Free Data Recovery Software Review

DMDE Data Recovery

MSRP $20.00

“DMDE offers an excellent free data recovery app with a low-cost upgrade to unlock more features, making this a great choice for tech-savvy users to restore lost files.”

Pros

Excellent recovery of HDD files
Restored files from a damaged thumb drive
Quick file previews even with a slow drive
One-time purchase option with no subscription
Great free version

Cons

Not as user-friendly as competitors
Support is via email

DMDE offers free data recovery software with few limitations and inexpensive subscriptions that unlock more features. If you’ve lost important photos, videos, or documents, you want effective and affordable file restoration.

The best data recovery software can be expensive and has no guarantees of success. Before you pay a high fee, it makes sense to try a free app to see if it solves the problem.

I tested DMDE to find out how well it works with hard disk drives (HDD), solid-state drives (SSD), and removable media. I also researched its pricing, customer support, privacy, and security to ensure it had good enough value if you do decide to subscribe.

Specs

	DMDE
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux
Devices	1 (Express, Standard), plus 5 monthly (Professional)
Support	Email
Free version?	Yes

Tiers and pricing

DMDE is quite generous with the free version of its app. You can recover up to 4,000 files at a time and can run an unlimited number of scans. However, your folder structure won’t be restored. In many cases, organization is important and for apps, it’s essential.

Fortunately, an annual subscription for DMDE Express costs just $20 to recover files and folders on one Windows, DOS, macOS, or Linux computer. That’s less expensive than Recuva, which is known for its budget file restoration.

While the $20 Express subscription sounds like a great deal, a Standard lifetime license with ongoing updates costs just $48. The Standard version is equivalent to 2.4 years of Express, so it’s a good bargain.

If you’re the “tech expert” in the family, you should consider the $95 Professional license that matches Standard’s lifetime subscription. It includes a portable key you can use five times monthly to help others restore files. You can also use this commercially.

Professional Multi-OS is exactly what it sounds like. For $133, you get a Professional license that can recover files on Windows, DOS, macOS, or Linux computers. Otherwise, a single operating system is supported.

Design

DMDE installation was simple. Within a minute, I was ready to scan for lost files. The app has a modern design with resizable windows and fonts, along with a clean, minimalist layout.

It got right to business, starting with a drive selection window so I could begin recovery immediately. I partition most of my drives, so the logical disk option caught my eye. I could also choose from physical disks and disk images.

The same window has an option to copy sectors from a damaged drive to a good one so no more data is lost. I can even construct a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) with DMDE.

Features

I quickly found my way around DMDE and liked the depth of its features. However, it could seem overwhelming and complicated if you aren’t familiar with disk utilities and technical terms for storage. For example, Disk Drill is easier to use, but costs more.

Support

DMDE customer service is via email and there’s a simple support form on the website. To test the service, I sent a message in the afternoon asking why SSD recovery is harder. The reply took more than a day, but was friendly and helpful.

Privacy and security

DMDE doesn’t upload files for processing, so there’s no risk of exposing personal data. I was able to install and use the free version with total anonymity.

If you purchase a subscription or a lifetime license, you must share your name and payment details, so it was worth checking DMDE’s security record. The privacy policy is good and I couldn’t find any record of a data breach.

I feel comfortable sharing the small amount of information DMDE requires for purchase.