DMDE — The Power User's Free-First Recovery Tool
DMDE is the recovery tool you buy once for $20 and keep for years. It is the strongest free tier in the market — here is what it covers in 2026.
What it does
DMDE runs on Windows and Linux. You select a disk or partition, and it does a quick scan (file table) or a deep scan (signature). You preview and recover to a different volume. The free tier recovers up to 2 GB per device — for a household that lost a folder of photos or a batch of docs, that is often enough. The paid one-time license (~$20) unlocks unlimited recovery. For a NAS array, DMDE understands common RAID layouts, but R-Studio is stronger for vendor-specific layouts (SHR, QNAP, UGREEN).
Pricing and the free tier
Free up to 2 GB recovered per device. Paid ~$20 one-time (2026 list). A one-time license, no subscription — the cheapest strong recovery tool in the market.
Good at
- Power users who want a one-time, cheap, strong free tier
- Recovering a USB drive or SD card
- RAID-0/1/5/6 and JBOD layouts
Not for
- Non-technical households that want a polished UI
- Bootable Linux recovery (separate media)
Key features
- Free up to 2 GB recovered per device (the strongest free tier in the market)
- One-time ~$20 license (no subscription)
- RAID-0/1/5/6 and JBOD rebuilds
- NTFS, exFAT, ReFS, ext3/4, XFS, HFS+ (read)
Frequently asked questions
Is DMDE free or paid?
Free up to 2 GB recovered per device. Paid ~$20 one-time for unlimited recovery. No subscription.
Why is DMDE the best free tier?
2 GB is enough for most household losses (a folder of photos, a batch of docs, a USB drive). Most other free tiers cap at 500 MB.
Tools are half the picture — the snapshot and backup layer is the other half. See the 3-2-1 backup guide, the ransomware recovery walkthrough, and what decryption tools actually exist.
Last updated: November 2026 · prices are US list prices at the time of writing. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.