Top 10 SD Card Recovery Software [Free & Paid]

If you want to recover files on an SD card, you’ll require professional SD card recovery software. These recovery software programs are specially designed to scan the entire SD card for deleted files, even corrupted files. We’ll present some trusted free and paid SD card recovery tools such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, PhotoRec, etc.

What does SD Card Recovery mean?

When it comes to SD card recovery, there are many different circumstances for data loss. Most SD card owners lose their data due to accidental deletion, SD card formatting, or corrupted SD cards. To help you understand the most common scenarios that users encounter, EaseUS has analyzed real-world SD recovery scenarios for SD cards and distilled the results into two major aspects:

• Camera manufacturers are the most often involved in SD card data loss.
• SD card’s size is usually affected by recovery cases.

Also read: Best way to unlock PST file – PST Password Recovery

Top 10 SD Card Recovery Software

A reliable SD card recovery software can restore files that were deleted, corrupted, formatted, or in RAW format. To help you locate the most effective SD card recovery software, we’ve identified the top 10 below. After an in-depth analysis and comparison, we believe you’ll be able to discover the most appropriate memory card recovery program.

1. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

EaseUS Data Retrieval Wizard is an extremely secure and reliable SD card data recovery software that lets you recover lost data for free. It can quickly and efficiently handle 100+ real-world SD data loss scenarios, including formatting, deletion, RAW SD card corruption, deletion, etc. It’s a lifesaver for recovering deleted data from memory cards, microSD cards, CF, and SDHC cards, and more. It’s a must-have program in case you need to ensure card recovery. Additionally, it is compatible with every major SD card brand and file systems (exFAT, FAT32, NTFS).

Pros:

• Easy to use with a simple 3-step recovery process
• Recovers data from formatted SD cards, MicroSD, CF, and pen drives
• Compatible with multiple card formats — SDHC, SDXC, MiniSD, MicroSD
• High recovery rate up to 99.7%

Cons:

• Free version recovers only up to 2GB

2. Recuva

Piriform Recuva is a free SD card recovery software. It can help you recover the data stored on your SD card or other memory card on Windows. SD Recover provides an intuitive wizard-like interface, making SD deleted folder and file recovery quick and painless on Windows 11 and earlier. Compatible with these versions.

Recuva is a low-cost application designed to retrieve data from SD cards. Recuva can handle various data loss situations and excels at recovering scans of various files from SD cards, such as documents, videos, images, and many more. Deep scan technology can help recover data from a damaged or recently formatted SD card.

Pros:

• Simple and user-friendly interface
• Preview files before final recovery
• Works with both FAT and NTFS systems
• Supports recovery of emails (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.)

Cons:

• Limited functionality in free version
• Interface looks outdated and lacks visual appeal

3. TestDisk

TestDisk data recovery software is an open-source program designed to help get back lost partitions and repair disks that do not boot. It’s a portable software that is also useful for memory card data recovery.  This command-line utility runs directly from the Command Prompt and offers many uses, including recovering deleted partitions from SD cards or hard drives, correcting partitions to restore boot sector data, and recovering lost or deleted boot sectors, among many more tasks.

Pros:

• 100% free and open-source
• Can rebuild or recover damaged boot sectors
• Fixes deleted partition tables
• Supports FAT, exFAT, NTFS, and ext2 systems

Cons:

• Command-line interface — not ideal for casual or non-technical users

4. PhotoRec

PhotoRec is dedicated and free file recovery software developed by the same team that developed TestDisk. PhotoRec can recover deleted or lost data from SD cards and other storage devices like memory cards, USB flash drives, and hard drives. It also supports much more. It supports Micro SD card recovery and recovery from SD cards of a variety of storage systems.

Pros:

• Completely free and open-source
• Recovers data after deletion, formatting, or corruption
• Supports multiple OS (Windows, Linux, macOS)
• Recognizes over 400 file types based on content, not file system

Cons:

• Text-based interface can be confusing
• No preview of recoverable files before restoration

5. Windows File Recovery Tool

Windows File Recovery, developed by Microsoft, allows users to recover lost or deleted data files that have been formatted, deleted or damaged. SD Memory Card Recovery software was specifically created for Windows 10. It supports all common file systems, including NTFS, ReFS, and FAT file systems that are prevalent on PC devices.

Recovery Expert can efficiently recover data from various storage media, such as SD cards, by employing its segment and signature options designed for damaged drive formats or file systems. RecoveryExpert recognizes and recovers common file types, such as documents, photos, and videos, after accidental formatting or deletion on an SD card.

Pros:

• Free and officially provided by Microsoft
• Secure recovery for SD cards, USBs, and drives
• Multiple recovery modes for various scenarios
• Supports modern Windows file systems like ReFS and NTFS

Cons:

• Command-line tool (no GUI)
• Not beginner-friendly
• No real-time preview feature

6. R-Studio

R-Studio is the most complete data recovery software. It also scans for well-known file types on severely damaged and unidentified file systems. It also allows recovery of information from network drives, making it superior to many of its competitors.

For SD card recovery, R-Studio provides complete and advanced methods to recover deleted images, documents, videos, and other data that are stored on SD, MicroSD, CF, SDHC, and SDXC. It also excels at RAW file recovery. It effectively handles data loss scenarios like accidental deletion, formatting, or corruption by using advanced scanning techniques. In addition, the program offers an option to preview the recovery files before restoration, ensuring an accurate SD card recovery.

Pros:

• Supports recovery over network drives
• Handles multiple file types (audio, video, docs, etc.)
• Built-in hex editor for deep technical inspection
• Can preview files before recovery

Cons:

• No free version (starts at $49.99)
• Outdated interface; complex for beginners
• Longer scanning times

7. Data Rescue

Data Rescue 6 is an advanced SD data recovery software that is a top performer in the world of information technology. The program, created by Prosoft, can perform deep scans on both external and internal devices for storage, including your personal disk drive to portable USB drives, and SD cards. It is compatible with Windows computers, which makes it among the most popular tools for recovering deleted data.

Pros:

• Deep scan for internal and external drives
• File preview before restoring
• Supports FAT, NTFS, exFAT, and more
• Clean and intuitive graphical interface

Cons:

• Paid license required for full recovery
• Trial version limited to 30 days

Also read: Best Data Recovery Software for Mac in 2025: Top Tools Reviewed

8. Stellar Data Recovery

Stellar Data Recovery software for Windows is an effortless data recovery app designed to recover deleted emails, documents, images, videos, and many other types of files from hard drives, USBs, or memory cards. After performing a quick scan, you can use Stellar’s preview feature to search for recoverable files before retrieving them. thus speeding up retrieval processes while guaranteeing only relevant info is returned to its rightful place.

such as FAT, ExFAT, and NTFS. It is constantly updated to meet current storage technology and device compatibility.

Pros:

• 4-step recovery process, beginner-friendly
• Can scan specific folders or file types
• Works on all Windows devices
• Clean, modern interface

Cons:

• No free edition (Standard plan costs $49.9)

9. Remo Recover

Remo uses signature-based carving to reconstruct videos and photos even after partition or formatting loss. This SD card recovery software also creates previews of recoverable media files to ensure accurate recovery from an SD/SDHC/SDXC card.

Pros:

• Can detect and recover files with unique extensions/signatures
• Supports SD/SDHC/SDXC cards and other media
• Offers a file preview before recovery

Cons:

• Long scan time
• Limited sorting/filtering by file type
• Free demo allows only scanning and preview, not recovery

10. Recover My Files

Recover My Files recovers deleted or lost files that have been removed from Windows Recycle Bin, files lost due to reinstallation of a hard drive,  Trojan or virus infection, system shutdown unexpectedly, or software failure. It lets users recover data from drives like SD cards, USB Zip drives, Floppy disks, iPods, and many more. It uses special algorithms to reconstruct videos and photos from damaged cards. It also has a preview pane for confirming the recoverability of JPEG, RAW, and MP4 files before restoration using SD/SDHC/SDXC media.

Pros:

• Can scan partition backups (image files)
• Sort files by date
• Adjustable layout for viewing recovered data

Cons:

• Free version limited to scanning and previewing
• Outdated, old-style interface

How to Choose the Best SD Data Recovery Software

When selecting the right SD card recovery tool, consider the following:

• Compatibility: Ensure it supports your SD card type and operating system.
• File Type Support: Choose one that supports the file types you want to recover.
• Ease of Use: Look for a clean interface and a preview feature.
• Recovery Rate: Check reviews or test results for success rates.
• Price & Free Trial: Try before you buy.

Final Remarks

There are 10 of the most effective SD card recovery software. You can retrieve photos, videos, and images using any program. For added clarity on their relative advantages and disadvantages, we suggest consulting the Comparison Table.

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