Welcome to our guide to buying the best external hard drive or backup hard drive in 2019. When looking to buy the best external hard drive for your needs, there are quite a lot of things you need to consider - and this guide will help you.
- Best Mac Compatible External Hard Drive
- External Hard Drive For Mac
- Best Portable Hard Drives For Mac
- Best Hard Drive Software For Mac
- Toshiba Hard Disk Tool
- Best Hard Drive Cloning Software For Mac
- Best Hard Disk Utility For Mac
Plus, with Amazon Prime Day 2019 rapidly approaching, there's a good chance that we're going to see some major price cuts to the best external hard drives out there. If you do find a killer deal for any of the drives on this best external hard drive list, then you can buy in full confidence that you're getting a brilliant external drive for your money.
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When buying the best external hard drive for your needs, you need to make sure you get a device that can safely and securely store your important files. Reliability is of the upmost importance here, as you do not want to buy an external hard drive that fails on you - making you lose all your important backups.
The best external hard drives will also be quick - either because they use SSD (Solid State Drive) technology, or because they use the latest connectivity technology, such as USB-C.
The biggest deciding factors when it comes to data transfer rates is the connection the drive uses, and whether it is a standard hard drive or a solid state drive (SSD). Many external hard drives use USB 2.0 connections, but for faster speeds you'll want USB 3.0 or ideally the newer USB Type-C connection. You'll need to ensure your PC or laptop also has a USB Type-C port.
You'll also need to think about how much storage space you need. The best external hard drives offer a range of capacities. We'd recommend 500GB to start with, as that gives you plenty of space to store your files without costing too much money.
However, if you deal in large files, such as high resolution photos and videos, then you may want to consider buying a bigger drive, with external hard drives offering terabytes (TB) of storage space.
Buying the best external hard drive for your needs involves figuring out how much space you need. You don't want to buy an external hard drive that's too small, and end up running out of space, but neither do you really want to pay over the odds for storage space you'll never need.
So, we've listed the best external hard drives money can buy in 2019. Each external drive (or backup hard drive) on this page has been carefully picked to make sure it offers fast data transfer speeds – essential if you move lots of big files regularly – while also offering sturdy build quality so you don't have to worry about them breaking and losing your files.
When buying the best external hard drive for your needs, there are certain things you need to take into account. For example, you'll want to make sure you have a drive that offers fast data transfer speeds.
In this guide we list the best external hard drives with both traditional hard drives and faster (and more expensive) solid state drives.
Still, the best external hard drives are also dependable and rugged, so you can safely store your data without worry. The best external drives will also be light enough to carry in your bag, with large capacities so that you can keep your data safe when travelling.
There's a huge range of external hard drives on offer, so we've put together this list of the best external hard drives to help you find the perfect one for your needs.
1. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive
Wireless security
Capacity: 2TB | Interface: USB 3.0
Today's best Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC 2TB deals
NFC security
Not the fastest drive
An external hard drive you can buy without breaking the bank, Buffalo's MiniStation Extreme NFC could be your match made in heaven.
With compatibility for both Mac and Windows machines, the Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC is very flexible, and comes with a rugged case that's dust and water resistant, along with a built-in USB 3.0 cable.
Not only is your data kept protected from knocks and drops with the rugged shell, but it's also got 256-bit AES security features and NFC (Near Field Communication) features as well.
Essentially it allows you to unlock the drive to get to your files quickly and easily by tapping the supplied NFC card onto the drive's body. Pretty neat!
- This product is only available in the US at the time of this writing. UK and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro
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2. Western Digital My Passport Ultra 4TB external hard drive
Comes with Encryption and a long warranty
Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB 3.0
Large capacity
Suite of applications
The latest generation of the Western Digital My Passport Ultra range of external hard drives has landed, coming in sizes from 1TB to 4TB. It features cloud storage and 256-AES encryption, along with WD's own software suite.
It is a good performer when it comes to data transfer speeds but doesn't come near the top of the leaderboard. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't reach the top speeds of solid state external drives, but for external hard drives based on traditional HDDs, this is the drive to consider.
3. Samsung T5 SSD external hard drive
The best external SSD of 2018 https://herbalgenerous.weebly.com/recovery-password-tool-for-microsoft-word-installed-on-mac.html.
Capacity: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Interface: USB Type-C
Incredibly fast
Expensive
If you'd rather have an external hard drive that took advantage of solid state drive (SSD) speeds, then the Samsung Portable SSD T5 is definitely the best external hard drive for you. Samsung has a brilliant reputation for external SSDs, thanks to products like the T3, and the T5 builds on its predecessor by adding a fast USB Type-C connection that ekes out every last drop of performance from the solid state drive inside. Of course, it's also backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 if your PC doesn't have USB Type-C. It's expensive, but it's well worth the cash.
Read the full review: Samsung Portable SSD T5
4. Adata SD700 External SSD
Capacity: 256GB, 512GB or 1TB | Interface: USB 3.0
Best Mac Compatible External Hard Drive
Great performance
No USB Type-C
The Adata SD700 will suit those looking for a rugged storage device that can provide ample capacity without costing too much. It performs superbly well and remains the only SSD we’ve seen that is IP68 rated.
Thanks to the solid state drive that resides in this external hard drive, it's a lot faster than external drives that use traditional spinning hard drives - so you're getting great transfer speeds as well as rugged protection.
It also comes in capacities up to 1TB, so you don't have to worry about missing out on storage space just because it uses an SSD - this drive really does hit all the right notes.
5. WD My Book Duo 4TB external hard drive
Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB 3.0 x 2
Huge amounts of space
Expensive
If you're looking for the absolute largest capacity external hard drive, then the WD My Book Duo 4TB is the one to get, offering a huge 4TB (you can also get versions with up to 20TB) of storage space over two hard drives.
If you don't mind sacrificing some of the ample storage space you can set the drives up in a RAID array, so you have file backups of your files should one of the drives die.
This USB 3.0 drive has many of the features of a fully-fledged NAS device (including a high price), and if you have a router with a USB 3.0 port you could use this as a network attached storage device in its own right.
The device, which comes with two-year warranty, has 256-bit AES hardware encryption, and automatic backup software (WD SmartWare Pro).
Worth noting that the enclosure used is fully serviceable and that WD ships the drive already pre-formatted for Windows users (NTFS).
6. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt external hard drive
https://herbalgenerous.weebly.com/tool-kit-for-mac-mini.html. Best Thunderbolt external hard drive
Capacity: 1TB, 2TB | Interface: Thunderbolt, USB 3.0
Low price compared to other Thunderbolt drives
Not SSD
If you have a device with a Thunderbolt port, then this is a great option, as it provides twice the speeds of standard USB 3.0 drives. It's also not especially expensive compared to other Thunderbolt drives. The price is kept down due to its use of a traditional hard drive, rather than an SSD, which limits the potential speeds. It also comes with a USB 3.0 port for people without access to Thunderbolt.
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- This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the WD MyBook Duo
7. Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB
Capacity: 5TB | Interface: USB 3.0
Today's best Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB deals
Very fast data transfer speeds
You pay more for the Mac-formatted version
If you want to combine speed and capacity, then the Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB is definitely worth considering. It comes in a range of sizes up to 8TB and it beats the competition when it comes to read and write speeds as well.
On top of this storage and speed, you get a decent amount of peace of mind thanks to Seagate's lower than average failure rates, especially in bigger capacity hard drives.
You also get backup software, and the drive is compatible with both Windows and Macs, though it's formatted for Windows out of the box unless you go for a Mac-specific hard drive - though these are more expensive.
8. Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro external hard drive
Capacity: 2TB | Interface: USB 3.0 and Wi-Fi
Today's best Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro deals
Wireless AC
Good battery life
Expensive due to Wi-Fi features
Even if we had mixed feelings on past versions of the My Passport Wireless, the 2016 “pro” variant of the external HDD restores faith in the Western Digital name. The design, for one, has been overhauled and no longer resembles the My Passport Ultra or My Passport for Mac. Instead, there’s now a more premium feel to the My Passport Wireless Pro. It resembles an external DVD drive, but considering the onboard SD card slot, don’t worry about getting it confused with anything else. For photographers, this will make the Wireless Pro stand out.
For everyone else, there’s a massive 6,400mAh battery built into the device. This lets the drive be used completely free of wires over 2.4GHz or 5GHz channels. When it’s wired up, however, don’t expect cutting edge connection tech, as the My Passport Wireless Pro uses only USB Type-B to Type-A. Completely absent is the latest and greatest USB-C connection.
Where the My Passport Wireless Pro compromises on affordability, it’s able to benefit in just about every other area. Of course, not everyone needs a wireless hard drive or SD card support, but for those who do, it’s almost essential.
Read the full review:Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro
9. LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB
Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB-C
Today's best LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB deals
Fast USB-C connection
Expensive
You may have stumbled upon the LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive when perusing the Apple website for USB-C accessories. There’s a reason for that: the Porsche Design ships with both USB Type-C to Type-A and USB Type-C to Type-C connectors, making it a worthy candidate regardless of your setup.
External Hard Drive For Mac
It’s expensive for an external hard drive, don’t get us wrong, especially if you’re in the market for the top-end 4TB option. On the other hand, this is an HDD that could theoretically output speeds of up to 5Gbps, if it weren’t hindered by the limits of SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) technology.
Best Portable Hard Drives For Mac
Comprising five 800GB platters in a 15mm form factor, the LaCie Porsche Design Mobile is an excellent challenger to the Seagate M3, though it’s notably bigger in both weight and dimensions.
Sure, it packs an extra convenience factor in the form of USB-C, but it should be noted that the Porsche Design Mobile is still limited to USB 3.0 speeds. Plus, even an aluminum finish can’t prevent it from clashing with your Rose Gold MacBook. Nevertheless, LaCie’s offering is the best USB-C external HDD money can buy, at least for the time being.
Read our full review:LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB
10. iStorage diskAshur 2TB external hard drive
Best for security
Capacity: 2TB | Interface: USB 3.0
Physical security
Expensive
Typically, iStorage hard disks cater best to governments and multinational organizations around the world, for good reason too – they offer tight security like no other drives around.
If someone tries to tamper with your iStorage drive, you can configure it to self-desturct. What's more, the data is encrypted by the 256-bit AES protocol, with multiple forms of protection in place to ensure the bad guys don't get in no matter how persistent. When you consider all that extra security, the prices won't scare you away either.
Sure, it's still expensive, four times the price of an equivalent 2TB drive, and unlikely to be the most nimble performer. But, you're paying for a product that's virtually uncrackable. Bear in mind, though, you'll get no help from the manufacturer if things go awry and you lose your password.
https://herbalgenerous.weebly.com/snapshot-tool-for-web-pages-mac.html. Read our full review: iStorage diskAshur DT
Gabe Carey and Matt Hanson also contributed to this article
Last updated: Apr. 12, 2017
As a Mac fan, you know the significance of data backups. Time Machine, Apple's built-in backup software, makes it easy to save multiple copies of your Mac data to an external hard drive (HDD or SSD) or to an AirPort Time Capsule. There are also dozens of online backup services you can choose from if you prefer not to carry a physical drive around.
But, let's be honest, when data loss disaster strikes, are you going to be patient enough sitting in front of your Mac for hours even days (yes, it can take that long) only to wait for the recovery process to complete? We bet you won't, right? How about online or cloud backup options? The main drawback is that it would take ages to finish backup if your Internet connection is slow.
So is there any better backup solution out there? There is — clone your Mac hard drive!
We recommend Stellar Drive Clone, a fantastic Mac utility that is designed for this purpose. The app makes Mac disk copy much easier and best of all, it enables you to perform immediate recovery whenever you need.
In short, this Mac drive clone tool stands out for efficiency. That's all what we need, isn't it?
Why Clone Mac Hard Drive & When You Need It?
In the nutshell, cloning your Mac hard drive provides you with additional secure backups and saves you time restoring the data if needed, especially when your main boot drive fails to start and you are unable to enter the first screen of the desktop.
Best Hard Drive Software For Mac
Like any other types of storage media, hard drives just come and go. In particular, if your Mac is equipped with a spinning hard disk drive, somehow its life tends to end earlier compared to an SSD (solid-state drive). If your Macintosh HD fails, it could cause a number of problems — one of which is data loss. Even if you have set up Time Machine backups, most likely you still need a trip to Apple Store or a computer repair shop because you'll need to set up a startup disk that contains macOS operating system.
In fact, I learned the lesson the hard way. One day my mid-2012 MacBook Pro hard drive died, and I couldn't turn on my Mac after pressing the start button. Then I scheduled an appointment with Apple Genius bar and took the machine for a diagnosis. It turned out the 750GB Hitachi hard drive was totally down, based on what Apple Mac technical support guy said. I was instructed to purchase an SSD drive from Crucial online. I did it. But that was not all. When I successfully replaced the dead hard drive with the new SSD, I realized that I didn't have a Mac reboot disk. Another trip was made to Apple Store and the guy installed OS X El Capitan for me. Ah..it was not over yet. Since I had Time Machine backups, I had to select a snap and restore all my data. Oh mine, it took me almost an entire day!
Toshiba Hard Disk Tool
Lesson learned the hard way — Time Machine is not that efficient to restore data. That's why I'd strongly encourage you to try cloning your Mac hard drive just in case.
Mac Drive Clone App: What to Look for?
- Security: this is the number one thing you need to make sure when using any apps on your Mac. Sure, Macs are less prone to viruses and malware. But it's no longer the case. There are annoying adware bundled in the programs you install. They tend to slow down your Mac system as well as cause other damages.
- Reliability: a great Mac cloning app should be able to perform several standard functions such as create an exact, identical replica of any Mac disk, clone drives formatted with Master Boot Record (MBR) partition, and quickly extract volume image file to recover all your data, etc.
- Compatibility: it must be compatible with all commonly used OS X versions including latest macOS Sierra. Also, it should support operations on Macs with either a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD).
- Ease of Use: the software must be easy and simple to use, even if you are not experienced at all with Apple macOS operating system.
Best Hard Drive Cloning Software For Mac
What's The Best Hard Drive Clone Tool for Mac OS X?
Best Hard Disk Utility For Mac
Stellar Drive Clone stands out for two reasons: it's powerful, and simply to use. The app supports cloning OS X Yosemite/El Capitan/Sierra boot volume including Recovery HD, which ease your life in case your Mac hard drive is totally down. Besides Macintosh HD, you can also use it to clone an exFAT-formatted drive. Here's a screenshot.
Chris is a computer geek for a decade. He loved talking to computers via codes, and now he finds it more interesting communicating with the real people. He now writes everything related to computer issues and loves helping people solve problems.