Best External Hard Drives
& Portable SSDs 2026

External SSD (Solid State Drive): No moving parts. Fast — 5 to 10 times faster than a hard drive. Small, light, and durable (most can survive being dropped). More expensive per gigabyte. Best for everyday use, file transfers, working directly from the drive, and portability.

External HDD (Hard Disk Drive): Spinning platters and a mechanical read/write head. Much slower than an SSD, and more fragile — a drop while it's running can kill it. But significantly cheaper per gigabyte. Best for bulk backup storage, archiving photos and videos, and situations where speed doesn't matter.

My general advice: If you're buying one drive for everyday portable use, get an SSD. If you need to store a large amount of data cheaply and it's going to sit on your desk, a traditional hard drive still makes sense. And if you can afford both, use an SSD for your active files and an HDD for backup — that's what I do. Already have a spare internal drive lying around? You can turn it into a portable drive for a few bucks with an external enclosure — we'll have a guide on that soon.

Speed: Up to 1,050 MB/s read and 1,000 MB/s write via USB 3.2 Gen 2. Fast enough to edit video directly from the drive if you need to.
Durability: IP65 rated — water resistant and dust resistant. Drop-proof up to 3 metres. The rubberized exterior actually inspires confidence that it can take a beating.
Compatibility: Works with Windows, Mac, Android, PlayStation, and Xbox. Comes with both USB-C and USB-A cables in the box.
Security: Built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption with optional password protection.
Sizes: 1 TB and 2 TB are the most popular. The 4 TB is available but very pricey.

Best for: People who need speed, durability, and portability and are willing to pay the premium. If you're transferring large files regularly, working directly from the drive, or need something rugged enough to throw in a bag without worrying, this is the one.

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Speed: Up to 1,050 MB/s read and 1,000 MB/s write — essentially the same as the Samsung.
Durability: IP65 rated for water and dust resistance. Drop-proof up to 2 metres. Not quite as rugged as the T7 Shield, but still very solid.
Design: Compact with a carabiner loop for clipping to a bag — a nice touch for portability.
Security: Password protection with 256-bit AES encryption via SanDisk's SecureAccess software.
Sizes: Available from 500 GB to 8 TB.

Best for: Anyone who wants SSD speed and durability without paying the Samsung tax. The performance difference between the two is negligible in everyday use — you're getting essentially the same drive for less money.

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Capacity: Available up to 6 TB — that's a lot of storage for the price.
Value: A 2 TB WD My Passport costs less than a 1 TB portable SSD right now. If you need backup storage and speed isn't critical, the math is clear.
Compatibility: Works with Windows and Mac (may need reformatting for Mac). USB 3.0 interface — not the fastest, but speed matters less for backup duties.
Security: Built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption with password protection.
Simplicity: Plug it in, it works. No software required (though WD includes backup software if you want it).

Best for: Bulk backup storage. If you want to back up your entire computer, store years of family photos and videos, or keep a large media library — and you don't need the speed of an SSD — this is the most cost-effective option. Just remember: hard drives have moving parts, so treat them gently and don't drop them while they're running.

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Capacity: Available up to 5 TB.
Automatic backup: Seagate Toolkit lets you set up automatic, scheduled backups of specific folders — set it once and it backs up on its own. Most people don't back up because they forget to. This takes the forgetting out of the equation.
Design: Sleek, slim, and available in multiple colours.
Compatibility: Works with Windows and Mac.
Security: Password-activated hardware encryption built in.

Best for: People who want a "set it and forget it" backup solution. If you know you'll never remember to manually back up your files, this is the drive that does it for you.

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500 GB: Enough for a basic backup of documents, bookmarks, and a modest photo collection. Fine if your internal drive is 250 GB or less and you just want a safety copy.

1 TB: The sweet spot for most people. Handles a full system backup, several years of photos, and still has room to spare. This is what I recommend most often.

2 TB: Good if you have a lot of photos and videos, or if you want to back up multiple computers to the same drive.

4 TB+: For serious media collections, professional photographers/videographers, or long-term archival storage. Most home users don't need this much, but if you're a digital hoarder (no judgment), go for it.

Rule of thumb: Buy a drive that's at least twice the size of the data you need to store on it. This gives you room to grow and room for multiple backup versions.

USB 3.0 / USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps): The most common interface for external hard drives. Fast enough for HDDs, but will bottleneck a fast SSD.

USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps): The sweet spot for portable SSDs. All the SSDs on this list use this interface. You'll get the advertised speeds as long as your computer also has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port.

Thunderbolt 3/4 (40 Gbps): Only needed for professional-grade drives doing heavy video work. Overkill for most people and significantly more expensive.

The connector shape doesn't determine the speed. A USB-C port can be USB 2.0 (slow), USB 3.0 (decent), USB 3.2 Gen 2 (fast), or Thunderbolt (blazing). Check your computer's specs to see what your ports actually support.

Best overall portable SSD: Samsung T7 Shield — fast, tough, works with everything. The premium pick when speed and durability matter.

Best value SSD: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD — nearly identical performance to the Samsung at a lower price. The smarter buy for most people who want an SSD.

Best budget hard drive: WD My Passport — unbeatable price per gigabyte. Up to 6 TB. The reliable workhorse for backup storage.

Best for automatic backups: Seagate One Touch — scheduled backup software built in. Set it and forget it.