Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide

Buyer's guide on best external hard drives for PC or Mac to keep your data safe.

Buying the best external hard drive for your needs is essential, so our guide to the best external hard drives could help you buy the right one for you. When buying the best external hard drive you will need to take into account not only the storage space but also its safety and reliability.

Index

Which external HD to choose

Below you will find a list of best external hard drives carefully selected taking into account the speed of data transfer, whether it is a standard hard drive or a solid state drive (SSD), if using a connection USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 or even USB Type-C (in the latter case you will need a laptop with a USB Type-C port).




You will also need to think about how much storage you need. The best external hard drives offer a high range of capacities. My advice is to start with 500GB as it gives you plenty of room to store your files without excessive cost.


However, if you are dealing with large files, such as high resolution photos and videos, you may want to consider purchasing a larger drive, with external hard drives that deliver terabytes (TB) of storage space.

Buying the best external hard drive for your needs requires understanding how much space you need. You don't want to buy an external hard drive that's too small and run out of space, but you don't want to pay the dues for the storage you'll never need.

Read also: Hard Disk NAS

Best External Hard Drives

Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide

This guide lists the best external hard drives to choose with traditional hard drives and faster (and more expensive) solid state drives. The best external hard drives are also reliable and robust, so you can safely store your data without any worries.

In addition to brands, there are two standards to consider: 3,5 ", larger and more resistant e 2,5 ", smaller, lighter and easily transportable. To consider then the power supply: the external drives can be self-powered or have an external power supply. Usually 2,5 ″ hard drives are self-powered and use 1 or 2 USB ports.

1. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive

Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide


Best 1TB and 2TB external hard drive.

Capacity: 2 TB | Interface: USB 3.0.

For

  • NFC security
  • Rough design

Cons

  • Not the fastest drive

La Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC could be for you if you want to buy a powerful external hard drive but without spending a lot. It is compatible with Mac and Windows PCs and is very flexible. It is included in a rugged, dust- and water-resistant case, and includes a built-in USB 3.0 cable. Thanks to the robust shell, your data is protected from bumps and falls, and you will also find valid AES 256-bit security functions and NFC (Near Field Communication) functionality. Basically, it allows you to unlock the drive to access files quickly and easily by tapping on the supplied NFC card on the body of the drive. Rather clean!


Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide BUFFALO HD-PZF1.0U3B-EU MiniStation Extreme USB 3.0 Portable HDD, Black - 1TB, Water and Dust Resistant
    Buy on Amazon

    2. Western Digital My Passport Ultra 4TB external hard drive

    Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide

    It comes with encryption and a long warranty.

    Capacity: 4 TB | Interface: USB 3.0.

    For

    • Large capacity
    • Type-C connector
    • Application suite

    Cons

    • Average performance

    The latest generation of the range Western Digital My Passport Ultra of external hard drives came in sizes from 1TB to 4TB. It features Cloud Storage e 256-AES encryption, along with WD's software suite. It's a good result when it comes to data transfer speeds, but it's still a long way off Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC. Unsurprisingly, it does not reach the maximum speed of external solid-state drives, although among external hard drives based on HDD traditional is one of the units to consider.


    Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide WD My Passport Ultra Portable Hard Drive with Password Protection and Automatic Backup Software, USB-C Ready, Compatible with PC, Xbox and PS7, 4TB, Silver
      187,37 EUR Buy on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide WD My Passport Ultra Portable Hard Drive with Password Protection and Automatic Backup Software, USB-C Ready, Compatible with PC, Xbox and PS5, 2TB, Silver
        124,43 EURBuy on AmazonOffer Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide WD My Passport Ultra Portable Hard Drive with Password Protection and Automatic Backup Software, USB-C Ready, Compatible with PC, Xbox and PS4, 1TB, Silver
          72,99 EUR −16,19 EUR 56,80 EUR Buy on AmazonOffer Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide WD My Passport Portable Hard Drive with Password Protection and Automatic Backup Software, Compatible with PC, Xbox and PS4, 5TB, Black
            EUR 181,99 −71,09 EUR 110,90 Acquista on Amazon

            3. Samsung T5 SSD external hard drive

            Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide


            The best external SSD of 2018.

            Capacity: 250 GB, 500 GB, 1TB, 2TB | Interface: USB Type-C.

            For

            • Incredibly fast
            • Highly compact

            Cons

            • Expensive

            If you'd rather have an external hard drive that takes advantage of Solid State Drive (SSD) speeds, Samsung Portable SSD T5 is probably the best 2,5 "self-powered hard drive which works by connecting it to your PC via a USB cable. Samsung enjoys a brilliant reputation for external SSDs, thanks to products like the T3 and T5 which builds exclusively on its predecessor with the addition of a fast USB Type-C connection. However, it's also backward compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, if your PC doesn't have USB Type-C. It's expensive, but it's worth it.

            If you need compact and lightweight drives that you can always carry with you, opt for the hard drive to 2,5 ”car feed which work by simply connecting them to your computer (or any other device) via a USB cable.

            Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Samsung 5GB T250 Memory, USB 3.1 Gen 2, Portable External SSD, Blue (MU-PA250B)
              80,70 EUR Buy on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Samsung 5GB T500 Memory, USB 3.1 Gen 2, Portable External SSD, Blue (MU-PA500B)
                € 75,04 Acquire your Amazon Offer Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Samsung 5TB T2 Memory, USB 3.1 Gen 2, Portable External SSD, Black (MU-PA2T0B)
                  229,99 EUR −16,11 EUR 213,88 EUR Acquire your Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Samsung 5TB T1 Memory, USB 3.1 Gen 2, Portable External SSD, Black (MU-PA1T0B)
                    126,90 EURAcquista on Amazon

                    4. Adata SD700 External SSD

                    Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide

                    Among the best external hd at 1TB.

                    Capacity: 256GB, 512GB or 1TB | Interface: USB 3.0.

                    For

                    • Excellent performance
                    • IP68 certification

                    Cons

                    • No USB Type-C

                    Needle SD700 it suits those who are looking for a sturdy storage device that can provide ample capacity without costing too much. It performs superbly and remains the only SSD rated IP68. On the other hand thanks to the solid state drive, this external hard drive offers faster speed than external drives that use traditional hard drives. This will give you significantly faster transfer speeds and robust protection. In conclusion Adata SD700 is also available with capacities up to 1TB.

                    Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide ADATA 512GB SD700 SSD, Black Durable External, ASD700-512GU3-CBK (Durable External Military-grade Shockproof, IP68 Dustproof/Waterproof), Nero
                      81,00 EURAcquista on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide ADATA 256GB SD700 SSD, Black Durable External, ASD700-256GU3-CBK (Durable External Military-grade Shockproof, IP68 Dustproof/Waterproof), nero
                        63,82 EUR Buy on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide External Solid State Drive SD700, 1TB, 3D-NAND-Flash, 2.5 Zoll, USB 3.2 Gen.1, IP68, Yellow
                          135,94 EURAcquista on Amazon

                          5. WD My Book Duo 4TB external hard drive

                          Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide

                          Best outdoor hd with large space.

                          Capacity: 4 TB | Interface: USB 3.0 x 2.

                          For

                          • Huge amounts of space
                          • space RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)

                          Cons

                          • Expensive
                          • It needs two USB 3.0 ports

                          If you are looking for the external hard drive with the largest capacity, then the WD My Book Duo 4TB is the one to consider as it offers 4TB of storage on two hard drives (you can also buy versions with up to 20TB).

                          This USB 3.0 drive has many of the features of a full-featured NAS device (including a high price tag), and if you have a router with a USB 3.0 port, you can use it as a network-attached storage device. It comes with a two-year warranty and features AES 256-bit hardware encryption and automatic backup software (WD SmartWare Pro). It is worth noting that the enclosure (box) used is fully repairable and that WD ships the drive pre-formatted for Windows (NTFS) users.

                          Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Western Digital WD My Book Desktop External Hard Drive RAID USB 3.1 and Automatic Backup Software, Black, 4 TB
                            Buy on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Western Digital WD My Book Desktop External Hard Drive RAID USB 3.1 and Automatic Backup Software, Black, 6 TB
                              Buy on AmazonOffer Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Western Digital WD My Book Desktop External Hard Drive RAID USB 3.1 and Automatic Backup Software, Black, 8 TB
                                405,99 EUR −178,87 EUR 227,12 EUR Buy on AmazonOffer Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Western Digital WD My Book Du Desktop External Hard Drive RAID USB 3.1 and Automatic Backup Software, Black, 12 TB
                                  528,99 EUR −152,00 EUR 376,99 EUR Buy on AmazonOffer Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Western Digital WD My Book Desktop External Hard Drive RAID USB 3.1 and Automatic Backup Software, Black, 28 TB
                                    EUR 911,99 −149,00 EUR 762,99 Acquista on Amazon

                                    6. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt external hard drive

                                    Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide

                                    Best external hard drive for Mac.

                                    Capacity: 1TB, 2TB | Interface: Thunderbolt, USB 3.0.

                                    For

                                    • Low price compared to other Thunderbolt drives
                                    • Formatted for the Mac

                                    Cons

                                    • No SSD

                                    If you have a device with a Thunderbolt port, this is a great option, as it provides twice the speeds of standard USB 3.0 drives. It is also not particularly expensive compared to other Thunderbolt drives. The price is reduced due to the use of a traditional hard drive which limits its potential speeds. It also comes with a USB 3.0 port for people without access to Thunderbolt.

                                    Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide BUFFALO - MiniStation Thunderbolt Portable External Hard Drive, 1 TB, with Full HD WiFi Media Boardwalk, WD TV Live - AVI, MPG / MPEG, MKV, MP4 / MOV, M2TS, FLV (h.264) Buy On Amazon

                                    No products found.

                                    7. Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB

                                    Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide

                                    The best performance.

                                    Capacity: 5 TB | Interface: USB 3.0.

                                    For

                                    • Very fast data transfer speed
                                    • Reliable

                                    Cons

                                    • The Mac formatted version costs more

                                    If you want to combine speed and capacity, then the Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB is definitely worth considering. It comes in a range of sizes up to 8TB and beats the competition in terms of read and write speeds as well. In addition to storage and speed, the guarantee is offered by the fact that it is a Seagate, where failure rates are practically at a minimum. Backup software is also available and the drive is compatible with both Windows and Mac. For Windows it is already pre-formatted while the Mac-specific one needs to be formatted.

                                    Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Seagate Backup Plus Portable, 5TB, Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, for Desktop PC, Laptop PC and Mac, Black (STDR5000200)
                                      Buy on Amazon

                                      8. Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro external hard drive

                                      Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide

                                      Wireless wonder.

                                      Capacity: 2 TB | Interface: USB 3.0 e Wi-Fi.

                                      For

                                      • Wireless AC support
                                      • USB 3.0
                                      • Good battery life

                                      Cons

                                      • No USB-C
                                      • Expensive due to Wi-Fi capabilities

                                      Although I have had mixed feelings about previous versions of the My Passport Wireless, the variant "For”Of 2016 of the external HDD restores trust in the name Western Digital. The design, for example, has been overhauled and no longer looks like My Passport Ultra o My Passport per Mac.

                                      In reverse, My Passport Wireless Pro now offers a more exclusive touch. It looks like an external DVD player, but considering the built-in SD card slot, you won't have to worry about confusing it with something else. There is a big one battery from 6,400 mAh integrated into the device and this allows the unit to be completely cable-free on 2,4GHz or 5GHz channels.

                                      When wired, however, don't expect cutting-edge connection technology, since My Passport Wireless Pro uses USB Type B to Type A only. The USB-C connection is missing. Of course, not everyone needs a wireless hard drive or SD card holder, but for those who do, this external hard drive is ideal.

                                      Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide WD 1TB My Passport Wireless Pro, Hard disk Esterno Portatile Wireless, Wi-Fi AC, USB 3.0 - WDBVPL0010BBK-EESN
                                        Buy on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide WD 4TB My Passport Wireless Pro, Hard disk Esterno Portatile Wireless, Wi-Fi AC, USB 3.0 - WDBSMT0040BBK-EESN
                                          202,03 EURAcquista on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide WD 3TB My Passport Wireless Pro, Hard disk Esterno Portatile Wireless, Wi-Fi AC, USB 3.0 - WDBSMT0030BBK-EESN Acquista su Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide WD 2TB My Passport Wireless Pro, Hard disk Esterno Portatile Wireless, Wi-Fi AC, USB 3.0 - WDBP2P0020BBK-EESN
                                            285,79 EURAcquista on Amazon

                                            9. LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB

                                            Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide

                                            Fast USB-C.

                                            Capacity: 4 TB | Interface: USB-C.

                                            For

                                            • Fast USB-C connection
                                            • grand design

                                            Cons

                                            • Expensive
                                            • You need USB-C ports to take advantage of the speed

                                            You may have stumbled upon the unit LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive as you browse Apple's website for USB-C accessories. There is a reason for this: the Design Porsche comes with connectors USB Type C to Type A and USB Type C to Type C, making him a worthy candidate regardless of your setup.

                                            In fact, it's expensive for an external hard drive, especially if you're in the market for the option 4TB top-end. On the other hand, this is a HDD which could theoretically produce speeds up to 5 Gbps, if it were not hindered by the limitations of the SMR technology (Shingled Magnetic Recording). Consisting of five 800GB drives in a 15mm form factor, the LaCie Porsche Design Mobile is an excellent challenger to Seagate's M3, albeit considerably larger in terms of weight and size.

                                            To be sure, it packs an extra convenience factor in the form of USB-C, but it should be noted that Porsche Design Mobile is still limited in USB 3.0 speed.

                                            No products found.

                                            Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide LaCie Mobile Drive 5 TB Hard Disk Esterno Portatile HDD - Moon Silver USB-C USB 3.0, per Mac e PC Desktop, 1 mese Adobe CC (STHG5000400)
                                              228,00 EURAcquista on Amazon

                                              10. iStorage diskAshur 2TB external hard drive

                                              Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide

                                              The best for safety.

                                              Capacity: 2 TB | Interface: USB 3.0.

                                              For

                                              • Physical security
                                              • Rough design

                                              Cons

                                              • Expensive

                                              Typically, hard drives of iStorage they are better suited to governments and multinational organizations around the world for several reasons: they offer rigorous security like no other device. Of course, if anyone tries to tamper with the iStorage drive, you can configure it forself destruction. Furthermore, the data is encrypted by the protocollo AES a 256 bit with multiple forms of protection to ensure protection against the bad guys, no matter how persistent. It costs four times the price of an equivalent 2TB drive, but you are paying for a virtually non-crackable product.

                                              Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide iStorage diskAshur2 HDD 1TB Black - Secure portable hard drive - Password protected, dust and water resistant, portable, USB 3.1 hardware encryption IS-DA2-256-1000-B
                                                262,70 EUR Buy on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide iStorage diskAshur2 HDD 2TB Black - Secure portable hard drive - Password protected, dust and water resistant, portable, USB 3.1 hardware encryption IS-DA2-256-2000-B
                                                  347,00 EURAcquista on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide iStorage diskAshur2 HDD 3TB Black - Secure portable hard drive - Password protected, dust and water resistant, portable, USB 3.1 hardware encryption IS-DA2-256-3000-B
                                                    394,00 EUR Buy on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide iStorage diskAshur2 HDD 4TB Black - Secure portable hard drive - Password protected, dust and water resistant, portable, USB 3.1 hardware encryption IS-DA2-256-4000-B
                                                      467,00 EURAcquista on Amazon Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide iStorage diskAshur2 HDD 5TB Black - Secure portable hard drive - Password protected, dust and water resistant, portable, USB 3.1 hardware encryption IS-DA2-256-5000-B
                                                        558,56 EUR Buy on Amazon

                                                        Best External Hard Drive on Amazon

                                                        Below are the bestsellers of external hard drives that you can buy on Amazon at a cheap price. In addition to the list of best external hard drives available on the market, that of Amazon could not be missing. In conclusion, before choosing the best brand disk, I invite you to take into consideration the reviews and relative evaluations of those who have already purchased the hard disk that interests you most, also taking a look at the ranking below.

                                                        OfferBestseller No. 1 Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide TOSHIBA HDTB410EK3AA Canvio Basics, Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, 1 TB, Black 78 x 109 x 14 mm; Matte finish; Connectivity: USB 40,79 EUR −1,19 EUR 39,60 EUR OfferBestseller No. 2 Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide TOSHIBA HDTB420EK3AA, Canvio Basics, Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, Black, 2TB Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (compatible with USB 2.0); Maximum transfer rate: approx. 5,0 Gbit / s 92,82 EUR −39,02 EUR 53,80 EUR Offer Bestseller No. 3 Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide WD 4TB Elements Portable, Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 Ultra-fast data transfers with USB 3.0, USB 2.0; Extended memory capacity; Free trial version of WD SmartWare Pro software for automatic and cloud backup 132,99 EUR −45,57 EUR 87,42 EUROfferBestseller No. 4 Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Seagate Basic, 2 TB, Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 for Desktop PC, Portable PC (STJL2000400) 100,00 EUR −43,01 EUR 56,99 EUROfferBestseller No. 5 Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Seagate Game Drive for PS4, 2TB, External Hard Drive, Compatible with PS4 and PS5 (STGD2000200) External Hard Drive for a latency-free and high-performance gaming experience 104,99 EUR −29,49 EUR 75,50 EUR No. 6 Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide TOSHIBA HDTB440EK3CA Canvio Basics - Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, Black, 4 TB 78 x 109 x 19,5 mm; Matte finish; Connectivity: USB 3.0 82,00 EUR −3,50 EUR 78,50 EUROffer Bestseller No. 7 Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Seagate Expansion Portable, 2TB Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 for Desktop PCs, Laptops and Macs, 2 Years of Rescue Services (STEA2000400) Long-term peace of mind with 1 year limited coverage included 94,99 EUR −32,00, 62,99 EUR 8 EUR OfferBestseller No. XNUMX Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Seagate Game Drive for Xbox, 2TB Portable External Hard Drive, Designed for Xbox One and 2 Years of Rescue Services (STEA2000403) 104,99 EUR −16,55 EUR 88,44 EUR Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide 2TB External Hard Drive, Portable Hard Drive External Type-C/USB 2.0 HDD for Mac Laptop PC(2TB-blue-b) What You Get-- 1 x Portable Hard Drive,1 x USB Cable 39,99 EUR −14,00 EUR 25,99 EUROffertaBestseller No. 10 Best external hard drives 2021: buying guide Seagate Portable Drive, 5 TB, External Hard Drive, Gray, 2 Years Rescue Services, Amazon Special Edition (STGX5000400) 139,99 EUR −9,00 EUR 130,99 EUR
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