The storage drive your precious Mac came packaged with isn’t the end of the road. Rather than replacing the hard drive altogether, you can go for the more practical and economical option of expanding the available storage with an external SSD or HDD. There’s no assembly required—just plug in a USB cable and you're good to go.

Of course, no two SSDs or HDDs are the same, nor is any ideal for every situation.

Whether you just need something to get the job done or a powerhouse of a storage drive, take a look at the best external hard drives and SSDs for Mac you can buy right now.

If premium performance, high capacity, and steadfast durability are truly what you’re after, the SanDisk Professional PRO-G40 SSD passes with flying colors. It’s got all the right goods wrapped up in a tough, ultra-rugged shell.

For starters, the SanDisk Professional PRO-G40 SSD is APFS formatted right out of the box, ensuring you can hook it up immediately to your iMac or MacBook. More importantly, it features USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 compatibility, though the latter is far superior in its read and write speeds of 2,700Mbps and 1,900Mbps, respectively. With those kinds of speeds, the PRO-G40 is an excellent choice for creative work, whether you’re dealing with videos or images.

The only aspect that matches the SanDisk Professional PRO-G40 SSD’s performance is its durability. If you frequently travel between separate Macs, you’ll love its 3-meter drop resistance, along with a water and dust resistance rating of IP68.

Key Features
  • IP68 dust and water resistance
  • Built with an aluminum core for cooling
  • Crush resistant up to 4,000lbs
Specifications
  • Storage capacity: 1TB, 2TB
  • Hardware Interface: USB-C, Thunderbolt 3
  • Compatible Devices: Mac, Windows
  • Brand: SanDisk
  • Transfer rate: 2,700MB/s (read), 1,900MB/s (write)
Pros
  • Ludicrously fast transfer speeds
  • Highly durable
  • Small and compact
Cons
  • 2TB capacity has a significantly lower cost-per-gigabyte
Buy This Product
SanDisk Professional PRO-G40
Editors choice

2. Kingston XS2000

9.00 / 10
Read Reviews

If you can accept the small downgrade in performance from the SanDiskProfessional PRO-G40, the Kingston XS2000 offers a greater selection of storage options, portability, and durability in return.

Given the lack of support for USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, the Kingston XS2000 won't be able to reach its maximum transfer speed, but even with your Mac putting a leash on its performance, it'll still top out at 1,000Mbps read and write speeds. That's not only substantially faster than a mechanical hard drive, but it also means you've got plenty of speed for backing up files, transferring videos and images, and making progress on any productivity projects you've got in the works.

Its all-purpose nature isn’t the only positive aspect of the Kingston XS2000 SSD—it’s also quite portable. It measures about the size of two thumb drives, and you can quickly slip the SSD into your pocket or bag, or store it in a drawer for safekeeping. And depending on what you need, this solid state drive comes in a variety of capacities: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB.

Key Features
  • Wrapped in a removable rubber sleeve
  • Includes a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 USB-C cable
  • Water, shock, and dust resistant
Specifications
  • Storage capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
  • Hardware Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (USB-C)
  • Compatible Devices: Mac, Windows
  • Brand: Kingston
  • Transfer rate: 2,000MB/s (Read & Write)
Pros
  • Exponentially faster than an HDD
  • Jack-of-all-trades
  • It's so tiny!
Cons
  • Won't be able to utilize the multi-lane performance of USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
Buy This Product
Kingston XS2000

The Seagate Ultra Touch is an affordable storage option that should look tantalizing to penny-pinchers and the budget-conscious. Keep in mind that the Seagate Ultra Touch is a mechanical hard drive, so you won’t get blinding fast read and write speeds like an SSD typically provides. However, the tradeoff here is that you’ll be spending less per GB.

With 120Mbps read and write speeds, the Seagate Ultra Touch HDD sounds slow compared to an SSD. When up against a typical HDD, though, it’s actually above average. On top of choosing between 1TB and 2TB storage capacities, it's a solid option for general use.

All that available storage makes the Seagate Ultra Touch HDD a great choice for storing family photos, videos, and important documents. In fact, this hard drive comes with password-activated AES-256 hardware encryption, adding a strong level of protection over any sensitive information or personal photos you may have stored.

Key Features
  • Features Password+ and AES-256 encryption
  • Includes a USB-C adapter
  • Compatible with Apple's Time Machine software
Specifications
  • Storage Capacity: 1TB, 2TB
  • Compatible Devices: Mac, Windows
  • Dimensions: 4.52 x 3.07 x 0.46 inches
  • Brand: Seagate
Pros
  • Very low cost-per-gigabyte
  • Nice woven fabric for style
  • Excellent security
Cons
  • Mechanical hard drives aren't as performant as SSDs
Buy This Product
Seagate Ultra Touch HDD

If you frequently bring your work home, or simply love rugged SSDs, the Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD protects all its important internal hardware with a tough outer shell and substantial water and dust resistance. Best of all? You’re still getting fast read and write speeds on top of a lot of storage!

The Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD lives up to its name by shielding its internal hardware from drops as high as 9.8 feet. Not only is its armored shell quite durable, but the rubberized texture is also much easier to grip than smooth metal. More importantly, it features a water and dust resistance rating of IP65, further shielding it from the dust and moisture of daily life.

Despite being a rugged solid state drive, the Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD is by no means a slouch when it comes to read and write speeds. There are three capacities to choose from (1TB, 2TB, and 4TB), all of which read and write at 1,050Mbps and 1,000Mbps, respectively.

Key Features
  • IP65 water and dust resistance rating
  • Includes Type-C to Type-C and Type-C to Type-A cables
  • Built to withstand drops from 9.8 feet high
Specifications
  • Storage capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
  • Hardware Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2
  • Compatible Devices: PC, Mac, Android, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
  • Brand: Samsung
  • Transfer rate: 1050MB/s (read), 1000MB/s (write)
Pros
  • Maintains rated transfer speeds reliably
  • Sturdy piece of hardware
  • Good budget option for creators
Cons
  • Needs to be formatted before use
Buy This Product
Samsung T7 Shield

Whether you use your Mac casually or 24/7, you should always make a habit of backing up your important files. That’ll fill up any storage pretty quickly, even with an entire terabyte available, but you can avoid that situation altogether with the SanDisk Professional G-Drive HDD.

Simply put: the SanDisk Professional G-Drive HDD is built for massive storage potential, with options between 4TB and a whopping 22TB. While it isn't as fast as a solid state drive, the G-Drive is incredibly fast when you compare it to your average HDD. It consistently reaches its rated read and write speed of 250Mbps, but if you opt for the ludicrously large 22TB version, those speeds reach 280Mbps.

Best of all, the SanDisk Professional G-Drive HDD makes backing up files very convenient thanks to its Apple Time Machine compatibility right out of the box. It’s an incredibly useful feature to have on hand in the event your iMac or MacBook needs to be restored.

Key Features
  • Compatible with Apple's Time Machine software
  • Built with an anodized aluminum chassis
  • Features anchor points for DIT carts and cheese plates
Specifications
  • Storage Capacity: 4TB, 6TB, 12TB, 18TB, 22TB
  • Compatible Devices: Mac, Windows
  • Dimensions: 8.27 x 5.24 x 1.61 inches
  • Brand: SanDisk
Pros
  • Tremendous amount of storage
  • Formatted for Mac right out of the box
  • Outstanding transfer speeds for an HDD
Cons
  • Not as portable as alternatives
Buy This Product
SanDisk Professional G-Drive

The more you travel for work, the more likely something precious—like external storage—will break. A nice carrying case can prevent that, but that doesn’t help when it’s in use, right? Luckily, the LaCie Rugged Pro SSD is built for peace of mind when those sudden, unpredictable accidents do happen.

For starters, the LaCie Rugged Pro SSD features a rubberized outer shell with an IP67 rating for extreme dust and water resistance. If that’s not impressive enough, you should also know that it can withstand drops from nearly 10 feet, as well as two tons of car crush resistance. In other words: it’s going to be a-okay against everyday accidents.

What’s particularly nice is that the LaCie Rugged Pro SSD doesn’t hold back on performance, either. With transfer speeds reaching 2,800Mbps, it’s a superb option for professional work such as photo and video editing.

Key Features
  • IP67 water and dust resistance
  • Compatible with USB-C 3.1 Gen 1
  • Built to withstand drops of 3 meters
Specifications
  • Storage capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
  • Hardware Interface: USB-C, Thunderbolt 3
  • Compatible Devices: Mac, Windows
  • Brand: LaCie
  • Transfer rate: 2,800MB/s (Read & Write)
Pros
  • Superb option for video/photo editing
  • Small, rugged, and portable
  • Includes a Thunderbolt 3 cable
Cons
  • Need to reformat before use
Buy This Product
LaCie Rugged Pro

If you deal with sensitive information, whether it’s personal or work-related, those files should only be seen by authorized individuals. Thankfully, the Western Digital My Passport SSD is equipped with encryption to keep those curious eyes at bay.

Through its password-enabled 256-bit AES hardware encryption, the Western Digital My Passport SSD features the strongest AES encryption available today. Whichever files you choose to transfer, they’ll be safe and sound on this solid state drive.

Given the performance of the Western Digital My Passport SSD, you won’t be waiting long for those files to transfer, either. At 1,050Mbps and 1,000Mbps read and write speeds, respectively, the SSD blows the average mechanical hard drive out of the water.

Key Features
  • Password-enabled 256-bit AES encryption
  • Compatible with Apple's Time Machine software
  • Withstands drops up to 6.5 feet
Specifications
  • Storage capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
  • Hardware Interface: USB 3.2
  • Compatible Devices: Mac, Windows
  • Brand: Western Digital
  • Transfer rate: 1,050MB/s (read), 1,000MB/s (write)
Pros
  • Dependable performance
  • Strong security encryption
  • Decent durability
Cons
  • Requires formatting before use
Buy This Product
Western Digital My Passport

FAQ

Q: SSD or HDD? Which Storage Drive is Best for Me?

It's no secret that SSDs outperform HDDs due to the former's use of flash memory as opposed to an HDD's mechanical parts. That boost in performance does mean an SSD will have a higher cost-per-gigabyte, whereas an HDD will offer so much low-cost space you'll be swimming in gigabytes, with some to spare, at the cost of transfer speeds.

If your chosen storage drive is meant to back up important personal documents, family photos and videos, then an HDD will do just fine. However, if you edit videos and photos, those blazing-fast SSD speeds are a godsend.

Q: Will I Need to Reformat My External Storage Drive?

It depends on the SSD or HDD you purchase. Some are formatted to a file system compatible with Mac, while others need to be reformatted.

Don't worry, though! Reformatting a storage drive is quite simple. After plugging in your choice of SSD or HDD, open up Disk Utility and select the drive on the left. Choose "Erase" at the top, pick a file system, and you're done!

Q: How Much Storage Space Should I Get?

First, ask yourself this: What do you need an external storage drive for? Housing some personal files likely won't require a massive, 2TB hard drive; in fact, you could get away with 500GB or, better yet, 1TB.

If it's for some kind of home storage or work-related, you should start off with large-capacity storage drives and add more as you go, especially as a video or photo editor. On top of that, you'll need backups in the event a drive fails to avoid losing data.