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The 8 Best external hard drives for macs of 2025

Are you trying to find external hard drives for macs among various brands on the market but aren’t sure where to begin? To assist you in finding the right one, we’ve put together a list of the 7 best to help you pick the perfect one!

We investigated and evaluated a number of the top-selling external hard drives for macs on the market in order to create our list of the best. Making a decision among the many options available is never simple. There are an infinite number of models available, each with a distinct price. And as you’ll find out, the best options aren’t usually the ones you imagine! This comparison is rich and relevant because of the numerous factors that were employed. You will find products featured in this ranking not only based on their pricing but also on their features and other customers reviews. To write this review, we completed 26 hours of research and did 21 external hard drives for macs tests. You won’t need to pick products at random any more. If you’re unsure of what to look for, browse our list and consult the buying guide!

An overview of our top picks

Table of contents

The best external hard drives for macs you can buy today

SaleNo. 1
Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive HDD — USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox -1-Year Rescue Service (STGX2000400)
  • Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
  • Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
  • To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
  • This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
SaleNo. 2
Western Digital 2TB My Passport Ultra for Mac Silver Portable External Hard Drive HDD, USB-C and USB 3.1 Compatible - WDBPMV0040BSL-WESN
  • USB-C and USB 3.1 compatible.Specific uses: Business, personal
  • Innovative style with refined metal cover
  • Password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption
  • Formatted for Mac
No. 3
Maxone Portable External Hard Drives 500GB-USB 3.0 2.5'' HDD Backup Storage, Compatible with PC, Desktop, Laptop, Black
  • Compatibility: It is compatible with Microsoft Windows, and provides fast and stable performance for PC, Laptop. No reformat required, just plug it in and play.
SaleNo. 4
LaCie d2 Professional 10TB External Hard Drive Desktop HDD – USB-C USB 3.0 7200 RPM Enterprise Class Drives, 5 Year Warranty and Recovery Service (STHA10000800)
  • The LaCie d2 Professional is the go to external desktop hard drive for creatives using SSD based laptops or all in one computers with limited storage capacity
  • Easily edit and archive projects with 10TB of massive capacity and speeds of upto 240MB/s
  • Seamlessly connect to USB C and Thunderbolt 3 computers and enjoy reduced noise and vibration thanks to an aluminum form factor
  • Equipped with BarraCuda Pro enterprise class drive for ultimate reliability and performance
No. 5
Fantom Drives 14TB External Hard Drive HDD, GFORCE 3 Pro 7200RPM, USB 3.0, Aluminum, Fanless, On/Off Switch, Silver, GF3S14000UP
  • Fantom Drives Gforce3 Features USB 3. 0 connection allowing transfer rates up to 10 times the rate of USB 2. 0
  • The Gforce3 USB 3. 0 Hard Drive is perfect for Audio and video professionals requiring maximum performance and reliability
  • Rugged Features provide optimal storage for all your photos, videos, and backups
  • The USB 3. 0 is backwards compatible with USB 2. 0. Plug & play simplicity.
  • Aluminum casing doubles as a heat sink and provides maximum durability.
  • High speed 7200RPM offers faster speed than 5400RPM hard drives
  • Great for your home network, MAC, and PC
SaleNo. 6
WD 2TB My Passport for Mac, Navy, Portable External Hard Drive with backup software and password protection, USB 3.1/USB 3.0 compatible - WDBA2D0020BBL-WESN
  • Designed for Mac.
  • Slim durable design to help take your important files with you.
  • Mac-ready and USB-C compatible for effortless connectivity and functionality.
  • Vast capacities up to 6TB[1] to store your photos, videos, music, important documents and more.
  • Back up smarter with included device management software[2] with defense against ransomware.
SaleNo. 7
SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD - Up to 1050MB/s, USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2, IP65 Water and Dust Resistance, Updated Firmware - External Solid State Drive - SDSSDE61-2T00-G25
  • Get NVMe solid state performance with up to 1050MB/s read and 1000MB/s write speeds in a portable, high-capacity drive(1) (Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device & other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.)
  • Up to 3-meter drop protection and IP65 water and dust resistance mean this tough drive can take a beating(3) (Previously rated for 2-meter drop protection and IP55 rating. Now qualified for the higher, stated specs.)
  • Use the handy carabiner loop to secure it to your belt loop or backpack for extra peace of mind.
  • Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256‐bit AES hardware encryption.(3)
  • Easily manage files and automatically free up space with the SanDisk Memory Zone app.(5). Non-Operating Temperature -20°C to 85°C
SaleNo. 8
Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0, Black - HDTB520XK3AA
  • Sleek profile design with a matte, smudge-resistance finish
  • Plug & Play - Easy to use with no software to install
  • Quickly add more storage capacity to your PC and other compatible devices
  • USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatible with no external AC power cord needed
  • Pre-formatted NTFS for Windows PC (reformatting required for Mac computers)
No. 9
WD 5TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive for Windows, USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0 for PC & Mac, Plug and Play Ready - WDBU6Y0050BBK-WESN
  • High capacity in a small enclosure – The small, lightweight design offers up to 6TB* capacity, making WD Elements portable hard drives the ideal companion for consumers on the go.
  • Plug-and-play expandability
  • Vast capacities up to 6TB[1] to store your photos, videos, music, important documents and more
  • SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)
SaleNo. 10
SanDisk Professional 5TB G-Drive ArmorATD - Rugged, Durable Portable External Hard Drive HDD, USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 - SDPH81G-005T-GBA1D
  • USB-C (5Gbps) drive for quick file backup and storage
  • USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 3 compatible
  • Transfer rates of up to 130MB/s read (1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.)
  • Premium, anodized aluminum enclosure for strength you can feel
  • Built tough with an easy-grip bumper for pro-grade durabilty you can trust
No. 11
Toshiba Canvio Flex 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB-C USB 3.0, Silver for PC, Mac, & Tablet - HDTX120XSCAA
  • Designed for PC, Mac, and Tablet (check compatibility at Toshiba's Consumer HDD website).
  • Formatted exFAT for cross-device compatibility (2).
  • USB-C ready, USB 3.0 compatible.
  • Versatile design. Includes USB-C and USB-A cables.
SaleNo. 12
SAMSUNG T7 Portable SSD, 1TB External Solid State Drive, Speeds Up to 1,050MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Reliable Storage for Gaming, Students, Professionals, MU-PC1T0T/AM, Gray
  • MADE FOR THE MAKERS: Create; Explore; Store; The T7 Portable SSD delivers fast speeds and durable features to back up any endeavor; Build your video editing empire, file your photographs or back up your blogs all in an instant
  • SHARE IDEAS IN A FLASH: Don’t waste a second waiting and spend more time doing; The T7 is embedded with PCIe NVMe technology that brings fast read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s¹, making it almost twice as fast as the T5
  • ALWAYS MAKE THE SAVE: Compact design with massive capacity; With capacities up to 4TB, save exactly what you need to your drive – from large working files to game data and everything in between
  • ADAPTS TO EVERY NEED: Whether using a PC or mobile phone, count on the T7 for extensive compatibility²; It’s a true team player when it comes to heavy-duty application usage or file-saving
  • HI RESOLUTION VIDEO RECORDING: Record Ultra High Resolution (4K 60fs) videos directly onto the T7 Portable SSD with your favorite camera or mobile devices; Supports iPhone 15 Pro Res 4K at 60fps video and more³
  • ALL FOR THE SHOT: This strong, sturdy sidekick will help you see it through with shock resistance and fall protection up to 6 feet⁴; With its solid aluminum unibody construction, it’s made to withstand any adventure
  • WORLD’S #1 FLASH MEMORY BRAND: Performance and reliability from the world’s #1 brand for flash memory since 2003⁵; All firmware and components are produced in-house, including our world renowned DRAM and NAND, for quality and you can trust
No. 13
LaCie Rugged 5TB USB-C External Hard Drive - Shock, Dust, Rain Resistant Portable HDD for Mac and PC
  • Quickly and easily connect to the latest Windows and Mac computers with Rugged’s reversible USB-C cable, or legacy computers using the included USB 3.0 adapter
  • Enjoy fast USB-C 130MB/s file transfers, backups, and image browsing
  • Confidently tackle any terrain with drop, crush, and rain resistance
  • Take advantage of a complimentary one-month membership to the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan for access to awesome photo and video editing apps
SaleNo. 14
WD_BLACK 4TB P10 Game Drive, Portable External Hard Drive, Works with Playstation, Xbox, & PC - WDBA3A0040BBK-WESN
  • Up to 6TB[1] that can hold up to 150 games[3], so that you can save old favorites and still have room for new titles.
  • Portable form factor with sleek metal top covering that provides fast access to your growing game library
  • Speeds up to 130MB/s[2] to push your console or PC to new levels
  • Compatible with Xbox Series X|S (play and store Xbox One games / archive Xbox Series X|S games) and PlayStation 5 (play and store PS4 games/archive PS5 games) consoles
  • Premium HDD with 3-year limited warranty, purpose-built for gamers based on WD_BLACK quality and reliability
  • English (Publication Language)
No. 15
UnionSine 1TB Ultra Slim Portable External Hard Drive HDD-USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, Laptop, PS4, Xbox one, Xbox 360-HD2510(Black)
  • 【Ultra-thin and quiet】-This external hard drive is designed for easy, space-saving use. With a thin and compact size, it pops into your pocket for easy storage
  • 【Upgraded version cable】The aluminum anti-interference layer is added to the outside of the cable, which can prevent all electromagnetic interference, stabilize the transmission speed, and extend the service life
  • 【Ultra-Fast Data Transfers 】- The external Hard Drive is used in conjunction with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports to provide ultra-fast transfer speed. The theoretical read speed is up to 125MB/s, and the write speed is up to 103MB/s.
  • 【Plug and Play】 - With no software to install, just plug it in and the drive is ready to use.The hard disk chip is wrapped with an aluminum anti-interference layer to increase heat dissipation and protect data
  • 【Double anti-interference】-The external hard drive chip adds a signal shielding layer, the transmission speed of the hard disk will be faster than other hard disks, stable and undisturbed
SaleNo. 16
Toshiba Canvio Advance 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0, Green - HDTCA20XG3AA
  • Compact design with stylish, textured finish and color options to fit your lifestyle.
  • Automatic backup software to easily back up your content (free download, for Windows PC only).
  • Password protection software to help prevent unauthorized access to your data (free download, for Windows PC only).
  • USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatible.
No. 17
Western Digital 6TB Elements Desktop USB 3.0 external hard drive for plug-and-play storage - WDBWLG0060HBK-NESN
  • High-capacity add-on storage.Specific uses: Business, personal
  • Fast data transfers
  • Plug-and-play ready for Windows PCs
  • WD quality inside and out
No. 18
Western Digital 6TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, External HDD with Password Protection and Auto Backup Software - WDBBGB0060HBK-NESN
  • Massive capacity, up to 18TB capacity (1 1TB = one trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.).Specific uses: Business, personal
  • Includes software for device management and backup with password protection (Download and installation required. Terms and conditions apply. User account registration may be required.)
  • 256-bit AES hardware encryption
  • SuperSpeed USB (5 Gbps); USB 2.0 compatible
No. 19
The Amazon Cloud Drive User Guide: How to get the most out of Amazon's new Cloud Drive services
  • Amazon Kindle Edition
  • Tulley, Charles (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 26 Pages - 04/05/2015 (Publication Date)
No. 20
Twelve South Backpack for iMac and Apple Displays | Hidden Storage Shelf for Hard Drives and Accessories (Silver)
  • Designed, sold & supported by Twelve South, a family-owned small business in Charleston, South Carolina
  • Helps create an organized workspace by elevating hard drives and other peripherals off your desk
  • Adds a space-saving shelf that mounts to the back or front of your iMac or Apple Display. (Not compatible with iMac M1)
  • Holds up to 3.5 pounds of hard drives, peripherals – even a MacBook

How to choose a good external hard drives for macs

Does the idea of finding a fantastic external hard drives for macs make you anxious? When it comes to purchasing this product, specifically when deciding which model to select, has your head been spinning between options? You are not alone if that is the case. We are aware of the pressure involved in the purchasing process!

Your presence here indicates that you are interested in external hard drives for macs. Before choosing which product would be the best for your needs after being inundated with information, locate a reliable source with genuine selections. You can get that information from a variety of sources, including buying guides and rating websites, word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family, online discussion forums where users can share their own experiences, product reviews that can be found all over the internet, and YouTube channels. You can only get the right product through exhaustive analysis. But you realize that’s not always simple. In order to ease your concerns, we have taken the time to develop a list of the top external hard drives for macs products available right now. You might be wondering how we came up with the list. How was this buying guide developed?

First, we used our algorithms to gather as much reliable data as we could about these products. To verify all the data gathered, we used both artificial intelligence and a lot of algorithms.
Then, our experts used criteria that are recognized in the business to evaluate them according to their quality to price ratio, allowing us to choose the top external hard drives for macs on the market right now!

The selection of the goods is not arbitrary. Before creating a list, we take into account a number of factors. Below are some of the criteria discussed:

Brand Value: What happens if you choose a dubious brand just because it appears to be a good deal? So the likelihood of receiving a product with a short shelf life increases. That is due to the fact that well-known brands have a reputation to uphold, while others do not. Top external hard drives for macs brands strive to provide some distinctive traits that set them apart from the competition. So, hopefully one or more of the items on our list will be perfect for you.

Features: Useful features are all you need, not tons of them. We consider the important aspects and select the top external hard drives for macs based on those.

Specifications: Numbers always help you measure the quality of a product in a quantitative way. We try to find products with higher specifications, but with the right balance.

Quality: A product’s quality may always be quantified with the aid of numbers. We look for goods with better standards that strike the proper balance. The best quality product that gets highly appreciated and recommended by experienced users.

Customer ratings:  Would it be accurate to suggest that the external hard drives for macs were used by hundreds of customers before you? Superior ratings indicate that many customers had better service.

Customer Reviews: Like ratings,  provide you with accurate and reliable information about the product from genuine customers. Customer ratings are very important to all of us because they contain accurate and reliable information about the customer service we received from several hundred customers.

Seller Rank: This is very intriguing! Not only do you need a good external hard drives for macs, you also need a product with rising sales that is trendy. It accomplishes two goals. First, the expanding user base proves the quality of the product. Second, given that number, producers must be able to offer greater quality and after-sales support.

Value: You get what you pay for, they say, so consider the value. Cheap isn’t always good and expensive isn’t always bad. However, that does not imply that spending a lot of money on a product that is flashy but underwhelming is a good idea. Before adding them to the list, we make an effort to evaluate how much value you can get for your money from your external hard drives for macs.

Durability: Durability and reliability are closely related concepts. You will benefit from a strong and long-lasting external hard drives for macs for months and years to come.

Product availability: Products come and go, and new ones replace the old ones. Most likely, a few new features and required changes were made. What use is it to use a supposedly good product if the maker no longer supports it? We make an effort to highlight products that are current and offered by one or more trustworthy sellers, if not more.

Negative Reviews: Yes, we do take that into account as well! The goods with the majority of bad reviews are filtered out and disregarded when we choose the best-rated one on the market.

These are the standards by which we selected our external hard drives for macs. Do we end our process there? Hell no. The most crucial fact about us that you should be aware of is that we regularly update our website with current and pertinent information. We have one more layer of filtration since we place the greatest importance on reader satisfaction. Please let us know if any product included here is incorrect, irrelevant, subpar, or simply out of date. We always value your opinions, and we’ll work hard to make any necessary corrections to our list in response to them.

Why should you believe us?

There are now thousands of possibilities for these products on Amazon, but choosing the best one can be difficult and time-consuming. And what external hard drives for macs should you purchase in 2022?

This guide is the result of more than 10 years of experience in researching, testing and writing about many topics. Each member of our team is an authority in their area. We read every article we could find online and every consumer review on every retail website for seven hours. Additionally, we discovered a ton of websites that offered helpful resources, including buying tips and thorough information on external hard drives for macs.