Search results
- Seagate Ultra Touch 2023: Best overall drive. Competitive price. 2TB, 4TB or 5TB storage. Password protection and encryption. Cons. Average performance.
- LaCie Mobile Drive 2022: Best value. Competitive price. LaCie’s ToolKit app. Cons. Not the fastest hard drive available. Price When Reviewed: $79.99 (1TB); $109.99 (2TB); $149.99 (4TB); $169.99 (5TB)
- Seagate Firecuda Special Edition: Best for Star Wars fans. It's Baby Yoda! ToolKit app. Cons. USB-C adapter not included. Formatted for Windows PCs, so you'll need to reformat it using Disk Utility.
- G-Drive ArmorATD: Best rugged portable drive. Cheap for the capacity. Attractive design. USB Type-C. Cons. Formatted to exFAT so you'll need to reformat it in Disk Utility.
- 4
- File-System Considerations. Before we get to Thunderbolt 3, we need to address a basic building block of hard drives that has always affected compatibility, and probably always will: the file system.
- External Drives: SSDs vs. Spinning Platters. Once you've settled on a file system, you then have to determine which storage medium you want: solid-state or spinning disk.
- Does Thunderbolt 3 Matter, or Will USB-C Do? So, to recap: Faster, smaller (both physically and in terms of gigabytes) solid-state drives come at a premium, while spinning drives offer a much better value while sacrificing speed.
- Other External-Drive Considerations. Drives intended for PCs sometimes come bundled with software that will automatically back up your files to the drive when it's connected, but such software isn't as much of a consideration for Mac users, who already have an excellent built-in backup option in the form of Time Machine.
- Overview
- The best external hard drive for Mac in 2024
- 1. Sandisk Professional G-Drive rugged external 2TB SSD
- 2. SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE ArmorATD
- 3. SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE SSD
- 4. Teamgroup T-Create CLASSIC External SSD
- 5. Netac ZX20
- 6. Toshiba Canvio Flex 2TB external hard disk drive
- 7. SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE Desktop
- Should I buy SSD or HDD for Mac?
Best
By Steve Paris
Contributions from
Matt Hanson, Collin Probst, John Loeffler
last updated 18 October 2023
Use the best external hard drive for Mac to upgrade storage capacity for your Apple devices
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best The best external hard drive for Mac in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
Specifications
Capacity: Up to 4TB Interface: USB-C Speed: Up to 1.05GBps RW
Reasons to buy
+ Five-year warranty + Good performance + Pre-formatted for Mac
Reasons to avoid
- Expensive - No protective flap for USB port - Bulkier than expected This rugged, external storage device still carries a premium on external hard drives but that is shrinking rapidly while other inherent features of SSD technology - speed, reliability, power consumption and size - have been improved. The drive offers IP67 water and dust resistance, and according to Western Digital, up to 3-meter drop protection and crush resistance of up to 900Kg. In our tests, its speed is about twice what you’d get from a SATA-based device, making it great for quickly editing and saving large source files, be it image (RAW photos) or video (4K footage). Read our full Sandisk Professional G-Drive rugged external 2TB SSD review (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Best rugged external hard drive for Mac
Specifications
Capacity: Up to 5TB Interface: SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps (USB 3.1 Gen 1) Data transfer speed: Up to 135MB/s (read), 125 MB/s (write) Today's Best Deals View at Amazon View at Best Buy View at WesternDigital.com
Reasons to buy
+ IP54 shockproof, dust and waterproof + Up to 5TB of external storage + Both USB-A and USB-C support + Pre-formatted for Mac
Reasons to avoid
- No pouch or place to store cables - Only splashproof SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE ArmorATD is a 2.5-inch conventional drive mechanism that has been elegantly engineered into an aluminium case and that’s had a rubberised bumper placed around it to further cushion it from physical abuse. It also has the IP54 dust and water protection rating (ie it’s only ‘splashproof’). The speed of this unit is around 25% of what we’d normally expect from a Gen 1 SSD and 15% of a Gen 2 design. When you factor in that the SSD is likely to be lighter and more shock-resistant, the ArmorATD is relying on its price per TB to make that deal. It isn’t the cheapest, but it is high quality, and it comes with a three-year warranty. Read our full SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE ArmorATD review (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Best secure external hard drive for Mac
Specifications
Capacity: Up to 4TB Interface: USB 3.2 Gen-2 (10Gb/s) Data transfer speed: Up to 1050MB/s (read),1000MB/s (write) Today's Best Deals View at Sweetwater Sound View at Moment (2TB) View at Amazon (Black)
Reasons to buy
+ Both USB-C and USB-A cables + Tough IP67 Rated enclosure + Hardware Encryption + Pre-formatted for Mac
Reasons to avoid
- Expensive - No software This G-DRIVE is exclusively USB 3.2, and the best port for it is one with USB 3.2 Gen 2 level bandwidth. It offers a useful level of durability and water/dust resistance. According to SanDisk, the protection is IP67 standard (not water submersion), and the enclosure can withstand 2000lb of crushing force alongside a drop of 3M onto a carpeted concrete floor. It also has the capability for 256-bit AES-XTS hardware encryption, enabling the contents of the drive to be secured effectively. Although, the owner must provide encryption tools to lock and subsequently unlock the contents stored on the drive, if they want to use this functionality. Read our full SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE SSD review (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)The best external hard drive for Mac by speed
Specifications
Capacity: Up to 4TB Interface: Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Data transfer speed: Thunderbolt3 R/W up to 2700MB/s, USB3.2 R/W up to 900MB/s
Reasons to buy
+ Thunderbolt3 and USB-C compatible + Outstanding performance + All-metal construction
Reasons to avoid
- Expensive, especially in Europe - No pouch or place to store cables - Lacks USB-A cables The T-Create Classic is a Thunderbolt and USB 3.2 compatible drive built to a very high standard. While the minimalist milled-from-solid-aluminum approach keeps the SSD inside safe, the enclosure isn’t especially light, and the drive weighs 180g, including the cable. Avoiding smaller capacities, the Classic comes in 1TB, 2TB or 4TB options, and our review was performed with a 2TB drive. It’s designed to excel when connected via Thunderbolt, managing speeds of up to 2700MB/s, meaning spending the not-insignificant asking price of this hardware is probably only worth it if you generally use Thunderbolt equipment computers, like most modern Macs. Read our full Teamgroup T-Create CLASSIC External SSD review (Image credit: Desire Athow // Future)Best compact external hard drive for Mac
Specifications
Capacity: Up to 1TB Interface: USB Gen 3.2 2x2 Data transfer speed: Up to 2GBps (read), 1.7GBps (write) Today's Best Deals Check Amazon
Reasons to buy
+ Good performance + Has a carabiner hole + Lightweight + Three-year warranty
Reasons to avoid
- Only available in 512GB/1TB capacities - USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 still a rarity - More expensive than the competition - No IP rating The Netac ZX20 is a portable solid state drive that is lightweight, fast, compact, reasonably solid and borrowed that orange carabiner hole from a popular rival: a useful feature to have for anyone who wants to secure their most precious data storage device. It is not, however, a water-resistant device. It still feels reasonably solid but be aware of its limitations (even if it includes a three-year warranty). Netac claims that the drive should reach read/write speeds of up to 2GBps/1.7GBps thanks to its USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface. It is absolutely tiny (71.5 x 43.5 x 8mm) and is probably as thin as it gets given that you still need to account for the thickness of the USB-C connector. Read our full Netac ZX20 review (Image credit: Future)Best value external hard drive for Mac
Specifications
Capacity: Up to 4TB Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1 Data transfer speed: 145MBps (read); 152MBps (write) Today's Best Deals View at Newegg View at Walmart View at Amazon
Reasons to buy
+ Type-C cable + Great value for money + 3-year warranty
Reasons to avoid
- Micro-USB port - No bundled software The Canvio Flex is categorized as specialty storage because it carries a long three-year warranty and comes with a Type-C cable, although puzzlingly the device itself has a micro-B USB connector. We’d love to have seen Toshiba use a USB Type-C connector instead, but every cent counts at the lower-end of the market, and aiming for that side of the market makes the Canvio Flex very affordable. It is reasonably compact (80 x 111 x 13.5mm) and light (149g) but its dimensions are constrained by the fact that it is, at its heart, a 2.5-inch hard disk drive. Read our full Toshiba Canvio Flex 2TB external hard disk drive review (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)The best external hard drive for Mac by capacity
Specifications
Capacity: Up to 22TB Interface: USB 10Gbps (USB 3.1 Gen 2) Data transfer speed: Up to 280MB/s (read), 280 MB/s (write) Today's Best Deals Check Amazon
Reasons to buy
+ Up to 22TB of external storage + Cheaper than the previous design + Pre-formatted for Mac
Reasons to avoid
- Lacks USB-A cable - No software utilities The SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE Desktop Drive is meant to live on a desk and provide a localised means to secure data and expand the internal capacity of a laptop or desktop system. The two big selling points here are the quality of construction and the dramatic amount of capacity potentially on offer, going up to an impressive 22TB. It is, however, one of the more expensive ways to get extra space, and it's also relatively slow compared to SSD drives. In our review hardware, the 12TB model could reach read/write speeds of 250MB/s for both. Read our full SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE Desktop (2022) review Best external hard drive for Mac: FAQs
When selecting the best external hard drive for either Mac or PC, your choice will depend on your budget and what you’re after. The best SSD (solid-state drives) traditionally have faster read and write speeds and a more robust build, but they’re expensive, and offer much less storage space than similarly priced HDDs (hard disk drives).
If money is an issue, HDDs are the better option as you can get huge storage - we’re talking TBs, for the price of GBs on the SSD side of the aisle. The main drawback is they’re more fragile than SSDs since they have spinning platters of data inside them, rather than a total absence of moving parts.
Shop for Mac external hard drives and Mac external solid state drives at Best Buy. Easily expand your storage.
Featuring a plug-and-play USB 3.0 port and transfer speeds up to 130MB/s*, the G-DRIVE mobile drive offers portable storage in a stylish, aluminum design to compliment your Mac computer.
- (364)
- USB
- G-Technology
- 1 TB
Mar 29, 2022 · Here are the best external hard drives for Mac, from smaller, zippy options to rugged hard drives that will protect your data, drop after drop.
Seagate Portable 1TB External Hard Drive HDD – USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox, 1-Year Rescue Service (STGX1000400) , Black. 252,476. 2K+ bought in past month. $5995.
