The Best External Hard Drive for Mac

It weighs 0.16kg. It stores and plays PS4 and Xbox One games directly, and a silicone sleeve cushions drops. It works with Windows, Mac and Linux.

On capacity it ties with the Expansion 1TB at 1TB. No other pick in this guide offers a USB 3.0 and USB-C connection; compare the WD Elements, which has a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) connection. As a spinning hard drive it is slower than an SSD and less tolerant of knocks while running.

No other pick here cost less at our last price check, and the SSK 500GB was closest. What it gives up: capacity of 1TB, behind the WD Elements (2TB); by contrast, the WD Elements is rated for 2TB.

It is the cheapest SSD here. It reads at up to 1,050MB/s over a 10Gbps USB-C link, fast enough for moving large project folders. Expect about 465GB to show in Windows, which is normal for a 500GB drive.

SLC caching keeps large transfers fast, and S.M.A.R.T. and TRIM support help it last. It reads at up to 1050MB/s and writes at up to 1000MB/s over 10Gbps USB. S.M.A.R.T. health reporting and TRIM help keep write speeds consistent over time.

Its 0.5TB capacity is the smallest in this group; the WD Elements leads at 2TB. You also get an activity LED and an SLC cache for steady transfers. Its price falls between the YOTUO 1TB and the Expansion 1TB, based on our last check.

It suits a single backup job. As a spinning hard drive it is slower than an SSD, but it costs less per terabyte for backups. It needs no power adapter and draws power over USB.

On capacity it ties with the YOTUO 1TB at 1TB. Like the One Touch 2TB, it has a USB 3.0 connection, while the YOTUO 1TB uses a USB 3.0 and USB-C connection. It also comes with a plain plug-in design, USB 3.0 and a compact enclosure.

It connects by USB-A; a USB-C-only laptop such as a MacBook Air needs an adapter or a USB-C cable. It was priced above the SSK 500GB and below the WD Elements at the time of writing.

It is formatted for Windows out of the box. On capacity it ties with the One Touch 2TB at 2TB. No other pick in this guide offers a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) connection; compare the YOTUO 1TB, which has a USB 3.0 and USB-C connection.

You also get plug-and-play setup, a small, light enclosure and USB 3.2 Gen 1. It connects by USB-A; a USB-C-only laptop such as a MacBook Air needs an adapter or a USB-C cable. It ships formatted for Windows, so a Mac user reformats it (exFAT for both systems, APFS for Time Machine).

As a spinning hard drive it is slower than an SSD and less tolerant of knocks while running. When we checked, only the Expansion 1TB and cheaper picks cost less, and the One Touch 2TB cost more.

Its warranty runs two years with Rescue data recovery. On capacity it ties with the WD Elements at 2TB. Like the Expansion 1TB, it has a USB 3.0 connection, while the YOTUO 1TB uses a USB 3.0 and USB-C connection.

It also offers scheduled or one-click backups. It connects by USB-A; a USB-C-only laptop such as a MacBook Air needs an adapter or a USB-C cable. As a spinning hard drive it is slower than an SSD and less tolerant of knocks while running. At our last price check it topped the group, with the WD Elements the nearest cheaper option.