It’s by no means been simple to improve the storage in Macs, so it’s all the time a good suggestion to purchase an exterior drive to supply additional storage for all of your work information, images, movies, and video games. And, in fact, you must all the time have an exterior drive out there for making Time Machine backups in case something ever goes flawed.
Fashionable solid-state drives (SSD) are the most suitable choice as they’re actually quick, dependable, and compact. Nonetheless, SSDs are nonetheless comparatively costly, with 1TB drives costing round $100/£150, whereas that very same sum of money can get you a 4TB primary desktop onerous drive with a USB interface (drives with high-speed Thunderbolt ports are usually costlier).
Laborious drives are slower than SSDs, however in the event you want a lot of storage to your necessary information and back-ups then an excellent old school onerous drive continues to be probably the most reasonably priced choice. (If it’s an SSD you’re after, learn Finest exterior SSD for Mac.)
There are many selections, too, with compact, moveable onerous drives designed to be used with laptops, and desktop drives with bigger capacities if you really want loads of storage. Some onerous drives additionally present further options, equivalent to built-in docks with a lot of Thunderbolt and USB ports, or maybe permitting you to open up the casing of the drive and insert a brand new drive for an immediate improve.
Under we rank the perfect onerous drives we’ve got reviewed lately, plus you’ll discover common shopping for recommendation that explains what try to be in search of.
Replace July 2024 so as to add the Western Digital My Passport Extremely for Mac and Western Digital My Passport, now in 6GB variations.
1. Seagate Extremely Contact HDD: Finest Mac onerous drive
Execs
- Aggressive value
- 2TB, 4TB or 5TB storage
- Password safety and encryption
Cons
- Common efficiency
- Bigger and heavier than authentic mannequin
Value When Reviewed:
$99.99 (2TB), $159.99 (4TB), $164.99 (5TB)
The unique Seagate Extremely Contact was a pocket-size onerous drive with an attractively slim and light-weight design. It was a reasonably outdated design although, restricted to both 1TB or 2TB of storage, and it was nonetheless utilizing an outdated USB 3.0 interface that required an adaptor in an effort to work with extra fashionable Macs and PCs with USB-C.
This up to date model of the Extremely Contact updates most points of the drive’s design. It’s barely bigger and heavier, however now begins with a minimal of 2TB storage, with 4TB or 5TB fashions additionally out there in the event you want further storage. This new mannequin now has a USB-C interface too, with a prolonged (50cm) USB-C cable included as properly.
The 2TB mannequin – which is completed in cloud white – continues to be pretty slim, measuring simply 13.2mm thick, 80mm extensive and 115mm lengthy, and weighing a modest 168g, so it’s an excellent choice in the event you simply want a light-weight, moveable drive which you can slip into your pocket or a bag. The 4TB and 5TB fashions are completed in a darker pebble gray and are barely bigger and heavier, measuring 23mm thick and weighing 267g.
You may’t purchase the Extremely Contact immediately from Seagate, so that you’ll have to buy round on-line, and costs do appear to range quite a bit. Seagate pricing is as follows: $164.99/£179.99 for 5TB, $159.99/£154.99 for 4TB, $99.99/£109.99 for 2TB. Nonetheless, the common costs that we got here throughout throughout testing have been round $79.99/£99.99 for the 2TB mannequin that we examined, whereas the 4TB and 5TB fashions are round $124.99/£139.99 and $207.99/£164.99 respectively.
Efficiency is much like that of the unique Extremely Contact, at 130MB/s for each learn and write speeds, which is round common for a transportable drive equivalent to this. The Extremely Contact consists of some further options too, equivalent to the power to create mirror folders in your Mac and the Extremely Contact drive which can be mechanically synced and up to date everytime you make any modifications to these folders. The Toolkit app additionally offers 256-bit encryption and password safety for additional safety, making the Extremely Contact an excellent choice for individuals who have to preserve necessary information safe after they’re working away from the workplace. Prospects within the US can even use Seagate’s Information Restoration service to rescue information within the occasion that the drive is broken (though this service isn’t out there in all areas).–Cliff Joseph
2. LaCie Cell Drive: Finest worth
Execs
- Aggressive value
- LaCie’s ToolKit app
Cons
- Not the quickest onerous drive out there
Value When Reviewed:
$79.99 (1TB); $109.99 (2TB); $149.99 (4TB); $169.99 (5TB)
LaCie’s Cell Drive has been on our record of the perfect onerous drives for Mac customers for some time and this model was launched in 2022. The 2022 Cell Drive adopts an Apple-style slimline, rectangular design with clean rounded corners with the LaCie brand proper within the heart.
Costs begin at a aggressive $79.99/£69.99 for a drive with 1TB storage (that’s a value minimize from the preliminary £79.99 within the U.Ok.), however there are additionally fashions with 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB out there too. The 1TB and 2TB fashions measure simply 10.4mm thick, 85mm extensive, and 118mm lengthy, and weigh 200g, so that they’re simple to select up and carry round together with your laptop computer. The 4TB and 5TB fashions are a little bit thicker – at 20.4mm – and weigh 300g, however that’s nonetheless an excellent measurement for moveable onerous drives that present such excessive capability. They’re all constructed out of recycled aluminum, and durable sufficient to deal with life on the street.
You need to use them to your Time Machine backups, however LaCie’s ToolKit app – for macOS 10.14 or later – additionally permits you to create a Mirror folder that’s mechanically up to date everytime you make any modifications to the information or knowledge inside that folder.
The drive has a USB-C interface, with a USB-C cable included within the field, and recorded write and browse speeds of 126MB/s and 130MB/s respectively when working the BlackMagic Disk Velocity Check. There are sooner onerous drives out there, however that’s nonetheless a good pace for a compact onerous drive equivalent to this, and the Cell Drive 2022 stays an excellent, reasonably priced backup drive for MacBook house owners – and even house owners of desktop Macs who may have the bigger 4TB or 5TB fashions. —Cliff Joseph
3. SanDisk Skilled G-Drive ArmorATD: Finest rugged moveable drive
Execs
- Low cost for the capability
- Engaging design
- USB Sort-C
Cons
- Formatted to exFAT so you will have to reformat it in Disk Utility
Value When Reviewed:
$99.99 (1TB), $119.99 (2TB), $149.99 (4TB), $189.99 (5TB), $229.99 (6TB)
The ArmorATD begins at $99.99/£89.99 for 1TB, rising to $229.99/£225.99 for the brand new 6TB mannequin.
It’s an enclosure with a 2.5-inch onerous drive inside that’s shock-mounted, and the rugged aluminum case is surrounded by a silicon sock for additional safety. It is going to stand up to minor abuse, extra when off than on and the disks are spinning, however your finest wager with any onerous drive is to not deal with it like a hockey puck. The connection is USB-C with a pace ranking of 5Gbps (USB 3.1/Gen 1)–lots quick sufficient for any onerous drive. The drive guarantee is for 3 years.
You’ll get round 120MBps writing and 127MBps studying most (with massive information) from the ArmorATD in your Mac. Good things. The Armor ATD arrives formatted to exFAT so that you’re good to exit of the field underneath each macOS and Home windows. Nonetheless, exFAT will extract a 5 p.c max penalty, so Mac customers will need to reformat the drive. –Jon L. Jacobi
Learn our full
G-Drive ArmorATD evaluation
4. Western Digital My Passport Extremely for Mac – Huge storage in a small case
Execs
- As much as 6TB of storage
- Far cheaper per terabyte than SSDs
- Sort-C connectivity
- Engaging design suits in your (massive) pocket
Cons
- Laborious drive-level efficiency
Value When Reviewed:
$84.99 (2TB), $129.99 (4TB), $139.99 (5TB), $199.99 (6TB)
The WD My Passport Extremely for Mac is a 2.5-inch exterior USB onerous drive that gives a reasonably respectable storage capability of 6TB for round $200/£200. The 5TB unit presently presents the perfect bang to your buck at $28 per terabyte.
The drive delivers 110MBps learn and write pace, making it appropriate for media streaming and Time Machine backups working within the background.
The My Passport Extremely for Mac encompasses a USB-C port. Till lately, exterior 2.5-inch USB onerous drives unanimously used USB micro-B SuperSpeed connectors (for additional energy) on the drive and USB-A on the opposite finish of the cable. WD bundles a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-A adapter to accommodate older and present connection eventualities.
The primary time you connect the drive a.dmg file for putting in WD’s Discovery utility seems. Discovery can import your knowledge out of your Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive accounts. You’ll additionally discover hyperlinks for the WD Drive Utilities, WD Safety (encryption, password safety), and a branded model of Acronis’s True Picture backup software program. It’s not a foul software program bundle, you don’t have to make use of it in fact.
In our exams the My Passport Extremely for Mac delivered a switch charge of as much as 110MBps, which is quick sufficient for a number of audio or film streams. However in a world turning into accustomed to 3GBps pace on USB4/Thunderbolt exterior SSDs it’s possible you’ll not discover this quick.
It’s nonetheless an awesome storage gadget for a big multimedia assortment and is appropriate for background backup with Time Machine. The My Passport Extremely for Mac is a good storage gadget for a big multimedia assortment and might stream throughout the community at 2.5Gbps.
Learn our full
My Passport Extremely for Mac evaluation
5. Western Digital My Passport: Finest finances drive
Execs
- Supplies as much as 6TB storage
- Aggressive value
- Password safety
Cons
- May very well be sooner
- Bigger than most moveable drives
- No USB-C interface
Value When Reviewed:
$84.99 (2TB), $127.99 (4TB), $139.99 (5TB), $184.99 (6TB)
Western Digital has up to date its widespread moveable onerous drive. The 2024 model of My Passport, out there in darkish blue, presents the world’s first 2.5-inch 6TB mannequin (claims the corporate). There is no such thing as a longer a 1TB model. As an alternative, the vary begins with 2TB for $84.99/£75.99. There are additionally 4TB and 5TB fashions, whereas the 6TB mannequin prices an inexpensive $184.99/£165.99.
The 2TB mannequin is slimmer and lighter than the others, measuring 13.5mm thick, 75mm extensive, and 107mm lengthy, and weighing simply 140g. The 4TB and 5TB fashions improve to a thickness of 19.2mm, whereas the 6TB mannequin is 20.6mm thick, weighing 210g.
The My Passport drive nonetheless makes use of an ageing USB Micro-B interface, however Western Digital features a USB-A cable with a separate USB-C adaptor for compatibility with newer Macs with USB-C and older Macs with USB-A. We’ve additionally seemed on the My Passport Extremely for Mac (above), which makes use of USB-A pr USB-C through an adaptor.
The My Passport drive additionally consists of Western Digital’s Discovery app for Mac and Home windows, offering password safety and encryption options.
Learn our full
Western Digital My Passport evaluation
6. WD Black P10: Finest for players
Cons
- USB 3.2 with USB-A cable – USB-C adapter not included
Value When Reviewed:
From $79.99
The WD Black P10 offers a extra moveable different to the WD Black D10, which is geared for desktop use. It’s not as quick because the D10, however it may well draw energy from a USB port, so you possibly can merely plug it into any Mac, PC, or video games console when you might want to again up your information. It’s comparatively massive for a transportable drive, measuring a chunky 20mm thick, 88mm extensive, and 118mm lengthy, however its strengthened casing is sturdy sufficient to deal with being bumped round in a backpack once you’re touring.
The drive is rated at a comparatively modest 140MB/s for each learn and write efficiency, though our exams really recorded speeds of 120MB/s and 110MB/s for learn and write efficiency respectively. That’s not going to interrupt any information, nevertheless it’s high quality for the occasional Time Machine backup or for storing a lot of video games, images, movies, and different multimedia information. The P10 can be competitively priced, beginning at simply $89.99/£80.99 for a wholesome 2TB of storage. There are 4TB and 5TB fashions out there too, so the P10 is an effective choice for Mac customers who’ve actually massive collections of images and movies that they’ll’t match onto their Mac’s inside drive.
The one oddity is that the P10 makes use of an growing old USB 3.2 interface. There’s a USB cable included, nevertheless it has a USB-A connector, so that you’ll want to supply an adaptor for Macs that solely have USB-C. —Cliff Joseph
7. Western Digital My Ebook: Finest in the event you want A LOT of storage
Execs
- As much as 22TB storage
- Good efficiency (for a tough drive)
- Aggressive value
Cons
- Makes use of outdated USB 3.0 interface
- Requires mains energy
Value When Reviewed:
$134.99 (4TB), $159.99 (6TB), $179.99 (8TB), $259.99 (12TB), $299.99 (14TB), $319.99 (16TB), $349.99 (18TB), $499.99 (22TB), $579.99 (24TB)
An increasing number of folks are actually utilizing a MacBook as their principal laptop, so the development with onerous drives in recent times has been in the direction of smaller, extra moveable drives which you can simply carry round together with your laptop computer. That’s high quality in the event you solely want 1TB or 2TB of storage, however there are occasions when it’s possible you’ll want a bigger, desktop drive that may retailer a number of terabytes of information and knowledge.
Western Digital’s My Ebook vary of desktop drives has been round for fairly a couple of years, however the vary offers as much as 24TB of storage (we seemed on the 22TB mannequin) – which must be greater than sufficient for photographers, designers and video-editors who work with massive, high-res information every single day. Costs really begin at $134.99 / £120.99 for a My Ebook drive with 4TB of storage, and there are a number of different fashions alongside the way in which earlier than you attain the 22TB drive that we evaluation right here, which prices $499.99 / £502.99, and the 24GB drive that prices $579.99 / £570.99.
Not surprisingly, the My Ebook may be very a lot designed for desktop use. It measures 6.7 x 1.9 x 5.5-inches (170 x 49mm x 139mm), and weighs 2.20 kilos (1kg), and in addition requires a mains energy provide, so it’s not a drive that’s going to depart your property or workplace fairly often.
It’s a bit odd that the drive nonetheless makes use of an growing old USB 3.0 interface, with a USB-A cable supplied for connecting to a Mac or PC, so it’s possible you’ll want to supply a USB-C adaptor for Macs that not have USB-A ports. Nonetheless, the My Ebook does present good safety and safety for all of your information, with 256-bit encryption and password safety out there within the WD Safety app for Mac and Home windows.
The drive itself has a three-year guarantee, {and professional} customers may also need to join WD’s Information Restoration plan – from $9.99 / £9.99 for 2 years – which might retrieve misplaced knowledge if the drive does get badly broken.
Efficiency is nice too – regardless of the growing old USB interface – with the My Ebook recording learn and write speeds of 215MB/s. That’s nearly twice as quick as many of the smaller, moveable drives that we evaluation right here, so the My Ebook can be an excellent choice for individuals who want loads of storage for his or her necessary work information. And if 22TB isn’t sufficient, there’s additionally a mannequin referred to as the My Ebook Duo, which offers RAID storage choices utilizing two inside onerous drives for a complete of 44TB of storage for $1,119 / £1,289.99.
8. Seagate Particular Version Firecuda: Finest for collectors
Execs
- It is Child Yoda!
- ToolKit app
Cons
- USB-C adapter not included
- Formatted for Home windows PCs, so you will have to reformat it utilizing Disk Utility
Value When Reviewed:
$139.99
Seagate has a variety of particular version Firecuda drives that sport designs taken from Marvel and Star Wars movies. There are drives with Spiderman, Boba Fett and the Mandolorian, however our favourite is the ‘small and powerful’ Child Yoda drive (sure, we all know his title is Grogu, however he’ll all the time be Child Yoda to us). And, when hooked up to your Mac, the drive is even displayed in your desktop with a Child Yoda icon as properly.
These particular version drives are solely out there with 2TB storage. They’re priced at $139.99/£139.99 on Seagate’s web site, which is a little bit dear for a 2TB drive so that you’re paying a bit additional for the Star Wars vibe. Some are actually discounted together with Grogu, who’s now $59.99 within the U.S., and we’ve got seen them at decrease costs elsewhere on-line.
It’s a little bit bigger than some moveable drives, measuring 14.5mm thick, 80mm extensive, and 122mm lengthy. It’s sturdily constructed although and solely weighs 167g, so it’s nonetheless mild sufficient to simply choose it up and slip it onto a bag together with your laptop computer once you’re touring. The one minor oddity with the design is that it makes use of a USB 3.2 interface with a USB-A cable–to supply compatibility with Xbox consoles, apparently, so that you’ll want a USB-C adaptor in case your Mac solely has USB-C.
The Firecuda drive is formatted within the ExFat format for Home windows PCs, however you possibly can reformat it for Macs utilizing Disk Utility, and Seagate’s ToolKit app will run on any Mac with macOS 10.14 or later. The drive will work with Time Machine in your Mac, however the ToolKit app additionally permits you to create a particular Mirror folder in your Mac that’s all the time stored in sync with an identical Mirror folder on the Firecuda drive. The app even enables you to customise the coloured lighting results for the standing mild on the entrance of the drive too.
Seagate doesn’t quote a pace for the drive, however we recorded learn and write speeds of 130MB/s in our exams. Skilled customers would possibly choose a sooner onerous drive or SSD, however that’s a good pace for a transportable onerous drive equivalent to this, and the Firecuda is a very good – to not point out significantly cute – choice for day-to-day backups in your Mac. –Cliff Joseph
9. LaCie 1big Dock: Finest for professional and inventive customers
Execs
- A number of ports together with a second Thunderbolt port, DisplayPort 1.4 interface and reminiscence card slots
Value When Reviewed:
$369 (4TB); $469 (8TB); $519 (10TB); $679 (16TB); $789 (18TB)
Because the title suggests, LaCie’s 1big Dock is greater than only a simple onerous drive. It begins at $369/£349.99 for a drive with 4TB storage, going as much as $889/£869.99 for 18TB, and its 7,200rpm IronWolf Professional onerous drive offers robust efficiency with learn and write speeds of 235MBps through its Thunderbolt 3 port. That makes it an excellent choice for anybody that wants a quick drive for giant video, images, and audio information.
The first Thunderbolt port additionally offers energy for charging a MacBook laptop computer as properly. You even have the choice of popping open the entrance panel to swap out the usual onerous drive and insert a brand new drive to supply an immediate improve.
However the factor that actually makes the 1big Dock stand out from most of its onerous drive rivals is its built-in hub and connectivity options. There’s a second Thunderbolt port that may will let you join further Thunderbolt and USB-C gadgets, and a DisplayPort 1.4 interface for an exterior monitor.
The entrance of the drive additionally offers a normal USB 3.0 port and slots for each SD and CompactFlash (CF) reminiscence playing cards, making it an awesome choice for inventive customers who have to import information from cameras and different gadgets.
There’s additionally a model of the 1big Dock out there that makes use of sooner solid-state storage too–in fact, it’s fairly a bit costlier. –Cliff Joseph
10. WD Black D10: Finest finances performer
Cons
- 8TB mannequin solely
- Requires USB-C adapter
- Requires exterior energy provide
Value When Reviewed:
8TB – £259.99
Western Digital’s WD Black drives are primarily aimed toward players who desire a quick drive to spice up loading instances for his or her video games, which explains why the menacing black design of this D10 desktop drive seems like a bit of heavyweight munitions from the Name Of Obligation video games. However a quick drive may even attraction to anybody that has loads of images, movies, and audio information that they need to retailer on their Mac, and the D10 has different options that may turn out to be useful too.
Some points of the design are a little bit odd. There’s just one model out there, with 8TB storage, though its $240/£199.99 price ticket on Amazon continues to be aggressive for a quick drive equivalent to this. It’s outfitted with solely an outdated USB A interface (despite the fact that it’s USB 3.2) maybe to supply compatibility with older video games consoles, so that you’ll want an adapter in case your Mac solely has USB-C.
Its 7,200-rpm drive offers excellent efficiency, reaching learn and write speeds of 245MBps and 240MBps, respectively. The D10 requires an exterior energy provide, so it’s very a lot designed for desktop use, nevertheless it additionally has two further USB 3.2 ports on the again of the drive that may present energy to different gadgets, equivalent to an iPhone or iPad. These ports are just for charging, although, so you possibly can’t use the D10 as a dock for connecting peripherals equivalent to a printer or reminiscence stick. –Cliff Joseph
How to decide on the correct Mac onerous drive
We’ve rounded up the perfect Mac onerous drives above, however earlier than making a shopping for determination you might want to take into consideration the way you’ll be utilizing the gadget. To seek out the perfect onerous drive to your wants, you might want to reply a couple of questions.
How a lot storage do I want?
Laborious drive storage is comparatively low-cost. Until you’re actually out to save lots of your pennies, the smallest measurement of onerous drive we’d suggest is 1TB.
Upgrades to 2TB, 3TB, and even 4TB are additionally cost-effective–the value per megabyte goes down the upper the capability, so making the bump as much as the following mannequin is a good suggestion. Every terabyte can retailer round 11,000 music albums at 192kbps high quality, however such storage doesn’t appear so grand when you begin archiving 4K video.
Transportable or desktop?
In case you suppose you’ll be pleased with a 1TB to 4TB onerous drive, you should buy a transportable drive. These use small 2.5-inch disks, they usually match fortunately right into a coat pocket. Transportable drives are normally bus-powered, too. This implies you simply have to plug them into your desktop or laptop computer, no separate energy provide is required. There’s only one cable, and the drive will barely take up any area.
If solely an ultra-high capability onerous drive will do, think about a desktop unit. These use bigger 3.5-inch drives and have a tendency to cowl capacities from 4TB to 18TB. They’ll should be plugged in for energy; that’s high quality if it keep house the entire time, or strikes from workplace to workplace.
Rugged drives for journey
Some moveable drives provide ruggedization. Shock safety is a very powerful type for a tough drive, as in contrast to an SSD they’ve transferring elements that may be completely broken following a drop. Rugged drives normally have some type of rubber coating that soaks up affect forces, and a toughened enclosure that gained’t dent, crack or collapse underneath any regular quantity of stress.
Just a few even have water resistance. Whereas few are rated IP68 like an iPhone 11 Professional, that means they are often submerged in water with out injury, a number of can deal with rain or water jets/splashes.
Purchase a bigger drive, although, and also you’re extra more likely to get different options. Desktop models could have a built-in “hub”, letting you plug-in reminiscence playing cards or peripherals utilizing USB ports. These are significantly helpful in case your present setup has restricted connectivity, or the USBs you do have simply aren’t that helpful.
Which connector do you want?
Matching the onerous drive’s connector to these of your laptop computer or desktop can be important. You’ll get a cable within the field, however it can both terminate with a USB-A or USB-C formed plug, as seen right here:
Until you’ve got an outdated Mac or MacBook that solely presents the outdated USB-A port, you’ll will need the newer USB-C connector, which additionally doubles up as Thunderbolt. Each Mac bought by Apple previously few years encompasses a USB-C type connector, though some Mac desktops nonetheless provide the older USB normal as properly.
Not all USB-Cs are the identical, although. The USB-C port on Macs additionally helps Thunderbolt 3 and in some circumstances Thunderbolt 4. USB-C relies on USB 3.1 and presents as much as 10Gbps. Thunderbolt 3 presents as much as 40Gbps. Thunderbolt 4 additionally presents 40Gbps, however has a couple of different benefits, together with a 32Gbps knowledge charge, which can be a profit to anybody who must switch massive video information to from the drive to their desktop for enhancing. There’s additionally a brand new USB 4 normal that gives between 20Gbps and 40Gbps bandwidth that you will notice alongside the newer Thunderbolt 4 normal, however word that USB 4 doesn’t provide all of the options of Thunderbolt.
It’s clear that Thunderbolt is a greater choice than USB in case you are in search of the perfect interface to your onerous drive, however Thunderbolt choices are more likely to be costlier than their USB counterparts.
Wi-fi and NAS
Not each onerous drive must be plugged in: you may as well go for a network-attached storage (NAS) drive which permits to to wirelessly switch information and backups. These network-attached storage drives connect with your property Wi-Fi to share their knowledge with different gadgets in your house. That may be a wise TV, Apple TV, a pill or laptop computer.
A NAS is especially helpful if you wish to arrange a media server at house. This is sort of a wi-fi jukebox you possibly can fill with movies, images and music. Learn our greatest NAS drives characteristic for extra.