Best External Hard Drives for Backup
An external hard drive is the simplest way to back up your computer. Plug it in, set up Time Machine or Windows Backup, and your files are protected. I track every external drive on Amazon.com and sort by price per TB so you can find the best value backup drive without overthinking it.
How much backup storage do you need?
A good rule of thumb: your backup drive should be at least 2x the size of the data you want to protect. If your laptop has a 512 GB SSD, a 1–2 TB external is plenty. If you have a desktop with 2 TB of files, look at 4–5 TB portable or 8 TB desktop externals. For whole-household backup or NAS backup targets, 8–16 TB desktop drives offer the best per-TB value.
Quick Verdict
- Who this is for
- Anyone who needs a simple plug-and-play backup solution, Mac users with Time Machine, Windows users, families backing up multiple devices, and NAS owners who want an external backup target.
- What usually wins
- A 4–5 TB portable HDD for laptop and single-PC backup. An 8+ TB desktop external for families, content creators, or NAS backup. Buy the most capacity you can afford. You will fill it.
- Prioritise
- Capacity and price per TB. Backup drives do not need to be fast. They need to be big enough to hold everything and cheap enough to justify the purchase.
Prices updated daily from Amazon.com. All links go directly to the retailer. Details.
Related tools
Price your exact decision from today's dataBottom line: the lowest price-per-TB pick on this page right now is the Seagate Expansion 12TB External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0, with Rescue Data Recovery Services (STKP12000402), 12 TB new, at $246.66 ($20.55/TB) on Amazon.com. Check the current price.
Best Portable Backup Drives
Compact, bus-powered external drives you can toss in a bag. Ideal for laptop backup, Time Machine, and grab-and-go offsite copies.
iStorage diskAshur PRO2 HDD 1TB Secure portable hard drive FIPS Level 2 certified - password protected, dust and water resistant, portable, military grade hardware encryption. IS-DAP2-256-1000-C-G
Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 2.5 Inch External Storage Drive, Compact Backup and File Storage for Photos, Videos and Documents, Travel-Friendly Design, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Options
Avolusion 4TB USB 3.0 Portable External Gaming Hard Drive (for PS4, Pre-Formatted) HD250U3-X1-4TB-PS
UnionSine 5TB Ultra Slim Portable External Hard Drive HDD-USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, Laptop, PS4, Xbox one, Xbox 360-(Black)
WD 5TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Black, backup software with defense against ransomware, and password protection, USB 3.1/USB 3.0 compatible - WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN
WD_BLACK 5TB P10 Game Drive, Portable External Hard Drive, Works with Playstation, Xbox, & PC - WDBA3A0050BBK-WESN
Western Digital WD 5TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive for Windows, USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0 for PC & Mac, Plug and Play Ready - WDBU6Y0050BBK-WESN
Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 2.5 Inch External Storage Drive, Compact Backup and File Storage for Photos, Videos and Documents, Travel-Friendly Design, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Options (Red, 2, TB)
Best Desktop Backup Drives (8 TB+)
High-capacity desktop externals for whole-computer backup, multi-device households, and NAS backup targets. Needs a power outlet, but delivers the best per-TB value.
Seagate Expansion 12TB External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0, with Rescue Data Recovery Services (STKP12000402)
OSENTRiX BX100 14TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive for Windows or MacOS Desktop PC/Laptop
Avolusion PRO-T8 Series 14TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive for WindowsOS Desktop PC/Laptop (Black) - 2 Year Warranty
Avolusion PRO-G2 14TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) USB-C External Hard Drive for Windows/MacOS (Silver)
OSENTRiX GX200 14TB USB 3.2 USB-C External Hard Drive for PC/Laptop (Windows or MacOS)
Avolusion HDDGEAR PRO 14TB 7200RPM USB 3.0 External Hard Drive (for Windows or MacOS, Desktop & Laptop)
OSENTRiX BX100 16TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive for Windows or MacOS Desktop PC/Laptop
Avolusion HDDGear Pro X 12TB USB 3.0 External Gaming Hard Drive (Pre-formatted for Xbox One X, S, Original)
Budget Backup Drives Under $100
The most storage you can get for under $100. Perfect for a first backup drive or a gift for someone who has never backed up their files.
iStorage diskAshur PRO2 HDD 1TB Secure portable hard drive FIPS Level 2 certified - password protected, dust and water resistant, portable, military grade hardware encryption. IS-DAP2-256-1000-C-G
PANGQIE Portable SATA External Hard Drive HDD 500GB 1TB 2TB USB3.0 Ulra-Fast File Transfers for Windows, Mac and Linux (2TB, Red)
PANGQIE Portable SATA External Hard Drive HDD 500GB 1TB 2TB USB3.0 Ulra-Fast File Transfers for Windows, Mac and Linux (2TB, Silver)
PANGQIE Portable SATA External Hard Drive HDD 500GB 1TB 2TB USB3.0 Ulra-Fast File Transfers for Windows, Mac and Linux (2TB, Blue)
PANGQIE Portable SATA External Hard Drive HDD 500GB 1TB 2TB USB3.0 Ulra-Fast File Transfers for Windows, Mac and Linux (2TB, Black)
SaditY External Hard Drive - Black USB- C Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive, 2TB
Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 2.5 Inch External Storage Drive, Compact Backup and File Storage for Photos, Videos and Documents, Travel-Friendly Design, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB Options (Red, 2, TB)
HWAYO 1.5TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.1 Type-C Dual Drive HDD
How to Choose
Backup drives are a solved problem. Here is what to look for.
Portable vs desktop
Portable drives (2.5-inch, bus-powered) are convenient and travel-friendly but cap out around 5 TB. Desktop externals (3.5-inch, wall-powered) go up to 20+ TB and cost less per TB. Choose based on whether you need portability or capacity.
Capacity
Always buy more than you think you need. Storage needs grow, and a backup drive that fills up stops protecting your newest files. For most individuals, 4–5 TB is a minimum. For households or creators, start at 8 TB.
USB standard
USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) is fast enough for any HDD backup. The drive itself is the bottleneck, not the cable. USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt matters only for external SSDs.
Backup software
Mac users get Time Machine built in. Windows users get File History and Windows Backup. Both work with any USB drive. Most external drive manufacturers also bundle their own backup software, though the built-in OS tools are usually better.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best external hard drive for backup in 2026?
The WD Elements and Seagate Expansion lines consistently offer the best price per TB for external backup drives. They are simple plug-and-play USB 3.0 drives with no extra software required, so you can format one and start backing up. What they cost has moved a lot this year, so check the current price on the table above rather than budgeting from a figure you read somewhere.
Is USB 3.0 fast enough for backups?
Yes. USB 3.0 delivers 100–150 MB/s in practice with external HDDs, which is fast enough to back up 1 TB in about 2 hours. USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt only matter for external SSDs, a spinning HDD cannot saturate even USB 3.0 bandwidth.
Should I encrypt my backup drive?
If the drive leaves your home (offsite backup), encrypt it. Both macOS (FileVault) and Windows (BitLocker) support full-disk encryption on external drives. For drives that stay at home, encryption adds complexity without much security benefit. The key risk is losing the encryption key and locking yourself out of your own backups.
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