Best External Hard Drive (2026): SSD to Store Data, Video & More

In the event you’re operating out of cupboard space in your laptop computer or you want to again up your information and retailer that backlog of movies you are going to edit sooner or later (I’m, I swear), an exterior arduous drive can clear up your drawback. The difficulty is, there are lots of of drive choices starting from dirt-cheap to crazy-expensive—which one is correct to your wants? I’ve examined dozens, throughout working techniques and with completely different use instances in thoughts, to seek out the most effective exterior arduous drives for storage, backups, gaming, video modifying, network-attached storage (NAS) units, and extra.

Try our different guides, together with How to Back Up and Move Your Photos Between Services, How to Back Up Your Digital Life, and How to Back Up Your iPhone.

Up to date January 2026: We have added Seagate’s One Contact SSD, swapped out our padding drive choose, and eliminated the Essential X6, which, sadly, has been discontinued. We have additionally added a be aware explaining the rebranding of WD_Black and WD Blue drives as SeaGate Optimus GX, and up to date costs and hyperlinks all through.

Greatest for Backups

Courtesy of Western Digital

Western Digital

Components Desktop Arduous Drive

For incremental backups, which we recommend, velocity is not an enormous issue. That is why the primary drive I like to recommend is that this Western Digital Components arduous drive. I’ve been utilizing a variation of the Components desktop arduous drive to make incremental backups of my information for greater than a decade. These drives are huge and require exterior energy, however they’re a few of the least expensive, most dependable drives I’ve used.

Switch speeds usually are not off the charts—the Components drive I examined scored 120 megabytes per second (MB/s) for sequential writes on Home windows—however once more, you need to ideally be operating backups in a single day anyway, and even at these speeds the common PC backup will likely be achieved by morning. These drives use USB-C with assist for USB 3, and I’ve had no drawback utilizing them with Home windows, macOS, and Linux.

Storage choices go all the best way as much as 20 terabytes. Simply verify the costs; typically you will get a 10- and even 12-TB drive for not rather more than the 8-terabyte model. And I’ve not seen an enormous distinction between the Components line, the WD My Book drives, or the WD My Passport drives. The My Passport drives command a premium worth as a result of they’re smaller, and the My Ebook drives have some encryption options that drive up the worth, however I discover the essential Components drive is ample for most individuals.

Different Nice Backup Drives

• Seagate Expansion 8-TB External Hard Drive for $159: Seagate is one other dependable drive maker. It by no means hurts to have extra backups, and in the event you do need a number of backups, use drives from completely different manufacturers, since it should cut back the possibility that each fail concurrently.

Greatest for Transportable Backups

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

Western Digital

My Passport Extremely

In the event you journey loads, you will need one thing that is simpler to hold than the Components drives, which are not the most effective in a suitcase. For backups when touring, I like Western Digital’s My Passport sequence, particularly the brand new “Extremely” model, which makes use of an ordinary USB-C twine, eliminating the necessity to carry a separate cable. It is not the thinnest drive available on the market, but it surely’s lower than an inch thick and stable sufficient that I by no means fearful about tossing it in my bag. (Though it must be mentioned that it is a spinning drive, so do not actually toss it.) I additionally like that the corners are properly rounded and there are not any screws or the rest that can catch on material in your bag.

There are a number of colours accessible and you will get from 1 TB to six TB. I examined the 5-TB mannequin, however Western Digital claims the identical speeds no matter drive dimension. I examined it utilizing CrystalDiskMark on Home windows, AmorphousDiskMark on macOS, and KDiskMark on Linux and averaged the outcomes to provide you with 121 MB/s for learn velocity and 115 MB/s write velocity. It is not what you’d need to copy photographs shortly for a consumer within the subject, however quick sufficient to run a every day backup in your lodge room.

Different Transportable Backup Drives

• Western Digital Elements 5-TB Portable HDD for $135: This drive is barely thinner than our high choose, however feels flimsier in my expertise. Speeds are tad slower as effectively, however in the event you’re on a price range this can prevent somewhat money. Corsair is advertising this as a great way to backup your iPhone ProRes footage, and whereas it actually works for that, efficiency is proscribed by the iPhone’s USB-C interface. For optimum throughput, join it to a PC with a USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 port.
• Seagate One Touch 4-TB for $125: Seagate’s One Contact drive gives some encryption instruments, however speeds lagged somewhat behind our high choose. Nonetheless, it is a stable possibility for backups and it is surprisingly small for a spinning drive enclosure. Additionally be aware that this drive is usually bought with 4 months of Adobe Inventive Cloud (a roughly $40 worth), however in the event you use it, you should definitely cancel as a result of after these 4 months you will be charged.

Greatest USB5 Drive: The Thunderbolt 5

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

LaCie has up to date its rugged SSD line with the Rugged Pro5. This one ditches the enduring orange padding for blue, however it’s in any other case identical to the abnormal LaCie padded drives on the skin. On the within, that is an amazingly quick drive. The 5 within the identify is for, you guessed it, Thunderbolt 5, which regardless of being introduced seemingly forever ago, has been painfully gradual to trickle onto the market. This made testing a bit difficult, however thankfully a buddy let me borrow his brand-new MacBook Professional 14 for testing. The outcomes have been spectacular.

LaCie claims learn/write speeds of as much as 6,700 MB/s and 5,300 MB/s, which it says are sufficient for real-time modifying of 8K and 6K RAW footage. In testing the best speeds, file transfers have been 5,787 MB/s learn and 5,188 MB/s write—which, whereas not fairly matching the declare, continues to be far and away the quickest drive on the web page. However uncooked speeds are simply numbers for spreadsheets; I used to be extra desirous about real-world efficiency. Since I occurred to even be testing the Nikon Z6III (8/10, WIRED Recommends), which might shoot 6K ProRes RAW, I loaded a great little bit of footage on the Pro5 and was certainly in a position to edit utilizing DaVinci Resolve Studio.

The draw back right here is the worth. At $600 for the 4-TB model (which is the minimal you’d need for working with ProRes RAW video recordsdata), it is a very expensive drive. It’s, nevertheless, effectively definitely worth the cash if it is velocity you are after.

Greatest USB4 Drive

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

In the event you do not but have any units with Thunderbolt 5 assist, this Thunderbolt 4 drive can be my suggestion for anybody obsessive about velocity. Corsair’s EX400U is a powerful little drive, constantly delivering speeds of round 3,800 MB/s for sequential learn and and three,550 MB/s write. Once more, that is solely going to be potential when you’ve got a tool that helps USB4/Thunderbolt 4 (together with latest Macbooks, Dell XPS, and others—see our guide to the best laptops for more). Technically, simply as I used to be wrapping up this replace, Lacie’s new rugged SSD got here out which beat this drive in my assessments by about 10 MB/s, however this drive is smaller, lighter, and cheaper.

I additionally like that Corsair has included a Magsafe connector on the again of the case, which makes nice possibility for backing up ProRes video footage out of your iPhone.

Greatest for Photographers

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

Essential’s X9 Professional hits the candy spot of velocity, portability, and worth to be the most effective drives on the market for photographers trying to make backups within the subject. These drives are tiny, about half the dimensions of a deck of playing cards, and weigh a mere 1.3 ounces (38 grams). They will hook up with absolutely anything. I examined the X9 Professional on Home windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS and by no means hit any points with any of them. In the case of velocity, the X9 Professional claims symmetrical learn and write speeds, at 1,050 MB/s. I truly constantly acquired larger speeds, as much as 1,110 MB/s for learn and 1,100 MB/s for write. That places the X9 Professional on the high of the pack when it comes to transportable drive velocity.

I have been testing the X9 Professional for a number of months now, and whereas I can not but communicate to the long-term survival fee, I’ve been testing X6 and X8 drives from Essential for over two years now with out problem. There’s additionally the X10 Pro drive ($235), which gives even sooner speeds when you’ve got a PC that helps USB 2X2. (The newest Intel chips assist this spec, however Apple doesn’t, so there is not any level in shopping for the X10 Professional when you’ve got a Mac.) I don’t personal a PC that helps USB 2X2 for intensive testing, however I did get an opportunity to no less than attempt it, and the X10 Professional does certainly ship on its promise of two,100 MB/s (I acquired it as much as 2,050 MB/s). In case your {hardware} helps it, the X10 Professional is price the additional cash.

Greatest Tiny Drive

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

Seagate’s new Extremely Compact SSD straddles the road between USB thumb drive and conventional exterior drive. The scale, design, and built-in USB-C connector make it a thumb drive, however the drive inside is far sooner, providing 1,000 MB/s throughput through USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps). In my CrystalDiskMark check, it managed 1034 MB/s and a write velocity of 1018 MB/s, which, whereas not as quick as a few of the new Thunderbolt 5 drives coming available on the market, continues to be means, means sooner than most USB sticks. In some methods, performance-wise, it is a extra compact, down-market model of the X9 drive above (LaCie is Seagate’s high-end, Mac-focused model). You do get barely much less efficiency for the cash, however the compact, no-cable-needed type issue could be price it to some individuals.

My one gripe with this drive is that it is on the vast aspect for a thumb drive, which implies that in case your laptop computer has USB-C ports shut collectively it’d cowl two. You possibly can mitigate this by ditching the rubber housing, however then you definately lose a few of the safety (the drive with housing is rated to face up to 3 meter drops and is IP54 rated for mud and water resistance). It additionally goes out and in of inventory steadily. Seagate’s Extremely Compact SSD is considered one of a number of SSDs adopting the thumb drive type issue. We have additionally examined and just like the SK Hynix Tube 31, which is featured in our information to the Best USB Flash Drives.

Different Nice Tiny Drives

• Kingston XS1000 2-TB for $203: This tiny little drive is among the smallest on this information. Just like the Essential X6, it has a principally plastic enclosure, but it surely has withstood life in my bag fairly effectively. Whereas it is not as sturdy because the padded choices under, it is sturdy sufficient for many issues. It is also speedy. Kingston claims as much as 1,050 MB/s. I by no means managed that, however I routinely hit round 800 MB/s, with some older laptops nearer to 600 MB/s, which continues to be fairly good. The drive bogs down a bit with giant recordsdata (MP4s, for instance), so it is not the most effective for professional videographers, however for everybody else, it is a stable, barely cheaper possibility.

Greatest Go-Anyplace Drive

OWC

Envoy Professional Elektron SSD

In the event you want a drive that may stand as much as life in a backpack or camera bag, get moist, or deal with a drop onto arduous surfaces, OWC drives are your best option. It is powerful to choose a winner right here as a result of there are various stable choices, however OWC’s Elektron drive narrowly beat others in benchmark assessments. I additionally like that you may swap out the drive contained in the aluminum casing (it is simple to unscrew), which suggests two years from now, you may choose up a sooner naked SSD and drop it within the hardy Elektron enclosure.

Different Nice Rugged SSDs

• Sabrent Rocket Nano 1-TB SSD for $170: I actually like this one. It is smaller and barely sooner than the OWC, but it surely has two drawbacks. The primary is that it will possibly get scorching. In the event you’re attempting to work with it in your lap, it may be downright uncomfortable. The opposite problem is that typically it is gradual to be acknowledged by my PC. I might discover no sample to this; typically it appeared instantly, and different instances it took a few minutes. If these issues do not hassle you, this drive is tiny, cheaper, and features a padded rubber case.

Greatest Padded Drive

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

Samsung’s T9 has been my go-to transportable drive for a pair years now. Whereas I do just like the LaCie drives (just like the rugged Pro5 above) that normally dominate this class, the Samsung is a lot quick. The 20Gbps T9 was in a position to take full benefit of that velocity, clocking in at over 1350 MB/s, handily beating the Essential X9. The T9 additionally appears to have a decrease energy draw, or no less than after I plug it into my Android pill it drains the battery far lower than another drive I exploit recurrently.

The padding on the T9 is lower than what the LaCie drives supply, but it surely’s additionally significantly cheaper and has assist up effectively to life on the highway. The one catch is that its not waterproof or mud proof. The padding stops on the ends so it is not fully sealed. I have not had any points, however in the event you get it moist will probably be an issue. In the event you’re fearful about that, take a look at the T7 Defend under.

One other Nice Padded Choice

• Samsung T7 Shield 2-TB SSD for $235: That is similar to the above, but it surely provides an IP65 rating, which suggests it is tremendous within the rain and is protected against mud and sand. The T7 line is notable for its built-in security measures like hardware-based encryption, however in contrast to the Touch model, the Defend doesn’t have a fingerprint reader.

Greatest Gaming Drive

{Photograph}: Western Digital

Western Digital

P40 Gaming Drive

Take this class with a grain of salt. Many of the drives right here will work simply tremendous for gaming (simply persist with the quickest you may afford). That mentioned, Western Digital’s new P40 does have some cool RGB lights on the underside if that is your jam. In my testing, that did not appear to influence energy consumption.

As for velocity, my assessments have been inconsistent. This drive is able to speeds that handily beat each the Envoy Professional and Samsung T7, however at different instances it appeared to lavatory down (no less than in benchmarks). In real-world use, the bottleneck I constantly hit was some lag in transferring enormous quantities of knowledge. That could be a deal-breaker for some, however for the worth, it stays a stable alternative.

Greatest Naked Drive

If you wish to put an even bigger SSD in your laptop computer, all you want is a naked drive, which is mostly cheaper than the drives with enclosures listed above. The very first thing to determine is which drive your PC makes use of. Seek the advice of your producer’s documentation to seek out out. Lately the most typical type issue is M.2 2280, which is the lengthy, skinny drive within the picture above. Extra compact laptops could use the same, however shorter, M.2 2242 design. Once more, verify your PC to verify the drive it wants before you purchase. Of the handfuls I’ve tried, Western Digital’s WD Black sequence has stood out for velocity, and it does not run very popular.

The SN 990 PRO SSD NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen4 achieved speeds of seven,458 MB/s reads in my testing, roughly matching the claimed 7,450 MBs / 6,900 MBs learn/write speeds. In the event you’re doing loads of drive-intensive duties, like modifying video or gaming, this drive is effectively definitely worth the cash. The biggest model you will get is 4 TB, and the worth is cheap contemplating the velocity. There are sooner drives, however you will pay for them and I discover that at present, past this drive there’s a diminishing return within the velocity vs worth curve. I have been utilizing this one as my essential drive for a number of months months now and it really works nice for modifying 5.2K video footage and compiling software program. My favourite half? It generates little or no warmth.

Different Choices

• Western Digital SN850X 1-TB SSD for $245: One other quick one, Western Digital claims as much as 7,300 MB/s learn speeds, and in benchmark assessments, this drive’s outcomes got here shut. Just like the Samsung above, to take full benefit of the velocity right here, you will want a system that helps the PCIe 4.0 SSD customary, however it is a nice drive if you wish to improve a gaming system, whether or not it is a desktop PC or your PlayStation. This drive can be one of many few I’ve seen that is accessible as much as 8-TB capacity.
• Samsung 990 Evo Plus 2-TB for $273: The 990 EVO Plus is an improve to the very talked-about 990 EVO. The unique didn’t supply something compelling and by no means made this information, however the brand new model manages to be impressively speedy and never overly scorching, as many Gen 5 PCIe disks I’ve examined have been. The 990 EVO Plus additionally launched with a 4-TB mannequin, one thing lacking the primary time round. By way of velocity it does not fairly match the SN850X above, topping out at 5,677 MB/s learn, but it surely’s a lot quick for many makes use of and stays fairly cool even when pushed. In the event you’re on the lookout for a great all-around drive that stays cool, this one makes a good selection, although it’s on the expensive aspect for what you get.

Ceaselessly Requested Questions