Does Recuva for Mac Exist? Here’s the Truth

The Myth of Recuva for Mac (Was It Ever Developed?)

Believe us, we’ve dug through old forums, Piriform’s archives, and code release notes. And found zero credible evidence that Recuva ever had a Mac version. The software has always been Windows-only, from its earliest release to today. Piriform (acquired by Avast in 2017, and later folded into Gen Digital in 2022) never announced a macOS build, never published betas, never gave us beta screenshots. Nothing.

• Name recognition & trust. Many users, especially those who have used Windows, know Recuva as a reliable, free recovery tool. It’s natural to think, maybe there’s a Mac version, too. They’re looking for the easiest solution they’ve heard of.
• Some people assume cross-platform support is a given with popular tools. Everyone knows there’s a version of CCleaner for both Windows and Mac, so the logic follows: why wouldn’t Recuva be the same? It feels like a safe bet. If one Piriform app made the jump to macOS, maybe the others did too.
• SEO and content echo. Because many bloggers and help sites mention “Recuva for Mac,” search engines surface those references, which reinforces the notion it might exist. It becomes a cycle: people search it > sites mention it (to debunk it) > more people click that > the search continues.

Now, let’s talk about what you can use instead. Because chances are, you still need to recover deleted files on your Mac, and Recuva can’t help you there. Below, we’ll go through options that do work on macOS.

Interesting fact: While there is no macOS version of Recuva, you can potentially use Recuva to scan a device formatted for Mac (HFS+/APFS) by connecting it to a Windows PC with Recuva installed. However, in this scenario, files will be recovered based on file patterns (signatures) rather than file system records. However, according to research conducted by Pandora Data Recovery Mentor specialists, Recuva’s signature scanning capabilities and results are somewhat limited.

Top 7 Recuva Alternatives for Mac

Here are seven of the best Recuva alternatives for recovering lost and deleted data on a Mac computer.

1. Disk Drill for Mac (Best overall alternative)

Disk Drill is a full-featured data recovery solution with versions for Windows and macOS. It offers a simple, clickable path to data recovery that can be performed by users with any level of experience.

Disk Drill is a good Recuva alternative for Mac that helps in recovering lost data from both Mac and Windows computers. In our opinion, it is the closest thing to Recuva when it comes to comfort and simplicity. It’s clean, easy to use, and doesn’t throw a bunch of confusing options at you. You pick the drive, hit scan, and let it do its thing.

Also worth saying, its recovery engine blows Recuva out of the water. It handles Mac file systems like APFS and HFS/HFS+ natively, digs up hundreds of file types (around 400), and does a better job at finding files that Recuva would probably miss. So if you liked Recuva for how simple it felt, Disk Drill gives you that, plus way more under the hood.

It also comes with a bunch of genuinely useful tools built in.

You get things like byte-to-byte backup, which lets you make a full copy of a failing drive before recovery (a smart move if your disk’s acting up). There’s S.M.A.R.T. monitoring to help spot hardware issues early, a data shredder for wiping files permanently (Recuva has this too), a macOS installer tool, and even a duplicate finder and basic storage cleanup feature.

If you’re the kind of person who likes having options without needing five different apps, Disk Drill’s extras are a solid bonus.

2. PhotoRec (Best free alternative)

Next on our list is PhotoRec. It’s an open-source data recovery tool that supports macOS, Windows, Linux, and various flavors of the Unix operating system.

The first thing you notice about PhotoRec is that it is strictly a command-line tool. This might immediately turn off some users who are looking for an easier method of recovering their lost data. This tool asks you to know a bit about how your drive is set up, which most people don’t.

But here’s why it still shows up in this list. Like Recuva, PhotoRec is completely free. No limits. And when it comes to recovery performance, it actually holds up surprisingly well. It doesn’t care if the file system is damaged or missing altogether. That’s because it skips the file system entirely and uses signature-based scanning – it looks for known patterns in the raw data to find files. So even if the drive shows up as empty or unreadable, PhotoRec can still pull stuff out. That’s something Recuva often can’t do, especially when the file system’s gone (RAW drive).

Its signature-based approach is also one of its biggest drawbacks. Because it works below the file system, you lose a lot of context. There’s no chance to recover original filenames, folder structure, timestamps, none of that. Everything comes back with generic names, sorted into folders by file type. If you’re trying to recover an organized project folder or need to know when a file was last edited, PhotoRec won’t help with that.

3. R-Studio for Mac (Best alternative for professionals)

Next up is R-Studio for Mac. It is a commercial data recovery solution that was originally designed for use by data recovery professionals. It will work as a Recuva alternative for Mac if you are ready to tackle its complicated interface and recovery process.

R-Studio is very powerful and has outstanding recovery capabilities, but its complicated user interface and lack of guidance make it a poor choice for the average user. For someone looking for a Recuva substitute – something quick and easy to use – this isn’t it. You need to know what you’re doing, or be ready to spend time figuring it out. It’s built for techs and enthusiasts, not everyday users who just want to get their files back.

That being said, R-Studio does provide excellent recovery results and consistency. The product is offered in several different versions, some of which only support the recovery of specific filesystems like FAT32, exFAT, NTFS & APFS. You need to make sure you purchase the right one for your data loss situation.

As a tool for professionals, R-Studio has enticing features like the ability to start multiple recovery processes simultaneously. It can be used to repair damaged partitions and features a built-in hex editor for checking the integrity of recovered files.

Users looking for an easy and intuitive Recuva for Mac alternative will need to look elsewhere. This solution will successfully recover your data but may demand too high a level of technical expertise for most users.

4. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac (Decent alternative with a generous trial)

At number 4, we have EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac – another commercial data recovery solution that can serve as the Mac equivalent of Recuva.

Unlike R-Studio, this one is much closer to Recuva in terms of simplicity. You don’t need to know anything about file systems or partitions. Everything’s point and click. It’s the kind of tool you can install and figure out in minutes – even if you’ve never recovered data before. That makes it a strong pick for everyday users who lost a folder of photos or a work document and want a quick way to get it back without dealing with a learning curve.

We found the EaseUS solution to be slower than some other Recuva for Mac alternatives like Disk Drill, but it did recover all of our lost files during testing. EaseUS has a long track record of providing reliable data recovery software for Windows and Mac users. You won’t be disappointed with the recovery results with this tool.

However, its licensing is a sticking point. EaseUS heavily markets its expensive monthly subscription plan, which can feel steep, especially if you just need to rescue data once in a while. That said, it does offer a fairly generous free tier: you can recover up to 2 GB of data without paying, which is often enough for personal documents, photos, or a small folder accidentally deleted.

5. Stellar Data Recovery for Mac (Decent alternative for basic recovery)

Another Mac equivalent of Recuva to check out is Stellar Data Recovery for Mac.

Stellar Data Recovery provides users with a simple recovery procedure that features a Windows Explorer-type interface. Out of the box, the tool supports a more limited number of filetypes than other solutions but lets users add new file formats manually for a fully customized recovery experience.

The three-step recovery process allows users to choose from a normal or deep scan which can help uncover hard-to-find files. In practice, Stellar does okay, but the previews can be inconsistent. We’ve seen that same thing happen with Recuva. When it comes to preview reliability, it doesn’t always match up to some of the top picks on our list.

But in terms of recovery performance and overall user experience, Stellar is pretty close to Recuva. It does basics well. The main catch is that it’s not fully free; you’ll need to pay to unlock its capabilities.

6. Data Rescue 6 for Mac (Best Recuva-style recovery tool with drive cloning)

Data Rescue is another solid alternative to Recuva. Just like most tools on this list, it exists for both Windows and Mac.

It supports APFS and HFS+, works on modern macOS versions, and comes with a bootable recovery drive option in case your Mac won’t boot. It also includes disk cloning, which is a huge win if your drive’s on the edge.

One standout feature is FileIQ. You can feed the app a sample file, and it’ll “learn” that format so it can recover more like it. However, in terms of UI and simplicity, it loses to some of the other options on this list. The interface feels dated, and it lacks the polish or hand-holding that tools like Disk Drill or EaseUS offer. There’s no live progress, no smart sorting, and previews require clicking through one file at a time. Also, it doesn’t support encrypted APFS or HFS+ volumes, which rules it out for a lot of modern Mac setups.

Just like Recuva, you get to choose the type of scan (Quick or Deep) through a wizard-style flow, so there’s that. But Recuva still has a lighter, more beginner-friendly touch. That said, Data Rescue comes with extra tools Recuva never had, and it actually runs on Mac, so it earns its place here.

7. UFS Explorer for Mac (Great alternative for advanced users)

And last but not least on our list of Recuva alternatives is UFS Explorer for Mac. It promises advanced options for restoring files from a wide range of data loss scenarios. If you can figure out your way around the convoluted UI and functions, this program has plenty to offer.

UFS Explorer has been around for close to two decades now – a veteran in the data recovery scene. While its UI is in dire need of an overhaul, the program still does its job of restoring data exceedingly well for a variety of data loss situations, as was the case during our test runs. But that’s only If you can figure out how to use it.

Despite promising to serve both ordinary users and professionals, UFS Explorer obviously leans more toward advanced users, making it a tough solution to recommend for newbies and casuals. Also, the trial only copies files under 768 or 256 kb in size, depending on the version, urging you to go for the paid editions, which can be quite pricey.

That being said, if you have the coin and the skills, UFS Explorer is more than capable of recovering files with the best of them.

✅

If you have no time for the full review, here’s a quick recap of our findings. You can also vote for the software you think is the most suitable macOS alternative to Recuva. We will update our ranking in the future based on your votes.

1

Disk Drill for Mac Platform: macOS, Windows Distributed as: Freemium

19 11

2

PhotoRec Platform: macOS, Windows, Linux Distributed as: Free

23 19

3

R-Studio for Mac Platform: macOS, Windows, Linux Distributed as: Freemium

7 7

4

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Platform: macOS, Windows Distributed as: Freemium

5 6

5

Stellar Data Recovery for Mac Platform: macOS, Windows Distributed as: Freemium

2 3

6

Data Rescue 6 Platform: macOS, Windows Distributed as: Freemium

3 1

7

UFS Explorer for Mac Platform: macOS, Windows, Linux Distributed as: Freemium

2 1

Recuva for Mac Replacement Scoreboard

If you want a more visual comparison, we’ve put together this table (just a quick quiz, really) so you can see at a glance which tool might best replace your need for Recuva on Mac:

(*) will usually retain names & structure if data still exists.

Why ‘Recuva for Mac’ Still Gets Thousands of Searches Every Month

After years in the recovery world, we’ve seen trends come and go, but some signals stay consistent. One of them: Mac users still want something like Recuva.

Our analysis of search behavior shows exactly this. The term “Recuva for Mac” gets between 1,600 and 1,900 searches every single month, and it’s held that range steadily for the last two years. That’s not a fluke.

No matter how many articles or forum threads give a clear answer – “No, there’s no such thing” – people keep searching. What’s driving this? In part, Recuva’s reputation on Windows. It’s simple, beginner-friendly, and doesn’t charge you. Many users who switch from Windows to Mac (or who just need a quick recovery job on macOS) instinctively search for a Mac version of Recuva.

They expect it to exist (or at least hope something has changed). Maybe Recuva finally dropped a Mac version. Maybe someone ported it. Maybe there’s a hidden download link somewhere.

In our roundup, we’ve covered tools that get close (and often do things Recuva never could). Some, like PhotoRec, match Recuva’s zero-cost model. Others, like Disk Drill or EaseUS, offer far more power and polish – better previews, deeper scans, support for modern file systems, even byte-level backups.

We like Recuva too. But the reality is that it’s a basic tool, and most of the Mac recovery apps we reviewed here outperform it in features and success rate.

So while Piriform still hasn’t released Recuva for Mac (and we wouldn’t hold our breath), the good news is that your options are better than ever. Whether you want a powerful commercial tool or a free, open-source option, this list gives you everything you need to find your Recuva alternative.

FAQ