Stellar Data Recovery is a DIY data recovery utility for Microsoft Windows and Mac, developed by Stellar. It was initially released in the year 2000, and was previously known as Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery.
The software boasts of a simple, user-friendly interface and robust features, that can deal with any data loss scenario, be it due to accidental deletion, a formatted hard drive, or disk corruption. Stellar enables the retrieval of all file formats, including custom ones. Plus, it works with both non-bootable and encrypted drives. Even RAID and virtual drive recovery are supported, along with repairing corrupted photo/video files.
Pricing
Stellar Data Recovery (for both Windows and Mac) has a free plan, which can be used for up to 1GB of data and 25MB of files. In case you require more, you will need to upgrade to one of the paid plans.
Paid subscriptions start with the ‘Standard’ plan, from $49.99 per year. It includes everything in the free plan, plus unlimited data recovery. For more advanced needs there are four more advanced Stellar Data Recovery subscription plans. Which are, the ‘Professional’ plan at $79.99 per year, ‘Premium’ plan at $99.99 per year, ‘Technician’ plan at $199 per year, and the ‘Toolkit’ plan at $299 per year. Needless to say, each option adds more advanced tools and features than the one before it, like unbootable system recovery, optical media recovery, corrupt file repair, RAID data recovery, and so on.
The Stellar Mac version is also available, however with three options to choose from, the Professional plan at $79.99, Premium at $99.99, and Technician at $149 (per year).
Lets now dive into the major advantages and disadvantages of the software, so you can figure out if its worth your time (and money).
Easy To Use
Stellar Data Recovery is very easy to install and has a simple, intuitive and easy to use GUI. Its user-friendly dashboard and easy-to-navigate experience makes it convenient even for first time users.
A Free Version Is Available
Stellar offers a basic version which lets users recover data up to 1 GB at no charges.
Preview Option To Choose Before Recovery
One of the best things about this tool is that it allows previews before performing the recovery. This lets us preview the files, so we can select only what we want to recover, in case we don’t wish to recover each and every file.
Supports Multiple File Types
Stellar supports a vast number of file types, such as media files, office files, zip files and tally files as well.
Data Recovery In Just 3 Steps
Stellar recovers most lost data effortlessly from internal and external storage media. The straightforward GUI enables easy recovery of deleted photos, videos, and audio files in just 3 simple steps. Stellar also recovers lost data without making the data corrupted.
Excellent Photo Recovery Success Rate
Stellar is mostly used to successfully recover photos and documents from accidentally formatted memory cards. While the second most used Stellar Data recovery case, is hard drives with errors. Not only does Stellar have an incredible success rate for photo recovery, but, it also repairs corrupted photos.
Great Customer Support
Stellar customer support is helpful and effective. The company offers support via phone, live chat and email and the help desk can be contacted 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday. They even have amazing online resources useful for people seeking detailed information.
The Stellar Data Recovery Final Verdict
Stellar’s free version recovers only up to 1 GB of data. If your requirement is above that, you will need to buy their plans.
The latest version of the software works much better than its predecessor, improving considerably on the ZIP files and slow scans. With this new version, you can rest assured that all your files from any of your disks will be recovered. Tests also show that this hard drive recovery software is faster, plus comes with transparent pricing as well, altogether making Stellar worth competing with the market giants like Disk Drill, EaseUs, and Recuva.
So, if you’re looking for a good starter data recovery option, to salvage lost or deleted files from your hard drive, and are not very tech-savvy, Stellar has potential, you can buy it here. Stellar’s user-friendly GUI, and unique bonuses like Live File Previews, makes Stellar Data Recovery (professional) a good fit for you. However, its higher price and relatively basic scanning options, may not be very impressive for more advanced users, expecting the most out of their recovery suite.
