Diskferry

Paragon APFS and HFS+ for Windows alternative

Paragon Software sells two separate Windows drivers: one for APFS and one for HFS+ (Mac OS Extended). Both mount the Mac drive in File Explorer for reading and writing. Diskferry reads both formats in one app, read only. Facts below are from Paragon's APFS page and HFS+ page and the shop pages linked from them, checked 30 October 2026.

DiskferryParagon APFS for WindowsParagon HFS+ for Windows
Price (home use)Free to find, browse and preview; copying US$14.99 once$24.95, "single seat license"; business $49.95$19.95, "single seat license"
TrialBrowsing is free, no time limitNot stated on the product page"ten days completely for free. After that it will be locked"
FormatsAPFS and HFS+ in one appAPFS only ("Is HFS+ supported in this product? No.")HFS+ only
Writes to the driveNo, never writes to the drive"APFS volumes are mounted in read-write mode"Read and write
Encrypted APFSYes, with the password"Detects volumes encrypted by FileVault"; T2 volumes "aren't supported"Not applicable
Limits stated by ParagonSee below"Supports APFS volumes created in macOS 12 Monterey"; volumes with snapshots are "mounted in read-only mode"; only containers "residing on a single physical store""Time Machine volumes are not supported"; disable Fast Startup "to avoid possible file system corruption"
DriverNo driver; Microsoft Store appYes, drive appears in ExplorerYes
Copy verificationYes, every copy compared by SHA-256, with a reportNot statedNot stated

Paragon also sells "Paragon Mac ToolBox for just $54.99", a bundle that includes both drivers (HFS+ page).

Choose Paragon if

  • You know the drive's format and need to read and write it from Windows over time.
  • You want the drive to show in File Explorer like any other drive.

Choose Diskferry if

  • You do not know whether the drive is APFS or HFS+, or you have both: one app reads either.
  • You only need the files off the drive and want nothing on it to change. Diskferry never mounts or writes to it.
  • You want each copy checked against the original, with a report.
DiskferryMicrosoft Store

Diskferry's limits, for fairness: no writing, no drive letters, no Time Machine backups, no Fusion Drives, no internal SSDs of Macs with a T2 or Apple silicon chip, no compressed or encrypted .dmg files, x64 only.

Facts about other products were checked on 30 October 2026 on the pages linked above. Products change; check their current pages before buying. Names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to compare.

Questions

Do I need both Paragon drivers?

Only if you have both kinds of drive. Paragon's APFS page answers "Is HFS+ supported in this product?" with "No." and points to the separate HFS+ product.

Can I use Paragon's trial just to copy files off?

Paragon's HFS+ page offers ten free days; the APFS page does not state a trial (checked 30 October 2026). A driver trial means installing and later uninstalling a driver. Diskferry needs no driver, and browsing is free with no time limit.

Last updated 30 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell support.

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