Most of the latest Macs, including the MacBook Pro and Mac Studio, don't offer user-accessible storage. So, once you make the purchase, you're stuck with the configuration you've got. While many users aren't affected by this, it certainly gets problematic if your storage needs increase down the road. You would either have to buy a new Mac, rely on cloud solutions, or buy one of the excellent Mac external hard drives and SSDs we've listed below. They can also come in handy for data redundancy, so you can have a safe copy of your files in case something happens to your computer.
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SanDisk Extreme Pro V2 SSD
Editor's choiceSanDisk's Extreme Pro V2 is a great portable SSD for the Mac. Modern computers can take advantage of the drive's high transfer speeds, since the SSD uses USB 3.2 (Gen 2x2). It also has a rubber exterior and an IP65 water and dust-resistance rating.
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Western Digital P40 Game Drive SSD
For gamersWestern Digital's P40 Game Drive SSD is made just for gaming, and works with macOS. It can be configured with anything from 500GB to 2TB of storage, which is plenty of storage for games. Plus, it uses USB-C and features RGB lighting.
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SanDisk Portable SSD
Best valueSanDisk's Portable SSD is a tiny way to add external storage to your Mac. Plus, it's a great value option, offering 1TB of storage for under a hundred dollars. It features a tough rubber loop, drop protection, and USB-C as well.
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SanDisk Professional PRO-G40
Premium pickIf you're looking for a high-end, Thunderbolt-equipped drive to pair with your Mac, look no further than the SanDisk Professional PRO-G40. It can be configured with up to 4TB storage and comes with an extremely rugged form factor. In fact, SanDisk says it can withstand up to three-meter drops.
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Samsung T9 Portable SSD
Shock-resistant SSDSamsung is known for making great SSDs in its T series, and the T9 Portable SSD is no different. It has a rugged exterior that offers drop protection from up to 9.8 feet. You can also get it in up to 4TB variants, and it uses USB-C for connectivity.
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WD My Passport Ultra
Simple pickThis SSD is perfect for people who want a simple, plug-and-play experience with their Mac. This drive doesn't support the highest transfer speeds, nor does it feature a rugged design. However, it's a solid drive with a capacity that matches the price well, and it connects with USB-C.
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LaCie Rugged Mini HDD
Rugged HDDStorage drives tend to be fragile, so it's never a bad choice to buy a rugged unit. The LaCie Rugged Mini is shock and drop resistant to a height of up to 1.2 meters. It's included with a variety of connection options and you can buy it with up to 5TB of storage.
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Seagate Expansion HDD
Large capacityMost people may want fast storage, but sometimes, you just want a massive backup. And this gigantic Seagate HDD comes in capacities up to 18TB, so you can store just about all your files for a much lower price than you'd pay for the same amount of SSD storage.
How to find the perfect hard drive or SSD for Mac
Before buying one of these options, here are a few things you need to consider:
- Capacity: It boils down to how much storage you need to save your files. We recommend buying a drive with at least 1TB capacity to get the best value for your money.
- Storage type: You can either buy a solid-state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD). SSDs are all the rage right now mainly because of their speeds. They're much faster than conventional mechanical drives, and hold up better over time. However, HDDs are cheaper than SSDs, especially at higher capacity.
- Portability: Irrespective of the storage type, you can either buy a portable or a fixed desktop drive. Portable drives are smaller and some of them can fit in your pockets. Fixed desktop drives, however, need more space, and they need their own power source. These are cheaper and often have higher capacities.
You'll find a lot of external drives for your Mac, but these are our picks for the best drives on the market. We've included both external hard drives and SSDs, so you can choose the right one for you based on your budget and requirements. Some of the best ones are offered by SanDisk, WD, and Samsung. However, all the external hard drives and SSDs above are solid for the Mac.
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