7 Best External SSD Drive for Mac of 2024 (MacBook, Mac Mini)

SSD devices are always preferred to traditional hard drives because they provide fast data rates. Modern and quicker HDD replacements are called SSDs (solid-state drives). SSD drives utilise less energy and are much lighter, faster, and more durable. There are no moving parts in SSD drives. Instead of using spinning discs to store data, they use chips. Your Mac will be 10 to 40 times faster for storage if you use an external SSD as your startup disc.

Since 2016, replacing Mac’s hard drive has been virtually impossible due to modifications Apple has made to the layout and structure of its devices, but there are still ways to upgrade your SSD, thanks to a portable SSD. In our research we have picked the 7 best available SSD Devices for Mac, so your search will be over by reading this till the end. 

Best SSD Drive for Mac to buy this year: Compatible with iMac Pro, MacBook Pro/Air

Latest Update: Apple’s new MacBook Pro is configurable to 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB SSD drives. You should check these 2TB SSD Drives, 4TB SSD Drive.

1: SAMSUNG

samsung-t7
samsung-t7

With a single touch, you can secure your important data in Mac and that’s possible with SAMSUNG T7 Touch Portable SSD. If you want to use a portable drive while you’re on the road and that too the one that is tough, quick, small, and dependable, this is perfect. The T7 Touch has built-in security protocols. Along with AES 256-Bit encryption, security options for Passwords and Fingerprints are both accessible. It Reads and writes at lightning-fast speeds of up to 1,050 Mb/S. Almost 9.5 times faster than hard drives during file transfers. It can withstand drops of up to 6 feet and is also resistant to water and dust.

Pros
  • Sleek and compact size 
  • LED status indicator.
  • It has a data transfer rate of 1 GB per second.
Cons
  • USB-A and USB-C cables are a little bit short

2: SAMSUNG

samsung-t7-shield
samsung-t7-shield

Samsung makes the best external hard drives and with no surprise, SAMSUNG T7 Shield 1TB, Portable SSD is one of the best SSD for Mac. Superior performance is delivered on the go with the new T7 Shield SSD. Directly over the drive, you can complete operations with read/write rates of up to 1,050/1,000MBps. The product won’t fade, thanks to simple, rubber-holding areas. Even when dropped from a height of three metres, the tough design and quality elastomeric exterior provide added durability. You may shoot outside and in the great outdoors with confidence, thanks to the IP65 rating since it ensures that your data is protected from water and dust.

Pros
  • Suitable for multiple devices like PC, Mac and  Android gadgets.
  • It is more robust than the average SSD enclosure.
  • 256-bit AES encryption and password security built-in.
Cons
  • It has a slight increase in size and weight

3: Crucial

crucial-x8
crucial-x8

From a plethora of options available, Crucial is always the choice of everyone for Mac. When compared to portable HDDs, the Crucial X8 1TB Portable SSD is up to 7.5 times quicker and up to 1.8 times faster than competing. It sports a classy design featuring a core made of anodized aluminium metal. The drive is available in 500GB and 1TB capacities and has speeds of up to 1050MB/s in both directions. Shock, extreme temperature, vibration, and even a 7.5-foot plunge are all tested on it. Along with third-party endpoint protection software suites like Symantec and McAfee, you can use Apple FileVault, Windows Backup, macOS Time Machine and Windows Bitlocker to Go.

Pros
  • It has Phenomenal Speed.
  • It works with most USB-C and USB-A devices.
  • It efficiently dissipates heat to maximise performance.
Cons
  • It doesn’t have an activity light.

4: Seagate

seagate
seagate

For Mac users, Seagate Expansion SSD 1TB External Solid State Drive is a high-performance drive. Its minimalist design makes it ultra-smart and sleek. It works with the majority of Windows, macOS, and Chrome OS operating systems. Enjoy up to 1 TB of storage space for a tonne of images and quick streaming of stored videos to your computer. With the bundled 3-year limited warranty and 3-year Rescue Data Recovery Services, you can have long-term peace of mind. It makes transferring files an easy matter of drag, drop, and done. It provides the user with up to 400 MB/s Data Transfer Speed.

Pros
  • It offers fast data transfer with USB 3 connectivity.
  • It is smaller than your average external SSD.
  • It offers a 1TB Storage Capacity.
Cons
  • The cable provided is a bit short.

5: Western Digital

wd-2tb
wd-2tb

When you require a sleek, portable and fast SSD drive for Mac, the one that comes quickly to mind is WD 2TB My Passport SSD Portable External Solid State Drive. It is compatible with the majority of current devices because it features a USB-C to USB-A adaptor. It provides 1050 MB/s read and 1000 MB/s write speeds. A quick NVMe solid-state drive is placed inside a metal housing that resists vibration and shock. It is password enabled and has 256-bit hardware encryption to protect your data for increased security.

Pros
  • Lightning-quick read/write speeds.
  • It is lightweight with just 1.7 ounces.
  • It is drop resistant up to 6.5ft.
Cons
  • Sometimes it gets a bit warm.

6: Kingston

kingston-xs2000
kingston-xs2000

SSD that gives good scores for Mac in performance benchmarks is Kingston XS2000 1TB High-Performance Portable SSD with USB-C. With blazingly fast transfer speeds of up to 2,000MB/s1, XS2000 offers improved productivity with minimal interruption. It has an IP55 rating4 with a removable rubber sleeve, designed to be dust- and water-resistant, making it the ideal travel companion for outdoor activities or photo sessions. It is tested to be water-resistant, dust resistant and shockproof. t also has a blue activity light next to the USB-C port.

Pros
  • Easy on-the-go storage
  • Highly Responsive 
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Performance
Cons
  • It is small but thick

7: Toshiba

toshiba-canvio-flex
toshiba-canvio-flex

When it comes to ultimate flexible storage needs for Mac, the best performer is Toshiba Canvio Flex 2TB Portable External Hard Drive. Its lightweight design with a silver finish makes it different from others. The Canvio Flex is made to function seamlessly across the majority of popular device platforms and operating systems. This drive’s preformatted configuration for Mac, Windows PC, and tablets enables smooth data access and sharing between platforms. Two USB cables are included with it, one is a Type-A connector and the other is a Type-C connector. It has a 5400RPM spinning speed and a 128MB cache.

Pros
  • Portable with a long warranty.
  • It offers generous storage and flexibility.
  • It provides great value for money.
Cons
  • Micro-B USB port

Also Read: Best NAS Drives For Mac – The Personal Cloud Storage

A list is final that listed most favorite and quality performance best SSD Drives for Mac.

Is your Mac running out of storage on Mac? If you don’t have enough money to buy a new mac, don’t worry. We have numerous methods to upgrade your Mac. Best External SSD Drive is used to enhance your storage likewise with the increment in speed. If your Mac is lagging speed because of full storage, then you have to move some data in the alternate drive to increase speed and easily manage data between two Macs and other Windows or Linux systems.

Besides, it works silently and speedily and is much lighter than normal HDDs. All these features result in flash performance in data transfer. Regardless of this your Mac will boost up to a new level and will work smoothly like never before. Don’t torture yourself by searching the whole list of SSDs, fairly take a look at the below cheap and conscious SDDs for MacBook/Mac/Pro Display XDR.

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Karly Wood

Karly Wood is a journalist based in Ohio who specializes in covering Apple and technology trends. With a varied experience in reporting on public safety, government, and education, her insights bridge multiple disciplines, providing readers with a well-rounded perspective on today's technological advancements. If you need to contact me, you can reach me at [email protected] or through (Facebook)

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