Disk Drill
File recovery software
Backup software
Data recovery software
Phone data recovery software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$89.00 one-time per user
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What is Disk Drill
Disk Drill is a data recovery application for macOS and Windows that scans storage devices to recover deleted files and lost partitions. It targets individuals and IT staff who need ad hoc recovery from internal drives, external disks, memory cards, and some mobile devices. The product combines multiple scan methods (including file-system and signature-based recovery) with disk health monitoring and basic data-protection utilities such as recovery vault-style tracking and byte-to-byte imaging.
Broad device and file support
Disk Drill supports recovery from common storage types such as internal HDD/SSD, USB drives, SD cards, and external enclosures. It recognizes multiple file systems typically used on Windows and macOS and can recover many file types via signature-based scanning when file system metadata is missing. This makes it suitable for mixed endpoint environments where recovery requests vary by device and format.
Multiple recovery scan modes
The product provides different scan approaches, including quick scans for recently deleted items and deeper scans for formatted or damaged volumes. It can perform partition search and attempt reconstruction when the partition table is lost or corrupted. These options help users choose between speed and thoroughness depending on the incident.
Imaging and monitoring utilities
Disk Drill includes byte-to-byte disk imaging to work from a copy rather than the failing source device, which can reduce additional wear on unstable media. It also offers disk health indicators (e.g., SMART-related information where available) to help identify deteriorating drives. These utilities support a more cautious recovery workflow than simple undelete tools.
Not an enterprise backup platform
Disk Drill focuses on endpoint and removable-media recovery rather than centralized backup administration. It does not provide the policy-driven scheduling, immutability controls, role-based administration, or broad workload coverage expected in enterprise backup suites. Organizations typically need separate backup and disaster recovery tooling for server, cloud, and SaaS workloads.
Recovery success varies by scenario
As with most file recovery tools, results depend on whether deleted sectors have been overwritten and on the health of the underlying storage. Deep scans can return partial files or items without original names and folder structure when metadata is missing. Encrypted volumes and certain failure modes (e.g., severe controller issues) may require specialized forensic or hardware-level services.
Limited phone recovery scope
While Disk Drill can interact with some mobile devices, phone data recovery is generally more constrained than PC/Mac disk recovery due to device encryption and OS security restrictions. In many cases it relies on accessing device storage through supported connection modes rather than performing low-level acquisition. This can limit applicability for modern iOS/Android recovery compared with purpose-built mobile forensic solutions.
Plan & Pricing
Disk Drill for macOS
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Data protection (Recovery Vault, Guaranteed Recovery); preview recoverable files (Quick & Deep Scan, Rebuild HFS+, Lost Partition Search); byte-to-byte backups and extra tools. Some recovery methods may allow free recovery under specific conditions (see vendor docs). |
| PRO | $89.00 (one-time / lifetime purchase shown on site) | Unlimited personal data recovery; 1 user, up to 3 activations; all recovery methods; includes everything in Basic. A subscription option (12-month period) is documented by vendor but the site does not display an explicit annual subscription price. |
| Enterprise | $499.00 (one-time / lifetime purchase shown on site) | Unlimited recovery for business use; up to 10 users, unlimited activations; priority technical support; forensic data export (DFXML); licensed to your business. |
Disk Drill for Windows
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Free recovery: up to 100 MB (preview unlimited files); Recovery Vault data protection; create byte-to-byte backups; preview recoverable items for all scanning methods. |
| PRO | $89.00 (one-time / lifetime purchase shown on site) | Unlimited personal data recovery; 1 user, up to 3 activations; all recovery methods; includes everything in Basic. Subscription option (12-month) is available per vendor docs but site does not publish the subscription price. |
| Enterprise | $499.00 (one-time / lifetime purchase shown on site) | Unlimited commercial recovery; up to 10 users, unlimited activations; priority support; includes PRO features. |
Notes:
- Vendor documents the availability of both a one-time Lifetime License and a 12-month subscription for Disk Drill PRO; the subscription is renewable annually and billing is handled by Paddle, but the official pages reviewed do not list an explicit annual subscription price (only the one-time/lifetime prices are shown).
