CardRecovery
CardRecovery: A focused Windows tool for recovering photos, videos, and camera RAW files. Ranked #27 of 44 in Photo Recovery Software by our editors (6.6/10); pricing: Paid; best for windows camera-card and RAW recovery.
At a glance
- Editor score6.6 / 10
- PricingPaid
- Best forWindows camera-card and RAW recovery
- Free planNo
- Paid from$39.95 one-time
- Supported platformsWindows
- Founded1998 · Bradenton, Florida, United States
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Supports major camera cards, USB drives, and mobile-phone memory cards
- Recovers many RAW formats, including NEF, CR2, CR3, RAF, ORF, and DNG
- Read-only scans, photo previews, SmartScan, and EXIF retrieval
Where it doesn't
- Windows only
- No free plan; the license costs $39.95 one time
- Focused on photos and videos rather than broad file recovery
Our verdict on CardRecovery
CardRecovery is desktop photo and video recovery software for Windows. It is designed for photographers and camera owners who need to retrieve deleted, lost, formatted, corrupted, or damaged files from removable storage. Supported media includes SD, microSD, CompactFlash, Memory Stick, xD, XQD, USB flash drives, and mobile-phone memory cards. Camera RAW support includes NEF, CR2, CR3, RAF, ORF, and DNG, making the product relevant to workflows that depend on original image files rather than only common formats.
The published pricing shows one paid option: a CardRecovery single-user license priced at $39.95 USD as a one-time purchase. The license provides perpetual use, an unlimited number of recovered files, and free two-year upgrades. There is no free plan. An evaluation version can be downloaded to preview files, while the product itself is sold as paid software. This structure suits buyers who want a single purchase for occasional or repeated card recovery instead of an ongoing subscription.
Recovery is organized around a three-step wizard. SmartScan scans storage-media sectors for recoverable files, while read-only operations are intended to avoid writing changes to the media during recovery. Users can preview recoverable photos before saving them, and scanning retrieves EXIF metadata. The broad removable-media support and RAW handling are the main reasons to choose CardRecovery over a general-purpose option. It is a focused fit for Windows users working with camera cards and related removable storage. Buyers who need macOS support should choose a different product, since CardRecovery is documented for Windows.
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CardRecovery pricing
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CardRecovery fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $39.95 one-time |
| Supported platforms | Windows |
| Recovery sources | SD, SDHC, SDXC, miniSD, microSD, CompactFlash, MicroDrive, Memory Stick, MMC, XQD, SmartMedia, xD Picture Card, mobile-phone memory cards, USB flash drives |
| Scan modes | Deep |
| Raw photo recovery | Yes |
| Disk image support | Not verified |
| Photo preview | Yes |
| Free recovery limit | Not verified |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Support | Email, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Paid (source) |
| Website | cardrecovery.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to CardRecovery
- PhotoRecA broad, free recovery tool for difficult media, with a less convenient photo-first workflow.9.3
- EaseUS Data Recovery WizardBroad recovery coverage, but the free plan is limited to two files.9.1
- RecuvaA capable free option for recovering deleted photos from Windows and camera cards.9.0
See all CardRecovery alternatives →
Also Ranked In
CardRecovery is ranked in 2 of our directories.
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Featured on iTechGuides
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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