Macs with huge storage capacity are very expensive. To get the extra gigabytes needed to store their personal data, many Apple fans opt for an external hard drive. But how to choose the right one when faced with the many different models on the market? Our elements of answer in this guide of purchase of the best external hard drives for Mac.
Here is our commitment, to make sure that we provide the best user experience and content quality:
You can support us by using our links to make your purchases (at no extra cost to you)! This sometimes earns us a commission which allows us to remain independent. More about us
Our selection
"Whether you're a home user or a professional, this 16TB external hard drive for Mac or Windows will help you better organize your photos, videos,…"
"As big as a smartphone, this external hard drive for Mac is equipped with a USB 3.0 interface in micro format that promises high transfer…"
"Particularly recommended for professional use, this external hard drive for Mac of 10Tb will allow you to organize more easily your files and your creative…"
"Never before has an external hard drive for the Mac lived up to its name. Indeed, the AluICE Mini Turbo is equipped with ultra-fast FireWire…"
Whether you're a home user or a professional, this 16TB external hard drive for Mac or Windows will help you better organize your photos, videos, and all the important files you need to access every day.
303 £ on AmazonThis external hard drive is not exactly a model of originality in terms of design, but it has performance to spare. Western Digital is aware that users value their personal and professional data. That's one of the reasons why the manufacturer designed this reliable and easy-to-use hard drive for them. Just plug it into the USB port to access the storage. If the transfer does not start with your Mac, you just need to perform a specific formatting to solve this problem.
Note that this external hard drive is compatible with USB 3.0 devices, but it is also backwards compatible with computers still running USB 2.0. So, if you are working on an old Mac, no worries should occur. In fact, your computer shouldn't slow down after you transfer a large portion of your files to this desktop external hard drive.
As big as a smartphone, this external hard drive for Mac is equipped with a USB 3.0 interface in micro format that promises high transfer speeds. Indeed, this storage medium offers 117 MB/s in read mode and 115 MB/s in write mode.
55,19 £ on Amazon
Particularly recommended for professional use, this external hard drive for Mac of 10Tb will allow you to organize more easily your files and your creative or development software which are greedy in bandwidth.
295 £ on MacwayThis external hard drive for Mac has all the qualities you would expect from a professional storage medium. Indeed, it is powerful, reliable and universally compatible. We also appreciate its clever design and especially its aluminum unibody case that acts as a passive cooler. Even if you use this hard disk 24/7, it will never fail. Moreover, if any malfunction should occur during the warranty period, which is almost impossible, the dealer will take care of recovering the data free of charge.
You'll be pleased to know that this external hard drive for Mac has USB C connectivity that offers 260 MB/s for creative work and 5 Gbit/s for transfers. If you have a Mac with an SSD, no latency issues should occur while you work.
Never before has an external hard drive for the Mac lived up to its name. Indeed, the AluICE Mini Turbo is equipped with ultra-fast FireWire 800 and USB 3.0 connectivity. If you're a fan of high transfer speeds, this is the storage device for you.
98,40 £ on MacwayAs usual, Storeva wanted to offer you an external hard drive with a sober but attractive design. As it is entirely made of aluminum, this storage device does not heat up very much and remains silent even after hours of use. To avoid unnecessary frustration, Storeva has equipped this technological gem with a state-of-the-art controller and connectors that shorten the transfer time of large files. Its performance and the diversity of its connectors make it the ideal storage for graphics and video professionals.
Self-powered through its USB or FireWire ports, this external hard drive for Mac is very autonomous. You can give it extra power by plugging a standard AC adapter (included) into one of the two FireWire ports. If your Mac is fairly new, you shouldn't have any incompatibility problems with this model.
Any specific needs?
Best external hard drive for Mac in 2021
Best external hard drive for entry-level Mac
Best external hard drive for high-end Mac
Best external hard drive for mobile Mac
Your guide :
Rate this buying guide :By rating this buying guide, you are helping us to reward our best writers. Thank you!
| THE BEST | CHEAP | HIGH END | EXCELLENT | |
In accordance with our commitment, this buying guide does not contain any sponsored products. |
8/10 |
7/10 |
9/10 |
8/10 |
| OUR SELECTION |
WD Elements Desktop 16Tb 3,5'' (3,5'')
|
Seagate 2TB Expansion Amazon Special Edition 2,5"
|
LaCie d2 Professional 10Tb 3,5''-based
|
Storeva AluICE mini Turbo 1Tb 2,5" - Storeva AluICE mini Turbo 1Tb 2,5
|
|
Whether you're a home user or a professional, this 16TB external hard drive for Mac or Windows will help you better organize your photos, videos, and all the important files you need to access every day.
|
As big as a smartphone, this external hard drive for Mac is equipped with a USB 3.0 interface in micro format that promises high transfer speeds. Indeed, this storage medium offers 117 MB/s in read mode and 115 MB/s in write mode.
|
Particularly recommended for professional use, this external hard drive for Mac of 10Tb will allow you to organize more easily your files and your creative or development software which are greedy in bandwidth.
|
Never before has an external hard drive for the Mac lived up to its name. Indeed, the AluICE Mini Turbo is equipped with ultra-fast FireWire 800 and USB 3.0 connectivity. If you're a fan of high transfer speeds, this is the storage device for you.
|
|
|
Rotation speed
|
7200 rpm
|
5400 rpm
|
7200 rpm
|
7200 rpm
|
|
Weight
|
910 g
|
170 g
|
1.4 kg
|
300 g
|
|
Hard drive format
|
3.5''
|
2.5''
|
3.5''
|
2.5''
|
|
Capacity
|
16 TB
|
2 TB
|
10 TB
|
1 TB
|
|
Connectivity
|
USB-C 3.0 and 2.0
|
USB-C 3.0
|
USB-C 3.2
|
USB 3.0 and FireWire 800
|
Help us improve this table:
Report an error, request the addition of a feature to the table, or suggest another product. Thank you for your kindness!
We spend thousands of hours each year studying the major specialized websites, analyzing products of hundreds of brands and reading user feedback to advise you on the best products.
We are a product review company with a single mission: to simplify your buying decisions. Our research and testing helps millions of people every year find the best products for their personal needs and budget.
To support us you can: use our links to make your purchases (which often earns us a small commission), share our articles on social networks, or recommend our site on your blog. Thanks in advance for your support!
Unless you're only backing up your business files, which is unlikely for a Mac user, invest in an external hard drive with a minimum capacity of 1TB (1000 gigabytes). A 500GB Mac external hard drive is barely enough to hold a third of your media files. With a 1TB or larger drive, you'll be able to keep your PDF files, music albums, video games, and videos in HD and 4K quality. Before jumping in, you need to anticipate how you're going to use the hard drive.
Turn to an external hard drive for Mac on the go if 1TB to 4TB of storage seems sufficient. Being only 2.5 inches in size, this device can be carried anywhere without any hassle. It doesn't add weight to your bag. Plus, it doesn't need to be plugged into a power supply to operate. On the other hand, if you need more storage, 12TB for example, prefer the desktop unit that requires an electrical connection to work.
Whatever data you store on your external hard drive for Mac, it is surely very valuable to you. For that reason alone, you need to make sure that the storage device has one or more security options such as password, hardware encryption, or software encryption. This will give you peace of mind in case you misplace this equipment.
Ideally, the external hard drive for Mac should incorporate a USB port hub and FireWire. This will come in handy in case your connectivity is limited or USB ports are not enough. But first, make sure the main connector is compatible with the one on your MacBook or MacAir. Otherwise, you're simply not going to be able to provide a connection between the two devices.
A relatively fast external hard drive for Mac will save you unnecessary frustration if you need to transfer large amounts of data regularly. At the very least, opt for a device that runs at 5400 rpm. With a hard drive that has a USB 3.0 interface, write speeds can reach 5Gbps.
An external hard drive is a device used to increase the storage size of a computer. It can be portable or mobile and can store a large amount of digital data that a user can access by turning on their Mac. Although it has about the same configuration as a traditional hard drive, the external hard drive for Mac is 30% faster. It's this speed that makes it so popular among Apple's computer and smartphone enthusiasts.
Most of the external hard drives are directly compatible with Mac and Windows, but for the others, a specific formatting is necessary. Indeed, it is imperative that the storage medium is compatible with the data backup software "Apple Time Machine" so that it can be recognized by the Mac. If the hard disk is not compatible with this technology, the user will not be able to save his data.
When your Mac shows signs of slowing down, it means that its internal storage medium is approaching total saturation. It no longer supports heavy files deposited in its HDD. So, the most effective solution to this problem is to use an external device in which the heavier files will be stored.
This category of external hard drive for Mac is very popular for its small size. Many users prefer it because it's mobile. Lighter and thinner, this device fits easily into a bag, briefcase, Mac cover, or pocket. If you're looking for a portable solution, the 2.5-inch hard drive will meet that need.
External hard drives for Macs can be as large as 5TB. They provide excellent performance when equipped with an SSD drive that promises transfer rates that can exceed 500MB/s. Since they are self-powered, these devices do not need any power source to operate.
This type of external hard drive for Mac is larger and heavier. Weighing at least 1kg, these storage devices are not known for their transportability. However, their storage capacity is higher. It varies from 1TB to 16TB, with a speed of 7200 rpm. The 3.5-inch external hard drive for Mac is therefore very fast for data transfer and downloads.
With this device, a Mac user can save a huge amount of data. But since this hard drive needs to be powered via mains, it is more suitable for home use than for travelling.
The external hard drive for Mac allows you to physically save all digital multimedia data. To do this, simply connect the device to the Mac and perform the transfers. Whether it's mobile or stationary, the external hard drive is the ideal solution to a Mac's lack of internal storage, and not just a little. With a capacity of up to 16TB, a user will be able to keep a large amount of data on their storage device.
The Cloud is a type of immaterial backup that allows a user to save his data off-site. When needed, the user must connect to a public or private internet network to access their data. To put it simply, the data, in whatever form, is stored on multiple devices. So, if one of them were to fail, the owner could still access his files.
The Cloud is easy to use, but to access it, you must be permanently connected to the Internet. Also, clouding is not free beyond a certain volume. If you have 1TB of data to put in a cloud, expect to pay full price for this service. Although the external hard drive for Mac is not as efficient as the Cloud in terms of security and reliability, it remains a very interesting way to store your data.
1. to make backups of your data
It only takes one wrong move to lose all the data on a Mac. Yes, this computer offered by Apple is powerful and intuitive, but it is not immune to malfunction. So, to avoid losing your work, photos, videos and all the other files you care about, back them up in an external hard drive for Mac.
2. to keep your data with youat all times
Today, a 2.5-inch hard drive with 1TB capacity is smaller and lighter than a leather wallet. With this portability, you can take it anywhere you want. Even though 3.5-inch models are less known for their size, they can still be carried in a large bag.
3. to protect yourself from hacking
The cloud is very susceptible to phishing attempts by hackers. They will stop at nothing to take your precious data and sell it to the highest bidder. By using an external hard drive for Mac, you are the only one to access your personal files. Physical damage is more of a concern than hacking with an external hard drive for Mac.
4. to save money
The cost of an external hard drive for Mac is more affordable than a monthly subscription on a cloud service especially if you have terabytes of data to store. Buying a storage device is a better deal. Besides, you can increase your storage capacity according to your specific needs.
5. to increase the speed of the computer
External hard drive for Mac is the ideal solution to get rid of digital programs that you don't use with your Mac. These programs take up a lot of space for nothing. By transferring them to your hard drive, you save space on your internal storage which will allow the Mac to have a break and work properly.
In our opinion, the best brands of external hard drives for Mac in 2022 are :
Since its inception, Western Digital has been on a mission to create a secure environment for all Mac and Windows users. Reliable and great value, its line of external hard drives for Mac delivers on all of its promises.
Toshiba is one of today's heavyweights in electronics, computing and cloud computing. With immense reliability, Toshiba's external hard drives for Mac will allow you to access your data wherever you are.
Maxtor's business picked up steam after it was acquired by computer giant Seagate in 2005. Today, the brand is a household name, especially for its line of 4TB and 5TB external hard drives for Mac.
Although relatively unknown, Sonics is one of the best designers of both internal and external storage media. The advantage with Sonics' external hard drives for Mac: they are compatible with Windows, Xbox, and CCTV.
Always listening to users' needs, Transcend offers the best physical storage solutions for both business and home users. Mac users are especially spoiled with its external hard drives that are reliable and secure.
The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).
However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.
We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.
Heed the directions for use
Once you've purchased your external hard drive for Mac, try to get a handle on how it works. To do this, go through the device's operating instructions. This way, you'll know which operations are allowed and which should be avoided. A good understanding of the indications will prolong the life of this support to the maximum.
Format your hard drive
If no transfer occurs between the Mac and the hard disk, you will have to format the latter. To do this, go to Application, then to Utilities and select Disk Utility. You will see the name of your hard drive. Then click on the Erase tab and choose either Mac OS Extended or MS-DOS Fat format.
Protect your 2.5" hard drive with a cover
A Mac external hard drive may be a quality item, but it's still relatively susceptible to shocks of all kinds and especially to drops. To avoid damaging this storage device, cover it with a rubber cover that cushions drops, or choose a model with an armored protective shell.
Use an external 3.5" Mac hard drive
A 3.5-inch external hard drive for Mac will allow you to store a huge amount of data, starting with the photos and videos you take with your iPhone or camera. Since the capacity of these hard drives can reach 16TB, you won't run out of space that after a long time.
Use a cloud service to supplement the hard drive
The external hard drive for Mac is secure, but to avoid losing the data you care about most and don't need to consult every day, keep it in a free Cloud. That way, if after an unfortunate incident you should lose your external hard drive for Mac, you will always have the backup in the Cloud.
Nothing could be easier. To connect an external hard drive to aMac, you need to use the cord that comes with the storage device. Just slide the corresponding USB port into the port on the Mac. Apple laptops of recent generations should have a USB port on each side of the keyboard.
To back up to your external hard drive for Mac, start by enabling Time Machine. Then click on choose a backup hard drive, select the name of your hard drive. If you have successfully passed all these steps, you can start saving your personal data to your hard drive.
In order for a hard drive to be recognized by a Mac, you must first format it after you connect it to your computer. Without this specific formatting, it will be impossible for you to make transfers from your computer to the hard drive and vice versa. Be careful, this formatting is not done in any way.
In the case where no transfer takes place between the hard disk and the Mac, a formatting is required. To do this, go to Application, then to Utilities to find your hard drive. Then click on Erase after choosing the appropriate Mac format. Among others, you must choose between Mac OS Extended or MS-DOS Fat.
Every month we help more than 1 000 000 people buy better and smarter.
Copyright © 2022 - Made with ♥ by buyingbetter.co.uk
Your reviews and buying guides 0% advertising, 100% independent!
