Picking the best external hard drives can be one of the most important things you do. If you have a large amount of important and irreplaceable files, an external hard drive can help you backup those files easily. Then, if something were to happen to your PC or laptop, your files are safely stored elsewhere.
While there are some great portable SSD drives and secure drives, which excel at speedy read and write speeds, and adding an extra layer of security for your files, respectively, the best external hard drives on this page use traditional hard drives.
This makes them more affordable, which in turn allows you to get one with even more storage space. If transfer speeds aren’t essential, and you’re not going to be throwing them around in a bag, then an external hard drive could be ideal for your needs.
That extra storage space means the best external hard drives on this page are better than USB flash drives and microSD memory cards, as while they may be more portable, they just won’t give you enough space for long-term use. External hard drives, on the other hand, have a lot more space and are designed for external use, so you can take all your large important files wherever you go and access them anytime, anywhere.
So, expand your storage space without spending a lot with one of the best external hard drives on our list. And, they’ll do it at a reasonable price.
The best external hard drive deals
IDrive 5TB Cloud Backup
IDrive, the cloud storage veteran, delivers tons of storage online for an incredibly small outlay. 5TB for $3.48 for the first year is unmatched till now and so is the support for unlimited devices and the extensive file versioning system available.View Deal
Best external hard drives at a glance
- Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC
- Western Digital My Passport Ultra 4TB
- Samsung T5 SSD
- Adata SD700
- WD My Book Duo 4TB
- Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt
- Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB
- Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro
- LaCie Rugged USB-C 4TB External Hard Drive
- iStorage diskAshur 2TB
If you’re looking for the best external hard drive that will save you a ton of cash, 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!
Read the full review: Buffalo MiniStation Extreme
- 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
The latest generation of the Western Digital My Passport Ultra range of external hard drives is here, coming in sizes from 1TB to 4TB, and they’re among the best external hard drives out there. 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.
Read the full review: Western Digital My Passport Ultra
If you’d rather have an external hard drive that takes advantage of solid state drive (SSD) speeds, then the Samsung Portable SSD T5 is certainly among the best external hard drive for you.
Samsung has an excellent 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. Be prepared to shell out a bit more cash, but it’s well worth it.
Read the full review: Samsung Portable SSD T5
The Adata SD700 will suit those looking for a rugged storage device that can provide ample capacity without costing too much. It performs incredibly 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, which means that 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.
Read the hands-on review: Adata SD700 External SSD
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 sizeable 4TB (you can also get versions with up to 20TB) of storage space over two hard drives.
You might sacrifice some of the ample storage space, if you don’t mind losing some, so 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).
Read the full review: WD My Book Duo 4TB
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.
Read the full review: Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt
- 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
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.
Read the full review: Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB
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
LaCie’s rugged external hard drives are a favorite among content creators who are always out on the field. It’s drop, shock, dust, and rain-resistant, making it ideal for surviving the elements when you’re out in nature. It comes in different types and connectivity as well, with the Thunderbolt/USB-C option being ideal for MacBook and Dell XPS users, and the RAID option being perfect for creative professionals. Because it comes with up to 8TB, you can also pick and choose depending on your storage needs.
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.
Read our full review: iStorage diskAshur 2
How to choose the best external hard drive
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 utmost 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 utilize USB 3.0 connections. However, for faster speeds, you’ll want USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 USB Type-C connection. You’ll also 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 storage space. We’d recommend 1TB to start, as that gives you plenty of space to store your files without costing too much money. That’s certainly good enough for most users.
However, if you’re dealing with large files – such as high-resolution photos and videos – in your typical workload, you should consider buying one with a bigger storage space. Luckily, many external hard drives offer terabytes (TB) of storage space for not much more money.
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, end up running out of space and buying another one. However, you also don’t want to pay over the odds for storage space you’ll never need.
In addition, the best external hard drives must also be dependable and rugged, so you can safely store your data without worry. The best external drives must also be light enough to carry in your bag, with large capacities so that you can keep your data safe when traveling.
Gabe Carey and Matt Hanson also contributed to this article