Disk Drill vs. DMDE: best no-subscription data recovery app

The biggest names in data recovery software require subscriptions, which seems wasteful given you should only need these apps on rare occasions. You probably aren’t accidentally deleting files and experiencing drive failures several times in a single year, so an option to make a one-time purchase could be more attractive.

When I reviewed Disk Drill Pro and DMDE Professional, I was impressed that these no-subscription apps effectively restored lost files without ongoing fees. To help you choose between them, I’ll compare the user interfaces, feature sets, recovery accuracy, and customer service quality, so you can pick the best data recovery software for your needs.

Specs

Tiers and pricing

Disk Drill offers a free version capped at 500MB of data recovery. That’s a restrictive amount that will likely leave you wanting more, so it’s best to think of it as a trial version. The free app can help you test the app on your drive before purchasing.

In contrast, the free version of DMDE is quite useful, letting you restore up to 4,000 files at a time. The only other limitation is that it skips folders. That means you need to scan each folder separately or pay for a license to unlock all the features.

You can buy Disk Drill Pro for just $89. Data recovery software like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro costs more than that annually. With a paid copy, you can use Disk Drill Pro on up to three computers.

At that bargain price, you get minor updates and a 50% discount on major updates. For even more value, Disk Drill developer CleverFiles offers a lifetime upgrade option for another $19.

DMDE has four payment options. Express is an annual subscription for $20 for one computer, Standard requires a one-time payment of $48 for a perpetual license on a single computer, and two professional plans, starting at $95, that let you purchase lifetime licenses for commercial use on more devices.

Both apps have very affordable one-time purchase prices, but price isn’t everything.

Features

Disk Drill Pro has a modern design that’s easy to use even if you’re unfamiliar with data recovery apps. After selecting a drive and starting a scan, you’ll see a list of files the app might be able to restore. It also shows an estimate of recovery chances for each file and lets you preview images.

After Disk Drill Pro’s scan is complete, you choose individual files or select them all and pick another drive and folder to begin restoring the lost files. The speed depends on the size and number of files and the speed of the source and destination drives.

DMDE works similarly but the layout will be more appealing to technical users. There are more options for digging deeper into the drive, and the basics are simple. You get a file list and previews during the scan operation.

DMDE doesn’t show recovery chances, but a viewable preview indicates success is likely. If you have deep knowledge of file formats, you can even edit the contents of a drive with DMDE, potentially correcting errors manually.

Ultimately, data recovery software is only worthwhile if it works, and in my testing I found Disk Drill Pro to be effective at restoring recently lost or deleted files from a hard disk drive (HDD). DMDE was equally adept.

While both apps recovered data from a damaged thumb drive, solid-state drive (SSD) restoration failed. That’s inherent to fast, efficient SSD technology, not a flaw in data recovery software.

Overall, Disk Drill Pro and DMDE performed as well as the leading solutions while costing much less.

Support

If you’ve lost essential files or photos and videos of special moments, getting your data back is important and you don’t want to make a mistake. Good customer service can help you solve problems and provide peace of mind in this challenging situation.

I was surprised to learn that Disk Drill Pro offers 24/7 live chat support despite its low price. In my tests, I waited one to six minutes for replies to my questions. That’s fast for good technical customer service.

DMDE has email support and it took more than a day to get a reply. That’s not uncommon for utility apps. Still, it’s much slower than Disk Drill Pro.

For the fastest customer service you’ll need a premium subscription from data recovery apps like EaseUS or Stellar.

Privacy and security

If you install the free versions of Disk Drill or DMDE, you don’t even need to provide an email address. DMDE has fewer restrictions, so it’s the best for ultimate anonymity.

Both apps respect user privacy when you purchase a license. Disk Drill Pro and DMDE collect only what’s needed to process your payment and deliver the services you paid for.

Neither has a record of a data breach, and I haven’t received an increase in spam after using both. Disk Drill Pro and DMDE are safe and private.

Which data recovery app is right for you?

Both apps have good data recovery rates for HDDs and thumb drives, but don’t expect to restore any lost SSD files. That’s a difficult challenge, even for the best data recovery software. That said, there are some notable distinctions between Disk Drill Pro and DMDE.

Disk Drill Pro is the right choice if you need an app that’s easy to use. The app guides you from step to step, making file restoration simple. While the $89 price makes it the more expensive solution, you can install Disk Drill Pro on up to three computers, and it works on Windows and macOS.

It might take some time to learn how to get the most from DMDE, but it has more options and advanced features, even drive editing. DMDE Free is just as effective as the paid version, but $48 unlocks the time-saving features like folder recovery.

DMDE supports Linux as as well as Windows and macOS. A Standard license supports only a single computer, but a Professional license lets you use it on up to five computers per month.

DMDE’s flexible pricing with free, low-cost subscription, and three one-time purchase options, along with broad operating system support, effective HDD recovery, and advanced features, tip the scales in its favor. Overall, we recommend DMDE over Disk Drill Pro as the best no-subscription data recovery software.