Suppose you are a Mac user, always running out of space or requiring reliable backup. In that case, an external hard drive may benefit you. These devices provide additional storage space and safeguard from the potential loss of critical files or essential data with care. With so many options, searching for the best one fitting on your Mac could be time-consuming. To simplify things, we have compiled a list of high-performance SSDs and hard drives perfect for Apple users. Pick the best option according to your needs and budget.
Top 12 External Hard Drives for Mac Users
Some of the best external Hard Drives for Mac users are:
- Crucial X8: Best External SSD for Budget Buyers
- LaCie Rugged SSD Pro: Best Rugged External SSD for Creative Pros
- Teamgroup T-Create External SSD: A Thunderbolt Powerhouse
- LaCie 2big RAID: Best Small Desktop RAID Hard Drive for Creative Pros
- SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD: Best Rugged Portable Hard Drive
- Samsung Portable SSD T9: Best High-Speed External SSD for Mac Users
- LaCie Mobile Drive (2022): Best-Designed Portable Hard Drive
- Crucial X9 Pro: Best General-Use External SSD for Mac Users
- LaCie Rugged Raid Shuttle 8TB: Ultimate Durability with Massive Storage
- SanDisk 2TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD: Rapid, Rugged, and Ready for Action
- Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB: The Best Entry-Level External Hard Drive for Mac
- G-Technology G-DRIVE USB-C 5TB: High-Speed Storage Capacity with Sleek Design
Crucial X8: Best External SSD for Budget Buyers
For budget buyers who want a small, sleek, rugged external SSD, the Crucial X8 won't disappoint. In an all-metal chassis with rubberized ends, it looks good and guards against drops and shocks. The attractive cost per gigabyte and strong performance make this external SSD an excellent choice for everyone, from data maniacs and videophiles to gamers. A USB-C cable and USB-C-to-USB-A adapter add to its appeal, as does a three-year warranty. Minor nits include the need for an activity light, backup utility, and a USB-A dongle that is less elegant than a dedicated cable. Still, the Crucial X8 gets our strong recommendation for its blend of features and affordability.
LaCie Rugged SSD Pro: Best Rugged External SSD for Creative Pros
The LaCie Rugged SSD Pro external drive changes the game for creative professionals who need lightning-fast performance and extreme durability. More than just water and dust-resistant, its rugged build stands up to drops, crush pressure, and other hazards, making it the best external SSD for fieldwork. And despite its price, you'll have it forever, thanks to a five-year warranty. The device's Thunderbolt 3 compatibility makes it a perfect choice for Mac users who will only settle for maximum speed and reliability.
Teamgroup T-Create External SSD: A Thunderbolt Powerhouse
The Teamgroup T-Create classic External SSD is undoubtedly a Mac-friendly external drive, even ranked one of the best options by speed. With data transfer speeds of Thunderbolt3 R/W up to 2700MB/s and USB3.2 R/W up to 900MB/s, this drive makes you clock all your data transfer times in minutes. It has both Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C compatibility so that you may use it with various devices. This external SSD features a solid metal construction designed for durability. The drive looks sleek and professional by adopting a minimalist design. With 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB options available, once connected via Thunderbolt, this drive is just what contemporary Mac users need.
LaCie 2big RAID: Best Small Desktop RAID Hard Drive for Creative Pros
The LaCie 2big RAID offers extreme flexibility and data protection to videographers and creative pros handling massive files. It also provides a range of RAID settings — including RAID 0 for higher capacity and speed and RAID 1 for mirroring. It also supports JBOD (RAID off) and has a five-year warranty with five years of Data Rescue recovery. As expected, it comes at a high price per gigabyte, and you must download utilities to manage the drive. Still, the 2big RAID is the best small desktop RAID hard drive for creative pros who need maximum flexibility and data protection.
SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD: Best Rugged Portable Hard Drive
The G-Drive Armored-TD Professional of SanDisk has plenty of protection from the elements due to its rubberized sheath and port cover. The durable, reliable, portable hard drive for macOS has USB-C and USB-A cables. It doesn't come with a software suite or hardware-based encryption, making it a solid choice to back up valuable data, albeit at competitive prices for Windows users. The drive must be formatted before driving around Windows users. Still, it's also an excellent option for a rugged portable hard drive.
Samsung Portable SSD T9: Best High-Speed External SSD for Mac Users
Samsung's Portable SSD T7 external drive with a fingerprint sensor is designed for Mac users who require fast external storage. The throughput speeds of this drive, when connected to a compatible PC via USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gbps) connections, are exceptional, making it a compelling choice for content creators. Capacities go up to 4TB, making the Portable SSD T7 an excellent choice for users who need lots of high-speed external storage. The T7 has 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption and is certified drop-proof. This drive is backed by Samsung's useful Magician software, making it an excellent choice for users who need a flexible, high-performance external storage solution.
LaCie Mobile Drive (2022): Best-Designed Portable Hard Drive
LaCie's Mobile Drive (2022) has much to like because it offers performance and aesthetics in a single powerful portable hard drive. The rugged design looks lovely, and it can stand out in a sea of portable hard drives in various colours. With capacities up to 5TB, you'll have plenty of space to store everything from your documents to your files. It has a LaCie Toolkit software interface, so you can do things like backup data from your computer or transfer photos with PCs, MacBook Pros and iPads. The LaCie Mobile Drive is a little high-priced, but if you want a premium portable drive that's as beautiful as it is capable, this one's for you.
Crucial X9 Pro: Best General-Use External SSD for Mac Users
The Crucial X9 Pro is the best external SSD for Mac users who want a solid, rugged solution to their data transfer and storage needs. It is a safe, small workhorse with up to 4TB capacity, PCMark 10 lightning-fast benchmark speeds, and 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption. Its drop-proof design and IP55 rating for dust and water resistance make it easy to take with you on the go. The external SSD comes with a reliable and high-performing storage solution, a five-year warranty, and a USB-C cable on the shorter side.
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LaCie Rugged Raid Shuttle 8TB: Ultimate Durability with Massive Storage
The LaCie Rugged Raid Shuttle 8TB is designed for professionals and content creators who need robust products facing demanding conditions. The external hard drive has USB-C and USB 3.0 support for compatibility and performance. It is resistant to drops, dust and water, which makes it the perfect companion for people who work in almost any environment imaginable. With 8TB of space, users can store extensive libraries of high-resolution images, hours of video or massive data files, all of which can be accessed without risking physical damage to the storage.
Western Digital 5TB My Passport Ultra Blue: Compact, Stylish, and Versatile Storage Solution
The Western Digital 5TB, My Passport Ultra Blue, is the perfect complement to the style and portability of your Mac. This external hard drive features USB-C and USB 3.1 connectivity and a slim form factor for efficiently transporting your extensive library of documents, photos, and videos that'll be able to take advantage of its 5TB capacity without ever having to worry about daily space management. Bundled with the WD Discovery software, this drive allows you to painlessly back up your data. At the same time, password protection with hardware encryption ensures your digital collection is safe and sound.
SanDisk 2TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD: Rapid, Rugged, and Ready for Action
The Western Digital 5TB, My Passport Ultra Blue, is the perfect complement to the style and portability of your Mac. This external hard drive features USB-C and USB 3.1 connectivity and a slim form factor for efficiently transporting your extensive library of documents, photos, and videos that'll be able to take advantage of its 5TB capacity without ever having to worry about daily space management. Bundled with the WD Discovery software, this drive allows you to painlessly back up your data. At the same time, password protection with hardware encryption ensures your digital collection is safe and sound.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB: The Best Entry-Level External Hard Drive for Mac
The 2TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim (25 cents per gigabyte) is a compact, thin, snappy-looking drive with as much capacity as the best portable competition. The Seagate Dashboard backup software has a straightforward interface for backup and mobile backup (photos and videos). The Lyve app backup service has a wide range of features, including room for unlimited gigabytes of pictures and videos. While there are faster and cheaper drives, the Seagate Backup Plus Slim is inexpensive and a good choice for most users.
G-Technology G-DRIVE USB-C 5TB: High-Speed Storage Capacity with Sleek Design
The G-Technology G-DRIVE USB-C offers a sleek design and plenty of storage space — ranging from 1TB to 10TB — at the high end. The USB-C G-DRIVE is compatible with Thunderbolt 3. Although the USB-C interface gets you 195MB per second, you'll want to stick with Thunderbolt for the best performance. G-Technology's G-DRIVE comes in an aluminium enclosure with enough storage for even the most severe data lords. The G-DRIVE also includes backup software for Mac.
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Most straightforward Guide About Buying The Best External Hard Drives and SSDs for Mac in 2024
Finding the perfect external drive for your Mac can be challenging. Here are some key factors to consider before making a purchase:
1) Compatibility:
To add an external hard drive to your Mac's storage pool, check its compatibility with your system. As we've already said, a drive's file system determines whether it is compatible with a Mac or a PC. Apple File System (APFS) works with Macs and iOS devices. (HFS+, an earlier Mac file system found on older Macs, is also Mac-only.) The exFAT format works with Macs and PCs.
2) Storage Medium:
The next consideration is the storage medium, which determines the drive's speed, capacity, and portability. Remember that solid-state drives (SSDs) don't have any moving parts and access data using flash memory. That means they're swift, are smaller and lighter, and consume less power. In contrast, spinning hard drives rely on physically spinning disks, which means they're bigger, heavier, and more powerful. However, they offer much more storage for a lot less money per gigabyte, which is why you see them used often for large file backups.
3) Capacity:
It would help if you decided what capacity the external drive should have according to your usage needs. A reduced-capacity drive is adequate for ordinary file storage and backup. In contrast, a higher-capacity drive is the right choice for media professionals, gaming enthusiasts, and those who need to store large files and folders.
4) Speed:
The connector it uses determines an external drive's speed to transfer data. This sets an upper limit on the drive's throughput. Thunderbolt is up to 40.00 Gbps for data transfer, while USB 3.2 Gen 2 gets 10.00 Gbps, and USB 3.2 Gen 1 has a maximum speed of 5.00 Gbps.
5) Brand and Price:
Finally, consider the brand and price of the external drive. Stick to famous brands that make reliable and durable drives, compare prices across different stores, and get the cheapest one.
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Conclusion
So that's a wrap of the best external hard drives and SDDs for Mac Users in 2024. These drives are an excellent choice for personal or professional use. Higher storage capacities and faster data transfer speeds are becoming essential. From ultra-portable and speedy Thunderbolt 3 SSDs to high-capacity and rugged, there's something for everyone. Productivity can be significantly improved, as can the safety of valuable data. Research and make a decision as to which suits your budget and needs.
Frequently Asked Question
What's the difference between external and portable hard drives?
The main difference is how the drive gets its power. Portable drives get it from the cable connected to your Mac; external ones usually get it from a separate power supply. That means an external drive is fine if you're close to an outlet. Portable drives are convenient for accessing data on the go, making them a great laptop companion.
Which external hard drive format is best for Mac?
APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) will provide the best performance to format a storage device. However, APFS is the best format for running macOS Mojave or later.
Can any external hard drive work with a Mac?
Most external hard drives come in two versions: a PC version, which is pre-formatted as an NTFS volume, and a Mac version, which comes pre-formatted as an HFS+ or APFS volume. Although MacOS can read NTFS volumes, it can only write to them if you install a third-party NTFS driver.
Is exFAT or NTFS better for Mac?
Consider a few things when choosing between the exFAT and NTFS file systems on your Mac. If you need the drive to work with the Mac systems, use MacOS Extended Journaled. However, you should use NTFS if it is only used with Windows users. exFAT should be used if it needs to be shared between Mac and Windows users because it is cross-platform compatible.
Is APFS faster than exFAT?
If you are a Mac user, most recommend the APFS because it has been optimized for Mac systems and offers better performance with SSDs. Alternatively, exFAT could be better if you need to work with Windows computers.
How many photos can 1 TB hold?
A terabyte of storage can hold up to 250,000 photos if taken with a 12MP (12 megapixel) camera. And this is why camera companies reference 12MP as "good quality", as per this article. Or, to put it another way, it can store 250,000 12-megapixel photos, 250 movies, 500 hours of HD video, or 6.5 million 160Kb document pages.