Tool profile
DMDE: cost, fit and limits
DMDE is a disk editor and data recovery program from DMDE Software that scans drives and partitions for lost directories and deleted files, and offers a free version alongside one-time paid licenses for Windows and Mac.
What to know first
DMDE is the cheapest printed ladder in this category: Express at 18 euros is a one-year personal license, Standard at 43 euros is perpetual, and Professional at 85 euros for one OS family adds client recovery rights. A free version runs the same scans but caps each request at 4,000 files from a single folder. Order handling goes through third-party payment services.
DMDE at a glance
| Maker | DMDE Software, Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | 18 euros for Express, a one-year personal license |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Data Recovery Software in 2026, rank 3 of 13 |
| Website | dmde.com |
Who DMDE is best for
Home users on one PC
Express covers one PC for personal use for a year at 18 euros, which suits a one-off emergency where a perpetual license would be wasted.
Small companies
Standard allows personal and own-company use on one PC, with lifetime updates and volume discounts of 20 to 80 percent for two or more copies.
Freelance recovery technicians
Professional permits commercial client recovery, portable activation on different computers one at a time and five extra one-time activations a month.
DMDE plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | Free | Quick Scan, Full Scan and File Recovery, limited to 4,000 files per request from one folder. |
| Express | 18 euros | One-time purchase for a one-year time-limited license, personal use only, one PC, with bulk folders recovery. |
| Standard | 43 euros for one OS family | Perpetual license for personal and own-company use on one PC, with bulk folders recovery and lifetime updates. |
| Professional | 85 euros for one OS family, 120 euros for all | Perpetual license that allows commercial client recovery, portable activation, recovery reports and NTFS alternate data stream recovery. |
Checked November 2026.
What DMDE does
- Scan modes
- Quick Scan and Full Scan are available in the free version, so a user can see what DMDE finds on a damaged disk before deciding whether a paid license is needed at all.
- Bulk folders recovery
- Recovering whole directory trees in one go is a paid feature only, and it is the main practical difference between the free version and the three paid licenses.
- Recovery reports
- Professional produces recovery reports, which helps a technician document what was found and recovered, and hand a written record of the work to a client afterward.
- NTFS alternate data streams
- Professional also recovers NTFS alternate data streams, a detail that matters for files from some Windows applications that keep metadata outside the main data stream of a file.
- Portable activation
- Professional can be activated on different computers one at a time, plus five extra one-time activations per month, which suits technicians who work on client machines.
How DMDE handles your data
The DMDE privacy page says order data is held by a third-party ordering service that the page names as responsible for order processing, and the order names PayPro and 2Checkout. It does not state retention periods, hosting region, certifications or whether any data trains AI models. No AI capability is named on the pages we opened. Recovery runs locally, so recovered files do not pass through vendor servers.
Where DMDE falls short in practice
- Free cap is per request. The free version is capped at 4,000 files per request from one selected directory, which can be enough for photos in a folder but not for a whole disk.
- Express is personal and expires. The cheapest license lasts one year, covers one PC and cannot be used for clients, and the volume discounts on the buy page do not apply to it either.
- Paid file limits unpublished. File limits for the paid editions are not published on the pages we opened, so a buyer relies on the free version to judge scan results first.
Works with
Alternatives to DMDE
DMDE: common questions
What can the free DMDE version do?
The free version runs Quick Scan, Full Scan and File Recovery but limits each recovery request to 4,000 files from one folder. Bulk folders recovery is reserved for paid editions, so large trees need to be recovered in several steps or a license.
Is DMDE Express a subscription?
No, it is a one-time purchase at 18 euros, but the license is time limited to one year, personal use only and one PC. Standard and Professional are perpetual, so Express suits a single emergency more than ongoing work or a growing collection.
Can I use DMDE for client work?
Only with Professional, which allows commercial client recovery. Standard covers personal and own-company use, and Express is personal use only. Professional costs 85 euros for one OS family or 120 euros for all OS families, as of November 2026, and Standard stays at 43 euros.
Does DMDE offer volume discounts?
Yes for Standard and Professional. The buy page lists discounts of 20 to 80 percent for two or more copies, and says they do not apply to Express. Confirm the exact tiers on the buy page before ordering several licenses.
Who processes DMDE orders?
The privacy page names a third-party ordering service as responsible for order processing, and the page names PayPro and 2Checkout. Prices are shown in euros on the buy page. No VAT or other billing detail was visible beyond the printed prices, so ask before ordering for a company.