Offer price: 69.99
Currency: USD
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Appearance - 8/10
8/10
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Features - 8/10
8/10
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Performance - 7.5/10
7.5/10
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User Experience (UX) - 8.5/10
8.5/10
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Value - 7/10
7/10
Summary
Stellar Data Recovery is a powerful and reliable tool for retrieving lost data. Its user-friendly interface, advanced features, and wide file format support make it a top choice for both casual and professional users. While deep scans can be slow or occasionally buggy, the overall performance and versatility of the software outweigh these minor drawbacks.
Overall
7.8/10Pros
+ Simple, straightforward
+ Works on both Windows and Mac
+ Supports the recovery of all file types, including custom formats
+ Can recover data from non-bootable systems, encrypted drives, RAID configurations, and virtual drives
Cons
– Deep scans can take a very long time and occasionally bug out
– May recover more data than expected, some being junk
– Pricey monthly subscriptions
Stellar Data Recovery is widely recognized as one of the most effective data recovery tools available today. With its ability to retrieve lost, deleted, or unavailable data from hard drives, USB sticks, and other storage devices, it’s a top choice for both personal and professional use. Let’s dive into the features, pricing, and performance of this software to see if it lives up to the hype.
Plans and Pricing: Options for Every Need
Stellar Data Recovery offers four subscription plans, catering to different levels of user requirements:
- Free Plan: Includes basic file recovery tools with a limit of 1GB of data recovery.
- Professional Plan ($69.99/year): Adds advanced features such as recovery from lost partitions, unbootable systems, and optical media.
- Premium Plan ($79.99/year): Includes all Professional features, along with the ability to repair corrupted photos and videos.
- Technician Plan ($199/year): Includes all Premium features, along with the ability to recover data from RAID 0, 5 and 6 along with lost RAID logical volumes.
It’s also available for macOS but for the purpose of this review, we will be running it on Windows 11.
Setup and User Experience
Installing Stellar Data Recovery is quick and straightforward. The software’s intuitive interface makes it easy to select specific file types and storage locations for recovery. Advanced users can customize settings, such as specifying file extensions and adding new file types.
The layout is user-friendly, with a clear dashboard and options for quick or deep scans. While deep scans can be resource-intensive, they offer a higher chance of recovering complex or fragmented data.
Test System
| CPU | Intel Core i5-13600K |
| Cooling | DeepCool AK620 DIGITAL Cooler Master MasterGel Maker |
| Motherboard | ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 HERO |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Founders Edition |
| Memory | Kingston FURY RENEGADE DDR5 RGB (DDR5-6400 CL32) |
| Storage | 2TB Kingston FURY Renegade SSD PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD 1TB WD Blue 7200RPM HDD 1TB Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD |
| Power Supply | Cooler Master MWE V2 Gold 750W |
| Case | Lian Li O11 Air Mini |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro |
For the purpose of this test, we’ll be using the above system and the Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD (in exFAT) to run the recovery. I’ll also be using my “Bench Data” folder measuring in at 24.3GBs containing various files, both big and small. Specifically, the files are photos, videos, and documents (both in PDF and Word format) and it will be used to see how much gets recovered and how well the software does so.
Performance: How Well Does It Work?
In our tests, Stellar Data Recovery performed exceptionally well:
- Quick Scan: Detected lost files in seconds with minimal system resource usage.
- Deep Scan: Recovered significantly more data, though it required more time and resources.
- File Recovery Success: Retrieved nearly all test files, including media and system files, across various scenarios like deletion, formatting, and corrupted partitions.
However, deep scans occasionally froze during particularly challenging data recovery tasks. A simple reboot resolved the issue in most cases. It also seems like it recovers some extra files, but from what I can see, it’s practically junk. I can at least confirm in our test scenario, all of our data was recovered with no corruption issues whatsoever so I’m okay with that.
Key Features: What Sets Stellar Data Recovery Apart?
Stellar Data Recovery stands out for its versatility and advanced features:
- Wide File Format Support: The software supports the recovery of all file types, including custom formats.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Available for both Windows and macOS.
- Advanced Recovery Options: Recover data from non-bootable systems, encrypted drives, RAID configurations, and virtual drives.
- File Repair: Premium versions can repair corrupted photo and video files.
Additionally, the software allows users to preview recoverable files, ensuring you can verify their integrity before restoring them.
In case you run into any issues, Stellar Data Recovery provides robust customer support through phone, live chat, and an online ticket system. Live chat was responsive, connecting us with a helpful agent in under a minute. Additionally, the comprehensive knowledge base and FAQs offer excellent self-help resources.
Stellar Data Recovery Verdict
Stellar Data Recovery is a powerful and reliable tool for retrieving lost data. Its user-friendly interface, advanced features, and wide file format support make it a top choice for both casual and professional users. While deep scans can be slow or occasionally buggy, the overall performance and versatility of the software outweigh these minor drawbacks. With a free trial available, you can test its capabilities risk-free. For those willing to invest in a premium data recovery solution, Stellar Data Recovery is well worth considering.
At the end of our Stellar Data Recovery review, I award this software with our Silver Pokdeward.
Big thanks to Stellar Info for sending us the key for this professional data recovery software for the purpose of this review.
