Kroll Ontrack EasyRecovery is one of the most established names in data recovery software, but its subscription pricing and premium positioning raise a legitimate question: does the performance justify the cost? We reviewed the features, tested the speed benchmarks, and compared the pricing so you can decide.
Part 1. What Is Ontrack EasyRecovery?
Ontrack EasyRecovery (formerly Kroll Ontrack EasyRecovery) is developed by Ontrack, a data recovery company with decades of professional and consumer experience. It targets both home users and IT professionals, with plans spanning basic personal recovery to enterprise-grade toolkits.
The software supports recovery from:
- Deleted files on Windows and Mac
- Formatted or corrupted hard drives and SSDs
- RAID 0, 5, and 6 arrays
- USB drives, SD cards, and optical media
- Drives formatted with FAT, NTFS, exFAT, HFS+, and APFS
That APFS support is notable — many competing tools still lack it, making EasyRecovery one of the stronger options for users on modern Macs.
💡 Tip: Use the Quick Scan option first for recently deleted files. Deep Scan is more thorough but takes significantly longer — save it for formatted or corrupted drives.
Part 2. Ontrack EasyRecovery Pricing: All Plans Compared
EasyRecovery runs on a subscription model — most plans are billed annually, which means the cost compounds over time. Only the Technician tier offers a one-time purchase option.
| Plan | Platform | Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home | Windows | $72.03/year | Annual |
| Home | Mac | $66.95/year | Annual |
| Professional | Windows | $92.37/year | Annual |
| Professional | Mac | $109.32/year | Annual |
| Premium | Windows | $126.27/year | Annual |
| Premium | Mac | $134.75/year | Annual |
| Technician | Windows | $253.39 | One-time |
| Toolkit | Windows | $499/year | Annual |
⚠️ Important: The free trial requires you to submit personal information before downloading. It caps recovery at 1 GB, and individual files must be under 25 MB — a significant restriction if you are recovering videos or large archives.
The subscription model is the biggest sticking point for most users. Over three years, the Home plan costs over $210 — more than many one-time competitors.
🗣️ r/sysadmin user on the Toolkit plan: "Is it worth $700 for the toolkit?" — The thread consensus was that it depends heavily on professional use frequency; for occasional home use, it is difficult to justify.
Part 3. Features: What EasyRecovery Actually Offers
Ontrack EasyRecovery includes several features that genuinely differentiate it from lower-cost tools:
Available across most paid plans:
- Deep Scan technology — reconstructs file tables from raw data sectors
- Disk imaging — creates a sector-by-sector image before recovery, reducing risk of further damage
- File preview — view documents, photos, and videos before committing to recovery
- Scheduled automatic scans — useful for ongoing monitoring scenarios
- Photo and video repair — attempts to fix corrupted JPG, CR2, MP4, and MKV files
Higher-tier features:
- RAID 0/5/6 recovery — Professional and above
- Secure data deletion — overwrite sensitive files
- 24/7 emergency support — ISO/IEC 27001 and SOC 2 certified support team
💡 Tip: Always use the disk imaging feature before attempting recovery on a failing or clicking drive. Working from an image protects the original drive from further degradation during the scan process.
What EasyRecovery does not support:
- Crashed computer / bootable USB recovery
- NAS (network-attached storage) recovery in consumer plans
- Linux file systems
Part 4. Scan Speed and Recovery Performance
EasyRecovery's scan speed is one of its strongest points. Independent tests on a 500 GB partition completed in under 5 minutes — significantly faster than many competitors.
Detailed recovery results from NVMe SSD testing:
| Scenario | Success Rate | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Photo recovery (JPG, CR2) | ~98% | ~4 minutes |
| Video recovery (MP4, MKV) | ~92% | ~3.5 minutes |
| Formatted partition recovery | ~85% | ~13 minutes |
Performance drops notably for formatted partition recovery compared to simple file deletion — the 85% figure means roughly 1 in 7 files may not be recoverable after formatting.
One consistent weakness: recovered files often lack original filenames and folder structure. Files may come back as generic names like FILE0001.jpg, requiring manual sorting.
🗣️ r/datarecovery user: "Every file recovered through Ontrack Easy Recovery is corrupt (SSD)" — while not universal, SSD recovery in particular can produce corrupted outputs, especially on drives with wear or failing cells.
💡 Tip: After recovery, spot-check a sample of files before assuming recovery is complete. Corrupted files may appear in the file list but fail to open — previewing before bulk recovery saves time.
Part 5. Pros and Cons: Should You Use EasyRecovery?
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fast scan speed (500GB in ~5 min) | Subscription model — ongoing yearly cost |
| Supports APFS (modern Mac) | Requires personal info for free trial |
| RAID 0/5/6 recovery | High price vs. one-time competitors |
| Photo and video repair feature | Recovered files often lose original names |
| Disk imaging for safer recovery | Limited Windows 11 / recent macOS compatibility |
| ISO/IEC 27001 and SOC 2 certified | No crashed computer / bootable USB recovery |
EasyRecovery is a strong choice for professionals, IT admins, and users with RAID arrays or Mac APFS drives. For home users with a single deleted folder or a formatted USB drive, the annual subscription likely costs more than the situation warrants.
Part 6. Try Ritridata — No Subscription, Covers Core Recovery Needs
If your situation involves deleted files, a formatted drive, or a corrupted SD card on Windows or Mac — and you do not need RAID recovery — Ritridata covers those scenarios without a yearly subscription.
Step 1 — Select the drive or location where your files were lost
Step 2 — Run a safe scan — your original files are not modified during the process
Step 3 — Preview your files, then recover them to a different drive
FAQ
Is Kroll Ontrack EasyRecovery still the same product? The software is now marketed as Ontrack EasyRecovery — Kroll divested the Ontrack division, and the product continues under the Ontrack brand. The core technology and support infrastructure remain the same.
Is EasyRecovery free? A free tier is available, but it limits recovery to 1 GB and requires individual files to be under 25 MB. It also requires personal information to download, which some users find off-putting compared to tools that offer an unrestricted trial scan.
Does Ontrack EasyRecovery work on Mac? Yes. EasyRecovery supports both HFS+ and APFS, making it compatible with older and modern Macs. Mac pricing is separate from Windows and varies by plan tier.
Can EasyRecovery recover RAID data? RAID 0, 5, and 6 recovery is available in the Professional plan and above. Home tier plans do not include RAID support.
How fast is Ontrack EasyRecovery? In testing, EasyRecovery scanned a 500 GB partition in under 5 minutes — faster than most competing tools in the same category.
Why do my recovered files have the wrong names? EasyRecovery often recovers file content without preserving original filenames or folder structure, particularly after formatting. This is a known limitation; recovered files may need to be manually sorted and renamed.
Is the EasyRecovery subscription worth it? For professionals who need RAID support, certified data handling, and 24/7 support, the subscription may be justified. For home users with occasional recovery needs, a one-time purchase tool often delivers better value over time.