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Head-to-head · Data Recovery Software

TestDisk vs Active@ File Recovery

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score TestDisk #3 in Data Recovery Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit CGSecurity
Active@ File Recovery #18 in Data Recovery Software 7.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit site

TestDisk leads on 0 checks, Active@ File Recovery on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreTestDisk · 9.1/10
  • Free planboth

TestDisk scores higher on our rubric for data recovery software: 9.1 against 7.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #18.

TestDisk is the better fit for free partition and filesystem recovery. Active@ File Recovery is the better fit for low-cost Windows recovery with bootable tools.

  • TestDisk fits best

    Free partition and filesystem recovery

  • Active@ File Recovery fits best

    Low-cost Windows recovery with bootable tools

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature TestDisk 9.1/10 Visit ↗ Active@ File Recovery 7.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.1 7.6
Ranking #3 in Data Recovery Software #18 in Data Recovery Software
Best for Free partition and filesystem recovery Low-cost Windows recovery with bootable tools
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan $29.95/unit one-time
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows
Support Community, Docs Email, Phone, Tickets, Docs
Features TestDisk 4/4 · Active@ File Recovery 4/4
Memory card recovery ✓ ✓
RAID recovery ✓ ✓
Bootable recovery ✓ ✓
File preview ✓ ✓
Specs
Recovery sources hard drives; USB drives; memory cards; disk images; DAS; SAN; Linux RAID devices HDD, SSD, external disks, USB drives, USB Flash disks, floppy disks, memory cards, SD, MMC, CompactFlash, CD/DVD/Blu-ray, RAID arrays, disk images
Operating systems Windows; macOS; Linux; DOS; FreeBSD; NetBSD; OpenBSD; SunOS Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, WinPE
Free recovery limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Supports partition repair, boot structures, RAID, and disk images
  • Can inspect files before copying and run from a live USB
  • QuickScan, SuperScan, and LastChance recovery modes
  • RAID-0, RAID-1, RAID-5, and Span reconstruction
  • Bootable WinPE and Linux recovery environments
Cons
  • Command-line workflows may require technical recovery knowledge
  • Filesystem undelete support is limited to listed supported filesystems
  • Less feature-rich than DMDE for advanced reconstruction and diagnostics
  • Windows-only platform coverage
  • RAID and custom signatures require Professional
  • Bootable environments require Ultimate
Our verdict

TestDisk is free, open-source data recovery software from CGSecurity for recovering lost or deleted partitions, repairing partition tables and filesystem boot structures, and undeleting files. It is suited to people recovering data from…

Read the review →

Active@ File Recovery is a Windows data-recovery utility for restoring deleted files and recovering data from damaged or reformatted partitions and volumes. It is aimed at individuals and technicians working with hard drives, SSDs,…

Read the review →
  1. TestDiskData Recovery Software 9.1Free plan
  2. Active@ File RecoveryData Recovery Software 7.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • TestDisk — where it wins

    • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
    • Supports partition repair, boot structures, RAID, and disk images
    • Can inspect files before copying and run from a live USB

    Where it doesn't

    • Command-line workflows may require technical recovery knowledge
    • Filesystem undelete support is limited to listed supported filesystems
    • Less feature-rich than DMDE for advanced reconstruction and diagnostics

  • Active@ File Recovery — where it wins

    • QuickScan, SuperScan, and LastChance recovery modes
    • RAID-0, RAID-1, RAID-5, and Span reconstruction
    • Bootable WinPE and Linux recovery environments

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows-only platform coverage
    • RAID and custom signatures require Professional
    • Bootable environments require Ultimate
  • TestDisk9.1/10 · Free plan

    A capable free choice for partition repair, filesystem recovery, and file undelete.

    Visit CGSecurityFull verdict →
  • Active@ File Recovery7.6/10 · Free plan

    A low-cost Windows recovery utility with RAID, imaging, previews, and bootable tools.

    Visit siteFull verdict →

More comparisons

All data recovery software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update