12 Best Free SD Card Recovery Software for Mac in 2024
Nowadays, memory cards offer an extremely versatile storage solution that can be used across various storage devices. However, they’re at risk of becoming corrupted and having stored information lost. As a macOS user, if you have encountered such problems and are looking for a free method to recover files from an SD card. For this reason, we tested various free SD card recovery software for Mac according to different scenarios and finally listed the 12 best options. In addition, we also provide some guidelines for selecting practical tools for your reference.
- Quick Navigation
- Part 1. Tips for Choosing an Effective SD Recovery Freeware for Mac
- Part 2. Test Content of SD Card Data Recovery Mac Tool
- Part 3. 12 Best Free SD Card Recovery Software for Mac in 2024
- Part 4. How to Use the Best Tool for Memory Card Recovery on Mac
- Part 5. Tips on How to Avoid SD Card Data Loss
- Part 6. FAQs
Tips for Choosing an Effective SD Recovery Freeware for Mac
There are many choices regarding the free SD card recovery Mac software. Deciding which will give you the best overall performance and peace of mind can be intimidating. To make finding the right software easier, here are some tips:
- 📈 Recovery Rate: Make sure it has a reliable and efficient retrieval system to help you recover lost or corrupted files.
- 😃 GUI - Look for one with an intuitive user interface so that you can get up to speed quickly.
- 💬 User Reviews: It’s also essential to consider user reviews and ensure multiple users have tested the software.
- ⚙️ Compatibility: It should be fully supported, whether it is usage scenarios, supported data types, or file systems.
- 🕵️ Customer Service: Also consider ones that come with helpful customer service and tech support, so if you have any issues down the line, help is just a phone call away.
With these tips in mind, choosing an effective free SD data recovery software for Mac became easier!
Test Content of SD Card Data Recovery Mac Tool
Numerous tools in the market claim to recover lost items from SD on Mac, but not all of them work. To save you time, we have spent weeks testing SD recovery software for Mac in the following scenarios:
- Test items
- Specification
- Number of tools
- 32
- Test scope
- Accidental deletion, formatting, SD corruption (denied access, storage space shows as 0, does not show on Mac, etc.)
- Time spent
- 35 days
- System version
- macOS 10.16 - 13.21
- Test equipment
- SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-I, Transcend SDXC UHS-II U3, PNY X-Pro 90 SDXC UHS-II, Kingston Canvas React Plus SDXC UHS-II.
- File system
- FAT, NTFS, exFAT, HFS, APFS, EXT
- File Types
- Photos, Videos, Music, Documents, and more.
12 Best Free SD Card Recovery Software for Mac in 2024
It can be devastating when your treasured memories are lost due to an accident. That is why keeping reliable SD card recovery software handy is essential. Thankfully, with the ongoing technological advancements, finding free yet trustworthy software is no longer difficult. In 2024, if you're looking for the best free SD card recovery software for Macs, check out the 12 tools below that stood out through our rigorous testing.
iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac
The free memory card recovery software for Mac that tops our list is iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac, and there is a good reason for that. Not only is it compatible with any Mac OS X operating system, but it also supports all major file formats. With a few simple mouse clicks, you can effortlessly recover whatever data may have been lost for various reasons. Its latest version increases the SD file recovery success rate to 99.86% and can repair damaged videos and pictures. All in all, this powerful solution makes retrieving files from SD cards on Mac devices a breeze!
- Advantages:
- Retrieve files from 2000+ devices containing all the branded SD cards and USB flash drives.
- Support files lost in 500+ scenarios.
- Previewing all recoverable files from SD cards is free, with no file size limit and no file quantity limit.
- Automatically repairs corrupted videos and pictures.
- Disadvantages:
- The filter for the scanning result needs to be improved.
- The scanning process might be slow if there are many recoverable files.
PhotoRec for Mac
If you're a Mac user and need a reliable way to recover deleted files from SD card on Mac, look no further than PhotoRec for Mac. This open-source software offers advanced capabilities to help you locate and restore valuable content from your system. The SD card recovery Mac free tool support many files, including documents, photos, videos, audio recordings, etc. With PhotoRec for Mac, you'll also be able to bypass some of the issues associated with traditional file recovery methods. It can ignore certain bits of unallocated space on your drive that would otherwise cause problems when trying to restore data—leaving you with fewer worries when retrieving lost items.
- Advantages:
- Free
- Support multiple platforms
- Can ignore the file system for SD card recovery on Mac.
- Disadvantages:
- No interface
- No file preview
Ontrack EasyRecovery for Mac
Ontrack EasyRecovery for Mac offers unbeatable file recovery capabilities for Apple fans. Not only does it quickly and easily uncover lost or deleted files, but its unique algorithm can also repair corrupt data and deep scan for unrecoverable items. It can work on various macOS versions, and this free SD recovery Mac software allows users to piece together critically missing information easily.
- Advantages:
- Processors that support the M1 and T2 chips
- It can extract data from Time Machine
- Disadvantages:
- Cannot repair corrupted video files
- The free version has functional limitations
DMDE
DMDE for Mac is a powerful tool that can help users recover data that may have been lost or damaged due to various causes. The free SD card data recovery software for Mac offers several recovery options and ensures users can create backups for their data to prevent further losses. An easy-to-use interface and free trial period make it simple and convenient for any Mac user to quickly assess the damage in their cards and restore important information. Whether you’re dealing with formatted or accidental deletions, it has you covered!
- Advantages:
- Support RAID
- Portable version available
- Rebuildable directory structure
- Disadvantages:
- Can't preview video
- Slow scan
Stellar Data Recovery Free
Stellar is a well-known data recovery freeware for SD cards that support multiple card types, including MicroSD, SDXC, SDHC, and CF cards. The software is known for working with all the popular cards brands like SanDisk, Transcend, Lexar, Samsung, Kingston, and many others. The free SD card recovery software is competent and versatile in functionality. It helps restore data such as photos, videos, documents, emails, and more from various Mac-based devices.
- Advantages:
- Provides a Recovery Vault to prevent data loss
- Support encrypted memory card
- Disadvantages:
- Some files cannot be previewed
- Could not create a rescue drive
Disk Drill SD Card Recovery
Disk Drill is a no-nonsense free SD card data recovery software for Mac that offers a lot of functionality in a simple package. The app is designed with a basic look, but that can be good when your focus is recovering data. Apart from recovering drive and USB data, it also supports SD cards, and that too with quite some variety. The best thing about this software is that it allows you to recover up to 500 MB of data for free! Of course, if you want a deep scan with unlimited recovery capacity, you must opt for the pro upgrade.
- Advantages:
- File preview available
- Supports a wide variety of file formats and systems
- Disadvantages:
- There are other features built into the software that may interfere with the user's use of it.
- The pro version is quite pricey.
EaseUS Free Data Recovery Wizard for Mac
EaseUS is a popular name in this niche, and it has several other useful unformat and undelete SD card tools that are also quite popular for their performance. It covers various data loss scenarios, including virus attacks, accidental formatting, and data deletion. The best thing about this software is that it offers up to 2 GB space of free SD card recovery for Mac users. You can take out many files in that storage which could be sufficient for most one-time users. The software also supports various file systems across different device types.
- Advantages:
- Scan results can be saved
- Fast scanning
- Disadvantages:
- Sometimes recovered pictures cannot be viewed.
- Expensive
Exif Untrasher
Exif Untrasher is another free Mac SD card recovery software that provides a decent amount of recovery size free of cost to its users. This software is relatively easy to use and does its job quite well. It offer 1 GB of free data recovery, which may be enough for some but probably not for others. It also supports standard data formats like exFAT, FAT32, and NFTS.
- Advantages:
- Easy to use
- No limit
- Disadvantages:
- Can only recover pictures and videos from SD card on Mac
- Missing items may be missed
AnyRecover Data Recovery for Mac
This Mac free memory card recovery software is also a decent option if you want a quick and intuitive solution for file recovery. It supports all the major SD card types in use today and many different file types. You can also preview files in the free version before downloading them to select the most critical files. It has advanced scanning capabilities to ensure you return all your deleted files, whether in a physical storage device or on the computer itself.
- Advantages:
- Supports almost all file types
- Can view found files
- Disadvantages:
- Some memory cards cannot be recognized
- Recover deleted videos from SD card is not friendly
Softtote Data Recovery for Mac
Softtote Data Recovery makes it easy for Mac users to recover lost files on an SD card with just a few clicks. It's a powerful tool that can restore lost data, including photos, music, documents, emails, etc. Its user interface is incredibly straightforward, so anyone can easily navigate the application without being an IT expert. Furthermore, Softtote offers technical support should you need it, and its customer service team is always available to help out.
- Advantages:
- Offers deep scan option
- Compatible with multiple file systems
- Disadvantages:
- Crashes sometimes
- Long time no update
Lazesoft Mac Data Recovery
Lazesoft Mac Data Recovery is a must-have software for all Mac users. It guarantees to quickly and safely recover your lost Mac data like photos, videos, documents, and more, regardless of the cause. With this free SD card recovery Mac tool at your disposal, you can rest assured that no matter what disaster strikes your device, you will have your precious Mac data backed up in no time. On top of that, it has an unparalleled level of accuracy in finding lost files with its unique algorithms and deep scanning capabilities.
- Advantages:
- Provides various scanning modes
- Intuitive interface
- Disadvantages:
- Cannot filter file types to save scan time
- Does not support latest macOS
Safe365 Free Mac Any Data Recovery
The easy-to-use Mac SD card recovery freeware can fast recover deleted files on Mac. It helps you recover almost anything from erased photos to emails and folders. With a few simple clicks, you can have your irreplaceable files back quickly. With its robust features like previewing lost files and deep scanning, you will surely be satisfied with the service's ease, security, and accuracy. Overall, it is a powerful tool that can help you regain all important lost files in no time!
- Advantages:
- Simple interface
- Powerful scanning algorithm
- Disadvantages:
- Deep scan takes a lot of time
- Can only preview pictures
Losing files from your SD card is frustrating, particularly on a macOS. Fortunately, with these free SD card recovery software for Mac, you only have a few clicks of your mouse; these recovery services will search through your storage system to locate any documents or images from your SD card you may have thought gone forever.
How to Use the Best Tool for Memory Card Recovery on Mac
Recovering files from an SD card on a Mac can seem daunting, but with the best free SD card recovery software for Mac, it's a process that just about anyone can manage. Here are the specific steps on how to use it.
- Get the installation package of free memory card recovery software for Mac, install, and run it.
- On the first page, please deselect unwanted file types and click start to continue
- Select your SD card and click Scan to extract lost items.
- Select the files you need and click Recover to save them.
Tips: If the quick Scan does not find the target file, click the deep Scan on the top to retrieve more data.
Tips on How to Avoid SD Card Data Loss
Data loss is one of the most unfortunate yet common occurrences experienced by SD card users. With so much of our information contained digitally, it's essential to know some tips on preventing data loss.
- 📤 The best way to do this is to ensure that you are regularly backing up your files onto an external disk or cloud storage service.
- ⏏️ Additionally, ensure you regularly inspect your SD card and never remove the card from its slot while the device is still running; this can lead to corrupted files or an inaccessible card altogether.
- 🔎 Finally, always be mindful when entering your SD card into any device, as infection from a virus or malware can occur quickly if proper protective measures are not taken beforehand.
Following these tips will help keep your data safe and secure for many years of use.
FAQs
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Most kinds of data losses are not permanent, and it is possible to retrieve data by scanning the memory of the SD card. Software like the ones mentioned above can help you do that quite easily. For most software, you need very little knowledge to figure out how to recover deleted files from an SD card Mac for free.
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Unless you have the expertise to access the physical memory manually, you must rely on third-party software to retrieve the data. The free SD card recovery software for Mac makes the process easy and quick in most cases.
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It offer users a free version of the app where they can retrieve up to 10 files for free. Anything beyond that would need the paid version of the software.
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Each free SD card recovery software for Mac comes with a unique set of features that you can explore. Ultimately, the decision comes down to your specific needs, so go through the list we have shared to figure out which option suits you.
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Plenty of the best free SD card recovery software Mac available these days allows you to recover deleted files from an SD card on Mac for free, like iBeesoft Mac data recovery software.
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As long as there is no physical damage in your internal memory, you can rely on free SD card recovery software for such tasks. For this, you can use iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac, and you need to connect it to your Mac computer and select the files you need to save after scanning. It's that simple.
Conclusion
Finding the right SD card recovery freeware for Mac can be quite a challenge, so it's essential to make sure you choose the right tool for your needs. In 2024, We list 12 excellent free SD card data recovery programs for Macs that can help restore photos and other file types from damaged SD cards. Many programs can also recover corrupted or deleted files and repair media errors.