Super Fast External Hard Drive Mac

In this article to the best external hard drives for Macs, we focus on the top devices for plugging in and expanding the storage space of your MacBook or even your Mac. While there is a lot of love about Macs, Macbooks, and iMacs, they can be tricky at times to manually upgrade, which indicates supposing that you run of space, it is not so simple to open them up and pop in a larger hard drive.

• Best External Hard Drives For Mac
• External Hard Drives For Mac
• External Hard Drive Mac To Windows
• Seagate External Hard Drive Mac

• See all Mac External Hard Drives. Price Match Guarantee. $97.99 Your price for this item is $97. 'Super fast USB 3.Seems to be fast.In my server, this drive runs at about 20 C. I've read reports of external drives running much hotter in the external enclosures supplied by the manufacturer, but shucked and placed in a server, these.
• This is one of the best external hard drives for mac that delivers the kind of speed that will always keep you impressed. It has Thunderbolt speed of up to 510 MB/s with SSD (hdd UP TO 130mb/s). The product comes backed by a best-in-class three-year warranty that encompasses rescue data recovery services.

WD My Passport For Mac (Best Overall) The Western Digital 2TB My Passport For Mac is the perfect. Fantom Drives 8TB External Hard Drive – Super Fast 7200RPM USB 3.0 – Black Aluminum External Hard Drive for Mac, PC, Xbox One and PS4 – by Fantom Drives (GF3B8000UP).

When you are in search of the best external hard drive for Mac for your needs, you should focus on the capacity you need. External hard drives come in all sizes and shapes and you do not want to pay too much for space you will never need, but neither do you want to run out of space all too quickly.

Best External Hard Drive For Mac 2020

1. Western Digital external hard drive

This device comes in capacities from 1TB to 4TB, and also features cloud storage and 256-AES encryption, as well as WD's own backup software. While the speeds of transfers are not the fastest, it provides a good balance between speed, price, and capacity. Other specifications include;

• 4TB capacity
• USB 3.0

Sold at 94 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• Large capacity
• Good data transfer speeds

CONS

• WD backup software is basic

1. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt external hard drive

Supposing that you want to use Mac's Thunderbolt port, this is a great choice, as it offers double the speeds of standard USB 3.0 drives. It also makes use of a traditional hard drive, instead of an SSD, and while it indicates speeds are not as fast as possible, it at least keeps the price low, while providing large capacities. Other specifications include;

• 1TB and 2TB capacity
• USB 3.0

Sold at 129.88 dollars

PROS

• Low price compared to other Thunderbolt drives
• Mac-formatted

CONS

• Not SSD

1. G-Technology G-Drive external hard drive

This is one of the quickest high capacity hard drives you can plug into your Mac, with a large 4TB of storage space that zips along its USB 3.0, FireWire or eSATA connection. The all-aluminum enclosure enables the drive a premium appearance and feel, while also safeguarding your data from drops and knocks. Other specifications include;

• 4TB capacity
• USB 2.0, USB 3.0, FireWire, eSATA

Sold at 129. 95 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• Slim design
• Sturdy

CONS

• Can be noisy

1. Samsung T3 SSD

Assuming that you really want a super-fast external hard drive for your Mac, then this device is easily one of the best you can choose from. As it makes use of a solid-state drive, the read and writes speeds of this drive are quicker than external hard drives that make use of traditional hard drives. Other specifications include;

• 1TB capacity
• USB 3.1

Sold at 165 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• Very good performance
• Very high capacity

CONS

• Expensive

1. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive

With compatibility for both Windows machines and Mac, this device is very flexible and comes with a rugged case that is dust and water-resistant, along with a built-in USB 3.0 cable. Not only does the device have 256-bit AES security features and Near Field Communication features, but it is your data kept protected from knocks and drops with the rugged shell. Other specifications of this device include;

• 2 TB capacity
• USB 3.0

Sold at 108.99 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• NFC security
• Rugged design

CONS

• Not the fastest drive

1. Western Digital external hard drive

This model features cloud storage and 256-AES encryption, along with WD's own software suite. This model is a good performer when it comes to data transfer speeds and does not come close to the top of the leaderboard. Not surprising at all, it does not get to the top speeds of solid-state external drives but is the drive you should consider today. Other specifications include;

• 4TB capacity
• 0 USB

Sold at 94 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• Large capacity
• Type-C connector
• Suite of applications

CONS

• Average performance

1. LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB

You probably have stumbled upon this device when perusing the Apple website for USB-C accessories. Though it is expensive for an external hard drive, do not get us wrong, particularly assuming that you are in the market for the top-end 4TB option. Other specifications of this device include;

• 4 TB capacity
• USB-C

Sold at 129.95 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• Fast USB-C connection
• Great design

CONS

• Quite expensive
• You need USB-C ports to take advantage of speed

Best External Hard Drives For Mac

1. iStorage diskAshur 2TB external hard drive

Assuming that you are concerned about individuals getting access to your data if your external hard drive is taken away by a stealer, then you will like his model we are about to discuss. Assuming that someone is trying to tamper with your device, you can configure it to self-destruct. Though it might be pricier than other drives of its capacity, the extra security it provides will be well worth it for many of us. Other specifications of this device include;

• 2TB capacity
• USB 3.0

Sold at 267.88 dollars

PROS

• Physical security
• Rugged design

CONS

• Quite expensive

The best external hard drives for Macs allow you to boost the storage capacity of your beloved device without getting bogged down in customization. Upgrading the internal storage on a Mac will certainly cost you, and you're simply better off buying a more affordable external drive. Even if you have the funds to spend, wouldn't you rather spend the same amount of money for even more storage capacity?

Besides, if you've already bought your Mac and currently trying to upgrade its storage, getting one of the best external hard drives for Mac is your only sensible option. If you don't know it by now, Macs and MacBooks are not exactly the easiest PCs to upgrade. And, if you're concerned about portability, don't be. Some of these external hard drives are not just thin and light, but also designed to be robust so they can handle a few bumps and bangs.

Whether you're a creative professional who needs a whole lot of space for storing large files, or you simply need an extra hard drive to put all your vacation and family photos in, we've got the perfect solution right here. Our picks for the best external hard drives for Mac are simply the best and most affordable way to fix your storage blues.

1. Western Digital My Passport 4TB external hard drive

Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB 3.0

• Large capacity
• Good data transfer speeds

CONS

• WD backup software is basic

1. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt external hard drive

Supposing that you want to use Mac's Thunderbolt port, this is a great choice, as it offers double the speeds of standard USB 3.0 drives. It also makes use of a traditional hard drive, instead of an SSD, and while it indicates speeds are not as fast as possible, it at least keeps the price low, while providing large capacities. Other specifications include;

• 1TB and 2TB capacity
• USB 3.0

Sold at 129.88 dollars

PROS

• Low price compared to other Thunderbolt drives
• Mac-formatted

CONS

• Not SSD

1. G-Technology G-Drive external hard drive

This is one of the quickest high capacity hard drives you can plug into your Mac, with a large 4TB of storage space that zips along its USB 3.0, FireWire or eSATA connection. The all-aluminum enclosure enables the drive a premium appearance and feel, while also safeguarding your data from drops and knocks. Other specifications include;

• 4TB capacity
• USB 2.0, USB 3.0, FireWire, eSATA

Sold at 129. 95 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• Slim design
• Sturdy

CONS

• Can be noisy

1. Samsung T3 SSD

Assuming that you really want a super-fast external hard drive for your Mac, then this device is easily one of the best you can choose from. As it makes use of a solid-state drive, the read and writes speeds of this drive are quicker than external hard drives that make use of traditional hard drives. Other specifications include;

• 1TB capacity
• USB 3.1

Sold at 165 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• Very good performance
• Very high capacity

CONS

• Expensive

1. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive

With compatibility for both Windows machines and Mac, this device is very flexible and comes with a rugged case that is dust and water-resistant, along with a built-in USB 3.0 cable. Not only does the device have 256-bit AES security features and Near Field Communication features, but it is your data kept protected from knocks and drops with the rugged shell. Other specifications of this device include;

• 2 TB capacity
• USB 3.0

Sold at 108.99 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• NFC security
• Rugged design

CONS

• Not the fastest drive

1. Western Digital external hard drive

This model features cloud storage and 256-AES encryption, along with WD's own software suite. This model is a good performer when it comes to data transfer speeds and does not come close to the top of the leaderboard. Not surprising at all, it does not get to the top speeds of solid-state external drives but is the drive you should consider today. Other specifications include;

• 4TB capacity
• 0 USB

Sold at 94 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• Large capacity
• Type-C connector
• Suite of applications

CONS

• Average performance

1. LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB

You probably have stumbled upon this device when perusing the Apple website for USB-C accessories. Though it is expensive for an external hard drive, do not get us wrong, particularly assuming that you are in the market for the top-end 4TB option. Other specifications of this device include;

• 4 TB capacity
• USB-C

Sold at 129.95 dollars at Amazon

PROS

• Fast USB-C connection
• Great design

CONS

• Quite expensive
• You need USB-C ports to take advantage of speed

Best External Hard Drives For Mac

1. iStorage diskAshur 2TB external hard drive

Assuming that you are concerned about individuals getting access to your data if your external hard drive is taken away by a stealer, then you will like his model we are about to discuss. Assuming that someone is trying to tamper with your device, you can configure it to self-destruct. Though it might be pricier than other drives of its capacity, the extra security it provides will be well worth it for many of us. Other specifications of this device include;

• 2TB capacity
• USB 3.0

Sold at 267.88 dollars

PROS

• Physical security
• Rugged design

CONS

• Quite expensive

The best external hard drives for Macs allow you to boost the storage capacity of your beloved device without getting bogged down in customization. Upgrading the internal storage on a Mac will certainly cost you, and you're simply better off buying a more affordable external drive. Even if you have the funds to spend, wouldn't you rather spend the same amount of money for even more storage capacity?

Besides, if you've already bought your Mac and currently trying to upgrade its storage, getting one of the best external hard drives for Mac is your only sensible option. If you don't know it by now, Macs and MacBooks are not exactly the easiest PCs to upgrade. And, if you're concerned about portability, don't be. Some of these external hard drives are not just thin and light, but also designed to be robust so they can handle a few bumps and bangs.

Whether you're a creative professional who needs a whole lot of space for storing large files, or you simply need an extra hard drive to put all your vacation and family photos in, we've got the perfect solution right here. Our picks for the best external hard drives for Mac are simply the best and most affordable way to fix your storage blues.

1. Western Digital My Passport 4TB external hard drive

Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB 3.0

This is the latest generation of the Western Digital My Passport external hard drives comes in capacities from 1TB to 4TB, and features cloud storage and 256-AES encryption, along with WD's own backup software. While transfer speeds aren't the quickest, due to its USB 3.0 connection, it offers a good balance between speed, capacity and price.

2. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt external hard drive

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

If you want to make use of your Mac's Thunderbolt port, then this is the best external hard drive for Macs. It provides twice the speeds of standard USB 3.0 drives. It still uses a traditional hard drive, rather than an SSD, and while this means speeds aren't quite as fast as possible, it at least keeps the price down, while offering large capacities. There's also a USB 3.0 port for connecting to computers that don't have a Thunderbolt port.

External Hard Drives For Mac

External Hard Drive Mac To Windows

3. G-Technology G-Drive USB 3.0 4TB external hard drive

Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB 2.0, USB 3.0, eSATA, FireWire

This is one of the fastest high capacity hard drives you can plug into your Mac, with a huge 4TB of storage space that zips along its USB 3.0, eSATA or FireWire connection. The all-aluminium enclosure gives the drive a premium look and feel, while also protecting your data from knocks and drops, and keeping the drive cool when used.

4. Samsung T3 SSD

Capacity: 1TB | Interface: USB 3.1

If you really want a super-fast external hard drive for your Mac, then the Samsung T3 SSD is easily one of the best. As it uses a solid state drive, the read and write speeds of this drive are much faster than external hard drives that use traditional hard drives. It does mean the price is higher, but if transfer speed is the most important consideration when looking for the best external hard drive for your Mac, then this is the drive to go for.

5. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive

Capacity: 2TB | Interface: USB 3.0

With compatibility for both Mac and Windows machines, the Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC is very flexible, and comes with a rugged case that's dust and water resistant, along with a built-in USB 3.0 cable. Not only is your data kept protected from knocks and drops with the rugged shell, but it's also got 256-bit AES security features and NFC (Near Field Communication) features as well. This is a great external hard drive for your Mac if you are concerned about keeping your data safe and secure.

6. Western Digital My Passport Ultra external hard drive

Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB 3.0

The latest generation of the Western Digital My Passport Ultra range of external hard drives has landed, coming in sizes from 1TB to 4TB. It features cloud storage and 256-AES encryption, along with WD's own software suite.

It is a good performer when it comes to data transfer speeds but doesn't come near the top of the leaderboard. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't reach the top speeds of solid state external drives, but for external hard drives based on traditional HDDs, this is the drive to consider.

7. LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB

USB-C star

Capacity: 4TB | Interface: USB-C

You may have stumbled upon the LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive when perusing the Apple website for USB-C accessories. There's a reason for that: the Porsche Design ships with both USB Type-C to Type-A and USB Type-C to Type-C connectors, making it a worthy candidate regardless of your setup.

Seagate External Hard Drive Mac

It's expensive for an external hard drive, don't get us wrong, especially if you're in the market for the top-end 4TB option. On the other hand, this is an HDD that could theoretically output speeds of up to 5Gbps, if it weren't hindered by the limits of SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) technology. With MacBooks coming with USB Type-C connections, this is an excellent - and stylish - external hard drive that makes the most of this speedy new port.

8. iStorage diskAshur 2TB external hard drive

A brilliant external hard drive for extra security

Capacity: 2TB | Interface: USB 3.0

If you're worried about people getting access to your data if your external hard drive is stolen, than you'll like the iStorage drive here. If someone tries to tamper with your iStorage drive, you can configure it to self-desturct. What's more, the data is encrypted by the 256-bit AES protocol, with multiple forms of protection in place to ensure the bad guys don't get in no matter how persistent. When you consider all that extra security, the prices won't scare you away either. It's more pricey than the other drives of its capacity, but the extra security it offers will be well worth it for many people.

• Check out our list of the best external hard drives.