Top 5 Professional Mac Data Recovery Software of 2026

I accidentally lost important files from my Mac and have no backup available. Is there any method or Mac data recovery software to recover my lost data?

Data loss on Mac can be challenging, especially if you don’t have a backup of your lost files. Whether the files are lost due to accidental deletion, system formatting, virus attack, or any other reason, it’s important to immediately proceed with data recovery. If a backup exists, restoring deleted files can be quick and straightforward. However, without backup, you need to use professional Mac data recovery software tools to restore your lost file.

Now, the challenging part – which Mac data recovery software should you choose? Don’t worry, in this article, we’ve outlined the top 5 professional Mac data recovery software of 2026. Explore their features, compare them, and select the one that best matches your needs. Let’s get started!

Key Features to Check in Your Mac Data Recovery Software

Before you select and proceed with any particular software for data recovery on Mac, it’s important to check its features. Make sure the tool you select offers the following essential capabilities:

• Compatibility with Different Storage Devices: Make sure your Mac data recovery software supports recovery of files deleted from different storage devices, including SD cards, USB drives, pen drives, external hard drives, etc.
• Multiple Scan Modes: Look for the software which offers both Quick Scan and Deep Scan modes. Quick scan helps in restoring recently deleted files, while the Deep Scan is for severely corrupted or formatted drives.
• APFS & macOS Compatibility: Ensure the tool supports APFS, HFS+, encrypted volumes, and the latest macOS versions.
• Simple Recovery Process: The tool should provide a simple and easy-to-use GUI, which can recover your lost files without much effort.
• Support for Various File Types: The software should recover documents, photos, videos, audio, emails, and other types of files in various file formats.
• Preview Feature: A good data recovery software lets you preview the recoverable file before saving it on your device.

Best 5 Professional Data Recovery Software for Mac

When it comes to data recovery using professional recovery software, choosing the right one makes all the difference. Below are the top five professional Mac data recovery software tools you can trust in 2025.

1. Stellar Data Recovery Professional For Mac

Stellar

It is a powerful and user-friendly Mac data recovery software, allowing you to restore files lost or deleted due to accidental deletion, formatting, system errors, and other reasons. Whether you’re dealing with formatted drives or corrupted partitions, the Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac is a reliable option to get lost files back. This all-in-one Mac data recovery software performs a thorough scanning of your storage devices to find and retrieve deleted files.

• Stellar supports recovery of files from various file systems, including APFS, HFS+, and even encrypted volumes.
• The tool allows you to preview the recoverable files before saving them on your Mac.
• You can use this tool to easily restore deleted photos, videos, documents, and other types of files of various file formats.
• The software supports recovery from various internal and external storage devices, including SD cards, pen drives, USB drives, and many more
• Its user-friendly interface, clean layout, and guided workflow help both beginners and advanced users recover data.

• This software takes a longer time while recovering data from large or heavily corrupted drives.
• It may be challenging to recover data from severely damaged, overwritten and heavily fragmented storage devices.
• Stellar lacks a built-in bootable recovery media feature, which limits its usefulness when the Mac fails to boot or the internal drive cannot be mounted.

2. Wondershare Recoverit

Wondershare

Wondershare has long been a popular data recovery service provider, mainly known for its support for hundreds of file types of different file formats. Whether your files are deleted due to accidental deletion, formatted drives, or corrupted media, Recoverit aims to make recovery possible in all cases. The software is also known for its user-friendly interface, which beginners or users with limited technical knowledge can use to restore deleted files easily.

• It supports recovery of data deleted from a broad range of storage devices - including internal drives, external HDDs/SSDs, USB sticks, memory cards and camera cards.
• The software offers both quick scan and deep scan modes, giving flexibility to handle simple deletions as well as more complex recovery tasks.
• It provides built-in features like video and photo repair (for corrupted files), allowing you to restore damaged recovered files with better accuracy and usability.

• The free version (trial version) of the software allows you to restore only a small amount of data, which may be insufficient for many real-world recovery needs.
• Deep-scan or large-drive recovery sessions can take a long time — sometimes hours.
• Recoverit can struggle with accurately restoring original folder structures or file names, especially on APFS/HFS+ partitions.

3. Disk Drill for Mac

Disk Drill

Disk Drill ranks next among professional tools for data recovery on Mac, thanks to its capability to recover deleted files from various situations. This tool can help you recover lost, deleted, or inaccessible files from internal and external storage devices. This Mac data recovery software also supports a broad range of file types and macOS file systems, including APFS and HFS+. Its straightforward workflow, preview options, and additional utilities like disk health monitoring make it a popular choice among users.

• The recovery process is quite simple due to its easy-to-use, intuitive interface.
• It supports recovery from many storage devices, including internal drives, USB, SD cards, and more.
• Disk health monitoring and Recovery Vault improve data safety and loss prevention.
• The software is compatible with the latest macOS and Apple Silicon (M1–M3) chips.

• Sometimes recovery may not result as expected, requiring additional effort to organise or verify the restored files.
• The free version only lets you preview the repaired files; full recovery requires an expensive paid upgrade.
• This tool somehow lacks advanced disk cloning or photo/video repair features.

4. PhotoRec

Photorec

Next in our list is PhotoRec, a powerful open-source data recovery tool developed by CGSecurity. This Mac data recovery software focuses on deep, file-signature–based recovery, allowing you to restore data even from severely corrupted or formatted drives. Its command-line interface may seem challenging for beginners, yet advanced users value its flexibility, lightweight design, and free availability.

• Completely free-source tool offering reliable recovery without any subscription or licensing fees
• Supports recovery of hundreds of file formats, making it versatile for restoring photos, videos, and documents
• Lightweight tool with fast scanning performance and minimal system resource consumption

• It is designed on a text-based interface, which may feel difficult or intimidating for beginners to recover deleted files.
• Lacks modern interface features like previews, filters, or guided recovery steps.
• Limited additional utilities compared to premium tools offering repair, cloning, or health monitoring.

5. R-Studio

R-Studio

And last in our list of top 5 professional Mac data recovery software of 2025 is R-Studio. It is a powerful, cost-effective disk recovery software widely used to recover files from local disks, external drives, corrupted partitions, RAID systems, and even networked computers. The software is designed on powerful scanning algorithms and the ability to handle complex recovery scenarios. Though it requires technical knowledge, its strong capabilities make it a reliable solution for complex data loss situations.

• Recovers data deleted due to several reasons, including formatted drives, damaged partitions, and RAID arrays.
• Advanced scanning algorithms ensure deeper file detection and higher recovery accuracy in tough cases.
• This tool works across multiple operating systems, providing flexibility for mixed-environment data recovery needs.

• The interface is technical and may cause problems while recovering files for beginners.
• Advanced tools like hex editing require professional knowledge to avoid accidental mistakes.
• Limited step-by-step guidance makes it less beginner-friendly for quick or simple recoveries.

Wrapping Up

Data recovery on Mac may seem a challenging task, but the aforementioned top 5 professional Mac data recovery software tools can help you easily recover lost or deleted files in Mac. Before opting for any of these tools, review their features and properly compare them to select the one that best fits your needs. By evaluating factors such as supported file types, scanning capabilities, ease of use, and recovery success rate, you can confidently choose the right software for your situation.

This article is paid content. It has been reviewed and edited by the Eastern Eye editorial team to meet our content standards.