Did you lose something important from your computer, phone, or external device? No matter how, when, or where you lost your data, DriveSavers should be able to recover it back to safety. "Crushed, Wet, Burnt - We Can Save It" is the company's famous motto.

Is DriveSavers Data Recovery Inc. really as good as advertised? That's what this article aims to find out. Stay with us as we review DriverSavers' key services, performance, pricing, and more. We also went through many user reviews, so you don't have to.

Here's our DriveSavers review and verdict.

In this article

Quick Check: DriveSavers Data Recovery

DriveSavers Data Recovery Inc is known as one of the oldest data recovery labs in the US: according to the company's website, they've been around since 1985. In their forty years of experience, they've developed a wide range of data recovery services and earned hundreds of thousands of customers (including some famous ones, like Buzz Aldrin and Sting).

DriveSavers Inc occupies an ISO-certified class 5 cleanroom that's said to be the industry's largest and best equipped. In there, DriveSavers experts have recovered data from more than 200,000 storage devices.

drivesavers data recovery webpage

In addition to failed, damaged, and malware-ridden hard disk drives, the DriveSavers Inc. team also specializes in SSDs, servers, smartphones, tablets, removable media, camera cards, CCTV cameras, and more. They can work with any type of data loss, including accidental deletion and mechanical failures, and save data from "burnt, wet, and crushed" drives.

Pros
  • Data recovery is carried out in a state-of-the-art lab by certified experts;
  • Wide range of services, including recovery from heavily damaged devices;
  • Engineering team's free evaluation and "no data - no charge" policy.
Cons
  • Expensive pricing plans and purchase of a new drive for data recovery;
  • It sometimes takes a full week to get back a drive with recovered data;
  • You can't preview data recovery results until they are sent back to you.

Key Services of DriveSavers Data Recovery

There's no doubt that DriveSavers offer one of the most comprehensive data recovery service lists on the market. They provide solutions for an impressive number of data loss scenarios, ranging from common (accidental deletion, failure, spillages) to very complex.

  • Logical problems recovery - No hard drive is immune to logical problems. If you've lost data due to firmware or file system corruption, deletion, or partial overwriting, DriveSavers can help. They can also help you recover lost passwords.
  • Physical damage recovery - Physical damage includes a number of different scenarios like head crash, media damage, reformatting, damaged motors, bad sectors, and more. Luckily, DriveSavers can rescue data from unfixable devices.
  • Natural disasters recovery - You can count on DriveSavers to save digital files lost in a fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, or earthquake. They can also recover damaged data after a power spike.
  • REID/NAS/SAN data recovery - DriveSavers specialize in recovering data from all operating systems and all types of high-capacity devices, including RAID, network-attached storage (NAS), storage area networks (SAN), and multi-disk servers.
  • Mechanical failure data recovery - The DriveSavers cleanroom is sterile and fully equipped to repair and replace damaged HDD components.
  • Encrypted device data recovery - DriveSavers work with many business and government agencies, ensuring the highest possible security protocols when handling encrypted drives. If needed, lock boxes are available upon request.
  • Ransomware data recovery - If you've been hit in a ransomware attack, DriveSavers can provide forensics, incident response, and restoration services for critical data with zero downtime, ensuring business continuity and security.

Aside from data recovery, DriveSavers also offer professional data erasure services and forensic imaging. Special security protocols are also available upon request.

drivesavers data recovery process

DriveSavers Data Recovery: Recovery Process & Performance

As someone who is in dire need of professional data recovery services, you might find DriveSavers' process a bit - slow. Only Priority users get instant service and quick access to recovered data, but that's pricey. Regular customers must wait up to 14 business days.

Here's a quick overview of the DriveSavers data recovery process.

  1. Calling for a Free Estimate
  2. You can reach out to DriveSavers and start your free evaluation via phone. A company representative will listen to your problem and give you a free estimate. You will also receive a free shipping label and instructions for sending your device to their US-based cleanroom.

    DriveSavers operates only in the United States but is available for free estimates worldwide. Their phone representatives keep the company lines open 24/7.

  3. Time to Send the Device
  4. DriveSavers work with FedEx to ensure the devices sent to them are secured and arrive in the shortest amount of time. After you pack your device (you can find a step-by-step guide and tips for this on DriverSavers' website or call DriveSavers for instructions), you can either drop off your packed device at the closest FedEx location or schedule a pickup.

  5. Getting a Free Evaluation
  6. drivesavers in free evaluation

    When DriveSavers receive your device and analyze the problem, a representative will call you with a free quote and estimated success rate. If recovery turns out impossible or more expensive than you expected, you can have your device sent back to you at no charge.

  7. Data Recovery Is Performed
  8. If you decide to go forward with the data recovery process, the DriveSavers team will get down to it and save your lost files. The data recovery process itself depends on the type of device and data loss. The time needed to finish recovery is also affected by these factors.

  9. Receiving Recovered Data
  10. You should expect FedEx to deliver your recovered data within the agreed-upon time frame. The package will include a new drive with data recovery results and your original device and easy-to-follow instructions on reviewing, using, and backing up your recovered data.

DriveSavers data recovery services have a 97% customer satisfaction rate. Due to their expertise and experience, as well as their close relationship with device manufacturers, DriveSavers is able to receive data from virtually any device with a high success rate.

DriveSavers Cost

In accordance with the company's free estimate and "no data - no charge" policies, the payment is not collected until the recovery is complete. However, customers must choose a service plan when they agree to continue with data recovery after the free evaluation.

DriveSavers offer three service plans: Economy, Standard, and Priority.

Service PlanTurnaround Time
Economy5-7 business days
10-14 business days for smart devices
Standard1-2 business days
PriorityInstant turnaround

Whatever plan you choose, the DriveSavers Data Recovery cost is estimated based on factors like the complexity of the procedure, degree of damage/corruption, and the type of device used.

While DriveSavers don't disclose pricing on their official website, the word around town is that their services are among the most expensive on the market. For reference, extracting data from a hard drive with a damaged connector can cost between $900 and $3900.

DriveSavers Data Recovery: Customer Comments

Despite steep pricing, DriveSavers have a growing base of satisfied users. They have only one poor grade on popular customer review sites - 2.7 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, based on only 9 reviews. Other platforms show DriveSavers in a more positive light - they have a 4.2-star rating on Yelp, a 4.9-star rating on Birdeye, and 5 stars on Spiceworks Community.

🙂"I had an excellent experience with Drive Savers. They took good care of my drives when I shipped them to get diagnosed. They were very communicative during the whole process, and they were able to fully recover my files off my old Buffalo Tera Station that had become inaccessible. I'm very happy with the service." - Vicky Lee on Google
🙂"Very quick and efficient service. A little pricey (I was quoted $900-3600 to recover data from busted hard drive...unfortunately it ended up being on the high end) but the guarantee of recovery was reassuring and you can't beat their track record." - Tracy D. on Yelp
🙁"Don't give your iphone if it is in recovery mode. In any case don't give it to Drivesaver. They are not informing what they are exactly doing on the iphone. They tried to recover data from the chip by unlocking the phone. So I couldn't login in my iCloud account. Their service is too frustrating." - Karthi M. on Yelp
🙁"Lost video files after inadvertently reformatting an external drive. Sent to drivesavers. They called me that they had recovered all the files and charged me almost $2,000, including $89 for a 1TB external drive. When i received the drive, more than half of my video files could not be opened. When I called them, they told me that those files were destroyed." - Daniel on Trustpilot

A Better Software Alternative to DriveSavers - Recoverit

Data loss is stressful and requires you to act fast. However, that doesn't mean you should go for the first data recovery professional you come across. It's true that time is of the essence, but you have just enough of it to do your research and think about your priorities.

If you don't like the idea of shipping your device via FedEx, waiting for up to a week on results, and overpaying for service, DriveSavers is not for you. There's a good chance you won't be comfortable with not being involved and not being able to preview recovered files.

Don't worry. DriveSavers is an excellent data recovery service, but it's not the only one. Software solutions like Wondershare Recoverit offer a quick and easy alternative.

Free Download
Free Download

Thanks to its user-friendly interface, Recoverit allows you to perform data recovery at home with no technical skills. Compared to DriveSavers, you get instant access to recovered data without risking its security, and you have full control over the process - at a more affordable price. Recoverit has a 98% success rate in 500+ data loss scenarios and support for 2000+ devices.

If you want to know how it works, you're welcome to follow these steps:

  1. Download Wondershare Recoverit from the official website and install it on your computer. Recoverit is available for both Windows and Mac.
  2. Launch the program and select a location to start recovery. You can choose to deep-scan an entire hard drive, a single partition, or an external device. Recoverit also has a quick scan mode for Recycle Bin, desktop, and individual folders.
    select a location to start recovery in recoverit
  3. You can also run a Recoverit scan directly from File Explorer. Right-click the folder with lost files and select Scan for deleted files with Recoverit.
    scan for deleted files with recoverit
  4. Selecting a location will initiate a scan, so now you need to wait for the results to show up. You can still track the progress and pause or stop the process whenever you want.
  5. recoverit data recovery scan process
  6. When the scan is complete, you can search for your lost files by file type, time, size, and tag, or you can run a keyword-based search.
    filter data recovery scan results in recoverit
  7. Recoverit allows you to preview all recoverable files. Simply double-click the file or click the Preview button to make sure the file isn't damaged.
    preview recoverable files in recoverit
  8. To recover data, select all files that you want to keep and click the Recover button. Choose a safe destination to store it and hit Recover again.
    recover lost files with recoverit
  9. If you don't want to go through recoverable files or recover them right now, you can save scan results for a later time by clicking the icon below.
    save scan results for later in recoverit

Conclusion

All things considered, is DataSavers worth your time and money? Our answer is - yes and no. If you don't mind sending your precious data across the country with FedEx, waiting a couple of days, and paying up to $4000 for standard recovery, you should definitely go for it.

Alternatively, you can try a powerful data recovery software solution like Wondershare Recoverit. Standing shoulder to shoulder with in-lab recovery services, Recoverit can help you save your data today without any third-party involvement. And it won't cost a fortune.

Free Download
Free Download

FAQ

  • Why is DriveSavers so expensive?
    While in-lab recovery services are generally costly, DriveSavers are considered expensive even by these standards. Some of the factors that might affect their pricing are the extensive training and expertise, state-of-the-art equipment, and high operational costs.
  • Is DriveSavers safe?
    Every DriveSavers Data Recovery service meets the highest data loss prevention, security, and privacy protocols required by SOX, GLBA, and HIPAA. They also offer additional security measures to customers with special data encryption needs, namely corporations and government agencies. However, regular customers receive recovered data from DriveSavers via FedEx, which could be risky as many things could go wrong during the transportation of the new drive back to you.
  • How much does DriveSavers usually cost?
    Data recovery services by DriveSavers usually cost between $800 and $4000 for common data loss scenarios.
David Darlington
David Darlington Apr 15, 24
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