Increase your storage capacity with the best external hard drive for Mac. Everyone knows that Mac computers aren't the easiest to customize, and upgrading the internal storage on a Mac before you hit that buy button is going to cost you a lot of money. This means that an external hard drive is a more cost-effective option. Even if you have the funds to spend, wouldn't you rather spend the same amount of money to get even more storage? And, if you're afraid of lugging another device around when you're trying to travel for writing, don't. Some of these external hard drives are not only thin and light, but are also designed to be more robust in order to be able to handle some bumps and knocks. Our picks for the best external hard drives for Mac are simply the best and cheapest way to solve your storage woes. Whether you're a creative professional who needs plenty of space to store large files, or just need an extra hard drive for your vacation and family photos, you'll find the perfect solution here.
1. Western Digital My Passport 4 TB external hard drive
A brilliant external hard drive for Mac or PCCapacity: 4TB | Interface: USB 3.0 Large capacity Good data transfer speeds. WD backup software is basic This is the latest generation of Western Digital My Passport external hard drives, available in capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB, offering 256-AES cloud storage and encryption, as well as the WD's own backup software. . Although transfer speeds aren't the fastest, due to its USB 3.0 connection, it offers a good balance of speed, capacity, and price.
2. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt External Hard Drive
A brilliant Thunderbolt external hard driveCapacity: 1 TB, 2 TB | Interface: Thunderbolt, USB 3.0
Low price compared to other Thunderbolt drives Mac Form Factor No SSD If you want to use the Thunderbolt port on your Mac, this is the best external hard drive for Mac. It offers twice the speed of standard USB 3.0 drives. It still uses a traditional hard drive, rather than an SSD, and while that means speeds aren't as fast as possible, it does at least keep the price down, while still offering large capacities. There's also a USB 3.0 port for connecting to computers that don't have a Thunderbolt port.
3. G-Technology G-Drive USB 3.0 4 TB external hard drive
Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB 2.0, USB 3.0, eSATA, FireWire Slim design Solid Can be noisy It's one of the fastest high-capacity hard drives you can connect to your Mac, with a whopping 4TB of storage space that's compressed through your USB 3.0, eSATA or FireWire connection. The all-aluminum enclosure gives the drive a premium appearance, while protecting your data from bumps and drops, and keeping the drive cool when in use.
4.Samsung T3 SSD
Capacity: 1TB | Interface: USB 3.1 Very good performance Very high capacity Expensive If you really want a super-fast external hard drive for your Mac, the Samsung T3 SSD is easily one of the best. Since it uses an SSD drive, the read and write speeds of this drive are much faster than external hard drives that use traditional hard drives. That means the price is higher, but if transfer speed is the most important consideration when looking for the best external hard drive for your Mac, this is the drive to look for.
5. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC External Hard Drive
Capacity: 2 TB | Interface: USB 3.0
NFC security Robust design Not the fastest reader. Compatible with both Mac and Windows machines, the highly flexible Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC comes with a robust dust and water resistant casing, as well as an integrated USB 3.0 cable. Your data is not only protected against bumps and drops thanks to the robust shell, but it also has 256-bit AES security features and NFC (Near Field Communication) features. It's a great external hard drive for your Mac if you want to keep your data safe.
6. Western Digital My Passport Ultra external hard drive
It comes with encryption and a long warranty.Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB 3.0 High capacity Type-C connector Application package Medium performance The latest generation of the Western Digital My Passport Ultra line of external hard drives has arrived, ranging in size from 1TB to 4TB. It offers cloud storage and 256-AES encryption, as well as WD's own suite of software. It's a good performer when it comes to data transfer speeds, but it doesn't come anywhere near the top of the rankings. Not surprisingly, it doesn't reach the top speeds of external solid-state hard drives, but for traditional HDD-based external hard drives, this is the drive to consider.
7. LaCie Porsche Design 4TB Mobile Drive
Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB-C Fast USB-C connection Super design Expensive Need USB-C ports to take advantage of speed You may have come across the LaCie Porsche Design Mobile while browsing Apple's website for USB-C accessories. c. There's a reason for this: the Porsche design comes with USB Type-C to Type-A and USB Type-C to Type-C connectors, making it a worthy candidate whatever your setup. It's expensive for an external hard drive, don't get me wrong, especially if you're looking for a high-end 4TB option. On the other hand, it's a hard drive that could theoretically produce speeds of up to 5 Gbit/s, if not hampered by the limits of SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) technology. With MacBooks equipped with USB Type-C connections, this is a great and stylish external hard drive that takes full advantage of this fast new port.