and Linux distributions.
    The support forums are available in multiple languages.
    Cons:
    It follows a command-line interface (CLI), which makes its working a little complicated for casual computer users.
  9. Stellar Data Recovery
  10. It is a leading software like Recuva that offers a comprehensive solution for retrieving lost or deleted files and data. The advanced deep scan technology enables the software to scan storage devices thoroughly. In this way, it increases the chances of successful data recovery even from severely corrupted drives.

    Pros:
    It has reliable and efficient recovery operations.
    A program like Recuva gives you various recovery options.
    Used for Windows and Mac.
    Cons:
    The free version of the software has certain limitations regarding data recovery size.
    Some users find the software’s advanced features a bit complex.
  11. Wise Data Recovery
  12. It is a professional tool that restores data lost through accidental and permanent deletion, disk formatting, and virus attacks. The software's advanced WinPE bootable media technology lets you retrieve data from crashed Windows. Moreover, the software enables you to recover over 1000 file types, including documents, emails, graphics, videos, audio, archives, HTML, etc.

    Pros:
    Compatible with almost all Windows versions.
    The portable version allows you to use it without writing to the hard drive.
    Quick scan is fast.
    Cons:
    Paid versions are costly.
  13. MiniTool® Data Recovery Software
  14. It is a file recovery tool for PCs, servers, and Macs designed to recover deleted files from hard drive, USB drive, laptop, memory card, desktop, recycle bin, etc. It has a clear and intuitive user interface that makes data recovery easy.

    Pros:
    1 GB of data recovery for free.
    Because of the read-only nature of MiniTool software, it doesn’t change the original document.
    The team is available 24/7 for technical support.
    Cons:
    The free version saves the scans but cannot be opened.
    The bootable media feature is not available in the free version.
  15. R-Studio
  16. It is a data recovery solution for various files from NTFS, NTFS5, ReFS, FAT12/16/32, exFAT, HFS/HFS+ and APFS (Macintosh), XFS, Ext2/Ext3/Ext4 FS (Linux) partitions, etc. The software also has a raw file recovery feature to scan heavily damaged or unknown file systems.

    Pros:
    Scans give 98% results in less time.
    Give advanced users complete control of the recovery.
    The software is effective and reliable.
    Cons:
    Not an ideal choice for beginners.
    Understanding the features of the software takes time.
  17. AnyRecover Software
  18. A data recovery specialist for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. The tool retrieves deleted pictures, videos, emails, and documents in just one click. Whether the data is lost due to a virus or malware attack, accidental deletion, corrupt device, formatting, virus malware attack, lost partition, software malfunction, or any other reason, AnyRecover is the right pick.

    Pros:
    Restores partitions
    Recover data from damaged drives
    Cons:
    The free version allows the recovery of only three files.
    The user interface has a small font size, making it difficult to read.
  19. IObit Undelete
  20. The last Recuva alternative on the list is IObit Undelete. The tool is fast and free of cost. It scans systems and devices to recover files. Moreover, you can also limit scans to specific files, which boosts productivity by saving time.

    Pros:
    It can scan multiple hard drives simultaneously.
    Fast and efficient tool
    Cons:
    It doesn’t display unrecovered files that are already detected via scan.

Above are all the details about our recommended Recuva alternatives; we hope they can help you regain your lost data. If you still have questions about Recuva, then you can also check the FAQ below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about Use Recuva data recovery software:

Summary

Rucuva is an excellent tool for most people performing data recovery processes on a Windows PC. However, it is only free for individual usage, and it has not been updated for more than five years, while some new techniques for data recovery are not integrated into it. If Recuva can't do the work for you, you can choose those mentioned above 10 Recuva alternatives to try.