10 Best Disk Repair Software for Mac (Tested & Ranked)

Usability

Disk Drill for Mac is designed with usability in mind. The average Mac user can launch the software, select the problematic hard drive, and click the Search for lost data button. Disk Drill will automatically run its recovery algorithms on the hard drive, select the optimal data recovery method, and proceed to locate deleted and lost files. All that’s left to do is pick the right files for recovery (easy thanks to Disk Drill’s filters and preview feature), and click the Recover button. 

Recovery/repair performance

Disk Drill for Mac excels in data recovery performance. It supports all major file systems, including HFS & HFS+, FAT/FAT32/exFAT, NTFS, EXT3/EXT4, and works with both internal and external storage devices. Native scanning on Apple Silicon (M1-M5) Macs is also supported. Additionally, it comes with multiple Mac HDD repair tools, such as a disk monitoring tool that alerts you when your hard drive starts to show signs of failure. Thanks to its byte-to-byte backup feature, you can create a backup image of the affected drive and safely scan it instead of the drive itself. 

Value

Disk Drill for Mac offers excellent value, delivering very strong features for its cost. Even the free version is useful for impending drive failure, providing tools like an image backup feature, S.M.A.R.T. monitoring, and the ability to scan and preview drive data. This already provides a lot of information about the state of your drive and lets you secure your files. It’s also one of the best in its software class, and its reliable recovery performance is what justifies the price tag (more on this in the review linked above).

Usability

Techtool Pro offers a user-friendly interface that makes it relatively easy for users to navigate and understand the available features. The software runs directly from a bootable diagnostic device, so it can bypass the operating system and perform disk repairs more effectively. However, some users may find it challenging to control startup parameters or create an eDrive for booting.

Recovery/repair performance

Techtool Pro's data recovery capabilities focus on repairing volumes that have suffered logical damage. The Volume Rebuild tool can handle native Mac drive formats, as well as MS-DOS (FAT32) and exFAT volumes. Additionally, the software offers S.M.A.R.T. drive checks to alert users of potential drive failures. Techtool Pro's comprehensive hardware diagnostics help users identify and address external factors, such as overheating or a faulty power supply, that may cause hard drive issues.

Value

Techtool Pro is priced between $100.80 and $123.20, depending on the version you choose. While it does not offer a trial version, the software provides a range of features beyond data recovery, such as hardware testing and volume rebuilding. However, the requirement to purchase additional licenses for application upgrades can increase the overall cost for users who want to keep the software up-to-date and usable even on future versions of macOS.

Usability

DiskWarrior's user interface is straightforward and easy to navigate, but it does look a bit outdated. Users can quickly select their problematic drive and initiate the repair process. The process of repairing directory errors is automated, with DiskWarrior creating an error-free version of the directory to compare with the original.

Recovery/repair performance

As a tool focused on directory errors, DiskWarrior's strength lies in its ability to rebuild your Mac's directory structure from scratch to eliminate problems and optimize performance. This can lead to significant improvements in how quickly programs scan the directory, potentially reducing scan times by up to 60%. What’s more, DiskWarrior is capability to run from a bootable device and perform repairs even when the main operating system is compromised. But as previously stated, DiskWarrior’s support is limited to older machines, as it doesn’t work with APFS volumes (the default file system for macOS 10.13 High Sierra and later), and it can’t rebuild the startup disk on any Mac with an SSD running a modern macOS version.

Value

DiskWarrior is priced at $119.95, with a special discounted price of $59.95 for existing customers upgrading from previous versions. While the software does offer unique directory repair capabilities, its limited file system support and lack of a trial version may make it less appealing to users with even slightly modern Macs, all of which come with APFS-formatted hard drives.

Usability

OnyX features a well-organized user interface with multiple tabs that allows users to navigate and access various maintenance tasks, cleaning options, automation routines, and utilities with ease. However, some features might be overwhelming for less tech-savvy users due to their advanced nature. Of course, this is to be expected considering that the sole purpose of the software is to provide access to advanced features and options, so it’s not really something we can criticize the OnyX for. 

Recovery/repair performance

OnyX offers several maintenance and optimization tools that can help diagnose and repair disk problems, such as rebuilding cache files, repairing file permissions, and deleting system cache files or large logs. However, its disk repair capabilities are not as extensive as those of dedicated disk repair software, and it lacks a data recovery feature. As such, we wouldn’t recommend it as the only solution to try when attempting to repair a Mac drive. 

Value

As a free and donation-supported tool, OnyX provides excellent value for users looking to access hidden macOS features and perform routine maintenance tasks. While it may not be as powerful as dedicated disk repair software, it still offers a useful set of tools for optimizing and maintaining a Mac system.

Usability

Data Rescue's user interface is fairly basic, and it appears that the developers have not focused on making it visually appealing or user-friendly. Despite its simplicity, the software is relatively easy to use, with only a few steps required to initiate the recovery process. However, the lack of a pause feature during scanning means that the software will take up your system resources from the moment scanning begins to its end, unless you decide to cancel it and start again from scratch.

Recovery/repair performance

Data Rescue offers two scan modes for data recovery: Quick Scan and Deep Scan. The Quick Scan mode is faster and can recover recently deleted files, while the Deep Scan mode is more comprehensive and can recover data from formatted or corrupted drives. However, the Deep Scan mode can take several hours to complete and, as we’ve pointed out in the section above, can’t be paused. Even bigger issue is the fact that the software can’t directly scan system disks on Macs running macOS 10.13 and higher; it’s necessary to boot into Recovery Mode first. 

Value

Data Rescue's pricing ranges from $79 to $399, depending on the desired features and the number of drives to be recovered. While the software does offer unlimited recoveries with a single license, its aging interface and limitations make it less attractive compared to more modern data recovery tools with similar or better performance.

Usability

DriveDx’s interface looks a bit dated compared to other apps on this list, but it’s super beginner-friendly, buttery-smooth in operation, and sufficiently compacts a lot of disk health information into digestible information panels with semi-colorful indicators. At a glance, you’ll be able to identify your disks and volumes, diagnose existing problems (and prioritize danger zones), as well as analyze individual health indicators about your drive.

Recovery/repair performance

DriveDx can’t recover data or repair disks at all; it’s meant to be used alongside repair and recovery tools, or as a way to avoid needing to fix your drive in the first place. But, as a disk health monitoring tool, it’s extremely impressive. It provides much more exhaustive S.M.A.R.T. attribute details than any of its competitors, which can specifically tell you about indicators like Wear Leveling Count, Raw Read Error Rate, Spin Up Time, and dozens more.

Value

Even though DriveDx doesn’t have recovery or repair features, it’s one of the best disk health monitoring tools available. For what it's worth as a diagnosis tool, its affordable pricing options are more than worth it. DriveDx also supports HDDs, SSDs, NVMe drives, and USB drives, which helps extend its value. But if you strictly need to reserve your budget for disk repair or data recovery tools, you can skip this one.

Usability

The user interface of Drive Genius is organized into three categories: Protect, Clean Up, and Speed Up. This makes it easy for users to navigate and select the appropriate tool for their disk repair needs. Unfortunately, the user interface hasn’t been updated in a while, and it shows. When you launch it on a modern Mac, the app stands out like a sore thumb, and its outdated design doesn’t inspire much confidence in its repair capabilities. 

Recovery/repair performance

Despite its ugly exterior, Drive Genius offers a wide range of disk repair features, including consistency check, repair, rebuild, and hardware issue detection. The software's Instant DrivePulse feature is especially worth mentioning, as it checks your hard drive for hardware-related problems, such as those resulting from a damaged drive, bad cable, or a bad connection. Note that the app’s last officially supported macOS version is Ventura, but the system requirements list macOS 10.12 or later.

Value

Drive Genius offers a professional version available for a one-time payment, starting from $79 to $299, depending on the license type. There’s also a free demo version that allows users to test its compatibility and functionality on their Mac before purchasing. But despite the numerous tools that are included in the software, the overall value isn’t great because you can’t run Drive Genius on the latest version of macOS.

Usability

Carbon Copy Cloner makes it easy for users to create backups and schedule backup tasks. The software keeps you informed about backup progress via the Notification Center or email so you’re always aware of your backup status. The recovery process is equally straightforward, which is admirable considering the large number of advanced features supported by the software. 

Recovery/repair performance

While not a disk repair tool in a traditional sense, Carbon Copy Cloner is a critical lifeline in case a repair attempt fails or the drive needs to be replaced. It’s a disk cloning software that can create bootable backups, which include both user data and system files. This means that you can quickly rebound from a critical disk failure and minimize downtime. As far as backup software for Mac goes, Carbon Copy Cloner is among the most popular and trusted solutions, so you can rest assured, knowing your data will always be safely backed up. Just don’t expect it to recover data that isn’t included in your backups—that’s not something this tool can do. 

Value

Carbon Copy Cloner offers a 30-day trial and a one-time purchase price ranging from $39.99 to $100, depending on the license type. Considering its powerful bootable backup feature and continuous backup capabilities, the software provides good value for users looking for a reliable backup and recovery solution. However, those seeking more comprehensive disk repair and data recovery features should look elsewhere.

Usability

TestDisk has many awesome features and abilities… But usability is not one of them. The application looks like a command-line interface (like the Terminal app), and you can only interact with it using your keyboard. There are also no in-app guides or tutorials, and the on-screen descriptors assume some level of technical knowledge.

Recovery/repair performance

Performance is where TestDisk shines; despite its humble appearance, it has a suite of features that can help with all manner of disk errors. Lost partition recovery helps with restoring files, as well as returning functionality to a corrupted drive. It can repair boot sectors on disk volumes, which is helpful for both non-booting and non-mounting drives. TestDisk can also fix corrupted headers and file system metadata, which can prevent macOS from recognizing your device.

Value

On its own, TestDisk is rough around the edges. It lacks a modern interface, explainers, and even clickable buttons. But it has features that many paid competitors don’t, while being completely free and open-source. It’s an extremely high-value software worth learning if you have the time and effort available.

Usability

You may be familiar with the console version of this tool, but MemTest86 also a graphical user interface with mouse support that makes it easy to navigate and use. The interface presents test results and information clearly. Users can boot the software from a USB flash drive and initiate RAM testing with minimal effort. 

Recovery/repair performance

MemTest86's performance in identifying memory issues is unparalleled, and it can potentially save users from pursuing unnecessary disk repair paths. By thoroughly testing RAM using its array of algorithms, it can accurately pinpoint issues that can manifest with the same symptoms as disk-related issues. Keep in mind, however, that MemTest86 can only detect RAM issues—it can’t fix them. Usually, the only fix is to replace the faulty RAM module.  

Value

MemTest86 offers a free version that is sufficient for most personal use cases. However, professionals or more demanding users may need to consider the Pro Edition, which can be quite expensive considering its singular purpose.