20 Best Reliable External Hard Drives [2024]

Are you looking for the best reliable external hard drives? Based on expert reviews, we ranked them. We've listed our top-ranked picks, including the top-selling reliable external hard drives.

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# Preview Product
1 Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD – USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox -... Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD – USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox...
2 WD 2TB Elements Portable HDD, External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 for PC & Mac, Plug and Play Ready -... WD 2TB Elements Portable HDD, External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 for PC & Mac, Plug and Play Ready -...
3 WD_BLACK 5TB P10 Game Drive - Portable External Hard Drive HDD, Compatible with Playstation, Xbox,... WD_BLACK 5TB P10 Game Drive - Portable External Hard Drive HDD, Compatible with Playstation,...
4 SAMSUNG SSD T7 Portable External Solid State Drive 1TB, Up to 1050MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Reliable... SAMSUNG SSD T7 Portable External Solid State Drive 1TB, Up to 1050MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Reliable...
5 Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0, Black - HDTB420XK3AA Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0, Black - HDTB420XK3AA
6 WD 12TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 external hard drive for plug-and-play storage... WD 12TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 external hard drive for plug-and-play...
7 WD 2TB Gaming Drive works with Playstation 4 Portable External Hard Drive - WDBDFF0020BBK-WESN WD 2TB Gaming Drive works with Playstation 4 Portable External Hard Drive - WDBDFF0020BBK-WESN
8 VLC for Fire VLC for Fire
9 Léger: Modern Art and the Metropolis Léger: Modern Art and the Metropolis
10 Portable Ultra Speed External Ssd,External Hard Disk, 1tb/2tb/4tb/6tb/8tb/10tb Ultra-Thin and Light,... Portable Ultra Speed External Ssd,External Hard Disk, 1tb/2tb/4tb/6tb/8tb/10tb Ultra-Thin and...
11 LaCie Rugged Mini 2TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD - USB 3.0 USB 2.0 Compatible, Drop Shock Dust... LaCie Rugged Mini 2TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD - USB 3.0 USB 2.0 Compatible, Drop Shock...
12 Seagate BarraCuda 2TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache 3.5-Inch... Seagate BarraCuda 2TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache...
13 Acronis True Image 2021 PC/Mac Perpetual License Box Version (3-Users) Acronis True Image 2021 PC/Mac Perpetual License Box Version (3-Users)
14 External DVD Drive, USB 3.0 Portable CD/DVD +/-RW Drive/DVD Player for Laptop CD ROM Burner... External DVD Drive, USB 3.0 Portable CD/DVD +/-RW Drive/DVD Player for Laptop CD ROM Burner...
15 SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD - Up to 1050MB/s - USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2 - External Solid State... SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD - Up to 1050MB/s - USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2 - External Solid State...
16 Toshiba Canvio Flex 4TB Portable External Hard Drive USB-C USB 3.0, Silver for PC, Mac, & Tablet -... Toshiba Canvio Flex 4TB Portable External Hard Drive USB-C USB 3.0, Silver for PC, Mac, & Tablet...
17 LaCie Mobile Drive 2TB External Hard Drive HDD – Moon Silver USB-C USB 3.0, 3.1 for Mac and PC... LaCie Mobile Drive 2TB External Hard Drive HDD – Moon Silver USB-C USB 3.0, 3.1 for Mac and PC...
18 WD 5TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive with backup software and password protection, Black... WD 5TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive with backup software and password protection,...
19 Xbox Series S Xbox Series S
20 Files Explorer for Fire Tablets & TV ( Files Manager App) Files Explorer for Fire Tablets & TV ( Files Manager App)
Bestseller No. 1
Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD – USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox -...
  • Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
  • Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
  • To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
  • This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
Bestseller No. 2
WD 2TB Elements Portable HDD, External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 for PC & Mac, Plug and Play Ready -...
  • Adding extra storage for your videos, music, photos, and files.
  • Transfer data at maximum speed with USB 3.0; USB 2.0 compatible
  • Improve PC performance - When your internal hard drive is almost full your PC slows down. Don’t delete files. Free up space on your internal hard...
  • Plug-and-play ready for Windows PC
  • High capacity in a small enclosure – The small, lightweight design offers up to 5TB* capacity, making WD Elements portable hard drives the ideal...
SaleBestseller No. 3
WD_BLACK 5TB P10 Game Drive - Portable External Hard Drive HDD, Compatible with Playstation, Xbox,...
  • Available in capacities up to 5TB that can hold up to 125 games, so that you can save old favorites and still have room for new titles (As used for...
  • Comes with an 18-inch (457mm) USB Type-A to Micro-B cable with SuperSpeed interface up to 5Gbps (Cable length may vary.)
  • Compatible with Xbox Series X/S (play and store Xbox One games, archive Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S games) and PlayStation 5 (play and store PS4...
  • Portable form factor with sleek metal top covering that provides fast access to your growing game library
  • Premium HDD with 3-year limited warranty, purpose-built for gamers based on WD_BLACK quality and reliability
SaleBestseller No. 4
SAMSUNG SSD T7 Portable External Solid State Drive 1TB, Up to 1050MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Reliable...
  • PORTABLE STORAGE: The light, pocket-sized Portable SSD T7 delivers fast speeds with easy and reliable data storage for transferring large files,...
  • TRANSFER IN A FLASH: Transfer massive files within seconds with the incredible speed of USB 3.2 Gen 2; Embedded PCIe NVMe technology delivers blazing...
  • BUILT STRONG AND SECURE: Unlike HDDs, the Portable SSD T7 has no moving parts so it's more resistant to shock; Plus, its solid aluminum unibody...
  • RELIABLE THERMAL SOLUTION: The T7’s advanced thermal solution uses the Dynamic Thermal Guard to withstand and control heat, so the portable SSD...
  • SLEEK AND COMPACT: Roughly the size of a credit card and only weighing 2 oz, the T7 fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and is light enough to...
Bestseller No. 5
Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0, Black - HDTB420XK3AA
  • Sleek profile design with a matte, smudge resistance finish
  • Plug and play; Easy to use with no software to install. Requires reformatting for Mac OS v10.12 /OS X v10.11 / v10.1
  • Quickly add more storage capacity to your PC and other compatible devices
  • USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatible with no external AC power cord needed
  • Compatible devices: Desktop
SaleBestseller No. 6
WD 12TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 external hard drive for plug-and-play storage...
  • High-capacity add-on storage
  • Fast data transfers
  • Plug-and-play ready for Windows PCs
  • WD quality inside and out
SaleBestseller No. 7
WD 2TB Gaming Drive works with Playstation 4 Portable External Hard Drive - WDBDFF0020BBK-WESN
  • Expand your PS4 gaming experience
  • Play anywhere
  • Fast and easy setup
  • Sleek design with high capacity
Bestseller No. 8
VLC for Fire
  • VLC for Kindle plays most local video and audio files, as well as network streams (including adaptive streaming), like the desktop version of VLC.
  • VLC for Kindle has a media library for audio and video files, and allows to browse folders directly.
  • VLC has support for multi-track audio and subtitles. It supports auto-rotation, aspect-ratio adjustments, hardware acceleration and gestures to...
  • It also includes a widget for audio control, supports audio headsets control, cover art and a complete audio media library.
  • Arabic (Publication Language)
Bestseller No. 9
Léger: Modern Art and the Metropolis
  • Hardcover Book
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 292 Pages - 11/26/2013 (Publication Date) - Yale University Press (Publisher)
Bestseller No. 10
Portable Ultra Speed External Ssd,External Hard Disk, 1tb/2tb/4tb/6tb/8tb/10tb Ultra-Thin and Light,...
  • 【 Plug and play】 This portable solid-state drive is plug and play, no drivers or software, and no external power supply. Ultra-thin and light,...
  • 【Super fast】 High-speed external hard disk enclosure with read/write speed up to 520 MB/s, allowing you to move high-resolution photos and videos...
  • 【 High capacity】 With large-capacity high-speed storage for high-resolution photos, 3D videos, lossless music, etc., to back up massive amounts of...
  • 【Reliable performance &Strong compatibility】 This external solid-state drive adopts a sturdy, shock-proof and shock-proof aluminum case, durable...
  • 【Strong compatibility】 It is widely compatible with WIN7/8/8.1/10, Android and other systems, and can be used by almost 99% of PCs! Travel with...
SaleBestseller No. 11
LaCie Rugged Mini 2TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD - USB 3.0 USB 2.0 Compatible, Drop Shock Dust...
  • Shock, drops up to 4 feet, dust and water resistant for all-terrain use
  • For Mac compatibility this Hard Drive requires reformatting. Refer to Application Guide for more details
  • Password protection built in
  • Uses USB 3.0 which is up to 4 times faster than USB 2.0 (USB 2.0 compatible)
  • Includes 1-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan. Must redeem by January 31, 2020
Bestseller No. 12
Seagate BarraCuda 2TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache 3.5-Inch...
  • Note: Graphics May Vary and Size (3.5") refer to the size of the data platters not the size of the hard drive mechanism
  • Store more, compute faster, and do it confidently with the proven reliability of BarraCuda internal hard drives
  • Build a powerhouse gaming computer or desktop setup with a variety of capacities and form factors
  • The go to SATA hard drive solution for nearly every PC application—from music to video to photo editing to PC gaming
  • Confidently rely on internal hard drive technology backed by 20 years of innovation
Bestseller No. 13
Acronis True Image 2021 PC/Mac Perpetual License Box Version (3-Users)
  • Full Image Backup in Two Clicks: Protect everything to restore anything. Just two clicks back up your boot information, files, applications, operating...
  • Dual Protection: Replicate local backups in the Acronis Cloud automatically to ensure off-site copies are always available for recovery
  • Secure from cyberthreats: Protects your data against ransomware and cryptomining attacks. Includes a FREE 30-days trial of our advanced antimalware...
SaleBestseller No. 14
External DVD Drive, USB 3.0 Portable CD/DVD +/-RW Drive/DVD Player for Laptop CD ROM Burner...
  • 📀【High Writing and Reading Speed】 Max 8x DVDR Write Speed and Max 24x CD Write Speed provide high writing and reading speed
  • 📀【Wide Compatible】This external dvd cd drive is compatible with Windows 98 / SE / ME / 2000 / XP / Vista / Windows 10/8/7,Mac ios(ios 8.6 to...
  • 📀【Plug and Play Technology】Powered by USB port so just plug it into your USB port and the DVD driver will be detected. Don’t need to install...
  • 📀【Advanced USB3.0 Technology】 USB 3.0 provides fast data transfer speed and stable performance to record CD/ music/ videos/ install software or...
  • 📀【Ingenious Design】 This ultra-slim CD/DVD player for laptops equipped with an eject button so that you needn't worry about your disc getting...
SaleBestseller No. 15
SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD - Up to 1050MB/s - USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2 - External Solid State...
  • Get NVMe solid state performance featuring up to 1050MB/s read and up to 1000MB/s write speeds in a portable, high-capacity drive that’s perfect for...
  • Up to 2 meter drop protection and IP55 water and dust resistance (3) mean this tough drive can take a beating
  • Use the handy Carabiner loop to secure it to your belt loop or backpack for extra peace of mind
  • Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256‐bit AES hardware encryption (2)
  • Back up mobile content quickly and easily thanks to compatibility with a range of USB Type-C smart phones
SaleBestseller No. 16
Toshiba Canvio Flex 4TB Portable External Hard Drive USB-C USB 3.0, Silver for PC, Mac, & Tablet -...
  • Designed for PC, Mac, and Tablet (check compatibility at Toshiba's Consumer HDD website).
  • Formatted exFAT for cross-device compatibility (2).
  • USB-C ready, USB 3.0 compatible.
  • Versatile design. Includes USB-C and USB-A cables.
SaleBestseller No. 17
LaCie Mobile Drive 2TB External Hard Drive HDD – Moon Silver USB-C USB 3.0, 3.1 for Mac and PC...
  • Enjoy 2TB of capacity for photos, playlists, docs, and more
  • Use seamlessly with Mac, Windows, USB-C, and USB 3.0
  • Back up files with a single click or schedule automatic backups
  • Turn footage into flawless productions with one free month of Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan
SaleBestseller No. 18
WD 5TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive with backup software and password protection, Black...
  • Slim Design
  • Software for device management and backup with password protection. (Download and installation required. Terms and conditions apply. User account...
  • 256-bit AES hardware encryption
  • SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port (5Gbps); USB 2.0 compatible
  • 3-year limited warranty
Bestseller No. 19
Xbox Series S
  • Go all digital with Xbox Series S and experience next-gen speed and performance at a great price.
  • Bundle includes: Xbox Series S console, one Xbox Wireless Controller, a high-speed HDMI cable, power cable, and 2 AA batteries.
  • Make the most of every gaming minute with Quick Resume, lightning-fast load times, and gameplay of up to 120 FPS—all powered by Xbox Velocity...
  • Enjoy digital games from four generations of Xbox, with hundreds of optimized titles that look and play better than ever.
  • Add Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (membership sold separately) to play new games day one. Enjoy hundreds of high-quality games with friends on console,...
Bestseller No. 20
Files Explorer for Fire Tablets & TV ( Files Manager App)
  • Easy & Quick File management & Searching
  • All files in one place.
  • Multimedia ( Video, Music, Images ) Explorer
  • Shortcuts for main Utilities
  • Easy File Search

Having trouble finding a great reliable external hard drives?

This problem is well understood by us because we have gone through the entire reliable external hard drives research process ourselves, which is why we have put together a comprehensive list of the best reliable external hard drivess available in the market today.

After hours of searching and using all the models on the market, we have found the best reliable external hard drives for 2023. See our ranking below!

How Do You Buy The Best Reliable External Hard Drives?

Do you get stressed out thinking about shopping for a great reliable external hard drives? Do doubts keep creeping into your mind?

We understand, because we’ve already gone through the whole process of researching reliable external hard drives, which is why we have assembled a comprehensive list of the greatest reliable external hard drives available in the current market. We’ve also come up with a list of questions that you probably have yourself.

John Harvards has done the best we can with our thoughts and recommendations, but it’s still crucial that you do thorough research on your own for reliable external hard drives that you consider buying. Your questions might include the following:

  • Is it worth buying an reliable external hard drives?
  • What benefits are there with buying an reliable external hard drives?
  • What factors deserve consideration when shopping for an effective reliable external hard drives?
  • Why is it crucial to invest in any reliable external hard drives, much less the best one?
  • Which reliable external hard drives are good in the current market?
  • Where can you find information like this about reliable external hard drives?

We’re convinced that you likely have far more questions than just these regarding reliable external hard drives, and the only real way to satisfy your need for knowledge is to get information from as many reputable online sources as you possibly can.

Potential sources can include buying guides for reliable external hard drives, rating websites, word-of-mouth testimonials, online forums, and product reviews. Thorough and mindful research is crucial to making sure you get your hands on the best-possible reliable external hard drives. Make sure that you are only using trustworthy and credible websites and sources.

John Harvards provides an reliable external hard drives buying guide, and the information is totally objective and authentic. We employ both AI and big data in proofreading the collected information.

How did we create this buying guide? We did it using a custom-created selection of algorithms that lets us manifest a top-10 list of the best available reliable external hard drives currently available on the market.

This technology we use to assemble our list depends on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the following:

  1. Brand Value: Every brand of reliable external hard drives has a value all its own. Most brands offer some sort of unique selling proposition that’s supposed to bring something different to the table than their competitors.
  2. Features: What bells and whistles matter for an reliable external hard drives?
  3. Specifications: How powerful they are can be measured.
  4. Product Value: This simply is how much bang for the buck you get from your reliable external hard drives.
  5. Customer Ratings: Number ratings grade reliable external hard drives objectively.
  6. Customer Reviews: Closely related to ratings, these paragraphs give you first-hand and detailed information from real-world users about their reliable external hard drives.
  7. Product Quality: You don’t always get what you pay for with an reliable external hard drives, sometimes less, and sometimes more.
  8. Product Reliability: How sturdy and durable an reliable external hard drives is should be an indication of how long it will work out for you.

John Harvards always remembers that maintaining reliable external hard drives information to stay current is a top priority, which is why we are constantly updating our websites. Learn more about us using online sources.

If you think that anything we present here regarding reliable external hard drives is irrelevant, incorrect, misleading, or erroneous, then please let us know promptly!

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FAQ:

Q: What’s the best external hard drive?

A: WD My Book (4TB) G-Technology ArmorATD (2TB and 4TB) SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD (1TB) Adata SE800 External SSD Ultra Fast (1TB) Samsung X5 Thunderbolt 3 Portable SSD (2TB) WD My Passport SSD (1TB) Samsung Portable SSD T7 (1TB) Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD (1TB) Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch (2TB) Seagate Backup Plus Portable (4TB)

Q: Which hard drive brand is the most reliable?

A: Most reliable hard drives from Toshiba, HGST, Western Digital. Toshiba’s drives have been impressive, with a 14TB drive (model: MG07ACA14TA) and 16TB drive (model: MG08ACA16TEY) each delivering zeros for annualized failure rates (AFR) – though these drives had only been installed for two months by the time Backblaze’s 2023 stats were …

Q: How do I activate an external hard drive?

A: – Open Steam. – Open the Steam menu in the top left corner. – Select settings. Source: Windows Central – Click on downloads in the left-hand pane. – Select Steam library folders. Source: Windows Central – Click on +. Source: Windows Central – Find your external drive in the drop-down box. – Click on New folder. Source: Windows Central – Name your folder. – Click OK. …

Q: How to find your external hard drive in Windows 10?

A: ✔ Solution 1. Assign a drive letter to the external hard drive. When the external has no drive letter,it will be invisible in File Explorer. … ✔ Solution 2. Initialize external hard drive. Select “ Initialize Disk ” and set the disk partition style as MBR or GPT. … Solution 3. Rebuild MBR without data loss. …