Top 12 BEST Data Recovery Services (2021 Review)

List and comparison of the top-rated data recovery service provider companies in 2021:

In today’s digital world, data storage devices play a very important role in our professional as well as personal lives.

Whether it is an important professional document on a hard disk drive or medical data on a USB flash drive or photos and videos on an external hard drive, we store every bit of vital information on one or the other data storage device. We think that the data is always safe and available to us whenever we need it.

But is it?

Unfortunately, the answer is NO!

Why We Need Data Recovery Service

Sensitive information stored on these devices is not secure unless you take regular backups. Data stored on any storage device is prone to damages due to wear and tear of the mechanical parts in these devices, mishandling, or various other reasons. Facing a data loss situation either for professional or personal data is no fun.

Professional data recovery service is the process of recovering inaccessible, lost, corrupted or formatted data from various storage devices such as Hard Disk Drives (HDD), Solid State Drives (SDD), USB Drives, External Hard Drives, mobile phones, etc.

There can be multiple reasons for a storage device failure such as:

• Virus attack
• Formatting
• Deletion
• Corruption
• Physical damage
• Mechanical failure
• Natural disasters such as fire and flood

Data Which Can be Recovered

It is important to understand that the data which is accidentally deleted or formatted still exists on the hard drive somewhere. Only the storage space where the data was stored is marked as available to store the new data.

Hence, data recovery is possible from such a storage device. The important point is to stop using the drive. It is also possible in case the hard drive is not detecting, inaccessible, or has physical damages.

For maximum recovery, the hard drive must be handled by specially trained professionals in humidity, temperature, and the contaminant-controlled environment – commonly known as a Cleanroom. For complicated tasks such as physical damages or undetected hard drive, the recovery process is complex and needs specialized equipment and skills.

Data Which Can’t be Recovered

Although some service providers may claim 100% recovery is possible, you as the buyer need to understand that even with the latest equipment and advanced technology such figures are impossible to achieve. Similarly, there are some situations where data recovery is not possible. For example-

1. If the data was overwritten with new data, it can’t be recovered
2. Data can’t be recovered from a smartphone that has been factory reset.
3. In case of physical damage to the hard drive, if the data has been physically scrapped from the platter, it can’t be recovered.
4. If the HDD operating system, also known as firmware, is damaged then also the data can’t be recovered.

Pricing

As each data loss situation is unique, pricing for data recovery services can vary. When you visit a recovery service provider in case of data loss, they will ask you to fill a form and provide details of the device, damage type, physical condition of the device, and the data you want to recover. You need to provide file formats, the volume of data, etc.

Most recovery service providers offer a free evaluation of the device. Based on the information you provide and the evaluation, they will provide an estimate for the cost as well as what they can probably recover.

For example, an ISO 5 Class 100 Cleanroom allows 100,000 particles (0.1 microns or larger) per cubic meter, and an ISO 4 Class 10 allows 10,000 particles per cubic meter. Hence, an ISO 4 Class 10 Cleanroom is cleaner than an ISO 5 Class 100. Details of ISO Cleanroom standards are given in the table below.

ISO 14644-1 Cleanroom Standards

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Points to Remember in Data Loss Situations

When your hard drive or any other storage device becomes inaccessible, or there is any physical damage to it, it is crucial that you don’t panic. In this situation, you should know what you should NOT do rather than what you should do. While facing data loss, please refrain from the following:

• Do not tamper with or mishandle the storage device. This is one of the primary causes of permanent data loss.
• Do not format the storage device, it might make data recovery more difficult.
• Do not store any new data on the storage device. It will overwrite the old data and will make recovery impossible.
• If your hard drive is making a scraping, tapping, clicking or humming sounds, please do not use any recovery software it might damage the drive further.
• Do not change electronic components as this may cause permanent data loss.

Any of the above activities might make recovery more tedious and expensive process or cause irrevocable data loss. To recover data from a failed data storage device, it is recommended that you stop using the device immediately and get help from a recovery service provider asap.

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List of Top Data Recovery Service Providers

Here is a list of the most popular Data Recovery Companies:

1. Ontrack
2. DriveSavers
3. Gillware
4. Seagate In-Lab Recovery
5. SalvageData Recovery
6. Secure Data
7. WeRecoverData
8. Disk Doctors
9. Datatech Labs
10. SERT
11. Data Mechanix
12. Ace Data Recovery

Comparison of Top Five Recovery Companies

Data Recovery Service	Locations	Services Offered / Devices Supported	USPs	Cleanroom Certification
Ontrack	Washington, DC Austin, TX New York, NY Minneapolis, MN Los Angeles, CA Rutherford, NJ 23 International locations	Hard Drive, SSD, Server, Mobile, RAID, Apple, CCTV DVR	90% Success rate 35 years of experience Emergency Service available	Certified ISO-5 Class 100 Cleanroom
Gillware	Madison, WI Milwaukee, WI Columbus, OH	Hard Drive, SSD, RAID, Flash Drives, Mobile Phone, Virtual Disk.	No Data No Charge Guarantee Goal Oriented Retrieval & Free shipping to lab Immediate price range estimates	Certified ISO-5 Class 100 Cleanroom
Salvage Data Recovery	Cleveland, OH Nationwide Office Locations/Pickup and drop off locations	Hard drives, SSD, tape, mobile phones, RAID arrays, SD cards, virtual server, NAS/SAN storage	No Data No Charge Guarantee Flexible Service Options OEM Warranty Safe Guarantee 96% Success rate for hard drive recovery	Certified ISO-5 Class 100 Cleanroom
DriveSavers	Novato, CA Drop off locations in – Irvine, CA, Loss Angeles, CA, Sacramenta, CA San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Denver, CO Tampa, FL Chicago, IL Boston, MA New York, NY Portland, OR Nashville, TN Austin, TX Dallas, TX Houston, TX San Antonio, TX Toronto, ON Kobe Hyogo, Japan & Australia	Hard Drive, SSD, RAID/NAS/SAN, External Drive, Laptop, Desktop, Flash Drives, Smart phones and tablets, VM ware, CCTV, MAC Computers	HIPPA data privacy and security rules Certified Engineers Data safety & security Manufacturer authorization Exceptional customer service 34 years of experience	Certified ISO -5 Class 100 Cleanroom ISO-8 Class 100,000 Clean zone for storing an inventory of 20,000 parts and drives
Secure Data	Has office in more than 40 cities in USA, provides nationwide service via local pick up. Global presence in UK, Australia, Canada and Mexico`	Hard Drive, SSD, RAID/NAS/SAN, External Drive, Laptop, Desktop, Flash Drives, Smart phones and tablets, VM ware, CCTV, MAC Computers	No recovery, No charge guarantee Certified Data Recovery Security Compliance certifications for SSAE 18 Type II, SAS 70, HIPAA, FERPA, PCI-DSS24/7/365 Great customer service	Certified ISO 4 Class 10 Cleanroom

Now, let us explore each of these services in detail.

#1) Ontrack 

Best for: Small/medium/large businesses and individuals.

Ontrack is a pioneer in data recovery services with a 90% success rate, over 35 years of experience, and over 569K recoveries under their roof. They recover from a wide variety of electronic devices and have Standard, Priority, and Emergency service available with 7 days, 3 days, and 24 hours turnaround times respectively.

Core services: Data Recovery, Email Extraction, eDiscovery, Data Destruction, Tape Service, Mobile phone repair, and recovery.

Can recover data from devices: Hard Drive, SSD, Server, Tape, Desktop. Laptop, Mobile, Cloud, Virtual, RAID, Apple, CCTV.

Pricing Information: Offer free evaluation in 4 hours. Cost varies based on the complexity and the amount of data to recover.

Official URL: Ontrack

#2) Gillware  

Best for: Small businesses, large corporations, and individuals.

Gillware was found in 2003 in Madison, WI. A world leader in advanced data recovery techniques, Gillware has an ISO-5 Class 100 recovery lab which is 14000 square feet in size. Trained recovery professionals at Gillware can recover data from hard drives, RAIDS, USB flash, SD cards, and much more. Gillware meets SOC II Type 2 standards for secure recovery facilities.

Core services: Data Recovery, Digital Forensics, Incident Response, Cyber Risk Management

Can recover data from devices: Hard Drive, SSD, RAID, Flash Drives, Mobile Phone, Virtual Disk.

Pricing Information: Free evaluation, free inbound shipping, lower pricing compared to competitors.

Official URL: Gillware

#3) SalvageData Recovery

Best for: Individuals, small businesses, enterprise, government, higher education institutions.

This is a critical data recovery service provider. SALVAGEDATA specializes in the salvaging of data/ files for individuals & businesses from failed hard disk drives, RAID arrays, NAS, SAN, USB flash, and other electronic data storage devices.

Core services: Data Recovery

Can recover data from devices: Hard Drive, SSD, RAID, Flash Drives, Mobile Phone, Virtual Disk.

Pricing Information: Cost varies based on various factors such as time, parts, and complexity. HDD recovery can cost between $300 to $1900.

Official URL: Salvage

#4) Drivesavers  

Best for: Home users, small businesses, fortune 500 companies, government, healthcare organizations, and creative professionals.

DriveSavers, an industry leader in data recovery and customer service, has more than 34 years of experience. They can retrieve irreplaceable data from every type of storage device caused due to flooding, fire, mechanical damage, common drive failures, malware, and more.

The secret to their success is an experienced team of certified engineers, technologically advanced and Certified ISO Class 5 Cleanroom, and proprietary tools. They have three different service plans – Priority (ASAP), Standard (1-2 days), and Economy (5-7 days) to suit different data loss needs. Priority Service is available 365 days a year including night, weekend, and holidays. Meets SOC II Type 2 standards for secure recovery facilities.

Core services: Data Recovery, eDiscovery, Digital Forensics

Can recover data from devices: Hard Drive, SSD, RAID/NAS/SAN, External Drive, Laptop, Desktop, Flash Drives, Smartphones and tablets, VM ware, CCTV, Apple MAC Computers.

Pricing Information: Offer free evaluation. They also are the best in the industry hence command premium pricing.

Official URL: Drivesavers

#5) Secure Data

Best for: Individuals, businesses, and government agencies.

Secure Data was the first data recovery company to achieve SSAE 16 Type II certification. Their recovery service options include Standard (4-9 days), Expedited (2-4 days), 24/7 Emergency (48 hours), and RAID server emergency service. All recovery options listed above feature a 96 percent recovery rate and SSAE 18 Type II certified security.

Core services: Data Recovery, Digital Forensics, eDiscovery, Mobile Recovery, and Forensics

Can recover data from devices: Hard Drive, SSD, RAID/NAS/SAN, External Drive, Laptop, Desktop, Flash Drives, Smartphones and tablets, VM ware, CCTV, Apple MAC Computers

Pricing Information: Offer free evaluation, cost varies based on the individual media failure scenario.

Official URL: Secure Data

#6) Seagate In-Lab Recovery

Best for: Home users with laptop or PC issues.

Seagate is a reputed name for hard drives. They offer Data Rescue plans, Recovery Software, and In-lab recovery. Data recovery can take anywhere from 2 days to 3 weeks. You can track the progress online. They are good for personal users but businesses need to be careful.

Core services: Data Recovery

Can recover data from devices: PCs, laptops, external drives, tablets, and smartphones, as well as RAID and NAS arrays.

Pricing Information: The cost of in-lab recovery is $49.99 per drive, which is a flat fee to engage in. From there, the recovery fee depends on the type of drive, drive condition, and recovered data.

Official URL: Seagate In-Lab Recovery

#7) WeRecoverData

Best for: Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, military, health sector, educational institutions, and individuals.

WeRecoverData, a world leader in data recovery, is a privately-owned corporation with headquarters in New York City. The company maintains a Cleanroom and data forensics lab.  WeRecoverData offers recovery services across the globe. They have representation in North America, South America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Core services: Data Recovery, Digital Forensics

Can recover data from devices: Hard Drive, SSD, RAID, NAS, SAN, Flash Drives, Tape, Memory Card, Database, Virtual Servers.

Pricing Information: Company offers both competitive pricing and industry-leading recovery times to help minimize the downtime. They also have a “No Data No Charge” policy.

Official URL: WeRecoverData 

#8) Disk Doctors

Best for: Individuals and businesses.

Disk Doctors has been providing recovery services since 1991. They offer a “No Data No Charge” policy, fast turnaround, and free nationwide shipping. They have options for Rush Service (24-48 hours), Emergency Service (2-4 business days), Expedite Service (5 business days), and Standard Service (10 business days).

Core services: Data Recovery

Can recover data from devices: Hard Drive, SSD, RAID, Flash Drives, Mobile Phone, Virtual Disk.

Pricing Information: Cost varies based on various factors such as time, parts, and complexity. The free no-obligation quote is available.

Official URL: Disk Doctors 

#9) DataTech Labs

Best for: Individuals, businesses, government agencies.

DataTech Labs is a Denver, CO, based professional data recovery service. They have authorized recovery service centers nationwide. They are authorized to work on all makes and models of hard drives, so they will not void the warranty of your drive. They have a certified ISO 5 Class 100 Cleanroom.

Core services: Data Recovery

Can recover data from devices: Hard Drive, SSD, NAS/SAN, RAID, Flash Drives, Mobile Phone, Virtual Disk.

Pricing Information: Offers “No Charge Evaluation”. Recovery service fees will vary depending on the type of storage media and the techniques required to recover your data.

Official URL: DataTech Labs 

#10) SERT  

Best for: Individuals, SMEs, and large corporate entities.

SERT Data Recovery LLC is based in Florida but offers nation-wide services in all 50 states. All SERT hard drive and RAID recovery services are performed onsite in their lab, and CLASS 100 ISO 5 clean workbench, located in Florida. SERT specializes in recovering data from USB Flash & Solid-State Drive NAND storage media.

Core services: Data Recovery

Can recover data from devices: RAIDS Arrays, Hard Drives, Apple Drives, SSD, Flash Drives, SD Cards, Cell Phones

Pricing Information: SERT’s recovery service price is based on the storage capacity of the media, part requirements, desired turn- around time, and configuration of the drives (RAID arrays).

Official URL: SERT

#11) Data Mechanix

Best for: Individuals, small, medium, and large enterprises.

DataMechanix based in Irvine, CA, is an industry leader and has over 28 years of experience. They offer fast, friendly, cost-effective recovery services and can handle all media types, operating systems, and enterprise storage systems.

Core services: Data Recovery and training to U.S. Law Enforcement or Government personnel.

Can recover data from devices: Nation-wide recovery service for hard drives, RAIDs, and NAS.

Pricing Information: Offer no-cost evaluation, cost varies as each data loss case is unique.

Official URL: Data Mechanix

#12) Ace Data Recovery

Best for: Individuals, SMEs, Large Enterprises.

Ace data recovery, headquartered in Dallas, TX, has over 30 years of experience and is the only manufacturer of data recovery equipment in the U. S. The company boasts a success rate of 98% and offers a free evaluation, all-inclusive price, and a “No Data No Charge” policy.

Core services: Data Recovery, Tape Duplication, Computer Forensics.

Can recover data from devices: Hard drives, RAIDs, SSDs, Flash Drives, SD Cards and Tapes

Pricing Information: Cost varies based on various factors such as time, complexity, and capacity of the media. They charge $99 if the media was previously opened (factory seal was broken) to purge the drive cavity of contamination. Return media and parts, if needed, are free.

Official URL: Ace

Conclusion

Recovering data from a damaged, dropped, corrupted, or inaccessible hard drive can be very tricky as each data loss situation is unique. But a team of trained recovery professionals knows its job.

Along with trained technicians, having a technologically advanced Cleanroom environment and proper tools are also essential for maximum data recovery.

Based on our research, we recommend DriveSavers for highly sensitive data and complex recovery cases. Although a bit pricey, they possess needed security certifications, are known for excellent customer service, a team of certified engineers, and a secure environment. They boast excellent reviews from the customers.

In our analysis, we found that Secure Data Recovery has the highest standards of the Cleanroom. Exposed hard drive platters are sensitive and even a small amount of contamination can result in further damage to the platter surface. Hence, it is important to keep the Cleanroom environment as clean as possible.

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