Best Mac external hard drive in 2022: top storage options MacBook, iMac & Mac Mini
The best Mac external hard drive means you no longer have to clutter up your iMacs, MacBook or Mac Mini with big files that slow everything down. Instead, you can move everything to an external device that lets you can access them whenever you like. In this guide, we'll help you choose the best Mac external hard drive for your needs, at the best price.
• See also: Best monitors for MacBook Pro
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The best desktop external hard drives The best portable hard drives The best portable SSDs Best internal SSDs Best flash drives The best cloud storage for photos The best memory card readers
These desktop-mounted hard drives are powered by a mains AC outlet and attach to your Mac via a USB or Thunderbolt connection. Capacities range from 4TB up to 30+TB, giving you plenty of space for high-res RAW files or high bit-rate 4K video.
While pretty much any hard drive can be made to work with a Mac, some hard drives come set-up for exclusively Windows compatibility out of the box and would need to be reformatted to work with a Mac. This is a simple process, but on this list we're only featuring hard drives that come pre-formatted to work with both Windows and Mac straight away: no special set-up required.
Alternatively, if you'd rather move everything to the cloud, we've also got a guide to the best cloud storage providers to check out. Now, on with our list of the best Mac external hard drive options available today...
The best Mac external hard drive in 2022
1. SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE Pro with Thunderbolt 3
The best Mac external hard drive overall
Capacity: 4-18TB | Technology: 7200RPM hard disk drive | Interface: USB 3.1 Gen 1, Thunderbolt 3 | Speed: Up to 255MB/s
Fast Thunderbolt connectivity
Up to 18TB of storage
Gorgeous exterior
Not SSD fast
Costly for high capacities
An external hard drive for a modern Mac really needs Thunderbolt 3 connectivity to ensure the best possible performance. And with a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports, this device from SanDisk is just the ticket. The sleek matte metal enclosure also looks the part alongside Apple hardware, and it hides some serious capacity.
The Thunderbolt 3 G-Drive is available with up to a whopping 18TB of storage, though capacities down to 4TB are also available, with more accessible pricing. The G-Drive is pre-formatted to work flawlessly with Mac devices right out of the box, and it's Time Machine compatible.
If you do buy a smaller capacity and find you need additional space later on, you can use that second Thunderbolt 3 port to daisy chain an additional G-Drive, so you won't need to use up another Thunderbolt port on your Mac.
2. SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2
The best Mac external hard drive for newer MacBooks and iMacs
Capacity: 1TB-4TB | Technology: NVMe SSD | Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 | Speed: Up to 2000MB/s
Incredibly quick
Portable, and powered by USB
Needs an M1/M2 Mac to really shine
Strictly speaking, this is a portable storage solution, rather than a device that lives on your desk, but there's no reason why it can't be used in place of a bigger external desktop hard drive.
And while most external drives use older, slower mechanical hard disk drives to store your data, the Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 is based around a blazing fast NVMe SSD. This is linked to your Mac via the short-lived USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 connection: the USB generation that directly preceded the current USB 4 standard. But the USB 4 ports on an M1 or M2 Mac are backward compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. That means this SSD can still unleash its maximum speed potential of up to 2000MB/s, really putting the 'extreme' in Extreme Pro.
Capacities range from 1TB to 4TB, which isn't all that much next to some 10+TB desktop drives, but the payoff is that this is one of the very fastest external hard drives for a modern Mac.
If you're using an older Intel-powered Mac, then we'd recommend the cheaper SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 (non 'Pro') as a portable option. It's slower on paper, but will operate at similar speeds to the Extreme Pro when connected to a USB 3.2 port.
Also bear in mind that both these drives will be pre-formatted to work with both Windows and Mac. However, if you want to use them with Time Machine, they'll need to be reformatted, but it's a simple procedure.
3. WD My Book
The best Mac external hard drive for value
Capacity: 4TB-18TB | Technology: Hard disk drive | Interface: USB 3.0 | Speed: Not stated
Accessibly priced
Up to 18TB of storage
Not very fast
If you're just after a serious storage upgrade for your Mac, without spending a fortune, this external hard drive from one of the biggest brands in the business is ideal. It's based around a conventional hard drive rather than a super-fast SSD, so don't expect it to set any speed records. But the upside is you pay far less per GB of capacity, and you'll still find transfer speeds plenty quick enough for transferring high res images and HD video without too much waiting around.
The drive does require a separate power source, but this is the case for most external desktop hard drives. Capacities range from 4TB to a humongous 18TB, and all are well priced for the capacity you get, but we reckon the 8TB version is a decent price/capacity compromise.
4. LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3
A Mac external hard drive with extra features
Capacity: 8TB-36TB | Technology: Hard disk drive | Interface: USB 3.1, Thunderbolt 3 | Speed: Up to 440MB/s
Safety of dual hard drives
Built-in card reader & USB hub
Lots of capacity options
Pricey, especially for high capacities
LaCie's '2big' external desktop drives each contain not one but two hard drives, with the idea being that your data is automatically copied onto both drives within. This means that should one drive fail, you'll still have a copy of your data on the other one. It's a technology called RAID: Redundant Array of Independent Disks.
The 2big Dock goes a step further by also including SD and CompactFlash card slots, so you can upload images and video directly to the 2big, or import them to editing software without the need for a separate card reader. There's also a USB 3.1 port for even greater data transfer versatility, while the dual Thunderbolt 3 ports allow for super-fast transfer speeds up to 440MB/s, as well as DisplayPort compatibility for supplementing your Mac's monitor with an additional 1080p or 4K display.
Capacities range from 8TB up to a huge 36TB, and all are backed by an impressive 5-year warranty.
5. Synology DiskStation DS218play
An external hard drive on steroids
Capacity: 4TB-16TB | Technology: Hard disk drive or SSD | Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1, RJ-45 ethernet | Speed: Depends on installed drives
Accessible via local network and internet
Media streaming features
Not the fastest USB connection
Hard disks are extra, adding cost
Some learning required
A NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive is essentially an external hard drive on steroids. It allows your entire photo and video collection to be stored in one physical location in your home or studio, just like a conventional external hard drive. But unlike a normal external hard drive, a NAS drive adds a network connection, so it can be linked via your internet router to your home network and the web. NAS drives are also loaded with a simple computer operating system, allowing you to browse their file contents, view photos and videos, all from a remote location.
Synology has a reputation for producing top quality NAS devices, and the DiskStation DS218play is a great option for amateur photographers. While offering typical NAS options, it's also a versatile home media hub that's able to stream images and video to computers and mobile devices, as well as Apple TV. The versatile built-in multimedia players - Video Station, Photo Station, and Audio Station, each of which having a companion mobile app - make it effortlessly easy to access and view your media files.
Just bear in mind that, unlike a conventional external hard drive, NAS drives are generally supplied without hard disks inside, so you'll also need to factor in the extra cost of two hard disks to make the DS218play operational.
Read more: The best NAS drives
