Parted Magic vs WipeDrive
Parted Magic
partedmagic.comWipeDrive
whitecanyon.comSide by side
| Figure | Parted Magic | WipeDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4.92/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Spec score · Data Destruction Software | 7.5 (#10) | 7.9 (#7) |
| Spec score · Disk Wiping Software | 7.4 (#21) | 7.9 (#14) |
| Intended users | The maker describes uses for IT asset disposal, system administration, disk recovery and forensics, and home disk-management tasks. | WhiteCanyon says WipeDrive was engineered for corporations and government entities and recommends it for commercial use. |
| Limit | The support page says Parted Magic is not an installable Windows application; it is a bootable Linux environment run from USB or CD. | The Enterprise manual warns that WipeDrive may not detect a locked DCO and that some DCO locks cannot be bypassed. |
| Secure erase | Its erase utility supports ATA, NVMe, SAS/SCSI, and eMMC/SD storage, selecting an erase path based on drive capabilities. | When supported by a drive, WipeDrive can use Enhanced Secure Erase or Sanitize Device commands to erase reallocated sectors. |
| Support | For purchase support, the maker asks customers to reply to their order confirmation email and says to allow one to two business days for a reply. | The maker says its Enterprise Support Team can guide customers through customization, and it lists global technical support among WipeDrive's support features. |
Plans
Parted Magic
- Enterprise Compliance LicensePriced on request
- Quarterly Subscription$19 a month
- Single Version$19, paid once
- One Year Subscription$59 a year
- Parted Magic Forever$349, paid once
- Parted Magic Enterprise Compliance License$1,750, paid once
In their own words
Parted Magic
Parted Magic is paid, bootable Linux software for managing storage from USB, optical disc, or PXE. It requires a 64-bit x86 processor and at least 2 GB of RAM, and supports UEFI Secure Boot, legacy BIOS, and Intel-based Mac hardware. Its tools securely erase ATA, NVMe, SAS/SCSI, and eMMC/SD drives, choosing methods according to drive capabilities. Successful erases produce signed PDF destruction certificates, with exportable cryptographically signed evidence packs. The maker says sanitization follows NIST SP 800-88 Revision 2 and technology-specific methods conform to IEEE 2883. VisParted handles MBR and GPT layouts, filesystem operations, partition moves, and conversion between MBR and GPT. Parted Magic Clone copies disks, partitions, and images while keeping the source read-only and creating verification certificates. Workflows can use local, USB, SSH, Samba, and NFS targets, plus multicast deployment with udpcast. PM Report Server receives status and evidence over a local network and can send email, webhook, or ntfy alerts. It is not an installable Windows application.
WipeDrive
WipeDrive securely overwrites disk data to prevent recovery and records details of the sanitization. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The WipeDrive 9 Home plan costs $19.95 as a one-time purchase for a single drive wipe; Enterprise pricing is on request. Enterprise deployment options include bootable CD or USB, an executable, PXE network boot, and remote execution. The process can address hidden areas such as HPAs and DCOs, though the Enterprise manual warns that a locked DCO may not be detected and some locks cannot be bypassed. Listed drive types include IDE, SCSI, SATA, SAS, SSD, NVMe, and eMMC. Erasure choices include NIST 800-88r1, DoD patterns, SSD Smart Wipe, and custom patterns. Where supported by a drive, Enhanced Secure Erase or Sanitize Device commands can erase reallocated sectors. WipeDrive records drive identifiers and wipe details, supports custom reporting fields, and can send logs to destinations including FTP, email, SQL databases, and network shares. The maker also lists remote wiping, RAID dismantling, Crypto Erase, and certified erasure reports among its capabilities.