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Top 10 Best Sd Card Data Recovery Software of 2026

Recover lost SD card files effortlessly with the best Sd card data recovery software. Secure, top tools – find the right one today.

Min-ji Park

Min-ji Park

Feb 11, 2026

10 tools comparedExpert reviewed
Independent evaluation · Unbiased commentary · Updated regularly
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SD cards are indispensable for storing digital content, but data loss from deletion, formatting, or corruption is a common risk. Selecting the right recovery tool is critical to minimizing downtime and preserving irreplaceable data—with the top options offering a mix of advanced features and user-friendly design. Below, we break down the 10 best choices to suit diverse needs.

Quick Overview

  1. 1#1: EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard - Recovers deleted, formatted, corrupted, and lost files from SD cards with deep scan and preview features.
  2. 2#2: Disk Drill - Provides intuitive data recovery from SD cards on Windows and Mac, including photos, videos, and documents.
  3. 3#3: Recuva - Free tool that scans and recovers files from damaged or formatted SD cards with advanced wizard mode.
  4. 4#4: Wondershare Recoverit - Ultimate recovery software for retrieving data from SD cards after deletion, formatting, or corruption.
  5. 5#5: Stellar Data Recovery - Professional tool specialized in repairing and recovering photos/videos from corrupted SD cards.
  6. 6#6: MiniTool Power Data Recovery - Offers free and reliable recovery of lost partitions and files from SD cards with bootable media support.
  7. 7#7: TestDisk & PhotoRec - Open-source utilities for partition recovery and file carving from SD cards without write protection needed.
  8. 8#8: R-Studio - Advanced forensic-level data recovery software supporting complex SD card file system issues.
  9. 9#9: DMDE - Disk editor and recovery tool that handles raw recovery from damaged SD card file systems.
  10. 10#10: UFS Explorer Standard Recovery - Comprehensive software for recovering data from SD cards across multiple file systems and RAID setups.

We evaluated tools based on core features like deep scanning and file preview, reliability in retrieving lost data, ease of use, and overall value, ensuring the ranked options excel in both performance and accessibility.

Comparison Table

Data loss from SD cards, often due to accidental deletion or corruption, can be mitigated with the right recovery software. This comparison table features tools like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, Disk Drill, Recuva, and more, breaking down their key features, performance, and suitability for different user needs. Readers will discover which software aligns with their specific recovery goals, whether for personal or professional use.

Recovers deleted, formatted, corrupted, and lost files from SD cards with deep scan and preview features.

Features
9.5/10
Ease
9.7/10
Value
8.9/10
2Disk Drill logo9.2/10

Provides intuitive data recovery from SD cards on Windows and Mac, including photos, videos, and documents.

Features
9.3/10
Ease
9.5/10
Value
8.8/10
3Recuva logo8.3/10

Free tool that scans and recovers files from damaged or formatted SD cards with advanced wizard mode.

Features
8.0/10
Ease
9.2/10
Value
9.5/10

Ultimate recovery software for retrieving data from SD cards after deletion, formatting, or corruption.

Features
8.7/10
Ease
9.2/10
Value
7.8/10

Professional tool specialized in repairing and recovering photos/videos from corrupted SD cards.

Features
8.7/10
Ease
9.2/10
Value
7.8/10

Offers free and reliable recovery of lost partitions and files from SD cards with bootable media support.

Features
8.2/10
Ease
9.0/10
Value
7.5/10

Open-source utilities for partition recovery and file carving from SD cards without write protection needed.

Features
9.2/10
Ease
4.5/10
Value
10/10
8R-Studio logo8.4/10

Advanced forensic-level data recovery software supporting complex SD card file system issues.

Features
9.2/10
Ease
7.5/10
Value
8.0/10
9DMDE logo8.1/10

Disk editor and recovery tool that handles raw recovery from damaged SD card file systems.

Features
9.4/10
Ease
5.8/10
Value
9.2/10

Comprehensive software for recovering data from SD cards across multiple file systems and RAID setups.

Features
8.4/10
Ease
6.1/10
Value
7.0/10
1
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard logo

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

specialized

Recovers deleted, formatted, corrupted, and lost files from SD cards with deep scan and preview features.

Overall Rating9.4/10
Features
9.5/10
Ease of Use
9.7/10
Value
8.9/10
Standout Feature

Advanced deep scan algorithm that recovers data from formatted, corrupted, or overwritten SD cards with high accuracy

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a leading data recovery software specializing in retrieving lost, deleted, formatted, or corrupted files from SD cards and other storage devices. It supports over 1,000 file types, including photos, videos, documents, and more, using quick and deep scan modes to maximize recovery success. Ideal for SD card recovery from cameras, phones, and drones, it offers a preview feature to selectively restore files without overwriting data.

Pros

  • High recovery success rate for SD card data including photos and videos
  • Intuitive interface with scan preview and filter options
  • Supports quick scan for recent deletions and deep scan for formatted cards

Cons

  • Free version limited to 2GB recovery
  • Deep scans can be time-consuming on large SD cards
  • Full features require paid upgrade with occasional upsell prompts

Best For

Amateur photographers, videographers, and everyday users needing simple, effective SD card data recovery without technical expertise.

Pricing

Free (up to 2GB); Pro: $69.95/month, $99.95/year, or $149.95 lifetime.

2
Disk Drill logo

Disk Drill

specialized

Provides intuitive data recovery from SD cards on Windows and Mac, including photos, videos, and documents.

Overall Rating9.2/10
Features
9.3/10
Ease of Use
9.5/10
Value
8.8/10
Standout Feature

Recovery Vault, which protects files from permanent deletion by storing metadata for easy future recovery

Disk Drill by CleverFiles is a powerful data recovery tool designed to retrieve lost, deleted, or corrupted files from SD cards, supporting formats like FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS commonly used in memory cards. It offers Quick Scan for fast recovery of recently deleted files and Deep Scan for thorough analysis of formatted or damaged SD cards, with preview options for photos, videos, and documents before recovery. Cross-platform compatibility for Mac and Windows makes it accessible, along with additional features like disk imaging to prevent further data loss.

Pros

  • High success rate for recovering photos and videos from SD cards
  • Intuitive wizard-based interface suitable for beginners
  • Preview functionality to verify recoverable files before purchase

Cons

  • Free version limited to 500MB recovery
  • Deep scans can take hours on large SD cards
  • No dedicated mobile app for direct SD card scanning

Best For

Amateur photographers and casual users needing straightforward recovery of media files from formatted or corrupted SD cards.

Pricing

Free with 500MB limit; Pro license $89 one-time, or subscriptions from $19/month.

Visit Disk Drillcleverfiles.com
3
Recuva logo

Recuva

specialized

Free tool that scans and recovers files from damaged or formatted SD cards with advanced wizard mode.

Overall Rating8.3/10
Features
8.0/10
Ease of Use
9.2/10
Value
9.5/10
Standout Feature

Deep Scan mode that thoroughly analyzes SD cards to recover long-deleted or overwritten files

Recuva, developed by Piriform, is a popular data recovery tool designed to restore deleted, formatted, or lost files from various storage devices, including SD cards used in cameras and phones. It excels at recovering photos, videos, documents, and other media from SD cards with support for FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS file systems through quick scans or in-depth deep scans. The software's wizard mode simplifies the process for users, while offering preview options and filters to select specific recoverable files before restoration.

Pros

  • Completely free version with unlimited recovery on SD cards
  • User-friendly wizard interface ideal for beginners
  • Deep scan mode effectively recovers files from formatted or corrupted SD cards

Cons

  • Dated interface feels outdated compared to modern tools
  • Struggles with heavily fragmented or overwritten SD card data
  • Pro version needed for priority support and automatic updates

Best For

Beginners and budget-conscious users needing a reliable free tool to recover photos and videos from SD cards.

Pricing

Free version fully functional; Professional version $19.95/year for support and updates.

Visit Recuvapiriform.com
4
Wondershare Recoverit logo

Wondershare Recoverit

specialized

Ultimate recovery software for retrieving data from SD cards after deletion, formatting, or corruption.

Overall Rating8.4/10
Features
8.7/10
Ease of Use
9.2/10
Value
7.8/10
Standout Feature

Enhanced deep scan mode that excels at recovering data from formatted, corrupted, or overwritten SD cards

Wondershare Recoverit is a versatile data recovery software specializing in retrieving deleted, lost, or corrupted files from SD cards, hard drives, USBs, and other devices. It features quick scan and deep scan modes, file preview capabilities, and support for over 1,000 file types, making it effective for recovering photos, videos, and documents from SD cards in cameras and mobile devices. Available for Windows and Mac, it emphasizes user-friendly recovery without requiring advanced technical skills.

Pros

  • Intuitive wizard-based interface ideal for beginners
  • Strong preview and selective recovery for SD card media files
  • High success rates even on formatted or corrupted SD cards

Cons

  • Free version limited to 100MB recovery
  • Scan times can be slow on large or deeply damaged SD cards
  • Pricing is relatively high for one-time users

Best For

Non-technical users seeking an easy way to recover photos, videos, and files from SD cards in cameras or phones.

Pricing

Free trial (100MB limit); paid plans start at $69.99/year (Essential, 1 device) up to $199.99 lifetime (Ultimate, unlimited devices).

5
Stellar Data Recovery logo

Stellar Data Recovery

specialized

Professional tool specialized in repairing and recovering photos/videos from corrupted SD cards.

Overall Rating8.4/10
Features
8.7/10
Ease of Use
9.2/10
Value
7.8/10
Standout Feature

Signature-based recovery that detects and restores files from severely damaged or formatted SD cards using file signatures.

Stellar Data Recovery is a robust software solution specializing in retrieving lost, deleted, formatted, or corrupted data from SD cards, memory cards, hard drives, and other storage media. It employs three scan modes—Quick Scan, Deep Scan, and Signature Scan—to handle various data loss scenarios common to SD cards used in cameras and mobiles. Users benefit from a file preview feature to selectively recover photos, videos, and documents before committing to the process.

Pros

  • User-friendly wizard interface suitable for non-experts
  • Effective recovery from formatted or corrupted SD cards
  • File preview and selective recovery options

Cons

  • Free version limited to scanning and preview only
  • Scan times can be lengthy for large SD cards
  • Higher pricing for advanced editions and multi-device licenses

Best For

Photographers and casual users seeking reliable, straightforward SD card data recovery without technical expertise.

Pricing

Free for scan/preview; Standard edition $79.99/year, Professional $99.99/year, Premium $149/year, Technician $399 lifetime.

6
MiniTool Power Data Recovery logo

MiniTool Power Data Recovery

specialized

Offers free and reliable recovery of lost partitions and files from SD cards with bootable media support.

Overall Rating7.8/10
Features
8.2/10
Ease of Use
9.0/10
Value
7.5/10
Standout Feature

Deep scan mode that effectively recovers data from formatted or RAW SD cards

MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a Windows-based data recovery tool specializing in retrieving deleted, formatted, or lost files from SD cards, memory cards, hard drives, and USB devices. It features quick scan for fast results and deep scan for thorough recovery, with strong support for multimedia files like photos and videos commonly stored on SD cards. The software includes a preview function to verify recoverable files before saving, making it reliable for accidental deletions or corruption scenarios.

Pros

  • Intuitive wizard-based interface ideal for beginners
  • Strong performance on SD card photo/video recovery
  • File preview before recovery saves time and storage

Cons

  • Free version limited to 1GB recovery
  • Deep scans are slow on large SD cards
  • No native Mac support (separate product required)

Best For

Windows users seeking straightforward recovery of photos and videos from corrupted or formatted SD cards.

Pricing

Free edition (1GB limit); Personal ($69/year), Pro ($99/year), with lifetime options available.

7
TestDisk & PhotoRec logo

TestDisk & PhotoRec

specialized

Open-source utilities for partition recovery and file carving from SD cards without write protection needed.

Overall Rating8.2/10
Features
9.2/10
Ease of Use
4.5/10
Value
10/10
Standout Feature

PhotoRec's signature-based file carving that recovers files directly from raw disk sectors without depending on filesystem metadata

TestDisk and PhotoRec are free, open-source command-line tools from cgsecurity.org designed for data recovery on storage media like SD cards. TestDisk recovers lost partitions, repairs boot sectors, and undeletes files from supported filesystems such as FAT, exFAT, and NTFS commonly used on SD cards. PhotoRec uses signature-based carving to recover thousands of file types, including photos and videos, even from severely damaged or formatted cards, ignoring the filesystem structure entirely.

Pros

  • Extremely powerful file carving and partition recovery capabilities effective on damaged SD cards
  • Completely free, open-source, and portable with no installation required
  • Cross-platform support for Windows, Linux, and macOS

Cons

  • Steep learning curve due to command-line interface with no native GUI
  • No file preview before recovery, risking unwanted data overwrites
  • Overwhelming options for non-technical users, requiring command-line proficiency

Best For

Tech-savvy users or IT professionals needing a no-cost, robust solution for recovering data from corrupted SD cards.

Pricing

Free (open-source, donations encouraged).

8
R-Studio logo

R-Studio

specialized

Advanced forensic-level data recovery software supporting complex SD card file system issues.

Overall Rating8.4/10
Features
9.2/10
Ease of Use
7.5/10
Value
8.0/10
Standout Feature

Advanced RAID reconstruction and virtual disk mounting for recovering data from complex or multi-device SD card setups.

R-Studio is a powerful data recovery software suite from R-Tools Technology (r-tt.com) designed for recovering lost, deleted, or corrupted files from SD cards, hard drives, USB drives, and more. It supports a wide array of file systems including FAT12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS, and others common on SD cards, with advanced features like deep scanning, raw file recovery, and RAID reconstruction. The tool is particularly effective for handling formatted, damaged, or inaccessible SD cards through its intuitive hex editor and preview capabilities.

Pros

  • Exceptional deep scan and raw recovery for severely damaged SD cards
  • Broad file system support including exFAT for modern SD cards
  • File preview and hex editor for verifying recoverability before purchase

Cons

  • Steep learning curve for non-technical users
  • No fully free version; demo has recovery limitations
  • Can be resource-heavy during intensive scans on older hardware

Best For

Advanced users and IT professionals handling complex SD card recoveries from formatted or physically damaged media.

Pricing

Free demo available; full licenses start at $79.99 for standard edition (one-time purchase), up to $899.99 for Technician version.

9
DMDE logo

DMDE

specialized

Disk editor and recovery tool that handles raw recovery from damaged SD card file systems.

Overall Rating8.1/10
Features
9.4/10
Ease of Use
5.8/10
Value
9.2/10
Standout Feature

Integrated hex editor for manual sector-by-sector editing and precise data extraction

DMDE (Disk Editor and Data Recovery) is a technical tool for low-level disk analysis and data recovery from storage devices including SD cards, supporting file systems like FAT, exFAT, NTFS, and more. It specializes in recovering deleted files, lost partitions, and data from corrupted or formatted SD cards through methods like file carving, cluster scanning, and sector editing. Available in free and paid editions, it caters to users needing precise control over recovery processes beyond simple automated scans.

Pros

  • Exceptional low-level recovery for damaged SD cards and partitions
  • Supports raw file carving and cluster-level scanning
  • Portable version with no installation required
  • Affordable licensing with a capable free edition

Cons

  • Steep learning curve due to technical interface
  • Dated, non-intuitive UI lacking modern polish
  • Limited automation for beginners
  • Documentation is sparse and technical

Best For

IT professionals or advanced users handling complex SD card recoveries from corruption or physical damage.

Pricing

Free edition with basic features; paid licenses from $20 (Reader) to $48 (Standard) to $95 (Professional).

Visit DMDEdmde.com
10
UFS Explorer Standard Recovery logo

UFS Explorer Standard Recovery

specialized

Comprehensive software for recovering data from SD cards across multiple file systems and RAID setups.

Overall Rating7.2/10
Features
8.4/10
Ease of Use
6.1/10
Value
7.0/10
Standout Feature

Advanced disk imaging and sector-by-sector cloning tailored for damaged SD cards

UFS Explorer Standard Recovery is a professional-grade data recovery tool from ufs-explorer.com that scans and retrieves lost files from storage devices like SD cards, supporting file systems such as FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS+, and APFS. It excels in deep scans, file carving, and handling corrupted or formatted media through sector-by-sector analysis and disk imaging. Ideal for scenarios involving physical damage or complex file system issues on SD cards, it provides hex viewing and export options for thorough recovery.

Pros

  • Broad file system support including exFAT common on SD cards
  • Disk imaging and cloning for safe handling of failing media
  • Cross-platform availability on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Cons

  • Steep learning curve with non-intuitive interface
  • Limited free demo restricts full recovery exports
  • Lacks beginner-friendly wizards or automated processes

Best For

Advanced users or IT professionals recovering data from corrupted or formatted SD cards with complex file system issues.

Pricing

One-time license at $64.95; free demo available with scan-only functionality.

Conclusion

The reviewed SD card data recovery tools offer standout performance, with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard leading as the top choice due to its powerful deep scans and preview capabilities. Disk Drill follows closely, impressing with its intuitive interface across systems, and Recuva stands out as a reliable free option with advanced wizard features. Each tool caters to specific needs, but EaseUS proves most versatile for consistent recovery results.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard logo
Our Top Pick
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

Don’t let lost data from an SD card cause frustration—try EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to efficiently restore files and reclaim your important moments, backed by its proven track record of reliability.