15 Best iPhone Recovery Software: a Detailed Comparison

Best iphone recovery software

The purpose of iPhone data recovery software is to undelete lost files from iPhone’s internal memory, including photos, messages, contacts, videos, audio files, documents, and more. Because iPhone users with limited recovery experience often find it difficult to decide which iPhone data recovery is the best, we decided to compare some of the most popular solutions currently available, and here’s what we’ve found out.

Quick Comparison of iPhone Recovery Software

iTunes backup recoveryFree version iPhone compatibilitySystem requirementsPrice
1. Disk Drill for Mac++iOS 5 – iOS 16Mac OS X 10.5+$89 Lifetime License ($58 with a coupon 🎁)
2. Wondershare Dr.Fone++iOS 16 & olderMac OS X 10.8+From $69.95/year
3. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone++iOS 16 & olderMac OS X 10.8+From $39.99/year
4. iMyfone D-Back++iOS 9 – iOS 16Mac OS X 10.9+From $49.95/year
5. EaseUS MobiSaver++iOS 14 & olderMac OS X 10.4 – 10.14$79.95 Lifetime License
6. Tenorshare UltData++Any iOS devicesmacOS 12.3 and below$69.95 Lifetime License
7. iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery++iOS 16 & olderMac OS X 10.1-12.3$39.95/year
8. iMobie PhoneRescue++iOS 5 – iOS 14Mac OS X 10.8-11.7From $69.99/year
9. Fonedog Toolkit+iPhone 5-11 / iPod touch 4, 5 / All models of iPadMac OS X 10.7-10.15$89.95/month
10. FoneLab iPhone Data Recovery++iOS 16 & olderMac OS X 10.7+From $79.95 Lifetime
11. Leawo iOS Data Recovery for Mac++iPhone 3GS-6 / iPod touch 4, 5 / iPad 1-mini 2Mac OS X 10.6-10.9From $59.95/year
12. Gihosoft iPhone Data Recovery++iOS 13 & olderUnknown $79.99 Lifetime License
13. FonePaw iPhone Data Recovery++iOS 16 and belowMac OS X 10.7+$66.47/year
14. Syncios Data Recovery++iOS 17 and belowMac OS X 10.7+$49.95 Lifetime License
15. Ontrack EasyRecovery++iOS 6 – iOS 11Mac OS X 10.8+From $59/year

What to Consider When Selecting an iPhone Data Recovery Tool?

There are many iPhone data recovery tools on the internet—both free and paid—but they vary greatly when it comes to their usability and data recovery performance. Here’s what you should consider when choosing an iPhone data recovery tool:

  • 🛡️ Reliability: Unfortunately, not all software is safe and reliable. There are many malicious and poorly optimized applications that do more harm than good, and you need to avoid them at all cost, otherwise you might make the already bad situation even worse.
  • 🆕 Compatibility: The iOS recovery software of your choice must be compatible with your operating system and support your iPhone. Since a new version of iOS is released roughly once a year, it’s a good idea to pick iOS recovery software that’s actively developed and frequently updated.
  • 🕹️ Ease of use: Data recovery doesn’t have to be complicated—at least not if you select the right data recovery software. There are many software solutions that make it possible to recover data from an iPhone with a few simple clicks and without any expert knowledge.
  • 🗃️ Performance: The iPhone can open, modify, and create countless different file formats, and the best iPhone data recovery software solutions can recover everything from images to audio and video files to documents and file archives.
  • 💰 Price: Just because free iPhone recovery software solutions are readily available doesn’t mean that you should avoid paid software. If you value your data, it often makes sense to purchase the full version of one of the best iPhone data recovery apps on the market and get your data back right on the first try.

Top 15 Best iPhone Recovery Tools

After putting several dozen iPhone recovery tools through their paces, we’ve been able to come up with the following list.

1. Disk Drill iPhone Data Recovery

Disk Drill main page

🎁 Apply a coupon “DDIPHONE” during the checkout process, and you’ll get Disk Drill PRO Lifetime (Mac edition) with a 35% discount.

Disk Drill for Mac is a popular iPhone recovery tool that delivers professional data recovery performance in a sleek package. With its intuitive user interface, Disk Drill has made it possible for hundreds of thousands of users to painlessly recover data from all major devices, including iPhones and other members of the iOS family.

To recover data from an iPhone with Disk Drill for Mac, you need to connect your iPhone to your Mac and scan it by clicking the Recover button. In just a few minutes, you should see all recoverable files. Disk Drill for Mac lets you preview files before recovery, making it easy for you to recover only what you really need.

In addition to direct device scans, Disk Drill for Mac can also scan any past iTunes backup stored on your Mac. This makes it possible to recover even files that have been deleted a very long time ago, and it’s one of the reasons why Disk Drill for Mac is the best iPhone recovery software.

Free version: The free version of Disk Drill for Mac can preview all recoverable files, but it can’t actually recover them. To do that, you need to purchase the PRO version, which costs $89.00 and can recover over 400 different file formats.

Pros:
  • Excellent data recovery performance
  • Modern user interface
  • iPhone + iTunes recovery
  • File preview
  • Support for 400+ file formats
  • iOS 16 support
  • Mac data recovery included
Cons:
  • No free recovery
  • No Windows version

2. Dr.Fone iPhone Data Recovery

Wondershare Dr.Fone

Wondershare Dr.Fone is a comprehensive iOS recovery software solution that boasts one of the highest data recovery rates in the industry. The company behind it has been in the data recovery business for well over 15 years, and their products are consistently praised by users and reviewers alike.

It doesn’t matter if you need to recover lost contacts, text messages, photos, or voice memos because Wondershare Dr.Fone can do it all. This recovery software can recover directly from an iOS device, and it can also retrieve data from iTunes backup files and iCloud. Regardless of how you decide to recover your files, you will always be able to get from start to finish with just a few clicks.

Free version: There’s a free trial version of Wondershare Dr.Fone that you can use to scan your iPhone without paying, but don’t expect it to recover your data, because that’s not something that it can do. That said, it’s nice to have the option to verify that the software works before you spend $79.95 on a lifetime license or $69.95 on a yearly license.

Pros:
  • High data recovery rate
  • Three different iPhone recovery methods
  • Great usability
Cons:
  • No free recovery

3. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone

Select what to recover in Stellar

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone doesn’t fail to attract with its polished user interface that makes it immediately obvious that this software means business. You can use this iPhone recovery software to recover data from older iPhones just as easy as from the latest models, including iPhone 12 Pro, 11 Pro, 11, XS, XS Max, XR, and X.

To undelete lost data with Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone, you need to select the type of data you want to recover, begin the scan process, and save recoverable data to a suitable location on your computer. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone can recover Camera Roll, messages, notes, reminders, voice memos, contacts, bookmarks, and more.

Free version: As is often the case with free iOS recovery software, the trial version of Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone can only preview recoverable files—not actually recover them. The good news is that the least expensive version of this iPhone recovery software costs just $39.99 for a year of use.

Pros:
  • Easy to use
  • Supports just about every iOS device
  • Selective scanning
Cons:
  • No free recovery
  • No lifetime option available

4. iMyfone D-Back

iMyfone D-Back

Would you like to recover notes, photos, videos, messages, contacts, call history, Safari history, voice memos, and more from any iPhone? If so, iMyfone D-Back is a solid choice because you can use it to perform iPhone recovery without any special knowledge or skills.

We like the fact that iMyfone D-Back can fix many common system issues, such as when iPhones get stuck on the white Apple logo. What we don’t like is how expensive the unlimited lifetime plan is. Paying $69.95 to recover data seems like a lot when there are so many affordable alternatives.

Free version: The free trial version only allows you to see lost data. To recover them, you need to purchase the full version of iMyfone D-Back.

Pros:
  • 100% safe and secure
  • Trusted by many users worldwide
  • Intuitive user interface
Cons:
  • The free version can only preview recoverable files
  • Expensive unlimited plan
  • Unknown iOS compatibility and macOS support

5. EaseUS MobiSaver

MobiSaver for iOS recovery

EaseUS MobiSaver is one of the best iPhone data recovery apps if you’re not looking for a truly free solution and are willing to spend some money to get great results. You can use it to safely and quickly retrieve lost data, including text messages, contacts, call history, photos, videos, notes, and more.

EaseUS MobiSaver can recover lost data directly from your iPhone, or you can use it to retrieve files from iTunes Backup or iCloud backup. All recent versions of macOS are supported, but we have found scanning to be on the slower side.

Free version: The free version of EaseUS MobiSaver can recover notes, call history, calendars, reminders, Safari bookmarks, and more, but there are some major limitations that you should know about. Specifically, the free version of EaseUS MobiSaver can restore only 5 contacts and 1 photo or video. Need more? Then you need to purchase the Pro Edition for $79.95.

Pros:
  • Recovers all kinds of iPhone data
  • Support for direct recovery and iTunes/iCloud backups
  • Works with the latest version of iOS
Cons:
  • Limited free recovery
  • Narrow functionality compared to other tools

6. Tenorshare UltData

Tenorshare UltData

Tenorshare is another well-known software company, and it primarily focuses on smartphone data recovery and system repair. Tenorshare UltData offers 3 types of iOS recovery: Restore from Device, Restore from iTunes backup, and Restore from iCloud backup – this is pretty standard amongst most iPhone data recovery software. Nevertheless, it works as advertised for everything from SMS messages to Voice Memos and Safari History. It’s also highly compatible, supporting older devices like the iPhone 4 and iPod 1, as well as all versions of the iPad.

Free version: Tenorshare Ultdata does not offer free data recovery. However, you can preview as many files as you want. This is very useful for determining if your data is still recoverable. You will also get to see all the files Tenorshare Ultdata found – but you’ll be prompted to upgrade.

Pros:
  • Nice UI
  • Free unlimited preview
  • Selective restoration (save time by recovering only the files you want)
  • Depending on the type of data, you can recover to Mac or directly to your iPhone
  • Works with older devices
Cons:
  • Subscription-based payment model
  • No free recovery, and the repair tools are also reserved for registered users

7. iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery for Mac

iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery for Mac

iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery is another well-rounded software company that develops data recovery tools not only for smartphones, but also for Windows and Mac computers. It’s not an all-in-one app though, so you need to download the iPhone Data Recovery tool individually… But as of this article, they’re offering a solid discounted bundle with iPhone recovery AND macOS recovery for $59.90.

It offers 3 familiar recovery services: Recover from Device, Recover from iTunes Backup, and Recover from iCloud Backup. We didn’t notice anything remarkable about its performance, but it gets the job done.

iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery doesn’t have a repair tool, but that also makes it more affordable ($39.95 for a 1-year subscription). It’s compatible with device models iPhone 4 and above, and iPod Touch 1 and above, as well as all versions of the iPad.

Free version: While you can preview files for free, you can’t proceed with recovering them. Still, the ability to preview files will help you determine whether or not your data is salvageable. This limitation is also standard across most data recovery software.

Pros:
  • Super easy-to-use thanks to its simplified UI
  • Affordable, even though it uses an annual license model
  • Real value in their discounted bundle (for the right users)
Cons:
  • Subscription-based payment model
  • No free data recovery

8. iMobie PhoneRescue

iMobie PhoneRescue for mobile

iMobie PhoneRescue is a trustworthy software for troubleshooting and data recovery for iPhone. It was one of the first solutions to support macOS Catalina, and it continues to introduce new features at a steady rate, giving its users a lot of value in exchange for their hard-earned money.

We recommend iMobie PhoneRescue to all iPhone users who have lost data and are facing iOS system issues, including White/Blue/Black screen of death, frozen iPhone, and so on. Instead of downloading and potentially paying for two different software applications, it makes more sense to do everything in one go using iMobie PhoneRescue.

Free version: The purpose of the free version of iMobie PhoneRescue is to preview what the paid version can do. More specifically, the free version can scan an iOS device, but it can’t save recoverable files. For that, you need to get the full version.

Pros:
  • Simple user interface
  • 60-days money-back guarantee
  • Troubleshooting tools
Cons:
  • No free recovery
  • Long scanning time

9. Fonedog Toolkit for iOS

Fonedog Toolkit for iOS

Fonedog Toolkit for iOS is a little unique. Instead of being an all-in-one app, it serves as a portal where you can download and install specific tools individually. These tools are: Data Recovery, System Repair, Backup and Restore, and WhatsApp Transfer. For someone who only needs one of these tools, Fonedog is a cost-effective choice as you can just purchase what you need. For example, Fonedog’s data recovery tool is $39.95 on its own – it’s cheaper than many options on this list, but it only has that one feature. Unfortunately, it only supports later versions of iOS devices ( >= iPhone 5 and >= iPod Touch 4).

Free version: You will be able to scan your iPhone and get a rough idea of what files Fonedog found, but you can’t do things like preview photos and videos. You can’t use its repair tools either, so the free download simply serves as a portal to buy a license. For these reasons, we bumped Fonedog down to #9.

Pros:
  • Nice UI
  • We like that we can pick and choose what packages of the suite we want to download. It’s cost-efficient if you only need one tool
Cons:
  • Subscription-based payment model
  • Lots of limitations on the free trial – aside from no free recovery, it doesn’t offer free preview or repair features.
  • The full toolkit is relatively expensive at $89.95 – there are other options that offer all these features in a singular app and for a cheaper price.
  • It only supports iPhone 5 and above, as well as iPod touch 4 and above.

10. FoneLab iPhone Data Recovery

FoneLab main screen

Besides native iOS data, such as contacts, messages, and call history, FoneLab iPhone Data Recovery can also recover data from several third-party apps, including Line, WhatsApp, Kik, Viber, QQ, WeChat, and others. To install it on your Mac or Windows computer, you need to have at least 200 MB of storage space.

Free version: We love free iOS recovery software as much as everyone else, but the free version of FoneLab iPhone Data Recovery, unfortunately, can’t do all that much. Well, it can preview recoverable files, but that’s about it.

Pros:
  • Support for iOS 16
  • Recovers data from third-party apps
  • Straightforward to use
  • Quick scan
Cons:
  • No free recovery
  • Program constantly requires unblocking
  • Limited customer support options

11. Leawo iOS Data Recovery for Mac

Leawo for iOS 8

Many reviewers wouldn’t include Leawo iOS Data Recovery for Mac on a list of the best iPhone recovery software solutions, but we believe that its place here is well-deserved. Why? Because the company behind it has been around for a long time, and its portfolio includes everything from DVD rippers to file converters to data transfer utilities, so you know that you can trust it.

Unfortunately, Leawo iOS Data Recovery for Mac officially supports only iOS 10, which is guaranteed to put many potential users off. In reality, this iPhone recovery software works even with newer versions of iOS, but we don’t know how well.

Free version: You can try Leawo iOS Data Recovery for Mac for free, but you won’t be able to recover any data. Still, the ability to preview recoverable files is better than nothing.

Pros:
  • Recovers iPhones under DFU mode
  • Fast scanning
  • Recovers from iTunes backups
Cons:
  • No free recovery
  • Officially supports only iOS 10
  • Outdated user interface

12. Gihosoft iPhone Data Recovery

Gihosoft iPhone Data Recovery

Gihosoft iPhone Data Recovery may be the best free iPhone recovery software because it can get back quite a lot of data free of charge. But even if you don’t see free iPhone recovery as a huge selling-point, then there’s still a lot that Gihosoft iPhone Data Recovery can interest you with. For example, this easy-to-use application can recover your iPhone in just three steps, and it supports the latest version of iOS and iPadOS.

Its developers don’t specify which versions of macOS Gihosoft iPhone Data Recovery is compatible with, but we haven’t run into any issues with running the software on a relatively old and relatively new version of Mac OS X and macOS.

Free version: When most users ask, “What is the best free iPhone recovery software?” they expect to discover an application that can do more than preview recoverable data. Well, Gihosoft iPhone Data Recovery can’t recover everything for free, but it can restore your app photos and videos, message attachments, notes, calendars, reminders, voicemail, voice memos, and Safari bookmarks, which is more than what we can say about most other iPhone recovery software.

Pros:
  • Recovers many different file types for free
  • Comes with free lifetime support
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons:
  • Not all file types can be recovered for free
  • No official information about OS compatibility

13. FonePaw iPhone Data Recovery

FonePaw iPhone Data Recovery

FonePaw is a software company that develops tools for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac devices. Like most tools on this list, Fonepaw’s iPhone Data Recovery utility offers 3 types of recovery: Recover from iOS, Recover from iTunes Backup, and Recover from iCloud. FonePaw also offers iOS System Recovery and iOS Data Backup & Restore, but you either have to purchase them separately or buy the bundle ($101.98).

Its Quick scan and Deep scan features were good enough for us, but we can get the same results for a similar price (or choose a more expensive software with better features).

Free version: Unfortunately, FonePaw’s free version is quite limited. You can’t preview pictures at their full size and you can only preview the first 3 items of your contacts, call history, and notes. You will be able to scan your device, iTunes backup, and iCloud backup, and get a general idea of the data FonePaw was able to find.

Pros:
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Simple UI
Cons:
  • Trial version is quite limited, preventing us from appreciating its features
  • Subscription-based payment model

14. Syncios Data Recovery

Syncios Data Recovery is a formidable data recovery app that isn’t going to win any awards for its design, but its minimalistic look makes it easy for beginners to pick up. It was recently updated to support iOS 17 and it recognizes most iOS data types. It can restore your photos and videos, contacts, bookmarks, SMS messages, and more. And for users with iTunes backups, Syncios Data Recovery can extract files directly from the backup, allowing users to avoid having to roll back their device. Though its scanning speed is a bit slow, it still works.

A few reasons lead to us keeping it from the top 10 spots. First, Syncios Data Recovery is pretty expensive – many apps that are priced similarly either offer more tools or can recover other operating systems and devices aside from iOS. It’s also updated far less often than the other entries on this list (only once a year since 2022). Finally, we noticed that Syncios Data Recovery’s download page advertises the ability to restore iCloud backups – however, the site’s FAQ page says that the feature isn’t available yet.

Overall, Syncios Data Recovery works and delivers a respectable performance in terms of recovery success. It’s a decent tool. However, users sensitive to pricing will probably find better value elsewhere.

Free Version: Syncios Data Recover offers a free trial version, which allows you to scan your device without any payments or subscriptions. However, you need to purchase the software to actually recover anything. It’s a good way to evaluate if your data is indeed recoverable via software.

Pros:
  • Easy to use
  • Works with iOS 17
  • iTunes Recovery
Cons:
  • Slow scanning speed
  • Rarely updated
  • Bland interface
  • Misinformation on the website regarding iCloud backup
  • Expensive for what it offers

15. Ontrack EasyRecovery

Ontrack EasyRecovery

Ontrack EasyRecovery by Kroll is pretty well-known in the data recovery market. Its iPhone data recovery tool can restore files directly from your device, from an iTunes backup, and an iCloud backup. We’re not too happy with its performance (especially compared to Ontrack’s polished Windows and Mac recovery tools), and we feel like it hasn’t been optimized recently. It’s decent and you will get your data back, but there are better options for its price ($59).

Pros:
  • Comprehensive recovery
Cons:
  • Subscription-based payment model
  • More expensive than other tools that offer the same features
  • Requires more information than usual just to download the trial (including phone number and country), and you have to get the download link via email
  • Officially supports only iOS 14.x and below
  • Icons are slightly low-resolution
  • Scanning is quite slow

FAQ

To recover lost iPhone data without a backup you can use data recovery software such as Disk Drill. The following steps demonstrate how to use this software tool to get back your lost or deleted iPhone data.

  1. Download and install Disk Drill to your computer.
  2. Connect the iPhone to the machine using a USB cable.
  3. Launch the app and select the iPhone from the list of available disks.
  4. Click the Search for lost data button to scan the iPhone for recoverable data.
  5. Preview the found items and select the ones you want to retrieve.
  6. Click the Recover button to complete the process.
Depending on the amount of data you are attempting to recover, the free trial versions of commercial recovery solutions like Disk Drill may be able to help you. Some freeware products like PhotoRec exist but are not able to get your iPhone data back. The best way to protect the data on your iPhone and get it back for free if it’s lost is to back up your phone’s data regularly.

Recovering permanently deleted photos from an iPhone 11 requires you to either use a backup or data recovery software. The following general steps are used by the majority of data recovery software solutions on the market.

  1. Install the recovery app.
  2. Connect the iPhone to your computer.
  3. Scan the iPhone for data that can be recovered by the software tool.
  4. Select the photos you want to recover.
  5. Complete the recovery process.

The best way to recover deleted text messages on your iPhone for free is from an iCloud backup using the following procedure. This process overwrites all current data on your iPhone, so back that up before proceeding.

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone and tap on your name/picture at the top.
  2. Select iCloud > Manage Storage and then tap Backups.
  3. Search the available backups for one that was created before the messages were deleted.
  4. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
  5. When prompted to recover from a backup, choose the one you identified earlier.

Use this simple method to recover deleted WhatsApp messages on your iPhone.

  1. Uninstall the WhatsApp application from your iPhone by holding its icon and tapping the ‘X’. Confirm the deletion when prompted by iOS.
  2. Reinstall the app by downloading WhatsApp from the Apple App Store.
  3. After you log back into WhatsApp, you will be given the option to restore chats from that app’s automatic backup.
  4. Select the Restore option to regain access to your deleted messages.
Alejandro Santos
Chief Writer
Alejandro is Macgasm’s Chief Writer and Apple ecosystem enthusiast. He pens the majority of troubleshooting guides and software reviews for this website, tapping into his love for technology and extensive background in technical writing. He started his career by helping… Full Bio
David Morelo is a seasoned technology writer with a decade of professional experience and a Bachelor's degree in English Linguistics. He also holds a Google Cybersecurity Certificate. At Macgasm, he mainly writes product reviews and in-depth guides, with a focus… Full Bio