Best External Hard Drive 2018 Software We Recommend#

I bought a new Orico 9558RU3 five bay external hard drive enclosure and five Seagate 4Tb drives. Take advantage of the Backup Plus Hub desktop drive which doubles as an all-in-one data hub and recharging station built. With cross-platform compatibility, exceptional reliability and speed, you can back up just about everything. Seagate Backup Plus Hub desktop drives are available in capacities up to 14TB and come with a USB 3.0 hub option.

One hard drive solution wonвЂ™t suit everyone. The Best External Optical Drives for DVDs. When you consider price, ease of use, and portability, the Seagate Ultra Touch HDD is the most reliable hard drive you can carry around with you at all times.After a new round of testing hard drives in 2020, we found that the 2 TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim is still the best portable hard drive for most people. In this review, weвЂ™ll recommend a number of the best drives to consider.The best external hard drives for macOS Big Sur are not only useful for storing data but are an excellent way to transport files from one location to another. In our review of the best Mac backup software we recommend every Mac user should use Time Machine to back up to an external hard drive. TheyвЂ™re useful for storing files you donвЂ™t need to keep permanently on your computer, for transferring files between computers, and for keeping backups of your MacвЂ™s internal storage.

I currently use Time Machine to back up my 1 TB internal iMac drive to a 2 TB HP SimpleSave 3.5-inch external USB drive.But thatвЂ™s not my only external drive. IвЂ™ve been diligently backing up my computers for decades and have tried a wide variety of backup strategies, software, and media. Quick NavigationMy name is Adrian Try, and IвЂ™ve been using external drives since before USB existed. Only you know your priorities.

When he saw the LaCie Porsche Design desktop drive he couldnвЂ™t believe his eyes. I remember some years ago going shopping for an external drive with Daniel, a client who is an accountant. IвЂ™m currently considering upgrading my iMacвЂ™s backup drive to a larger-capacity portable drive to free up a powerpoint in my office.IвЂ™ve also helped a number of businesses and companies set up backup systems. All of these drives have been working flawlessly for many years.

After all, my current MacBookвЂ™s SSD has far less capacity than the spinning hard drive I was using a decade ago.You donвЂ™t have one? Well, before you go shopping, let us help you narrow down your choices.I find consumer reviews helpful, so use them to add to my own experience using external drives. TheyвЂ™re an essential part of a good backup strategy, and theyвЂ™re handy for storing files you donвЂ™t have room for on your internal drive. If youвЂ™re like Daniel, weвЂ™ve included a number of attractive drives in our roundup.Who needs an external hard drive? You do.Every Mac user should own a good external hard drive or two.

You normally perform a full backup or clone backup when youвЂ™re away from your computer, possibly overnight, so a bit of extra speed wonвЂ™t make a difference. Some users, for example, videographers, could do with even more storage.Most hard drives today spin at 5400 rpm, which is fine for backup purposes. In this review, we cover capacities of 2-8 TB. You may also want some additional room to store files that you donвЂ™t need (or donвЂ™t fit) on your internal drive.For most users, a good starting point would be 2 TB, though I believe a minimum of 4TB will give you a better experience with room to grow in the future. WeвЂ™ve only considered hard drives with a consumer rating of four stars and above that were reviewed by hundreds of users or more.How large a drive do you need? For backup purposes, you need one large enough to hold all of the files on your internal drive, plus different versions of the files you have changed.

These should work with any Mac, though you may have to purchase a cable or adaptor if your Mac has Thunderbolt or USB-C ports. Most external hard drives use a USB 3.0/3.1 port. WeвЂ™ve chosen drives specifically designed for Apple devices, or that explicitly state that they work with Macs. Read our review of the best SSD for Mac here.You need a drive thatвЂ™s compatible with AppleвЂ™s HFS+ and ATFS file systems and USB 3.0/3.1, Thunderbolt and USB-C ports. ItвЂ™s 33% faster, but costs 100% more than the Seagate Backup Plus Hub for Mac.For applications where high speed is crucial, you may prefer to choose an external Solid State Drive (SSD). WeвЂ™ve included one 7200 rpm drive in our reviewвЂ”the Fantom Drives G-Force 3 Professional.

We cover four of these in our review:Some drives offer additional features that you may or may not find useful. These are tested to be drop-resistant, dust-resistant and water-resistantвЂ”often with military-grade testsвЂ”offering additional peace of mind that your data will be safe. Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive for Mac,If you regularly use your portable drive on the goвЂ”especially if youвЂ™re outsideвЂ”you may like to spend a little more on a rugged hard drive. We cover four of these in our review: However, itвЂ™s difficult to find drives with more than 4 TB of space available. These are bus-powered, so you wonвЂ™t need to carry an extra power cord, and theyвЂ™re significantly smaller.

Features: two integrated USB 3.0 ports, comes with cloud storage.Seagate drives have a reputation for reliability. This drive includes two integrated USB 3.0 ports that will charge your phone or connect your peripherals and USB sticks to your Mac. AmazonвЂ™s price for the 8 TB version makes it a no-brainerвЂ”thatвЂ™s less than most other companiesвЂ™ 4 TB drives. Four and eight terabyte versions are available, more than enough for most people. The cheapest price for each capacity in each category has been bolded and given a yellow background.Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in this table is subject to change, and reflects the cheapest street prices I could find at the time of writing.The Winners Best Backup Drive for Desktop Mac: Seagate Backup Plus HubSeagateвЂ™s Backup Plus Hub for Mac is designed for the Mac and compatible with Time Machine out of the box. Each of these drives has been highly rated by hundreds or thousands of consumers, so value for money was a major consideration when choosing our winners.Here are the cheapest street prices (at the time of writing) for the 2, 4, 6 and 8 TB options of each drive (if available).

If youвЂ™d like to save some money, the 4 TB version of the WD My Book is significantly cheaper, as is the Seagate Expansion, which is also only $89.99 for 4 TB. A 2-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan is included and must be redeemed by a specified deadline.Finally, a few options. The included hub will give you much easier access to USB ports, which is handy when connecting peripherals, copying files to a Flash drive, or just charging your phone.Some limited free cloud storage is included with the drive. The Backup Plus Hub is designed for the Mac and is the most affordable 8 TB drive, followed by the WD My Book.

ItвЂ™s the most affordable portable drive we cover in either the 2 TB or 4 TB capacities. Best Portable Backup Drive for Mac: Seagate Backup Plus PortableThe Seagate Backup Plus Portable is also a bargain.

Best External Hard Drive 2018 Software We Recommend

Best External Hard Drive 2018 For Mac