This is a review of iBoysoft Data Recovery, an all-in-one data recovery tool for Mac and Windows.
I’ve been offering IT training and support for several decades, and write software reviews and how-tos for business users. I’ve taken an in-depth look at iBoysoft Data Recovery to let you know if it will meet your needs.
It seems to work as advertised. Compared with similar apps it is a little slow, and there are few user reviews available on the internet. As a result, it’s difficult to gauge how successful the software has been for existing users.
In this iBoysoft Data Recovery review, I’ll explore the types of data the application can restore, how long this is likely to take, and weigh up your chance of success. I’ll also list other features that are offered and whether it’s suitable for beginners or advanced users.
Let’s get started.
Contents
iBoysoft Data Recovery Overview
iBoysoft Data Recovery will recover your lost data, whether it be deleted files or data lost because of a corrupt or formatted partition. Several editions are available:
- iBoysoft Data Recovery for Windows Standard Edition: $69.95, licensed for 1 PC
- iBoysoft Data Recovery for Windows Professional Edition: $199, licensed for 2 PCs
- iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac Professional Edition: $89.95/month, $109.95/year, $199.95 lifetime, licensed for 1 Mac
The Windows prices are one-time purchases and the Standard Edition is comparable with other data recovery solutions. The Mac prices are subscriptions and are at the expensive end of the scale. Plans suitable for data recovery technicians are also available.
A free trial will show you if your files can be recovered before paying for the application and allows you to recover 1 GB of data. In this review, we will focus on the Professional Edition for Mac.
Recovery Features
How is data recovery possible? When you delete a file its data is not immediately removed from the drive. That space on the drive is marked as available, and in time new files will overwrite the data.
Methods of data recovery offered:
- A quick scan of the directory structure for deleted files
- A deep scan of a partition for lost files and file fragments no longer listed in the directory structure
Supported storage media: Hard drives (internal and external), USB drives, flash drives, SD cards, CF cards, memory cards, memory sticks, microcards, and more. RAID drives are not supported.
Disclaimer: It is difficult to recover data from solid-state drives (SSDs). The TRIM technology that increases their efficiency also makes it impossible to recover your files once the trash has been emptied.
Supported file systems:
- Windows version: NTFS, exFAT, FAT32
- Mac version: APFS, HFS+, EXFAT, FAT32
An additional software product must be purchased from the company to read Windows NTFS drives on a Mac. The Mac APFS and HFS+ formats cannot be read with the Windows version.
Supported file types: Most popular photo, document, video, music, and email formats.
Additional Features
iBoysoft Data Recovery offers a few additional features:
- Saving scans for recovery at a later time
- Sorting and searching the files located to narrow down the results to a more manageable number
- Previewing located files
However, it lacks a number of features offered by some other recovery applications:
- Pause and resume
- Bootable recovery drive
- Recovery Vault to store deleted files for guaranteed recovery
- Imaging and cloning
- File overwriting (secure delete)
- Defragmentation
- Deleting duplicates and other cleanup features
- SMART monitoring for early warning of failing hard drives
- Mail-in recovery service
User Experience
Software setup is straightforward, and no technical knowledge is required to use the software. Data recovery is accomplished in three steps:
- Select the drive or partition where you lost data
- Scan that location for lost or deleted files
- Preview the files that are located and select the files to recover
Recovered files are saved to a different drive, not the original.
Performance
Scanning for lost files can be time-consuming. How fast is iBoysoft Data Recovery?
To find out I scanned a 4GB USB flash drive. A quick scan just took a second or two, and a deep scan 12 minutes.
That’s a little slower than eight other Mac data recovery apps I tested. The fastest took just four minutes, and the slowest, 10 minutes.
Effectiveness
Data recovery can never be guaranteed. How successful was iBoysoft Data Recovery?
A quick scan of my flash drive located 155 lost files. A deep scan located 5,742. The application appears to work, but are users satisfied that it can locate the specific files that they are looking to restore?
Unfortunately, I was unable to find many user reviews or ratings, and those I did find are divided.
- G2 gave a rating of 4.3 stars based on just three reviews [1]
- MacUpdate gave a rating of 2.5 stars also based on three reviews [2]
The app may be able to recover your files, but there are reputable alternatives that have performed well in stringent industry tests. I’ll recommend a few below.
Customer Support
The iBoysoft Support Center [3] provides a technical manual, online help, and a FAQ. Support can be contacted via email.
FAQS
Is iBoysoft Data Recovery safe?
Yes, scanning for lost data will not overwrite your existing data, and any recovered files are saved to a different drive. A scan with Bitdefender Virus Scanner found no malware.
Is iBoysoft Data Recovery really free?
No, not really. The free version will show you which lost files the software can locate and allows you to recover 1 GB of data. That’s useful for testing, but not enough for most real-world situations. Purchasing a license allows you to recover an unlimited amount of data.
Alternatives
If iBoysoft Data Recovery isn’t right for you, here are some alternatives I recommend.
Data Recovery offers an easy-to-use wizard that will scan your drive quickly for lost files. It’s available for both Windows and Mac.
Stellar is an easy-to-use application with a wide variety of features. It is a reliable and effective application, but its scans can be time-consuming. It’s available on both Windows and Mac.
R-Studio is an advanced tool suitable for data recovery professionals. It’s available for both Windows and Mac.
Final Verdict
iBoysoft Data Recovery seems to work as advertised, and may, in fact, successfully recover your lost data. Its scans are a little slow, and it hasn’t gained traction in the marketplace, which makes it difficult to get an accurate picture of how successful it has been for its users.
Other data recovery applications have been highly rated by thousands of users and performed well in industry tests. I recommend you start with one of them instead.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and Stellar Data Recovery are highly effective and require no technical knowledge. A scan with the free trial of one of these apps will show you whether your lost data can be located so you can purchase them with confidence.
References
