The Best External Hard Drives in 2026
For cheap, roomy backups, Wirecutter picks the WD My Passport Ultra 5TB portable drive and the WD Elements Desktop 8TB. PCMag’s best portable drive is the 6TB WD My Passport ($167.50). If you need speed more than capacity, buy a portable SSD instead.
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Quick answer
For cheap, roomy backups, Wirecutter picks the WD My Passport Ultra 5TB portable drive and the WD Elements Desktop 8TB. PCMag’s best portable drive is the 6TB WD My Passport ($167.50). If you need speed more than capacity, buy a portable SSD instead. Best portable: WD My Passport Ultra, $292. Best portable value: WD My Passport (Works with USB-C), $167.50.
Last updated Prices checked Oct 2026
Key facts at a glance
| Pick | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best portable | WD My Passport Ultra | portable backups | $292 (5TB) |
| Best portable value | WD My Passport (Works with USB-C) | the most storage for the money | $167.50 (6TB) |
| Best desktop | WD Elements Desktop | a cheap desktop backup drive | $380 (8TB) |
| Best desktop with warranty | WD My Book | a desktop drive with a long warranty | $400.22 |
| Best bus-powered desktop | Seagate One Touch (8TB) | a big drive without a power brick | $399.99 (8TB) |
| Best rugged for Mac | SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD | travel and fieldwork | $194.99 |
We combined Wirecutter’s[1] portable hard drive guide with PCMag’s[2] September 2026 external hard drive picks (prices checked October 2026). Spinning hard drives are slower and more fragile than SSDs but cost far less per terabyte, which makes them ideal for backups and media libraries.
Which should you buy? Our quick picks
How do they compare?
| Drive | Capacity priced | Type | Connector | Price seen | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WD My Passport Ultra | 5TB | Portable | USB-C | $292 | Portable backups |
| WD My Passport | 6TB | Portable | USB-C | $167.50 | — |
| WD Elements Desktop | 8TB | Desktop (power adapter) | Micro-B | $380 | A cheap desktop backup drive |
| WD My Book | Varies | Desktop (power adapter) | USB | $400.22 | A desktop drive with a long warranty |
| Seagate One Touch Desktop Hub | 8TB | Desktop (bus-powered) | USB-C | $399.99 | A big drive without a power brick |
| SanDisk Pro G-Drive ArmorATD | Varies | Rugged portable | USB-C | $194.99 | Travel and fieldwork |
| Seagate FireCuda X Vault | 8TB | Gaming (bus-powered) | USB | $298 | Game libraries |
The picks in detail
1. WD My Passport Ultra
Best for: portable backupsWirecutter’s[1] portable hard drive pick. The 5TB model works out to about 3 cents per gigabyte, has a sturdy USB-C port on the drive (with a USB-A adapter) and carries a three-year warranty. It was slower than competing drives in Wirecutter’s transfer tests and comes formatted for Windows, so Mac users need to reformat it. $292 at Amazon.
Price (Oct 2026): $292 (5TB) Source
Pros
- Lots of space for the price
- USB-C port
- Three-year warranty
Cons
- Slower than rivals
- Windows formatted
2. WD My Passport (Works with USB-C)
Best for: the most storage for the moneyPCMag’s[2] best portable hard drive. The 6TB USB-C version costs $167.50 and includes Acronis backup software and hardware AES encryption. Older computers need a USB-A adapter.
Price (Oct 2026): $167.50 (6TB) Source
Pros
- Cheap per terabyte
- Hardware encryption
Cons
- Adapter needed for USB-A
3. WD Elements Desktop
Best for: a cheap desktop backup driveWirecutter’s[1] desktop drive pick. It offers more storage than the portable pick for about the same price and is a little faster, which suits continuous daily backups. It needs a power outlet and uses a USB Micro-B connector, which Wirecutter finds less robust if you unplug it often. $380 for 8TB at Amazon.
Price (Oct 2026): $380 (8TB) Source
Pros
- More space for the money
- A bit faster
Cons
- Micro-B connector
- Needs power
4. WD My Book
Best for: a desktop drive with a long warrantyPCMag’s[2] best desktop hard drive for most people. It comes in a variety of large capacities and has a three-year warranty, but it needs an external power adapter. $400.22 at Amazon.
Price (Oct 2026): $400.22 Source
Pros
- Three-year warranty
- Large capacities
Cons
- Needs a power adapter
5. Seagate One Touch (8TB)
Best for: a big drive without a power brickPCMag’s[2] best bus-powered desktop drive. It comes in 8TB to 24TB sizes, runs from one USB-C cable (your port must supply 15W) and includes two years of Seagate data recovery service. $399.99 for 8TB.
Price (Oct 2026): $399.99 (8TB) Source
Pros
- No power brick
- Data recovery included
Cons
- Needs a 15W USB-C port
6. SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD
Best for: travel and fieldworkA PCMag[2] pick with a rubberized sheath and port cover to protect it from the elements. It’s ideal for Macs and comes with USB-C and USB-A cables. It lacks backup software and hardware encryption, and Windows users need to reformat it. $194.99.
Price (Oct 2026): $194.99 Source
Pros
- Rugged
- Mac-ready
- Both cables included
Cons
- No encryption or software
7. Seagate FireCuda X Vault
Best for: game librariesPCMag’s[2] best bus-powered gaming hard drive. It needs no power adapter, was the fastest bus-powered hard drive PCMag tested and has programmable RGB lighting. It comes in 8TB and 20TB sizes and isn’t compatible with every USB port. $298 for 8TB at Amazon.
Price (Oct 2026): $298 (8TB) Source
Pros
- No power adapter
- Fast for a hard drive
- RGB lighting
Cons
- Picky about USB ports
Also considered
ADATA HD710M Pro: PCMag’s[2] rugged portable pick ($118.75): durable in drop tests and lightweight, with a plastic camo housing.
WD Black P10 Game Drive: PCMag’s best portable hard drive for gamers ($214.99); no USB-C cable included.
iStorage DiskAshur DT2: PCMag’s security-minded desktop drive ($311), with full-disk hardware encryption.
LaCie Mobile Drive (2022): A sleek PCMag pick ($376.68) with three years of data recovery service; relatively pricey.
Hard drive or SSD?
Hard drives cost far less per terabyte, which makes them good for backups. SSDs are several times faster and survive drops, so they’re better for editing video or carrying every day. See portable SSDs for creators and USB-C SSD enclosures.
Back up more than once
A single drive can fail. Keep a second copy in the cloud or on another drive stored somewhere else.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best external hard drive?
Should I buy an external hard drive or an SSD?
Do external hard drives work with Macs?
Sources
Pricing and plan details were checked on the official pages below as of Oct 2026. Vendors change prices, credits and plan names often, and some show regional pricing at checkout, so confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
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