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Head-to-head · Data Recovery Software

UFS Explorer vs Active@ File Recovery

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score UFS Explorer #8 in Data Recovery Software 8.5/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 4 features Visit UFS Explorer
Active@ File Recovery #18 in Data Recovery Software 7.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit site

UFS Explorer leads on 0 checks, Active@ File Recovery on 1, and 4 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 scoreUFS Explorer · 8.5/10
  • Free planonly Active@ File Recovery
  • Most featuresActive@ File Recovery · 4 of 4

UFS Explorer scores higher on our rubric for data recovery software: 8.5 against 7.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #8 and #18.

Active@ File Recovery offers free plan; UFS Explorer doesn't.

UFS Explorer is the better fit for professional RAID, NAS, and virtual-disk recovery. Active@ File Recovery is the better fit for low-cost Windows recovery with bootable tools.

  • UFS Explorer fits best

    Professional RAID, NAS, and virtual-disk 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 UFS Explorer 8.5/10 Visit ↗ Active@ File Recovery 7.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.5 7.6
Ranking #8 in Data Recovery Software #18 in Data Recovery Software
Best for Professional RAID, NAS, and virtual-disk recovery Low-cost Windows recovery with bootable tools
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $69.95 one-time $29.95/unit one-time
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows
Support Email, Docs Email, Phone, Tickets, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features UFS Explorer 3/4 · Active@ File Recovery 4/4
Memory card recovery ✓ ✓
RAID recovery ✓ ✓
Bootable recovery Not checked yet ✓ (best)
File preview ✓ ✓
Specs
Recovery sources internal and external hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, SD cards, memory cards, disk images, virtual disks, NAS devices and RAID systems 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 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
  • RAID detection, reconstruction, and manual RAID building
  • Supports NAS, virtual-machine disks, disk images, and encrypted volumes
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with bootable recovery
  • QuickScan, SuperScan, and LastChance recovery modes
  • RAID-0, RAID-1, RAID-5, and Span reconstruction
  • Bootable WinPE and Linux recovery environments
Cons
  • Starts at $69.95 with no free plan
  • Advanced recovery capabilities require higher-priced editions
  • Several licenses are limited to one operating system
  • Windows-only platform coverage
  • RAID and custom signatures require Professional
  • Bootable environments require Ultimate
Our verdict

UFS Explorer is a family of data recovery and data access utilities from SysDev Laboratories. It is designed for recovery from internal and external drives, USB flash drives, memory cards, disk images, virtual disks, NAS devices, and RAID…

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. UFS ExplorerData Recovery Software 8.5Paid
  2. Active@ File RecoveryData Recovery Software 7.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • UFS Explorer — where it wins

    • RAID detection, reconstruction, and manual RAID building
    • Supports NAS, virtual-machine disks, disk images, and encrypted volumes
    • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with bootable recovery

    Where it doesn't

    • Starts at $69.95 with no free plan
    • Advanced recovery capabilities require higher-priced editions
    • Several licenses are limited to one operating system

  • 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

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