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Head-to-head · Data Recovery Software

TestDisk vs PhotoRec

  • 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
PhotoRec #6 in Data Recovery Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit PhotoRec

TestDisk leads on 0 checks, PhotoRec 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
  • Most featuresTestDisk · 4 of 4

TestDisk scores higher on our rubric for data recovery software: 9.1 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #6.

TestDisk is the better fit for free partition and filesystem recovery. PhotoRec is the better fit for free forensic-style file carving.

  • TestDisk fits best

    Free partition and filesystem recovery

  • PhotoRec fits best

    Free forensic-style file carving

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 ↗ PhotoRec 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.1 8.7
Ranking #3 in Data Recovery Software #6 in Data Recovery Software
Best for Free partition and filesystem recovery Free forensic-style file carving
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Features TestDisk 4/4 · PhotoRec 2/4
Memory card recovery ✓ ✓
RAID recovery ✓ ✓
Bootable recovery ✓ (best) Not checked yet
File preview ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Recovery sources hard drives; USB drives; memory cards; disk images; DAS; SAN; Linux RAID devices hard disks; CD-ROMs; memory cards; USB memory drives; DD raw images; EnCase E01 images
Operating systems Windows; macOS; Linux; DOS; FreeBSD; NetBSD; OpenBSD; SunOS Windows; Linux; macOS; DOS; FreeBSD; NetBSD; OpenBSD; Solaris; other Unix systems
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
  • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Recovers files from damaged or reformatted filesystems
  • Supports disk images, RAID devices, and command-line automation
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
  • Does not provide verified file previews before recovery
  • Does not provide bootable recovery media
  • Signature-based carving may not preserve original filesystem structure
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 →

PhotoRec is free, open-source file recovery software for retrieving photographs, videos, documents, archives, and other file types. It is designed for people recovering data from hard disks, optical media, memory cards, USB drives, and…

Read the review →
  1. TestDiskData Recovery Software 9.1Free plan
  2. PhotoRecData Recovery Software 8.7Free 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

  • PhotoRec — where it wins

    • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
    • Recovers files from damaged or reformatted filesystems
    • Supports disk images, RAID devices, and command-line automation

    Where it doesn't

    • Does not provide verified file previews before recovery
    • Does not provide bootable recovery media
    • Signature-based carving may not preserve original filesystem structure

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