What data recovery costs depend on: how to read ranges and quotes
This guide does not replace the data recovery price list. It explains where the ranges come from and why the final quote is possible only after diagnosis. The cost depends mainly on the type of device, the failure mode and whether the lab can safely read the device or make a sector image. Deleted files, a mechanically damaged HDD and a degraded RAID/NAS after a failed rebuild are different workloads.
For a faster quote, prepare the following details.
- Device type and model: HDD, SSD/NVMe, RAID/NAS, memory card, USB flash drive or external USB disk.
- Failure symptom: RAW, not detected, clicking, read error, deleted files, encryption, degraded array or ransomware.
- Information about attempts after the failure: format, CHKDSK, rebuild, firmware update, recovery scan or cloning.
If the question is "how much does data recovery cost", go directly to the data recovery pricing page as well. For a specific device, compare HDD data recovery, SSD/NVMe data recovery, RAID/NAS data recovery, external USB drive recovery and flash card and USB flash recovery.
First the device, then the symptom, then the risk
The simplest pricing formula is: first the device, then the symptom, then the risk. A logical problem on a USB flash drive is different from an SSD where TRIM may be involved, and different again from a dropped HDD or a RAID array after a failed rebuild.
Without diagnosis, the price is only indicative. The service is not priced as one isolated technical action. The goal is working files and safe handover of recovered data, not performing a single operation without checking the result.
What the cost depends on
Every case is different, and the cost mainly comes from three things: the device, the type of fault and whether a stable read or sector copy can be made safely. Simple recovery after deletion is priced differently from a mechanical HDD failure, and differently again from RAID/NAS reconstruction after a degraded status or failed rebuild.
If the data matters, the cheapest decision is often to stop further attempts. Formatting, CHKDSK, a rebuild, installing recovery software on the same device or copying "until it works" can increase the work required and raise the final cost.
Typical ranges for HDD, SSD, RAID, memory cards and USB flash drives
Simple logical HDD cases often fall around PLN 320 to 960. Unstable read or surface problems are usually closer to PLN 640 to 2,000, while mechanical HDD failures commonly start from about PLN 1,440. SSD/NVMe cases become more complex when firmware, controller, TRIM, encryption or NAND-level work is involved. If the drive has bad sectors or behaves unstably, HDD data recovery is usually performed through controlled sector-by-sector imaging.
RAID and NAS cases usually cost more because member drives must first be secured, the order and parameters reconstructed, and the failure history understood. Memory cards and USB flash drives have separate ranges: simple logical cases are often around PLN 320 to 960, RAW or structure damage around PLN 640 to 1,440, and chip-off or physical/controller work usually around PLN 1,120 to 2,240.
Standard mode, priority mode and diagnosis before the decision
Standard diagnosis is free and it is where most cases begin. Express mode is a paid acceleration of response and work organisation, not a promise of a fuller recovery. Success depends on the real condition of the device, so the lab first evaluates chances, risk and the safe scope of work.
Before you accept the work, you receive a plan, a range or a specific quote after diagnosis. Paid recovery starts only after your decision, and in special cases such as RAID/NAS analysis or priority mode, the rules are agreed clearly before work begins.
What affects the quote after the first diagnosis
After the device is received, the most important questions are whether a stable read can be made, how high the risk of further deterioration is, and how complex the data reconstruction will be. Similar-looking symptoms may mean completely different work. An unstable HDD, an SSD or NVMe with a controller problem, and a company case involving RAID or NAS are quoted differently.
If the device was already formatted, repaired with CHKDSK, rebuilt or repeatedly scanned with software, the cost can rise. Not because the lab is adding a penalty, but because the number of safe steps needed to recover data increases. In practice, the least expensive case is often the one that was not made worse by extra attempts.
How to prepare a case so you get a more realistic quote faster
The most useful description is short and concrete: model, failure moment, system messages and information about any repair attempts. For business cases, add whether the files are a database, server environment, project photos or accounting data. This makes it easier to decide whether the case looks like simple logical recovery or a priority diagnostic case.
When you want to move from a general guide to specifics, check HDD data recovery or memory card and USB flash recovery. You can also use the device symptom form to get a quote based on a real symptom rather than guesswork.
Related guides that help you assess cost and risk
If you want to understand why prices vary so much between cases, start with related guides. Read about five mistakes that reduce recovery chances, what a professional laboratory does, what a drive disconnecting during copying may mean, and how to plan photo and document backups. These materials help separate a simple case from one that needs wider diagnosis and a larger budget.