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The Best External SSDs in 2026

Wirecutter’s top pick is the USB4 Corsair EX400U, which Tom’s Hardware also names the best USB4 SSD. PCMag picks the Crucial X10 for most people. On a budget, Wirecutter recommends the Lexar SL500.

By PickedTech Editorial TeamLast updated Prices & specs checked Oct 2026

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How this page was made: this is a research-based guide built from manufacturer spec pages, official prices and published lab measurements from the outlets we name and link. We haven’t tested these products ourselves, and we don’t invent scores. Our methodology.

Quick answer

Wirecutter’s top pick is the USB4 Corsair EX400U, which Tom’s Hardware also names the best USB4 SSD. PCMag picks the Crucial X10 for most people. On a budget, Wirecutter recommends the Lexar SL500. Best overall: Corsair EX400U, $486. Best for most people: Crucial X10. Best budget: Lexar SL500, $250. Best Thunderbolt 5: LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5.

Last updated Prices checked Oct 2026

Key facts at a glance

Key facts (prices checked Oct 2026)
PickProductBest forPrice
Best overallCorsair EX400Umost people with USB4 or Thunderbolt 41TB $486; 4TB $1,555 (Wirecutter)
Best for most peopleCrucial X10most people (PCMag)—
Best budgetLexar SL500a budget pick1TB $250 (Wirecutter)
Best Thunderbolt 5LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5Thunderbolt 5 Macs and PCs—

Storage prices are high right now: Tom’s Hardware[2] calls even its travel pick “expensive (like most storage these days),” so compare prices before you buy. If you shoot video or photos, see our best portable SSDs for creators.

Which should you buy? Our quick picks

Best overall
Corsair EX400U
Wirecutter top pick; Tom’s best USB4
Check price (opens in a new tab)
Best for most people
Crucial X10
PCMag’s pick; up to 8TB
Check price (opens in a new tab)
Best budget
Lexar SL500
Wirecutter budget pick
Check price (opens in a new tab)
Best Thunderbolt 5
LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5
6,700 MBps reads
Check price (opens in a new tab)

How do they compare?

External SSDs compared (Wirecutter, Tom’s Hardware and PCMag; prices checked October 2026)
DrivePrice notedInterfaceBest for
Corsair EX400U1TB $486 (Wirecutter, Amazon)USB4 (4,000 MBps)Overall; USB4
Crucial X10—USB 3.2 Gen 2x2Most people (PCMag)
SanDisk Pro-G40—Thunderbolt 3 + USBPortable (Tom’s Hardware)
Lexar SL5001TB $250 (Wirecutter, Amazon)USBBudget (Wirecutter)
LaCie Rugged SSD4—USB4 (4,000 MBps)Fast cross-platform
LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5—Thunderbolt 5 (6,700 MBps)Thunderbolt 5; rugged
Samsung T7 Touch—USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1,050 MBps)Security
Sharge Disk Pro—10Gbps USBTravel

The picks in detail

Best overall

1. Corsair EX400U

Best for: most people with USB4 or Thunderbolt 4

Wirecutter’s[1] top pick: the first USB4 drive it has tested with the speed, price and features for top-pick status, delivering almost triple the speed of USB 3.2 drives when plugged into a USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 port. It’s compact and MagSafe-compatible. Tom’s Hardware[2] names it the best USB4 SSD (4,000 MBps reads), with the caveat that the metal top gets hot during long sustained writes. Wirecutter listed the 1TB at $486 on Amazon; its upgrade pick is the 4TB version at $1,555 from Corsair.

Price (Oct 2026): 1TB $486; 4TB $1,555 (Wirecutter) Source

Pros

  • Almost triple USB 3.2 speed on USB4
  • MagSafe-compatible
  • Top pick at Wirecutter

Cons

  • Metal top gets hot
  • Needs USB4/TB4 for full speed
Check Corsair EX400U price (opens in a new tab)
Best for most people

2. Crucial X10

Best for: most people (PCMag)

PCMag’s[3] best external SSD for most people: tiny, with strong benchmark results, capacities up to 8TB and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support that still works with any USB-C computer. Basic ruggedization protects it while traveling. Note: PCMag says Micron is exiting the retail memory and SSD market, so Crucial isn’t issuing new drives; existing drives remain covered and are good deals while they last.

Price (Oct 2026): — Source

Pros

  • Up to 8TB
  • Tiny and rugged
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2x2

Cons

  • Crucial is leaving retail; limited stock
Check Crucial X10 price (opens in a new tab)
Best for Mac and PC users who want flexibility

3. SanDisk Pro-G40 SSD

Best for: Mac and PC users who want flexibility

Tom’s Hardware’s[2] best portable SSD: Thunderbolt 3 with USB fallback so it works on a wide range of devices, a reliable drive with DRAM and TLC, and good all-around performance and consistency. Con: pricey.

Price (Oct 2026): — Source

Pros

  • Thunderbolt 3 with USB fallback
  • DRAM and TLC
  • Consistent performance

Cons

  • Pricey
Check SanDisk Pro-G40 SSD price (opens in a new tab)
Best budget

4. Lexar SL500

Best for: a budget pick

Wirecutter’s[1] budget pick: a sturdy, reliable metal drive that isn’t as fast as the EX400U but costs far less, and is still speedier than cloud storage, hard drives or Wi-Fi copying. Wirecutter listed the 1TB at $250 on Amazon.

Price (Oct 2026): 1TB $250 (Wirecutter) Source

Pros

  • Much cheaper than USB4 drives
  • Sturdy metal body

Cons

  • Slower than USB4
Check Lexar SL500 price (opens in a new tab)
Best for the fastest cross-platform drive

5. LaCie Rugged SSD4

Best for: the fastest cross-platform drive

Tom’s Hardware’s[2] best fast cross-platform SSD: the fastest external storage it has tested in Windows and very fast on Macs, with a warranty that includes three years of data recovery. Con: expensive; Tom’s notes the EX400U is nearly as fast in many tests for less.

Price (Oct 2026): — Source

Pros

  • Fastest in Windows (Tom’s Hardware)
  • Data recovery included

Cons

  • Expensive
Check LaCie Rugged SSD4 price (opens in a new tab)
Best Thunderbolt 5

6. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5

Best for: Thunderbolt 5 Macs and PCs

Tom’s Hardware’s[2] best Thunderbolt 5 portable SSD and PCMag’s[3] best rugged external SSD, with up to 6,700 MBps reads over Thunderbolt 5, a tried-and-true rugged design and five years of data recovery. Tom’s cons: slower than USB4 drives without a TB5 port, and not supported over Thunderbolt 3 in Windows.

Price (Oct 2026): — Source

Pros

  • 6,700 MBps over Thunderbolt 5
  • Rugged
  • 5 years of data recovery

Cons

  • Needs a TB5 port to shine
  • No Thunderbolt 3 support in Windows
Check LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 price (opens in a new tab)
Best for security

7. Samsung T7 Touch

Best for: security

In Tom’s Hardware’s[2] list for its built-in fingerprint scanner and AES 256-bit hardware encryption, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds (1,050 MBps) and capacities up to 2TB. Cons: a 3-year warranty and a small write cache.

Price (Oct 2026): — Source

Pros

  • Fingerprint scanner
  • Hardware encryption

Cons

  • Small write cache
  • Up to 2TB only
Check Samsung T7 Touch price (opens in a new tab)
Best for travel

8. Sharge Disk Pro

Best for: travel

Tom’s Hardware’s[2] best SSD for travel, thanks to a built-in USB/HDMI hub, excellent sustained writes and a MagSafe-friendly magnetic back. Cons: expensive, and the cramped USB-C port won’t take bulky cable connectors.

Price (Oct 2026): — Source

Pros

  • Built-in USB/HDMI hub
  • Excellent sustained writes

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Cramped USB-C port
Check Sharge Disk Pro price (opens in a new tab)

Also considered

ADATA Elite SE880: PCMag’s[3] best budget external SSD.

LaCie Rugged SSD Pro: PCMag’s pick for Macs.

Lexar Professional Go with Hub: PCMag’s pick for videographers; see our creator SSD guide.

SanDisk Desk Drive and Apricorn Aegis NVX: PCMag’s picks for desktop-style storage and maximum data security.

WD My Passport: Tom’s Hardware’s[2] best external hard drive, if capacity matters more than speed; see our best external hard drives.

USB 3.2, USB4 or Thunderbolt?

Your computer’s port sets the speed limit. USB4 drives like the EX400U deliver almost triple USB 3.2 speeds, per Wirecutter[1], but only on USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 ports. Thunderbolt 5 drives like the Rugged SSD Pro5 need a TB5 port to beat USB4. On older USB ports, a cheaper drive like the Lexar SL500 is the better buy.

Related storage guides

Creators should see best portable SSDs for creators. For cheap bulk backups, see best external hard drives. To build your own drive, see best USB-C SSD enclosures and best internal SSDs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best external SSD?
Wirecutter’s[1] top pick is the USB4 Corsair EX400U; PCMag’s[3] pick for most people is the Crucial X10.
What is the best cheap external SSD?
Wirecutter’s[1] budget pick is the Lexar SL500, listed at $250 for 1TB on Amazon; PCMag’s[3] budget pick is the ADATA Elite SE880.
Is an external SSD better than an external hard drive?
For speed and durability, yes. Hard drives cost far less per terabyte, so they still make sense for big backups.

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.

  1. Wirecutter: The best portable SSD (May 13, 2026) (nytimes.com)
  2. Tom’s Hardware: Best external SSDs 2026 (October 5, 2026) (tomshardware.com)
  3. PCMag: The best external SSDs (August 4, 2026) (pcmag.com)
best of

The Best Portable SSDs for Creators in 2026

Pick a rugged USB 3.2 drive for field dumps; step to Thunderbolt NVMe enclosures when timeline scrubbing demands it.

best of

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.

best of

Best USB-C SSD Enclosures

A good enclosure plus your own NVMe SSD makes a faster, cheaper portable drive than most off-the-shelf models.

best of

The Best Internal SSDs in 2026

Tom’s Hardware’s best overall SSD is the Samsung 990 Pro. It’s the fastest PCIe 4.0 drive the site has tested and has a five-year warranty. For a PCIe 5.0 desktop, look at the Corsair MP700 Pro XT or the WD Black SN8100, PCMag’s best PCIe 5.0 drive. For laptops, Tom’s Hardware picks the WD Black SN7100.