Top 10 Data Recovery Services: A Detailed Breakdown

This is the most detailed online breakdown of the best data recovery services on the market. We hunted down pricing information, turnaround time, real customer feedback, forum discussions, red flags, success rates, deals, offers, guarantees, and MUCH more.

When mission-critical data is on the line and even the best data recovery software can’t restore it – you can’t take any chances.

We also included a helpful breakdown of what to consider when evaluating professional data recovery labs, as well as a bonus of 3 lesser-known but highly regarded shops to consider as alternatives.

Read on!

What Is a Professional Data Recovery Service?

Professional data recovery services are companies that restore data from their customers’ storage devices for a fee. They invest in advanced software (or they build their own), commercial-grade hardware, and special facilities.

These resources allow recovery shops to handle a wide range of data loss scenarios that customers bring to the shop, such as:

• 📷 A parent who accidentally deleted their children’s photos from an SD card
• 💥 A small business whose NAS RAID setup is running on one or more failing drives
• 🏢 A massive corporation that experienced an organization-wide server crash
• 🌎 A government agency under attack from blackhat hackers

When Should I Use a Professional Data Recovery Service?

Data recovery services are not your only option on how to recover lost data. You can also download a data recovery software application and use it to recover your files at home.

Data recovery software applications are great for recovering accidentally deleted files, corrupted files, and formatted hard drives. In these situations, they can deliver the same results as professional data recovery services while being significantly less expensive.

What data recovery software can’t help you with, however, is data loss caused by physical damage, firmware failure, and other forms of extensive logical damage. In such situations, you should always contact a professional data recovery service because any DIY recovery attempt is very likely to fail.

Take note – just because a particular data loss scenario can be solved at home with the help of data recovery software, doesn’t mean that you have to go that route. If you can afford to pay for professional data recovery, then there’s nothing stopping you from hiring experienced specialists to recover your data for you.

How We Chose Our List of Data Recovery Services

To come up with our list of featured software, we wanted to combine a mix of research angles – we considered methods that consumers use to find data recovery software, utilized AI and data tools, and tapped into our own network of expertise. Specifically, here’s what we did:

• 💻 Top 10 “listicles” – We reviewed “best of” articles that appeared on the first 2 pages of Google’s search results when searching for the “best data recovery services.” These included sites like TechRadar, Forbes Advisor, and Software Testing Help.
• ⌨️ Keyword research – We used search tools like Google, Bing, and Ahrefs and analyzed the top results for search terms such as “best data recovery services”, “top data recovery services”, etc.
• 🤖 AI – We asked Gemini and ChatGPT to aggregate and analyze swathes of online information about the most recommended data recovery services. These tools helped us generate additional insights and fill in the gaps in our manual search attempts.
• 💬 User forums – We scoured user forums like Spiceworks Community, Super User, and the r/datarecovery, r/AskADataRecoveryPro, r/msp subreddits to gain different perspectives from users whose experience with data recovery ranges from novice to expert. These forums are also commonly visited by owners or employees of various data recovery labs, from independent shops to commercial recovery centers.
• 🧑‍💻 Our internal network – We spoke with our own tech consultants who had once worked or are currently working with brick-and-mortar data recovery labs. Not only do they fact-check every single article we publish, they often conduct tests themselves and provide the technical information we need to ensure that our content is data-driven and accurate.

Once we had a rough list of data recovery services with a significant online presence, enough customer feedback for evaluation purposes, and verification from our tech team, we wanted to narrow it down even further and generate criteria that users could also refer to when doing their own research.

Helpful Criteria for Evaluating Professional Data Recovery Services

When choosing a lab for your data recovery needs, several factors should be taken into account. While the best way to vet a lab is by speaking to the team directly, we compiled most of the critical information you need to at least narrow down your options considerably.

• 📍 Location: Depending on the service you choose, you may have to ship your drive to a different city or state (or even country). However, many commercial services have dozens of branches all over the U.S. and other parts of the globe. If the shop you opt for doesn’t offer free shipping, budget-conscious users may want to check if there’s a branch nearby or consider alternatives.
• ⭐️ Ratings and reviews: Real customer reviews are the best indication of a data recovery lab’s service quality. We found out which websites featured the highest number of reviews per lab and added their key information to the list. When you’re done reading this article, we encourage you to carefully read the customer reviews for the specific lab location you intend to work with (via Google, Yelp, Trustpilot, etc.).
• 🏷️ Deals, offers, and guarantees: The top data recovery service often provides different types of deals to increase the value of their services. Some examples include free shipping, “No data – no charge”, free on-site disassembly for corporate clients, etc. You may be able to leverage these offers to get a good deal.
• ⏳ Turnaround time: We included each lab’s estimated turnaround times, which often come in tiers – the more you pay, the faster you get your data back. All options are included in the article, including any available emergency services for high-stakes recovery cases.
• 💯 Success rate: Most data recovery services publish their success rate. While it can mean that these labs only take on drives they’re confident they can recover, that means you have a good chance of getting your data back if they accept your drive.
• 💲 Pricing information: We included as much official information about each lab’s prices as we could find, starting with the rates they declare on their website. However, note that each recovery case can vary widely in cost. To get an accurate quote, we suggest giving multiple labs near you a call – most of them offer a free estimate. Make sure to clarify the possible gap between the estimate and the final price.

10 Popular Data Recovery Services

Here are the top 10 best data recovery companies, in no specific order of preference. The shop you ultimately choose will be affected by your personal needs, budget, and location. We compiled as much official and verified information about each lab and covered them in more detail within their summaries.

We also included lesser-known and more budget-friendly options in the Honorable Mentions section at the end – however, note that they may not be equipped to handle certain recovery cases.

1. SalvageData

SalvageData is one of the biggest names in the data recovery service industry in the U.S. They are certified contractors for the U.S. government and some of their most notable clientele include Harvard Medical School, the U.S. Air Force, and National Aerospace Solutions.

You can ask for an estimate over the phone or send them your drive so they can diagnose it in their laboratory for free. And thanks to SalvageData’s partnership with FedEx, customers can also drop off storage devices at any FedEx office to have their drive shipped (also for free). However, note that return shipping – whether or NOT your data was recovered – is not free.

For customers with more demanding recovery needs, such as server room recovery, SalvageData can restore data remotely or send a technician to the scene. Turnaround time options are ASAP (24/7 emergency recovery), 5-7 business days (Standard), and 10-15 business days (Eco).

SalvageData has hundreds of positive reviews altogether, along with testimonials from some of the major corporations earlier mentioned. However, they have endured some recent backlash specifically regarding the gap in the final quotation from the initial estimate, as well as some communication issues.

If you choose to use SalvageData’s services, we recommend adding an allowance to your recovery budget, clarifying any potential differences between the estimate and the final quote, and using their free tracking app to monitor the status of your case.

2. ACE Data Recovery (CleverFiles Data Recovery Center)

ACE Data Recovery also has a major presence in the U.S. and Canada and it’s one of the oldest recovery companies in history. They have recovered data for the FBI, the Marine Corps, the Vatican, Bank of America, and Ford Motor Company, along with a long list of Fortune 500/1000 companies.

On top of common guarantees like No Charge – No Data, ACE Data Recovery also provides spare parts needed for drive repair for no additional cost (thanks to their partnerships with various drive manufacturers, like Western Digital, Toshiba, and Seagate).

They also have the fastest turnaround time options in the business. Aside from 24/7 recovery service, customers can choose from the ranges of 1-2 business days (Expedited) or 3-5 business days (Standard). Remote recovery and onsite recovery are both available.

Based on our research, ACE Data Recovery has had some of the most consistently positive (recently published) reviews when comparing the biggest labs in the U.S. And while they haven’t published any official pricing numbers, they guarantee that customers only pay the cost that was initially quoted – a common and valid concern when using a data recovery service.

3. Ontrack Data Recovery

Ontrack is an old and trusted name in the global data recovery space – they’re also very well-known online. Former clients aren’t named on their website, but they officially partnered with Toshiba, Western Digital, Kingston, and VMware and provide recovery services to their customers.

On top of industry-standard guarantees and offers, Ontrack also lets customers pay the cost on a monthly basis with 0% interest (for most customers) using Affirm. Turnaround time options for their service range from an average of 12-24 hours (Emergency), 3 business days (Express), and 7-10 business days (Standard). They have engineers they can send on-site or they can restore data remotely.

The shop’s rating-to-review ratio is impressive, with over 2,500 reviews averaging 4.1 out of 5. We found no consistent red flags in its recent reviews.

4. Secure Data Recovery

Secure Data Recovery is a relatively young company that grew extremely fast. As of today, they have over 200 locations and partners in the U.S. and 100,000+ cases under their belt. On top of being GSA-certified, they have also built a reliable network of partners that include Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Western Digital, and Verbatim.

Secure Data Recovery offers free diagnostics and a No Data – No Charge guarantee. They don’t have direct pricing information on their website, but they did acknowledge that professional services in general would cost $100 ~ $300 per hour.

They offer 24/7 emergency service, but cheaper options range from 2-4 business days (Expediated) or 4-9 business days (Standard). On-site and remote options can be availed if necessary.

A note on their Secure Data Recovery’s on-site reviews (linked above) – while those are verified, you can’t sort them by rating. We recommend checking the reviews of the branch closest to you on websites like Google (Reviews), Yelp, Trustpilot, etc. And while Secure Data Recovery has recently received backlash from user forums like Reddit, it was also pointed out in those forums that the company’s recent ratings and reviews have been consistently positive.

5. Gillware

Gillware is a Wisconsin-based data recovery lab partnered with some of the biggest technology brands in the world, including Seagate, Western Digital, Samsung, Toshiba, Hitachi, Kingston, and SanDisk.

They offer No Data – No charge, a free in-lab evaluation of the drive, as well as inbound shipping within the continental U.S. courtesy of a prepaid UPS label provided by the lab. Remote data recovery is also available when required (e.g. restoring virtual machines or virtual hard disks). Their only turnaround options are 6-10 business days (Standard) or 24/7 emergency services for priority support.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find specific pricing information on their website. They also have limited reviews online – we linked their Yelp page despite the low number of entries as their recent Facebook reviews are mostly spam.

However, Gillware claims to have restored data from over 100,000 storage devices and have combined 200,000 hours of professional recovery experience. Their existing reviews – though few and slightly outdated – have left positive impressions of their customer service and responsiveness.

6. DriveSavers Data Recovery

DriveSavers has been recovering data for almost 4 decades. They are an official GSA contractor but also have official partnerships with other well-established companies like the American Bankers Association, the American Health Information Management Association, and Micron Technology, among others.

On top of No Data – No Charge and free evaluation, customers can also ship their devices for free with an overnight shipping label from the lab. Alternative payment options are available via PayPal Credit and Affirm.

DriveSavers has the fastest Standard turnaround time of 1-2 days (this is ACE Data Recovery’s Expedited plan), along with the option for ASAP emergency recovery. The Economy plan has an average turnaround time of 5-7 business days or 10-14 business days for Smart Devices.

They’ve had stellar service reviews with most customers only knocking 1 star off for pricing, but we’ve seen similar numbers in the reviews for other data recovery services. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any official pricing information from the shop itself.

7. CBL Data Recovery

CBL Data Recovery is a well-known and respected data recovery center headquartered in Ontario but with authorized locations all around the world. On top of partnerships with leading tech companies like IBM, Dell, and HP, the company’s clientele ranges from individual home customers to global Fortune 500 companies.

They don’t provide specific tiers of turnaround time options, but they claim that 75% of jobs they took on were successfully closed in 2 days or less. 24/7 emergency service is also an option for faster recovery. Customers can ship their drives for free, drop them off at any CBL Data recovery location, or request remote recovery or on-site assistance.

Interestingly, CBL Data Recovery’s Singapore branch has the highest number of reviews by far, which is why we used that information for the table above. However, we do encourage you to check any ratings and reviews of the specific lab you intend to work with.

Still, the company’s consistently high ratings in multiple countries and positive feedback from community experts are a testament to its services.

8. WeRecoverData

WeRecoverData is global data recovery company with a roster of top-tier corporate partnerships – such as Google, Forbes, HSBC, Nestle, CBS, Verizon, Novell, and Canon. They helped restore data for clients like NASA, Unicef, and the New York Post, on top of being an official GSA data recovery vendor.

We couldn’t find any hard numbers on their official website in terms of pricing, but it’s worth noting that WeRecoverData has received some backlash about its pricing from customer reviews and on the forums, with quotes ranging from $2,000+ ~ $4,000. However, they also have over a few hundred positive reviews from individual customers that were easily verifiable.

Aside from 24/7 emergency services, on-site recovery, and remote recovery, this lab offers several fast turnaround time options: 1-3 days (priority weekend recovery), 1-3 business days (priority recovery), and 3-5 business days (standard recovery).

9. Disk Doctors

Disk Doctors is a veteran data recovery lab with dozens of locations in the Western Hemisphere. We couldn’t find an official list of partners, but the Customer Reviews page on their website features successful mission-critical jobs for North American Health Care, Inc., Silicon Valley Systems, and Twin Cities Automation.

They don’t indicate specific turnaround time options, but services are tiered based on priority. “Normal” services are addressed on a first-come, first-served basis, while “Expedite” services bumps the customer’s drive ahead of the line. Remote and onsite recovery services are available.

On pricing, Disk Doctors published their standard price ranges for typical cases: $400 ~ $1,800 for hard drives, $500 ~ $1,500 per drive for RAID arrays, $200 ~ $750 for memory cards, and $500 ~ $750 for CDs and DVDs. Tape recovery queries require a consultation.

There has been little recent discussion about the company on the usual forums visited by consumers and service providers. However, they have enjoyed much recent positive feedback from customers in the UK specifically.

10. Proven Data

Proven Data is the youngest company on our list, only having been established in 2011. It has since evolved into a big player in ransomware recovery services, becoming a Supporting Partner of EUROPOL’s and EC3’s (European Crime Center) No More Ransom initiative. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find an official list of their partners, aside from Northwestern University.

Their case studies mostly feature ransomware attacks against corporate, healthcare, legal, and financial institutions that make up their clientele. Unfortunately, any reviews about their company with pricing information are over 5 years old. That said, almost all reviews they received in the past 3 years have been positive.

There are near-zero discussions about this company in consumer and service provider forums, and their online numbers are quite small. However, they have so far been featured in “best of” lists (example 1, example 2) and published in Forbes for a piece on ransomware recovery. Honorable Mentions

In this section, we’ll briefly cover several independent data recovery labs. They don’t have the same volume and marketing power as the big names we covered in the last section, but they are well-respected and vouched for by verified members of various tech communities (namely, r/DataRecovery, r/AskADataRecoveryPro, r/msp).

Independent shops also offer cheap data recovery services – usually in the range of $300 ~ $600. Despite the cheaper price, these shops usually have great talent behind them, because the owners themselves actively work on customer drives.

Unfortunately, they often get overloaded with work and may have to negotiate lead times or refer jobs to other companies. They may also have to turn down certain jobs that they aren’t equipped to handle.

• Recovery Force – Highly-respected data recovery lab based in Waterloo, Ontario. They have a 4.9 rating from 101 Google Reviews and the owner is very active and generous with advice on the data recovery subreddits (u/RecoveryForce). He is also a founding member of Data Recovery Professionals.
• $300 Data Recovery – Based in Studio City, California, they are one of the cheapest labs in North America. They literally charge a flat recovery fee of $300, $400, or $500 for any task they agree to take on, depending on the device (excluding shipping and donor drives). The company has a 4.8 rating on Google Reviews from 647 users.
• Blizzard Data Recovery – Recovery services of this company start at $395 for HDDs and $495 for SSDs – they have a 5.0 rating from 64 Google Reviews and are highly recommended by the community. They are based in Ellijay, Georgia.

How Much Do Data Recovery Services Cost?

Even for the best data recovery companies, it’s notoriously difficult to estimate how much a given job will cost without a personal examination of the storage device in question.

Generally, you can expect to spend between $300 and $1,000 to recover data from a logically damaged hard drive, such as one that’s been accidentally formatted, while any mechanical damage can double or even triple the price.

FAQ

Conclusion

When DIY data recovery tools are not able to get the job done, it’s time to choose one of the best data recovery companies and let real professionals with expensive equipment recover your data for you. In our overview, we found Ontrack Data Recovery, ACE Data Recovery, Secure Data Recovery, Gillware, and DriveSavers Data Recovery to stand out from the pack the most, and we won’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone who is currently dealing with data loss.