Data Rescue by Prosoft Engineering recovers deleted files on Mac and Windows. See 2026 pricing plans, key features, pros, cons and FAQs.
Category
Developer Tools
Pricing
One-time and annual license options, plus a free scan-and-preview trial, from Free trial recovers up to 1GB; paid Standard license starts at 79 USD for 30 days of unlimited recovery
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
1985
Headquarters
Pleasanton, California, United States
The Data Rescue Recovery Process
Data Rescue follows a three-step workflow: scan the affected drive using either Quick Scan or Deep Scan, preview the files that were found before paying anything, and then recover the chosen files to a separate, healthy destination drive.
The FileIQ feature lets the software learn and recognize file types it does not already have in its built-in list, which can improve recovery results on drives containing unusual or specialized file formats.
Data Rescue Pricing and Licensing
New users can run a free trial that scans and previews an entire drive and recovers up to 1GB of data at no charge, which is enough to confirm whether important files are recoverable before committing to a paid license.
Beyond the trial, a Standard license priced around 79 USD unlocks unlimited recovery for 30 days, aimed at a single recovery job, while a Professional license priced at roughly 399.96 USD per year suits users or technicians who expect to need recovery repeatedly across the year.
Advanced Mode for IT Professionals
Advanced Mode adds a hex viewer, secure erase, support for up to 15 saved scan sessions, RAID 0 and JBOD support with virtual RAID simulation, and low-level allocation block layout analysis, aimed at technicians handling more complex recovery cases.
On Mac, Data Rescue can also create a bootable recovery drive, letting a technician boot from external media and scan or recover a failed startup drive without writing any new data to it.
Key Features
Quick Scan and Deep Scan modes — Choose a fast scan for unmountable or non-booting drives or a thorough sector-by-sector scan for reformatted drives.
FileIQ adaptive file recognition — Learns to recognize new or unlisted file signatures during a scan to improve recovery of unusual file types.
Pre-recovery file preview — Preview recoverable file names and, for many formats, contents before paying for a license.
Broad file system support — Supports NTFS, APFS, HFS+, FAT, and exFAT file systems across Mac and Windows drives.
RAID and JBOD recovery — Supports RAID 0 and JBOD arrays with a virtual RAID simulation feature for rebuilding arrays before recovery.
Bootable recovery drive — On Mac, creates a bootable external drive to recover a failed startup disk without writing to it.
Advanced Mode tools — Includes a hex viewer, secure erase, and allocation block layout analysis for technical users.
Wide media support — Recovers from internal and external hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, and SD and Compact Flash cards.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Free trial lets users confirm recoverability before paying
Works across both Mac and Windows from one license
Supports a wide range of file systems and over 100 file types
Advanced Mode tools suit IT professionals and technicians
Long-standing company with decades of data recovery experience
Cons
Deep Scan can take many hours on large or badly damaged drives
Professional annual license is a recurring cost for occasional users
Advanced Mode features can overwhelm non-technical users
Cannot guarantee recovery on physically damaged drives
Requires a separate destination drive with enough free space
Pricing
Free Trial 0 USD one-time
Standard 79 USD one-time (30 day unlimited recovery)
Professional 399.96 USD annual
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Data Rescue used for?
Data Rescue is used to recover deleted, lost, or inaccessible files from hard drives, SSDs, and removable media on Mac and Windows computers.
Does Data Rescue work on both Mac and Windows?
Yes, a single Data Rescue license can be used to run the software on both macOS and Windows.
How much data can I recover for free?
The free trial allows scanning and previewing a whole drive and recovering up to 1GB of data at no cost.
Can Data Rescue recover files from a formatted drive?
Yes, the Deep Scan mode is designed to search reformatted or heavily damaged drives for recoverable files.
What is the difference between Quick Scan and Deep Scan?
Quick Scan is faster and targets drives that will not boot or mount, while Deep Scan performs a thorough sector-by-sector search for reformatted or more extensively damaged drives.
Does Data Rescue support RAID recovery?
Yes, Advanced Mode supports RAID 0 and JBOD arrays and includes a virtual RAID simulation tool.
How long does a Data Rescue scan take?
Scan time depends on drive size and condition; a Deep Scan on a large or badly damaged drive can take several hours.
Who makes Data Rescue?
Data Rescue is made by Prosoft Engineering, Inc., a company founded in 1985 and based in Pleasanton, California.