Best Hard Drives for Backup
Backup storage is all about cost per terabyte, adequate capacity, and reliability. Whether you are backing up a home PC to a single external drive, building a NAS backup target, or setting up a cold-storage archive shelf, the ideal backup drive delivers the most usable terabytes for the least money without sacrificing data safety. Backup workloads are mostly sequential writes followed by long idle periods, so you do not need cutting-edge speed — you need capacity and trustworthiness.
Choosing a backup drive
For single-drive external backups, any reliable high-capacity HDD works — focus on price per TB. For NAS backup targets (Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS), NAS-rated drives add vibration tolerance and always-on firmware. For cold-storage archives that sit powered off most of the time, enterprise or refurbished datacenter drives offer the highest density at the lowest cost. In all cases, a backup drive does not need to be fast — it needs to be big and reliable.
Quick Verdict
- Who this is for
- Anyone building a backup target — home PC users, NAS owners backing up to a second volume, and cold-storage archivists who need maximum capacity at minimum cost.
- What usually wins
- The cheapest new drive at 8 TB or above for simple backups. A NAS-rated drive if your backup target runs 24/7 in a multi-bay enclosure. Refurbished enterprise pulls for cold-storage shelves where cost matters most.
- Prioritise
- Capacity and price per TB above all else. Backup workloads are write-once, read-rarely — raw speed and premium features matter less than having enough room and keeping costs low.
Prices updated hourly from Amazon US and UK. All links go directly to the retailer. Details.
Best Overall Backup Value
The cheapest new high-capacity drives available, ranked by price per terabyte. Great for any backup use case where you want the most storage for the least money.
Riyth external hard drive-external-8.10-31
Seagate IronWolf ST4000VN008 4TB Internal Hard Drive, NAS HDD, 3.5 Inch, 5900 rpm, CMR, 64 MB Cache, SATA 6 GB/s, Silver, 3 Years Data Rescue Service
ModusTech External (DESKTOP) Hard Drive 3TB USB 3.0 & Type-C 3.0 - High-Speed Data Storage for PC, Mac, Laptops, and Gaming Consoles - Durable Design, Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux (16.0, TB)
ModusTech External (DESKTOP) Hard Drive USB 3.1 Type-C - High-Speed Data Storage for PC, Mac, Laptops, and Gaming Consoles - Durable Design, Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux (14.0, TB)
Hitachi HGST Ultrastar HE10 HUH721010AL5200 0F27352 Internal
Seagate Exos 7E8 HDD 512E/4KN SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 22TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD22TSAS25672E) - [NOT a SATA HDD]
ModusTech 12TB External (DESKTOP) Hard Drive USB 3.1 Type-C - High-Speed Data Storage for PC, Mac, Laptops, and Gaming Consoles - Durable Design, Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux (TB)
High-Capacity Archive Drives (12 TB+)
Large drives for archiving media libraries, server images, and long-term data. More capacity per drive means fewer drives to manage and less shelf space needed.
Seagate IronWolf ST4000VN008 4TB Internal Hard Drive, NAS HDD, 3.5 Inch, 5900 rpm, CMR, 64 MB Cache, SATA 6 GB/s, Silver, 3 Years Data Rescue Service
ModusTech External (DESKTOP) Hard Drive 3TB USB 3.0 & Type-C 3.0 - High-Speed Data Storage for PC, Mac, Laptops, and Gaming Consoles - Durable Design, Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux (16.0, TB)
ModusTech External (DESKTOP) Hard Drive USB 3.1 Type-C - High-Speed Data Storage for PC, Mac, Laptops, and Gaming Consoles - Durable Design, Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux (14.0, TB)
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 22TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD22TSAS25672E) - [NOT a SATA HDD]
ModusTech 12TB External (DESKTOP) Hard Drive USB 3.1 Type-C - High-Speed Data Storage for PC, Mac, Laptops, and Gaming Consoles - Durable Design, Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux (TB)
Seagate Expansion Desktop External 16TB
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD 18TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD18TSAS25672E) - [Not a SATA HDD]
Avolusion PRO-T8 Series 14TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive for WindowsOS Desktop PC/Laptop (Black) PROT8-BK-14TB-WIN
NAS Backup Drives
IronWolf and WD Red drives for NAS-based backup targets. NAS firmware handles always-on operation, RAID arrays, and multi-drive enclosures — ideal if your backup destination is a Synology, QNAP, or Unraid box.
Why this matters: If your backup target is a NAS running 24/7, NAS-rated drives are worth the modest premium. They include vibration tolerance for multi-bay enclosures, error recovery tuning for RAID, and firmware optimised for continuous operation. For a powered-off external drive, standard drives work fine.
Seagate IronWolf ST4000VN008 4TB Internal Hard Drive, NAS HDD, 3.5 Inch, 5900 rpm, CMR, 64 MB Cache, SATA 6 GB/s, Silver, 3 Years Data Rescue Service
Seagate IronWolf Pro 20TB, Enterprise Internal NAS HDD, CMR 3.5 Inch, SATA 6GB/s, 7.200 RPM, 256MB Cache for RAID NAS, Rescue Services - Frustration Free Packaging (ST20000NTZ01)
Western Digital 16TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 512 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD161KFGX
Seagate IronWolf Pro 28TB Enterprise NAS Internal HDD Hard Drive – CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 512MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage, Rescue Services (ST28000NT000)
WD Red Pro 18TB NAS 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR Recording Technology, 512MB Cache
Western Digital 26TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 512 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD260KFGX
Seagate IronWolf 14TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage (ST14000VN0008)
WD Red Pro 14TB NAS 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR Recording Technology, 512MB Cache
Refurbished Drives for Budget Backups
Used enterprise drives at 40-60% less than new retail. Excellent for bulk backup and cold-storage archives where brand-new warranty is not essential. These datacenter pulls are designed for millions of hours of operation.
ModusTech External (DESKTOP) Hard Drive 3TB USB 3.0 & Type-C 3.0 - High-Speed Data Storage for PC, Mac, Laptops, and Gaming Consoles - Durable Design, Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux (16.0, TB)
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 12TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD12TSAS25672E) - [ NOT a SATA HDD ] (Renewed)
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA X18 MACH.2 (Dual Actuator) 18TB 7200RPM SAS 12Gb/s 512MB Cache 3.5-Inch Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD18TSAS51272E-2X18) - [Not a SATA HDD] (Renewed)
Seagate Exos 28TB internal server hard drive ST28000NM000C 3.5" HDD SATA 6Gb/s 7200RPM 512MB Cache (Renewed)
Seagate Exos 26TB Internal Hard Drive, 3.5 Inch HDD, SATA3, 256MB Cache (Renewed)
ModusTech 12TB External (DESKTOP) Hard Drive USB 3.1 Type-C - High-Speed Data Storage for PC, Mac, Laptops, and Gaming Consoles - Durable Design, Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux (TB)
HGST 0F27402 HUH721010AL4200 10 TB 3.5" SAS 7200 RPM 256 MB 4KN ISE Hard Drive
HEWLETT PACKARD HUH728080AL5204-HPE 8TB 7.2K 12G LFF SAS Hard Drive
How to Choose
Backup drives sit at the intersection of capacity, cost, and just-enough reliability. Here is how to pick the right one.
Capacity first
Your backup drive should be at least as large as the data set you are protecting — ideally larger to allow growth. At 8 TB and above, per-TB pricing improves significantly. Buy the largest drive your budget allows.
Price per TB
Backup storage is cost-sensitive. Compare drives on a per-TB basis rather than sticker price. A higher total price on a larger drive often delivers a lower cost per terabyte.
New vs refurbished
New drives include manufacturer warranties and known-good health. Refurbished enterprise pulls cost 40–60% less and work well for backup — especially cold-storage archives where the drive is powered off between backup runs. Both are valid depending on your budget and risk tolerance.
NAS vs single-drive use
If your backup target is a NAS running 24/7, use NAS-rated drives (IronWolf, WD Red Plus) for vibration tolerance and always-on firmware. For a single external drive or a powered-off shelf drive, any standard HDD is fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a hard drive store data without power?
Modern HDDs can retain data for years without power — magnetic storage is non-volatile. However, mechanical components can seize after extended disuse. For long-term archival, power on backup drives every 6–12 months to keep bearings lubricated and verify data integrity.
Is an external or internal hard drive better for backup?
External drives are simpler — plug in via USB, run your backup, unplug and store offsite. Internal drives in a NAS allow automated scheduled backups over the network. For the 3-2-1 rule (3 copies, 2 media types, 1 offsite), having at least one external drive you can store offsite is ideal.
How much storage do I need for backups?
Plan for at least 2x your current data. If you have 2 TB of files, a 4 TB backup drive gives room for versioned backups and growth. For Time Machine or Windows File History, 2–3x your source data is recommended since these tools keep file history over time.
Do I need an enterprise drive for backups?
No. Backup workloads are typically infrequent, large sequential writes — any consumer or NAS drive handles this fine. Enterprise drives are built for 24/7 heavy workloads, which is overkill for a drive that runs a backup once a day. Buy refurbished enterprise drives if you want the build quality at consumer prices.
Related Buying Guides
Best HDD Deals Right Now
Live hard drive deals ranked by price per terabyte. New and refurbished HDDs on Amazon US & UK — prices checked every hour so you never overpay.
Best NAS Hard Drives
Compare NAS hard drive prices from Seagate IronWolf and WD Red. CMR drives ranked by price per TB for Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS, and Unraid builds.
Best Refurbished Hard Drives
Find the best refurbished and used hard drive deals sorted by price per TB. Enterprise pulls, recertified NAS drives, and high-capacity bargains from Amazon US and UK.
Best Hard Drives for Plex
Hard drives for Plex media servers ranked by price per TB. Quiet, high-capacity drives from 8 TB to 24 TB — NAS, enterprise, and refurbished options compared.
Best External Hard Drives
Compare external hard drives and portable SSDs sorted by price per terabyte. Find the best USB drives for backup, travel, and extra storage on Amazon US and UK.
Best Hard Drives for Photo Storage
Find the best hard drives for storing photos and RAW files. Compare high-capacity HDDs for Lightroom libraries, portable drives for on-location shoots, NAS drives for shared photo archives, and desktop backup drives — sorted by price per TB.
Best Hard Drives for Video Editing & Archive Storage
Find the best hard drives for video editing archives and footage backups. Compare high-capacity HDDs for Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut projects — NAS drives for shared edit bays, desktop externals for shuttle drives, and dense archive storage — sorted by price per TB.
Best External Hard Drives for Backup
Find the best external hard drives for backup sorted by price per TB. Portable and desktop USB drives for Time Machine, Windows Backup, and NAS backup targets.