I’m a sucker for a freebie. Free apps, free games, free trials: I’ll snap ’em all up without a second thought. But let’s be honest: if you’re anything like me, the retention rate for free apps and games is pretty low. Sadly, while there are plenty of great apps out there, there are plenty more freebies out there that are cheaply made. Will Data Recovery Free for Softtote Studio be a good freebie, or a skippable one? Read on to find out!

What is it and what does it do

Main Functionality

Data Recovery Free can help you recover certain file types due to user error (accidental deletion) or common computer problems.

Pros

• Straightforward UI
• Recovers data lost due to accidental deletion, viruses, or unexpected power failure
• In addition to hard drives, this app also works on USB hard disks, memory cards, and USB flash drives
• Easy to preview files

Cons

• Free version has some major limitations: it only recovers BMP, JPG, PNG, TIF, MP3 files
• App hasn’t been updated since last spring

Discussion

There’s a lot to like in Data Recovery Free. I like the fact that you can use it on external storage devices, including flash drives. I really like the interface, and the ability to preview files.

What I don’t like is the limitation on what types of files can be recovered in the free version. There’s not even any support for retrieving text files or Word documents. I get that this is a way to encourage people to upgrade, but I think they might have been better served by allowing all files types to be recovered in the free version, but only letting people use the free version once before having to upgrade.

Walking that line between a free app and it’s sister/paid app is always tricky, but I feel like the file type limitations here were a mistake. I think people are going to take one look at the price of upgrading, and then go to a different data recovery product entirely.

That file type limitation is really frustrating. While the free price was enough to get me to try this app, I’m likely to delete it soon. I can’t afford the full version, and the free version just doesn’t suit my needs.

Conclusion and download link

Everyone uses their Mac differently. If the only files you care about recovering are  BMP, JPG, PNG, TIF, or MP3 files, then this free app might be suitable for your needs. However, most users are likely to find this free version too limited for their needs. The problem is that that upgrading to the Pro version of this app might be too rich for some people’s blood. Forced to pick between this limited Free version of the app and the Pro version that costs $59.99, I think I might choose neither option.

Price: Free

Version reviewed: 3.5.8

Supported OS: OS X 10.6 or later

Download size: 1.3 MB

Data Recovery Free on Mac App Store