It’s every business’s worst nightmare—losing all of your files and having to start over again from scratch. Or is there a way out of this technological nightmare? Anyone who has experienced data loss knows that no system can be entirely foolproof. Whether you are hacked, experience software failure, or accidentally delete a group of file folders, data loss can happen to anyone.
Fortunately, in today’s modern business world, most companies understand the value of backups. It’s now common practice to store your business materials on an external hard drive or in the cloud, rather than just on your desktop.
But not all small businesses have the procedures in place to deal with a data loss fiasco. What happens when you find yourself needing data restoration? That’s when many companies turn to data recovery software. A secure data recovery service could help your business recover organizationally and financially from a hard drive crash or other data loss event. In fact, using a data recovery service could mean the difference between success and failure for your business.
Experiencing data loss doesn’t have to be the end of the world when you use one of the software solutions below.
What is Data Recovery Software?
Data recovery software is a kind of software that allows users to retrieve unavailable or corrupted data from a storage device; in other words, it lives up to its name and recovers your lost data. The software refers to file structure records in order to extract data and repair hard drives when necessary.
The beauty of data recovery software is that it works with nearly any storage device. Is your hard drive corrupted? Have you accidentally deleted an important file from your flash drive and can’t seem to find it? Whether the problem storage device is removable or fixed or your files are deleted or corrupted, data recovery software can help. On most common file systems, data recovery software can find lost data and get your business back on track.
Data recovery software might not sound as glamorous as office productivity software or employee scheduling software, but in practice it’s just as important, if not more so. A 2021 Global Data Risk Report by Varonis revealed that 33% of company folders aren’t protected at all. That means anyone can access, create, or delete business-related files, whether accidentally or with malicious intentions.
Your business files are the backbone of your company. You’ve likely stored client information, industry knowledge, and other essential documents on your servers. The bottom line is that your business simply can’t afford not to implement a data recovery plan, which may include file protection and a data recovery subscription.
Is Data Recovery Software Safe?
Using a reliable, paid data recovery service is a safe option. However, when exploring free options online, exercise caution as not all services are secure or perform the services they claim to offer. It’s also important to be aware of the risks that do come along with using data recovery software. Although most of the time it’ll allow you to restore your files with ease, there are cases in which things can go south.
For instance, free data recovery software could potentially overwrite your data or fail to scan the entirety of your hard drive. You could also unknowingly download viruses to your computer if you’re not using a reputable data recovery service. Recovering a corrupted hard disk is also tricky, as you run the risk of data loss.
This section isn’t meant to scare you off of data recovery software. In fact, data recovery services can be very helpful. However, playing games with your business files is never a good idea. To maximize your chances of successful data recovery, we recommend purchasing a paid subscription from a well-known data recovery company. Bonus points go to companies with stand-out customer service and frequent debugging updates.
How Does Data Recovery Software Work?
When you first experience data loss, there are two important things to keep in mind. The first is that you won’t be able to recover any files once they’ve been overwritten. That means it’s extremely important to rescue your missing files before you begin writing over them. The second thing you should know is that timeliness is extremely important when it comes to data recovery techniques. Any delay might just sabotage your data recovery efforts.
Once your data recovery system is hard at work, it will run with the help of metadata analysis algorithms. Essentially, the program examines file content and directory hierarchy to restore the file system. In most cases when the metadata is still intact, a good data recovery software will be able to reconstruct the entire original folder structure, complete with correct names and corresponding content. Because the metadata is so crucial to the reconstruction process, you should not initiate file repair or other operations until you’ve safely recovered your missing data.
Of course, every case is different, and the data recovery method used will depend on your selected software and recovery method, as well as the kind of digital medium.
Now, let’s take a look at the best data recovery software solutions, compared side-by-side.
Compare the Best Data Recovery Software
Best Data Recovery Software for Small Businesses
If you’re a small business, chances are your livelihood is stored somewhere amongst all of your business files and folders. Suddenly losing access to this information could be detrimental to your business prospects. Check out the list below to learn more about the best data recovery software on the market today and to identify which one would be the most helpful to your organization.
Veeam: Best for Ease-of-use
For more than a decade, Veeam has supported modern data protection and backups for its customers, of which there are over 400,000. The platform hosts quick, flexible, and dependable backups, archives, recovery, and replication. Veeam is the data recovery software that backs up 82% of Fortune 500 companies. 2021 has also been a great year for the company, which boasted a 25% growth in the first quarter of the year alone.
In addition to its impressive client roster, Veeam is an industry leader for several other reasons. It meets recovery time objectives 95% of the time, users say it’s easy to set up, and it’s a flawless data recovery solution with a wide range of features. Unfortunately for small-business owners, the price tag is a bit on the heftier side. If your budget can accommodate Veeam, it’s a great option, but if not, you’ll find plenty of suitable alternatives on the list.
Price: Veeam’s pricing is dependent on your business needs, including the features you’re looking for, the amount of data you need to protect, and your subscription period. Contact Veeam for a customized quote or make use of their pricing calculator for small businesses to receive an estimate.
Recuva: Best for Businesses on A Budget
Recuva is a more affordable data recovery tool. It’s user-friendly, efficient, and can restore any file type. It’s also a more flexible option, as it doesn’t need to be installed. There’s even a free plan (with reduced features), but the paid plans come with virtual support, automatic updates, and advanced file recovery.
It can take some time to perform deep searches, however, and in some instances, recoverable formats may be deemed unrecoverable. Another downside of Recuva is that it’s only compatible with Windows operating systems, meaning workplaces that run on Apple products will need to find their data recovery solutions elsewhere.
Price: Recuva offers three different price points: A free version available for personal use, Recuva Professional for $19.95, and CCleaner Professional Bundle for $39.95.
EaseUS: Best for Customer Support
One of the biggest names on the data recovery scene is EaseUS, a tool that boasts 530 million users in 160 countries. Since 2004, EaseUS has provided optimized disk management and robust backup solutions for personal and professional users. With 24/7 customer support and 256-bit encryption payment, EaseUS prioritizes its customers’ security and time.
Before signing up for a subscription with EaseUS, you should know they’re upfront about their software’s inability to recover content from solid-state disks (SSDs), although it’s compatible with most other formats, including “HDD, USB drive, SD card, digital camera, video player, and other supported devices,” according to the EaseUS website. Its deep scan may be time-consuming and its price higher than average, but if you’re looking for a secure method of professional data recovery, EaseUS could work for you.
Price: EaseUS offers a free download version that allows you to recover up to 2 GB of data, a Pro version for $69.95, and their Pro + Bootable Media for $99.90 – $129.90. Free trials are available for both Pro and Pro + Bootable Media.
Stellar Data Recovery: Best Overall
Businesses everywhere are familiar with Stellar Data Recovery, one of the most popular services in the industry. Stellar offers multiple scan options, allowing you to scan for the precise kind of data loss you’ve experienced, no full-system scan required. The platform is also compatible with both Windows and macOS, making it useful for any business. Its advanced search capabilities and support for all file formats make it a powerful software solution for restoring your business data.
Although there are pricier options on the market, Stellar Data Recovery certainly isn’t the cheapest option out there. There is also no weekend customer support, meaning technical difficulties and questions will have to be addressed with the Stellar team during business hours.
However, the service does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on its 100% secure data recovery options. For a comprehensive secure data recovery solution, our top overall pick is Stellar Data Recovery.
Price: Stellar Data Recovery offers three plans: Professional for $79.99, Premium for $99.99, and Technician for $149.
Cleverfiles Disk Drill: Best for Beginners
For both Mac and Windows users, there’s Disk Drill, a user-friendly data recovery tool that works thanks to a series of advanced algorithms. Disk Drill is the perfect data recovery tool for beginners, featuring a holistic data recovery system and multiple scan options. The software also allows you to safeguard your files against future harm through its Recovery Vault feature. Although this Recovery Vault method results in useless folder names, it’s a backup nonetheless.
Disk Drill’s free trial might come with reduced features, but it’s still extremely usable, unlike some of the other free options on this list. Its high-speed scans, thumbnail previews, and disk health alerts also set Disk Drill apart from the crowd. If this is your first time investing in data recovery software, Cleverfiles Disk Drill could be the best solution for your business.
Price: Cleverfiles Disk Drill has three plans to choose from. Its basic free version allows for recovery up to 500 MB, its Pro plan costs $89.00, and its Enterprise plan costs $499. Unlike the other options on this list, which run on an annual subscription model, Disk Drill’s pricing plan includes a lifetime license. At checkout, you can pay an additional fee ($29 for Pro and $99 for Enterprise) for lifetime upgrades as well.
When Data Recovery Software Can Help Your Business
If you’ve found yourself in a data loss crisis, there’s no need to panic. Data recovery software was built specifically to help you and your business during these trying times. No matter what kind of data loss you’ve experienced, data recovery software may be able to help. The software serves as a backup for all kinds of issues, including:
- Accidental deletion
- Corrupted files
- Storage failure
- File system formatting errors
- Logical damage caused by hardware failures
Data recovery software can help your business overcome file loss in a wide variety of situations. One notable area it cannot help is in recovering data from a solid-state disk (SSD). Once a file is deleted from the disk and your Recycling Bin, it’s essentially lost to the world. Some software platforms claim they’re up to the task, but if you want any shot at successful SSD recovery, you’ll need to try an expensive lab instead.
The SSD failure is one gaping hole in data recovery software, as SSDs can be found on most laptops on the market today. Perhaps this issue will be remedied in the future, but for now, secure data backups and access to data recovery software are your best options for retrieving lost data.
Choosing the Best Data Recovery Software for Your Business
Selecting the best data recovery software for your business is no easy feat in today’s competitive market. Data recovery software plans range from free to pricey, from bare-bones to advanced features, and from industry newcomers to weathered veterans. There’s something out there for everyone; the challenge lies in finding the perfect fit for your small business.
Fortunately, some criteria make it easy to narrow down your options. Some data recovery programs are only compatible with Windows operating systems, while others are only compatible with Mac operating systems, and others work with both systems. If you need to recover specific file types, it’s also important to ensure those file extensions are recoverable with your selected data recovery software.
And finally, there’s no ignoring the price. While large corporations have the budgets necessary to splurge on expensive, sophisticated data recovery software, smaller organizations often have to crunch the numbers before making any kind of financial commitment. Don’t break your bank account with a subscription to a corporate-level data recovery service—chances are its capabilities far exceed your business needs, and you’ll end up paying for services you never use.
With all that said, subscribing to data recovery software is one of the best business investments you can make. In addition to backing up all of your important business servers, data recovery software is one of the best lines of defense your business has against cyberattacks, accidental deletion, and file corruption. Keep your files secure and your business running smoothly with one of our top data recovery software picks for small businesses.
