Cinder Recovery started with a simple, frustrating truth: most data-recovery software treats a stressful moment — you just lost files that matter — as a chance to upsell first and help second. Scary countdowns, files listed as "recoverable" that turn out to be junk, and no honest word about what the software actually can't do.
We built Cinder to be the opposite. You scan and preview everything that's recoverable, with real filenames, before paying a cent. If a file isn't really there, you'll see that too. And when your operating system genuinely blocks recovery — like a Mac's own startup disk under System Integrity Protection — we tell you plainly instead of pretending otherwise.
What makes it different
- Free to see the truth. Scanning and previewing is free forever. You only pay to save files back to disk.
- Original filenames, not "File001.jpg". Cinder reads FAT32, NTFS and exFAT metadata to bring names and folders back, not just carved signatures.
- An honest free tool built in. The Drive Integrity & Capacity Test catches counterfeit "fake capacity" USB sticks and SD cards before they silently eat your data.
- Plain talk about limits. Every recovery tool has them; we're the ones who put them on the homepage.
Who it's for
Photographers who formatted the wrong card. Anyone who emptied the Trash too soon. People who bought a "1TB" drive online that turned out to be an 8GB chip lying about its size. If you've had that sinking feeling, Cinder is built for exactly that moment.