Download Partition Magic alternative for Windows 10 to resize partition

Updated by Linda on January 18, 2022 Original author Mahesh Makvana Reading time: minutes Liked:

There are countless data recovery programs out there that promise to get your SD card working again. With so many options, how do you know which one is right for you? To help you find the best SD card recovery software, we've compiled a list of the “10 Best Free SD Card Recovery Software Tools,” along with their pros and cons, so you can choose the one that's best for you.

In this article, you'll learn:
  • Can SD Card Data Be Recovered for Free?
  • 10 Best SD Card Recovery Software for Windows and Mac
  • Comparison Table - Top Memory Card Recovery Tools
  • How to Recover Lost Data from an SD Card Using Data Recovery Tool
  • Conclusion

Can I recover data from SD card for free?

"I accidentally formatted my SD card and lost all my beach vacation photos. I have asked many people about how to deal with the lost photos on the SD card and searched a lot online, but still couldn't find a solution. Can anyone help me? Is it possible to recover deleted files from an SD card and get back photos and other data on the SD card? Can SD card recovery be done?"

Yes, whenever an SD card becomes inaccessible or gets formatted, the stored data gets lost. However, all the files still remain at the same location on the card and can be recovered using a data recovery software. Data recovery software makes it possible to recover data and can assist anyone with deletion recovery, formatted recovery, RAW recovery, and more.

QUICK ACCESS TO RESTORE DELETED FILES FROM SD CARD:

Top 10 SD Card Recovery Software for Windows and Mac

SD card recovery software is a utility to restore lost videos, photos, or music files. To find the best card recovery software, I've listed the top 10 SD card data recovery software for both Windows and Mac. Read on for the full details.

Top 1. Free SD Card Data Recovery Software Tool

Applies to: Windows/Mac

"Free Data Recovery Software" is a reliable SD card data recovery tool that offers you the chance to restore deleted or lost data. It applies to over 100 real-life data loss scenarios, such as deletion, formatting, RAW, and more, with simple and quick operations. It's a true savior for retrieving lost data from memory cards, microSD cards, CF or SDHC cards, and the like. If you want to ensure card recovery, this is a must-have tool.

Advantages

    - Easy to use. The simple interface guides you through the recovery process in 3 steps - Supports all file systems including FAT, exFAT, NTFS, NTFS5, ext2/ext3, HFS+, and ReFS - Works with most devices such as desktops/laptops, internal/external hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, camcorders, digital cameras, music players, video players, RAID, CF/SD cards, flash drives, and more - Search for files by extension or name after scanning - Can repair corrupted JPEG/JPG photos and MP4/MOV camera videos

SD Card Data Recovery Software for Windows and Mac

Data Recovery Wizard is your best option for any data loss scenario: restore deleted or lost files, perform quick and deep scans. And if you've lost an entire partition, the tool knows how to get your files back. Don't think about how to recover deleted photos from an SD card – get them back right now.

Recover Deleted Files from SD Card – UTF-8

When your SD card suddenly goes blank, something might have gone wrong. The best free SD card recovery software can easily scan and restore deleted photos and files from your SD card.

Learn how to recover deleted photos from SD card >>

Quick Scan and Deep Scan

If you've lost data and downloaded a data recovery software immediately, a quick scan might still help you retrieve your files. Usually, when a file is deleted, the system just deletes or changes its name; everything else remains. It's just invisible. You can use a quick scan to get it back, but if that fails, you can try a deep scan. This will scan for RAW files or files that have lost their names and paths.

The best data-recovery plan for everyone

We heavily rely on digital data, and sometimes, for various reasons, data loss can occur. What do you do when you empty the recycle bin and then suddenly realize that you shouldn't have deleted that particular file? You can turn to a Data Recovery Wizard tool. It provides an easy-to-understand graphical interface that is suitable for anyone, with no technical requirements needed. With just a few clicks, you can get your data back.

USB Flash Drive Recovery Tips and Tricks>>

drawback

    • Scans the entire disk to locate folders when you specify a location
    • Free recovery of up to 2 GB of data

Second place goes to Recuva.

Applies to: Windows only

Piriform Recuva is a lightweight, free/paid SD card recovery software that helps you restore data from Windows-based storage media. Its wizard-like interface makes it quick to recover deleted files/folders and is compatible with Windows 10 and earlier versions.

Top 2 Memory Card Data Recovery Software - Recuva

Advantages

    • User-friendly interface
    • Preview files before final recovery
    • Works with FAT and NTFS systems
    • Email recovery for Thunderbird, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, and Microsoft Outlook

Disadvantages

    • No free version available
    • The interface isn't really engaging or fun

One of the top three is Stellar Data Recovery.

Applies to: Windows/Mac

Stellar Data Recovery is a user-friendly Windows data recovery software tool that retrieves lost documents, emails, photos, videos, and various files from HDDs, USBs, memory cards, and other devices. If you regret deleting a recent file, the Stellar Data Recovery utility comes to your aid efficiently. Its straightforward interface and powerful data recovery capabilities catch users' attention and earn their trust.

This image depicts the "Stellar SD Card Recovery Software," a professional tool designed for retrieving lost data.

Advantages

    • 4-step recovery process
    • Supports scanning specific folders and searching for files from the scan results
    • Can recover lost files from all types of Windows devices
    • Features a clear interface and simple recovery guidance

Disadvantages

    There is no free version. The standard edition costs $49.99.

#4: Disk Drill

Applies to: Windows/Mac

Disk Drill is a professionally-rank data recovery software in the tech industry. The application, developed by CleverFiles, scans external and internal storage devices, from local hard disk drives to portable USB drives and SD cards. It performs excellently on Windows computers, making it one of the most competitive tools in the data recovery field.

Top 4 SD Card Recovery Tools - Disk Drill

Advantages

    - Categorize found files for easy access - Filter results by size and date - Support for multiple file systems - Data recovery in just 4 steps

drawback

    • Only 500 MB of storage is free.
    • Scans take longer than in previous versions.

Top Pick: R-Studio

Applies to: Windows/Mac/Linux

R-Studio is the most comprehensive data recovery solution for recovering files from NTFS, NTFS5, ReFS, FAT12/16/32, exFAT, HFS/HFS+, and APFS file systems. It also scans for known file types on severely damaged or unknown file systems. Furthermore, it supports data recovery from network drives, setting it apart from many of its competitors.

SD Card Recovery Software - R-Studio

Advantages

    • Supports network drive data recovery
    • Supports multiple file systems
    • Allows creating disk images and recovering files from image files
    • Enables viewing and editing file or disk content with an advanced hexadecimal editor
    • Provides file preview for assessing recovery possibilities

Disadvantages

    • No free version, and it costs at least $49.99
    • Outdated and relatively complex interface
    • Long scanning process

#6: Acronis Revive

Applies to: Windows only

Acronis Revive released its data recovery software in 2019. This powerful tool can help recover files that have been accidentally, virus-deleted, or intentionally deleted but later needed.

Top 6 SD Card File Recovery Software – Acronis Revive

Advantages

    • Support for multiple file types
    • Preview photos/videos
    • Create image files
    • Filter files by name or extension

Disadvantages

    • The free version only recovers one deleted file
    • The interface and documentation can be confusing and complicated for users

Top 7. Remo Recover

Applies to: Windows/Mac

Remo Recover has been around in the data recovery market for a long time. Remo Recover can restore files from hard drives, external drives, memory cards, Mac volumes, and even repair files like Word documents, ZIP, and Microsoft Outlook, among others.

Top 7 SD Card Data Recovery Software - Remo Recover

Advantages

    • Permits users to restore files with unique file extensions and signatures

Disadvantages

    • Long scanning time, which might be inconvenient for users seeking quick results
    • Lack of support for sorting files by type or scanning by file type
    • The free trial version only allows scanning and previewing deleted and lost data

#8: Recover My Files

Applies to: Windows only

"Recover My Files" can recover deleted files emptied from the Windows Recycle Bin, files lost due to formatting or re-installing of a hard drive, virus infection, Trojan attack, unexpected system shutdown or software failure. It allows users to recover files from hard drives, SD cards, USB zip drives, floppy disks, iPods, and other devices.

Best SD Card or Micro SD Card Recovery Software - Recover My Files

Advantages

  • Scan backups (images) of partitions
  • Sort files by date
  • Customize the view layout

Disadvantages

  • Free version only allows scanning and previewing of deleted and lost data
  • Outdated software interface

9. Puran Data Recovery

Applies to: Windows only

Puran Data Recovery is a free utility that can help you recover as much data as possible from damaged media, such as scratched CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and damaged USB drives or memory cards. As long as you can see the file list in any medium, the data recovery tool can recover those files. It ignores bad sectors encountered while copying file data and continues till the end of the file. This way, it maximizes the recovery of undamaged data.

Top 9 SD Card Recovery Software – Puran Data Recovery

Advantages

    • Skips bad sectors while recovering files
    • Supports CD, DVD, and Blu-ray drives
    • Supports drag and drop operations
    • Completely free

Disadvantages

    Unable to preview the result Unable to filter the files to be restored

10. TestDisk

Applies to: Windows/Mac/Linux

TestDisk is an open-source data recovery software designed to restore lost partitions and fix unbootable disks. It is a portable application that can be used without installation. This tool enables the recovery of deleted partitions, repairs partition tables, and retrieves boot sectors from hard drives, among other features.

Top 10 SD Card Data Recovery Software - TestDisk

Advantages

    • Open-source software (completely free)
    • Permits users to restore/rebuild the boot sector
    • Repairs or recovers deleted partition table
    • Recovers deleted files from FAT, exFAT, NTFS, and ext2 file systems

Disadvantages

  • May not be suitable for some mainstream users

Read Also: Top 5 Best File Recovery Software for Mac

Comparison Chart - Best Memory Card Recovery Software

Most data recovery software claims to be the best in memory card data recovery, file recovery, and HDD recovery. To help you find the best solution, we've compiled a comparison table below of the six most popular data recovery tools for Windows 10/8/7. Browse through these features to find the right tool that suits your data recovery needs:

  Tool Disk Drill Recuva Stellar R-Studio Acronis
Recovery Rate ★★★★★ ★★★★☆ ★★★☆☆ ★★★☆☆ ★★★☆☆ ★★★☆☆
Supported OS Windows and macOS Windows and macOS Windows Windows and macOS Windows, macOS, Linux Windows
Free Version Limitations 2 GB 500 MB No Limitations Scans Only 256 KB Scans Only
Photo/Video Repair Yes No No Yes No No
Formatted SD Card Recovery Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
RAW SD Card Recovery Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Recovering from Formatted SD Card Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Damaged SD Card Recovery Yes Partially Limited Yes Partially Limited
Save Scan Sessions Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
File Preview Yes Yes Partially Yes Yes Yes
Modern Interface Yes Yes No Yes No Yes

We recommend tools Data Recovery Wizard to all users. It stands out with its excellent scanning speed, advanced interface, safe process, and ability to recover files from a corrupted Windows or reformatted device. It's undoubtedly one of the best free data recovery tools out there. Below are the results of the free SD card recovery software scanning the same partition (141GB with 127GB available space) for deleted/lost files. As you can see, tools Data Recovery Wizard is among the best.

How to recover lost data from an SD card using a data recovery tool

With the right tool, you can recover files from an SD memory card. Get the software and watch this video tutorial to see how you can instantly recover data from your SD card:

Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I'll promptly translate it into Chinese for you.

Step 1. Select the SD card to scan

    • Download and install the Data Recovery Wizard tool on your Windows computer.
    • Connect your SanDisk/Lexar/Transcend SD card to the computer using the right method.
    • Launch the SD card recovery software. All connected drives will be displayed here. Select your SD card and click "Scan."
Select your SD card and tap “Scan.”

Step 2: Check the scan results

    • Wait for the scanning process to finish.
    • Click "Filter" and specify one or several file types you want to display, like photos, Word, Excel, PDF, videos, etc.
    • Click "Preview" to check if they are the files you are looking for.
Locate the lost files from SD card

Step 3: Recover Data from SD Card

    1. Select the files you need and click “Recover.”
    2. Choose a location other than the original SD card to save your recovered files.
Recover SD Card Files

Conclusions

In this article, you have discovered the 10 best SD card recovery software that you can use to restore your photos, images, and videos from your SD card. If you are unsure about their pros and cons, you can check out the comparison table.

Frequently Asked Questions about SD Card Recovery

Updated in 2022, translated with utf-8 encoding.

How to recover deleted files from SD card for free?

To free recover deleted files from SD card, please follow the steps below:

    1. Download and install the SD Card Recovery software for Windows. 2. Connect the SD card to your computer and launch the application. 3. Run the SD Card Recovery software and scan the card. 4. Review the data found on the SD card. 5. Preview and check each file by double-clicking it, then click "Recover" to save the recovered SD card files to a secure location on your computer or an external storage device.

What is the best free SD card recovery software?

Best Free SD Card Recovery Software – Top 10:

    1. Data Recovery Wizard Tools 2. Recuva 3. Stellar Data Recovery 4. Disk Drill 5. R-Studio 6. Acronis Revive 7. Remo Recover 8. Recover My Files 9. Puran File Recovery 10. TestDisk

Compared to others, Tool SD Card Recovery software is the best. Download it now and restore SD card data easily and quickly.

How to recover deleted files from SD card on Mac?

How to recover deleted files from SD card on Mac:

    1. Insert your SD card into your Mac. 2. Download and run the Mac SD Card Recovery software. 3. Select your SD card and click on the Scan button. 4. Preview the required files and then click Recover to retrieve files from the SD card on your Mac.

How can I recover deleted files from an SD card on an Android device?

Use an Android SD card recovery tool to retrieve deleted files from Android SD card:

  1. 1. Install and run the MobiSaver for Android tool.
  2. 2. Connect your Android phone with SD card to the computer.
  3. 3. Scan the SD card on your Android phone to find lost data.
  4. 4. Preview and recover deleted files from the SD card of your Android phone.

Can I recover data from a damaged SD card?

Yes, you can use SD card recovery software tools to retrieve data from a damaged SD card.

    1. Connect the damaged SD card to your computer. 2. Launch the Data Recovery Wizard tool and select the SD card to scan. 3. Scan the memory card to recover the damaged SD card. 4. Preview the files and click the "Recover" button to retrieve data from the SD card.

How to recover data from a formatted SD card?

You can use the SD Card Recovery software tool to restore formatted SD card by following these steps:

    1. Connect the SD card to your computer. 2. Download and run the Data Recovery Wizard tool. Select the SD card for file scanning. 3. The SD card recovery program will list all recoverable files. 4. Preview and recover files from the formatted SD card.

How do I fix a corrupted SD card?

When we mention “corrupted,” you probably think of USB drives, SD cards, and a select few other people. If your SD card, USB drive, or flash drive is giving you problems, you may have lost a lot of data. To fix a corrupted SD card, try these eight suggestions:

Read Also: 8 Ways to Fix a Damaged or Corrupted SD Card

    1. Try a different card reader, adapter, or USB port 2. Run the Windows Repair Tool 3. Change the drive letter 4. Run CHKDSK to check and fix bad sectors on the SD card 5. Reinstall the SD card driver 6. Format a RAW SD card 7. Format an SD card that shows half its capacity 8. Create a new partition on unallocated space for the SD card

That's it for fixing a corrupted SD card. You can use these tricks to recover your external drive or any internal logical volume as well. If you found this article helpful, or have any suggestions, do share your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.

Why isn't my SD card showing up?

An outdated memory card or SD card driver might cause your computer to fail to read or detect the memory/SDD card properly. If your memory card or SD card is not the issue, you can try accessing and retrieving all your personal data on the card using another phone or PC. If your memory card or SD card still goes undetected, you can use tools to fix the undetected memory card error.