Data Recovery Cost Estimator
Estimate the cost of professional data recovery based on your storage device type, failure category, data volume, and turnaround urgency.
Approximate percentage of the drive that contains data
Only applies if RAID Array is selected above
Formula
Cost Range = BaseRange(device) × Ffailure × Furgency × Fsize × Ffill × FRAID
- BaseRange(device) — Published market minimum/maximum for each device class (USD): HDD $300–$1,500 · SSD $500–$2,000 · RAID $1,000–$5,000 · Flash $200–$800 · Tape $400–$1,800 · Mobile $250–$900
- Ffailure — Complexity multiplier by failure type: Logical ×1.0 · Firmware ×1.4 · Mechanical ×2.0 · Electronic ×2.5 · Physical ×3.5
- Furgency — Turnaround multiplier: Standard ×1.0 · Priority ×1.5 · Emergency ×2.5
- Fsize — Logarithmic size scaling: 1 + 0.15 × log₂(GB ÷ 500), clamped to [0.70, 2.50]
- Ffill — Data volume factor: 0.80 + 0.40 × (fill% ÷ 100), range [0.80, 1.20]
- FRAID — RAID drive count factor (RAID only): 1 + 0.30 × (drives − 2)
- Cost per GB = Midpoint Cost ÷ Effective Data GB
- Success Rate = Base success by failure type ± device adjustment
Assumptions & References
- Base cost ranges derived from published pricing by DriveSavers, Ontrack, and Secure Data Recovery (2023–2024).
- Logical failures (deletion, formatting) require no cleanroom and are least expensive.
- Mechanical failures (head crashes, motor failure) require ISO Class 5 cleanroom work, significantly raising cost.
- Physical damage (fire, flood, crush) may require component harvesting and advanced reconstruction.
- RAID recovery costs scale with drive count due to multi-drive imaging and array reconstruction complexity.
- Emergency turnaround (24–48 hrs) typically commands a 2–3× premium over standard service.
- SSD recovery is generally more expensive than HDD due to NAND chip-level work and encryption complexity.
- Success rate estimates are based on industry-reported averages; actual outcomes depend on specific damage extent.
- Costs are in USD and reflect North American market rates; international rates may differ by ±30%.
- This tool provides estimates only. Always obtain a professional diagnostic evaluation before committing to service.