The quick answer: Data recovery from a single disk costs roughly between 2,000 and 30,000 CZK; severe mechanical HDD failures, SSD malfunctions, or recovering multiple disks from a NAS tend to be at the higher end. The determining factor is not the volume of data, but the type of fault, the condition of the media, and the effort required to obtain a readable clone — the exact amount can only be set after a diagnostic. The costliest mistake, however, is not the price of recovery but a rash attempt that overwrites the only copy of the data.
Data recovery costs can seem opaque because things that cannot be compared are often directly compared. „How much will it cost?" doesn’t have a single answer — the same symptom can have five different causes, each requiring a different procedure, equipment, and number of labor hours. This text is not a binding offer, but a decision-making framework: what makes up the final cost, what pushes it up more than disk capacity, and how to spot a fair offer before handing your media over to anyone.
The cost is dictated by the type of fault, not disk capacity
The phrase „the disk isn’t detected" says nothing about the price. Behind the same symptom lies a damaged USB cable, faulty disk electronics, degraded read/write heads, or a seized motor — ranging from a five-minute cable swap to opening the disk in a cleanroom environment. Until a technician diagnoses the media, every figure is just an estimate from a range.
That is why the price isn’t based on how many gigabytes you want back, but on whether those gigabytes can even be safely accessed. Recovering two files can cost the same as recovering an entire disk: the bulk of the work typically lies in safely reading the damaged media and creating its sector-by-sector clone. Locating a specific document within that finished clone is then a smaller part of the job.
Indicative data recovery price list (2026)
The following amounts are indicative market ranges commonly encountered in 2026 — not a binding offer. For corporate jobs, always verify whether the price includes VAT, whether it covers diagnostics, and if there are extra charges for a new media, spare parts, or an express service.
| Fault Type | Typical Case | Indicative Price |
|---|---|---|
| Logical data loss | Deleted files, quick format, corrupted partition | 2,000–8,000 CZK |
| Bad sectors on HDD | Disk is slow, disconnects, or reports read errors | 4,000–12,000 CZK |
| HDD electronics failure | Doesn’t spin up, not detected, stopped working after a power surge | 5,000–15,000 CZK |
| Mechanical HDD failure | Clicking, damaged heads, seized motor, head-platter contact | 10,000–30,000+ CZK |
| Logical SSD recovery | Deleted partitions or corrupted file system | 3,000–10,000 CZK |
| Hardware SSD recovery | Faulty controller, power supply, or direct memory chip reading | 8,000–30,000+ CZK |
| External disk | Depends on whether the USB bridge, the HDD, or the SSD itself is faulty | 3,000–25,000 CZK |
| RAID or NAS | Synology, QNAP, server, or multiple disks outside an array | 10,000–50,000+ CZK |
The lower end typically corresponds to media that can be read steadily and doesn’t require physical opening. The upper end belongs to cases involving spare parts, complex reconstruction, or repetitive read errors where the disk is read in small sections with controlled retries.
What you are actually paying for during data recovery
The result isn’t a „repaired disk." The damaged media is generally not returned to service — the goal is to read the available data from it and save it to another, healthy disk. The price, therefore, does not cover hardware repair but the hours of labor and equipment needed to obtain a readable clone.
The cost can include:
- Initial diagnostics and fault identification,
- Stabilizing the media before reading,
- Creating a sector-by-sector clone onto working storage,
- Replacing electronics or mechanical components,
- Reconstructing partitions, the file system, or RAID array,
- Checking recovered files and preparing a list of recoverable data,
- Transferring the result onto new media,
- Secure storage and subsequent deletion of the working clone.
Before handing over your disk, ask which of these items the quote includes. A low starting amount is often just the price for diagnostics; spare parts, a donor disk, the output media, or work outside standard hours are often billed separately.
What pushes the cost up more than data volume
Type of damage
A deleted partition on an otherwise readable HDD is a different world from a disk that clicks after a fall. For a logical fault, you work with an image of the media, and the disk is not physically opened. For a mechanical failure, it may be necessary to open the hermetic chamber, replace the head stack assembly, and read the platters in small sections. This is where the difference in procedure — and therefore in cost — is the greatest; it’s examined in more detail in our guide on HDD data recovery by fault type.
Previous repair attempts
CHKDSK, disk initialization in Windows, RAID array rebuilding, or repeatedly powering up a clicking HDD can deepen the original problem. For bad sectors, every additional read cycle strains the heads and platter surface; a repair tool used on a corrupted file system can, in turn, overwrite exactly the structures used to locate the data. A disk that has passed through several service shops may thus be not just more expensive due to additional diagnostics — it could be in significantly worse physical condition than during the initial failure.
Availability of spare parts
For an HDD, buying just any disk with the same capacity won’t suffice. The donor is selected by the specific family, hardware revision, firmware, and mechanical parameters — and for some models, finding a compatible part prolongs the process and raises the price.
Encryption
BitLocker, hardware-based SSD encryption, or an encrypted NAS volume changes the entire procedure. Without a recovery key, password, or the correct configuration, even successfully read data may be unusable — a lab cannot simply bypass properly implemented encryption just because it physically holds the disk. We cover everything you should know beforehand about BitLocker separately, so that the read data isn’t useless.
Requested speed
Express recovery means dedicated equipment and work outside the standard queue. The surcharge makes sense when a downtime for accounting, production, or a project team costs more than the job’s priority. But you cannot pay to overcome the physical limits of unstable media — the safe reading of a damaged disk cannot be rushed.
HDD, SSD, and NAS: why prices differ
For a classic HDD, faults are categorized as logical, electronic, or mechanical. Clicking usually means the read/write heads cannot initialize properly or are repeatedly searching for servo information — and further power-on hours damage the platter surface. That’s why when a drive clicks, it almost always lands in a higher price bracket, and every additional spin-up raises the risk.
An SSD has no platters or moving heads, but that doesn’t make it any simpler. The controller spreads data across NAND chips, uses error correction, and translates logical addresses to physical blocks; when the controller fails, this logic must be reconstructed. Moreover, after deletion, the TRIM command marks blocks for erasure and the data can disappear irretrievably — therefore, after a data loss on an SSD, turn it off and do not connect it again.
NAS devices from brands like Synology and QNAP add another layer. It’s not enough to recover individual files from disks such as WD Red, Seagate IronWolf, or Toshiba N300 — the disk order, array type (RAID or SHR), stripe size, parity, volume state, and file system must be correctly determined. For Synology, this often involves a combination of DSM, SHR, and btrfs; for QNAP, a storage pool and thin volume. And be careful: rebuilding a degraded array is not a diagnosis — it writes to all involved disks and, with an incorrectly chosen disk order or a hidden fault on another disk, will worsen the situation.
Do you pay even if the data cannot be recovered?
There is no uniform rule across the entire market. You will encounter free diagnostics, paid diagnostics, and a model where the customer only pays for labor upon achieving a pre-agreed result. The difference between „free diagnostics„ and „no-data, no-fee" can be crucial on the final invoice.
Therefore, get written confirmation beforehand on:
- The diagnostic fee and whether it’s refundable or non-refundable,
- What is considered a successful recovery,
- Whether you can pre-approve a list of priority folders,
- What other costs may arise,
- Whether a cost limit can be exceeded without your consent,
- What happens if key data is missing or corrupted.
„Recovered 95% of files" may not be a success for a company if the accounting database or the latest project version lies among the missing five percent. Define the result based on your priority data, not by the number of files.
How to spot a serious offer
A serious provider does not promise success before any diagnostics. They can explain the fault, the proposed procedure, and what might further damage the media — and they won’t try to pressure you into a decision before they have even seen the disk.
When choosing, verify:
- Whether the company actually performs the recovery or forwards the disk to a third party,
- Who will have access to the data and whether an NDA can be signed,
- Whether you will receive a written quote,
- Whether you can specify your priority files,
- How the list of recoverable data will be delivered,
- How long the working copy is kept and how its secure deletion is performed,
- Whether the company issues a proper tax invoice.
The mere word „laboratory" guarantees nothing. Ask about the specific procedure, equipment, and liability for the media. Prices for the same job can vary significantly between providers — it makes sense to compare them before handing over your disk, not by conducting five consecutive diagnostics on the same damaged media, where each attempt increases the risk.
Before you hand over the disk: steps that keep costs down
As soon as you notice a problem, turn the disk off. Do not copy „just one last folder„ from it, do not run CHKDSK or initialization, and on a NAS, do not automatically click Recover or Rebuild. It’s precisely these „rescue" attempts that most often push a job into a more expensive category.
Prepare information that will speed up the diagnostic:
- The exact model of the disk or NAS,
- The number and order of disks in the array,
- A description of the last known functional situation and what happened just before the fault,
- Which tools have already been run,
- Whether the storage is encrypted,
- Which folders and databases are a priority,
- How much a single day without data costs your company.
DIY tools like Recuva or TestDisk are only suitable for accidentally deleted files on healthy, steadily readable media — and recovery is always performed onto a different disk, never back onto the original. If the media is clicking, disconnecting, reporting bad sectors, or holds the only copy of corporate data, further experimentation is no longer a cheap alternative, but the most expensive part of the whole story.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does data recovery from an external drive cost?
Approximately 3,000–25,000 CZK. If only the USB bridge or file system has failed, the cost tends to be at the lower end. A clicking HDD, damaged heads, or a faulty SSD controller inside the enclosure moves the job to a higher tier.
Is data recovery diagnostics free?
It depends on the provider. It could be free, billed separately, or included in the cost of a successful recovery. Request written terms before handing over the media, including the amount payable if recovery fails.
Why does recovering a few files cost the same as recovering an entire disk?
The main cost arises from safely reading the media and creating its sector-by-sector clone. The technician often needs to process a large portion of the disk before determining whether the requested files are complete and undamaged — and this holds true whether you want two documents back or the entire drive.
Can the cost be reduced by DIY data recovery?
Only on healthy media in the case of simple deletion. Recuva or TestDisk can help if nothing is written to the original disk and the result is saved elsewhere. For clicking sounds, bad sectors, a post-deletion SSD, or a degraded RAID array, DIY attempts increase both the risk and the final cost.
How long does data recovery take?
Logical cases are usually a matter of a few working days. Unstable HDDs, searching for spare parts, or RAID reconstruction take longer. The timeline must be based on a diagnostic — an express service shortens the wait in the queue, not the safe reading of damaged media.