"File undelete software. Free for personal use" this slogan is for FreeUndelete software. The fear of data loss persists in the minds of anyone who uses a smartphone or PC. FeeUndelete is a popular open-source data recovery choice. But is there a better FreeUndelete alternative? Keeping in light all digital devices, here is your definitive FreeUndelete review highlighting all its pros and cons and a reliable alternative for Windows and Mac.
In this article
Part 1: FreeUndelete Review
FreeUndelete is a free data recovery software developed by Recoveronix, who have been known specialists in the field since 1998. The software is part of their Office Recovery package that you can download from the official website.
True to its name, FreeUndelete lets you recover any data you may have lost due to a virus attack or accidental deletion. It is quick with its scans, and the interface is basic yet effective to let you browse all recoverable files on the device.
OS Compatibility
FreeUndelete is compatible with all Windows versions past 2000, Windows Exchange Server 2003 and later, and all SQL databases. As of 2022, FreeUndelete for Mac doesn't exist yet.
Key Features of FreeUndelete
- The interface is convenient to use, even though the aesthetics seem a bit dated
- Allows for recovery of more than 100 types of files, including documents, emails, multimedia, and database records
- While there is no customer support, there is a friendly community on the official forums that can help you out with any issues
- Quick scans without too much drain on your resources
Free and Pro Version Pricing
If you want FreeUndelete for personal use, you can do it free of charge. There is also the option of donating to the developers to come up with future patches and updates. However, for business use, you need to pay for a lifetime license that costs $69.95.
Performance of FreeUndelete
According to our test, FreeUndelete software has a scanning speed of around 356 GB per hour, depending on your system configuration. In addition, running FreeUndelete software requires a minimum of 256 MB of RAM and a processor with a capacity of 1.2 GHz or higher. As a result, FreeUndelete occupies just 10 Megabytes on your hard drive as a standalone program.
How To Use FreeUndelete Data Recovery
You can use FreeUndelete to recover various files, emails, and other data from your storage device of choice. The steps to do so are pretty straightforward.
Step 1. Download the FreeUndelete installer package from the official website and install it on your computer.
Step 2. Launch the program and select the storage device from which you want to recover any deleted files.
Step 3. Click the "Scan" button at the bottom of the dialog box and wait while FreeUndelete completes the scan.
Step 4. After the scan concludes, select the files to restore and click "Undelete" to finish.
At the bottom, you can also edit the location where you wish to recover the deleted files. That prevents any overwriting of data that may exist with the same file type or name on that disk.
User Reviews for FreeUndelete: Is It Worth Trying?
The FreeUndelete software package has received mixed reviews from users and critics alike. While it is free for personal use, there are several faults with its dated interface and inaccurate file detection. Sure, the scans are speedy because the software doesn't scan the entire drive. You can only recover recently deleted files, and the drive is unusable for the duration of the scan, lest you risk the process getting terminated midway.
PCWorld rated FreeUndelete 2.5 stars out of 5, while the average user reviews on CNET grant it a 3.2-star rating. You can get a better idea from some of the quoted user reviews in the table below.
| Source | Remarks |
| PC World | “FreeUndelete helps you track down missing files, even those deleted from the Windows Recycle Bin…but it's not always effective.” |
| A user review on Cnet | “As said below, you get what you DON'T PAY for. so, a little patience is required. But chances are, if you are willing to play a little Sherlock Holmes, you will find what you are looking for.” |
| A user review on AlternativeTo | “If you need to recover files (and find that Recuva is unable to, since for example you're working on an NTFS 2.0 partition), you can't go wrong in giving FreeUndelete a try.” |
Pros and Cons of FreeUndelete Data Recovery Software
There are several advantages of using FreeUndelete, especially when you only need to recover data occasionally and recently deleted files. Yet, a few disadvantages over any FreeUndelete alternative might prompt you to look elsewhere.
Part 2: Best FreeUndelete Alternative - Wondershare Recoverit
Given the various faults with FreeUndelete that make it a bit unreliable, you might want to seek alternatives for FreeUndelete. Thankfully, you have the perfect option in the form of Wondershare Recoverit. It is a product that has been around since 2003 and today has more than 50 million users. Moreover, Recoverit has been selected as the Leader in Data Recovery by users on G2 due to its simple interface and advanced recovery protocols.
How To Use Recoverit to Recover Deleted or Lost Data
In addition to the several valuable features, Recoverit is also straightforward to install and use on any PC. You can follow the procedure mentioned below or watch the Youtube tutorial.
Step 1. Download and install Wondershare Recoverit on your PC/Mac.
Step 2. Locate the hard drive or external storage device and click the Scan button at the bottom of the screen.
Step 3. Recoverit will start scanning for deleted or lost files in the selected drive or location. During the scan, you can filter or preview to find your desired files quickly.
Step 4. Finally, select the ones you want to retrieve and click the Recover button. That will initiate the recovery process. All the selected files will appear where you have chosen to save them.
If your computer crashes after encountering the dreaded blue screen of death, you can recover data by creating a USB bootable media using Recoverit.
Comparison of FreeUndelete and Wondershare Recoverit
With both the software introduced, it's time to compare them head-to-head and determine which one assists you better in data recovery. Again, you can refer to the table below for all the essential criteria.
| Criteria | FreeUndelete | Wondershare Recoverit |
| Price | Free for personal use, $69.95 for business purposes | Plans start at 69.99; the trial version allows for free data recovery of up to 100 MB |
| Compatible OS | Windows 2000/Me/XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 | · Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 · Mac OS X (10.10) – macOS Ventura (13.x) · Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019 |
| File System Supported | FAT12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS | FAT12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS, HFS+, Encrypted HFS, HFSX, APFS, ReFS, EXT2/3/4, RAID |
| Trash/Recycle Bin Recovery | ✅ | ✅ |
| Crashed Computer Recovery | ✅ | |
| Formatted Disk Recovery | Limited | ✅ |
| RAW Recovery | ✅ | ✅ |
| Lost Partition Recovery | ✅ | |
| Unmountable partitions | ✅ | |
| Damaged Disk Recovery | ✅ | |
| Advanced Video Recovery | ✅ | |
| Video Repair | ✅ | |
| Scan Specific Path | ✅ | ✅ |
| Scan Specific File Type | ✅ | ✅ |
| Deep Scan | ✅ | |
| Preview Before Recovery | ✅ | |
| User-friendly Interface | ✅ | ✅ |
| Update Frequency | Seldom | Often |
FreeUndelete vs Recoverit: Which One Should You Choose?
If you need to occasionally recover data that was only recently deleted, you can choose the free version of FreeUndelete. However, if you need to recover large volumes of data, or require software for business purposes, then Wondershare Recoverit is the ideal choice. The latter is also well-suited for recovering data deleted a long time ago.
Conclusion
Regarding data recovery, thorough and intuitive software always possesses the edge. We hope this Freeundelete review helped you understand it and its alternatives much better than you did before. If you still have any doubts, feel free to leave them in the comments below, and our team of experts shall try to reply to them in no time.