Best external SSD for Mac

Macworld

Solid-state drives – aka SSD – used to be really expensive, but prices have really fallen in the last few years, and you can now pick up fast, reliable SSDs that cost only slightly more than their hard drive counterparts. Even the slowest SSDs are generally faster than mechanical hard drives.

As well as being faster than conventional hard drives, SSDs are lighter and sturdier too, making them ideal for use with a laptop when you’re traveling. That’s reflected in the drives that we review here, most of which are small and light enough to slip into your pocket. However, the latest SSDs can also offer up to 8TB of storage, which makes them a good option for use with a desktop Mac in an office as well. And they can help to reduce cable clutter too, as they generally take their power from a USB port on your Mac, rather than requiring a separate external power supply.

Other features to look out for include IP-ratings for weather protection and password protection for your important files. Just remember to check that any apps provided by the manufacturer work with Macs and well as Windows PCs.

Another thing to take note of is whether the SSD connects via Thunderbolt 5, 4 or 3, and USB 4 or USB-C, USB 3 or USB 3.2×2. The latter is one to avoid if you are a Mac user because Apple supports only 10Gbps with USB 3.2, meaning 3.2×2 20Gbps SSDS are constrained to half their potential.

There are some SSD drives that support the new Thunderbolt 5 standard, which brings speeds of up to 80Gbps if you have a Mac with M4 Pro or M4 Max. We’ve looked at some Thunderbolt 5 equipped SSDs below.

UPDATED March 2025 with reviews of Lexar Armor 700, Samsung T5 Evo and SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD.

Best SSD for Mac 2025






1. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5














Pros

Supports Thunderbolt 5 

Impressive performance

Rugged design with IP68

Five-year warranty


Cons

Expensive

Requires M4 Pro or Max















The Pro5 looks almost identical to the previous-generation Rugged SSD Pro, which uses Thunderbolt 3. The only visible difference between the two drives is the fact that the Pro5 is wrapped in a dark-blue rubber sleeve, rather than the somber black of its predecessor.

That rubber sleeve is designed to provide extra protection for the drive, and the Pro5 is even sturdier than before, with an IP68 rating for water and dust-resistance. LaCie claims the Pro5 can survive immersion in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes, survive being dropped from a height of 3m (10ft), and survive being run over by vehicles weighing up to two tonnes. There’s a five-year warranty too.

It measures 17mm thick, 98mm wide and 65mm deep and weighs 150g, which is a little more than its 100g Rugged Pro predecessor. It comes in 2TB or 4TB capacities. It’s not cheap, starting at $399.99/£359.99 for 2TB or $599.99/£579.99 for 4TB.

The Pro5 does use a standard USB-C connector, so it’s still backward-compatible with older Macs, but if you want to get the full performance of the Thunderbolt 5 interface you’ll need a MacBook Pro or Mac mini with M4 Pro or M4 Max processor as these are the only chips to support the standard. The older Rugged Pro is still on sale, so make sure you look for the Pro5 model if you want Thunderbolt 5 performance. We found that the standard USB-C cable we use for our Time Machine back-up drive didn’t provide enough power for the Pro5, so it might be worth investing in a spare Thunderbolt 5 cable.

The Rugged SSD Pro5 is the fastest Thunderbolt drive we’ve tested so far, and along with its rugged, portable design it’s an excellent option for creative users who want to exploit the full speed of their new Thunderbolt 5 Macs.

Read our full

LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 review






2. OWC Envoy Ultra














Pros

Fast 6GBps reading & 5GBps writing via Thunderbolt 5

Rugged and weatherproof


Cons

Expensive

Requires M4 Pro/Max Mac for full 80Gbps performance

Limited compatibility















You can take full advantage of the Thunderbolt 5 ports on your M4 Pro Mac mini or M4 Pro/Max MacBook Pro and possibly circumvent Apple’s avaricious storage upgrade pricing with OWC’s Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 external SSD.

Thunderbolt 5 itself is backwards compatible with older Thunderbolt specs, but it’s not nearly as backwards compatible as we’d like. For example, to utilize a Thunderbolt 5 drive your M-series Mac need to be running macOS 14 Sonoma or macOS 15 Sequoia. Thunderbolt 3 Macs with Intel chips must run Sequoia. But only the M4 Pro amd M4 Max chips will give you the full Thunderbolt 5 experience.

You may have seen 120GBps quoted in some articles as Thunderbolt 5’s top speed, but that’s only unidirectional for displays. Bi-directional, as with storage, is limited to 80Gbps. Benchmarks showed anywhere from 5.2GBps (Blackmagicdesign’s Disk Speed Test), to 6.5GBps reading (AmorphousDiskMark), to near 7GBps reading and 5.57GBps writing (ATTO). It’s fast.

The OWC Envoy Ultra is a larger chunk of black metal, measuring about 0.75 inches thick, 2.8 inches wide, and 5 inches long. The Envoy Ultra weighs in at 10.5 ounces or so. It has a captive cable, which is for weatherproofing (it’s not IP-rated). This does make it a bit harder to put away. Alas, writing was considerably slower, only around 1.5GBps.

The Envoy Ultra costs $400/£356 in its 2TB form and $600/£598.49 at 4TB. It carries a three-year warranty.

If you want, and can afford the absolute fastest storage for your new Thunderbolt 5 Mac, then this is a heck of a lot cheaper than Apple’s rapaciously priced internal storage and nearly as fast.







3. SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD














Pros

Rugged design

Competitive price

Good performance

USB-C interface, with USB-A adaptor included


Cons

No Thunderbolt support

Not completely water-resistant















We last looked at SanDisk’s rugged Extreme Portable V2 in 2021 so it was due an update. This latest model comes swaggering back with an even sturdier design and increased capacity that offers up to 8TB of storage. The external design hasn’t changed much for this update, it still comes in a perforated black case made out of silicon that provides plenty of protection, and there’s the same hook for a lanyard.

We tested the 8TB version, which is slightly larger than the previous model but it’s still slim and light. There aren’t many rival drives that provide that much storage in such a compact and portable design.

This model uses the same USB-C connector as its predecessor, with support for USB 3.2 (Gen 2). There’s a USB-C cable included in the box, and even a USB-A adaptor! Speeds are 1000MB/s and 1050MB/s for write and read performance respectively, as previously. And our tests found that the two drives produce very similar results when running the Black Magic Disk speed test, with the Extreme Portable reaching 946MB/s for write performance and 910MB/s for read performance.

The main difference is that this update for 2025 is even tougher than before, boasting an IP65 rating for resistance to water and dust. This model provides more storage capacity too, starting at 1GB and going up to 8TB.

SanDisk has several portable solid-state drives that look similar and have similar names. The Extreme Pro Portable looks identical and has a faster USB4 interface, but only offers up to 4TB storage. The less expensive Portable SSD, isn’t particularly fast. Check the name before you buy.

It’s a good option for anyone that needs to store large, high-res photo or video files on their MacBook when they’re working outdo.







4. Kingston XS1000














Pros

Very competitive price

Pocket-size design

Weighs only 28.7g


Cons

No Thunderbolt interface

No bundled software

Cable is USB-A-to-USB-C








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We liked the sturdy little XS2000 drive that Kingston launched back in 2022, but it was pretty expensive and used a version of USB known as USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, which isn’t fully supported on the Mac at the moment. Drives that use ‘Gen 2×2’ will still work with a Mac, but the Mac won’t get the full speed that the drive is capable of. However, Kingston has now launched a more affordable model called the XS1000. This is a more conventional USB-C drive, using standard USB 3.2 Gen 2, so it’s a good, affordable option for Mac users who just want a compact, lightweight backup drive.

The XS1000 is one of the smallest and lightest SSDs that we’ve seen so far – in fact, it looks more like a little USB thumb drive, rather than a high-capacity backup drive. It measures just 13.5mm thick, 32.5mm wide and 69.5mm long, and weighs only 28.7g, so you can easily slip it into your shirt or trouser pocket when you’re traveling. It’s not quite as rugged as the more expensive XS2000 – which had an IP55 rating for water and dust resistance – but the plastic and metal casing feels sturdy enough to cope with a few knocks when you’re traveling, and Kingston provides a five-year warranty as well.

It’s very competitively priced too, costing $84.99/£74.99 with 1TB of storage, or $109.99/£99.99 with 2TB. The drive’s USB interface provides a quoted write speed of 1000MBs, while the read speed is slightly higher at 1050MB/s. It didn’t quite match those speeds in our tests, but its write speed of 875MB/s and read speed of 950MB/s will still be fine for routine back-ups with Time Machine. Our only complaint is that Kingston only includes a USB-A-to-USB-C cable with the XS1000, so you’ll need to buy an adaptor or a new cable if your Mac only has USB-C. Professional users might prefer a faster drive, or a more rugged design, but if you just want an affordable backup drive that can go traveling with you then the XS1000 is great value for money.







5. Adata SE920 USB4 SSD














Pros

High data transfer rates

Good fan


Cons

No transport bag

No rubber feet















The Adata SE920 External SSD is a high-performance USB4 SSD for those who need rapid data transfer speeds. 

It combines passive and active cooling with a compact metal housing for passive cooling, and a micro-fan with openings for active cooling. The user can actually activate the fan by pressing on the housing. 

If you are working on a project such as a video or image edit, or another task that could require a lot of drive access over a period of time, then switch on the fan. The rest of the time you can probably leave it. 

The SE920 is primarily designed for Windows users, evident from the formatting in the NTFS file system and the backup software for Windows, but this shouldn’t be a problem for experienced Mac users. The SE920 is quickly reformatted in APFS using the macOS Disk Utility.

Data transfer rates measured with Aja System Test Lite were impressive. The SE920 achieved 2992MBps for writes and 3161 MBps for reads. Data rates are stable over a longer period and the thermal design works perfectly.

All this comes at a good price. We recommend the SE920 to any content creator.

Read our full

Adata SE920 USB4 SSD review






6. SanDisk Pro Blade System














Pros

Thunderbolt 3 interface (compatible with USB-C)

Ultra-rugged design

Professional-level performance


Cons

Very expensive

Doesn’t support Thunderbolt 4














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We normally organize reviews of portable drives and desktop drives separately, but the new SanDisk Pro Blade is a modular SSD storage system that is very much designed for professional and creative users, and allows you to switch between portable and desktop modes as required.

You can start by buying the Pro Blade SSD Mag, which is a solid-state storage module that is available in 1TB, 2TB or 4TB sizes (the 1TB was discounted from $179.99 to $119.99 at the time of our review). The SSD Mag is pre-formatted in APFS format for Mac users, and is tough enough to withstand being dropped from a height of 3 meters or 9.8 foot, and withstand 4000lb (1814kg) crush pressure, making it ideal for outdoor use. However, the SSD Mag modules can’t connect to a computer on their own, so SanDisk provides two options for portable and desktop use.

For portable use you can buy the Pro Blade Transport, which is a compact case for the SSD Mag, and is equipped with a USB-C port for connecting to your Mac. The Transport measures just 130.4mm long, 71.5mm wide and 16mm thick, so you can easily slip it into your pocket or a carrying case just like any other portable drive. It’s also possible to connect the Transport to a camera that has a USB-C interface so that you can record high-res video rather than having to carry lots of smaller SD memory cards.

When you get back to the office you also have the option of inserting the SSD Mag modules into the Pro Blade Station ($499.99/£490.99). This desktop storage system doesn’t include any built-in storage of its own, but it has four slots that allow you to insert SSD Mag modules (not included) providing up to 16TB of high-speed solid-state storage. The Pro Blade Station has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, with one used to connect your Mac, while the other port can be used to daisy-chain additional storage devices if required. The Pro Blade Station is fairly expensive – given that it doesn’t include any storage of its own – but it gives you the option of creating a high-speed, high-capacity SSD storage system for use in your office, whilst also being able to remove the individual SSD Mag modules and use them as portable drives whenever you need to.

Western Digital – which owns SanDisk these days – claims that the Pro Blade Station can provide read and write speeds of 3000MB/s and 2600MB/s respectively. Our tests actually recorded a read speed of 2600MB/s and write speed of 2300MB/s, but that’s still one of the fastest SSD drives we’ve ever seen, making it a good option for creative users who need a fast storage system that they can use both in the office and on the road.

Read our full

Sandisk Pro-Blade Transport review






7. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro














Pros

IP67 ruggedized

Fast NVMe/Thunderbolt 3 performance

Operates via Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.0


Cons

Expensive















LaCie’s Rugged drives have been popular with Mac users for many years, thanks to their combination of high-performance and that now-familiar orange sleeve that helps to keep the drive safe when you’re working outdoors. However, the Rugged range has mostly used conventional hard drives in the past, which are slower than the latest solid-state drives, as well as being bigger and heavier. Welcome the Rugged Pro SSD, which is primarily aimed at creative users. (We look at the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 above, which is a newer model that supports Thunderbolt 5).

The Rugged SSD range starts at around $180/£180 for a model with 500GB storage, but we were able to review the SSD Pro, which stands out from the rest of the range with its matte-black sleeve. It’s pretty expensive, costing $419/£249.99 with 1TB of storage, and a hefty $739.99/£379.99 for the 2TB model and $1,049.99/£999.99 for 4TB, but it justifies that price with an even tougher design and the latest, super-fast solid-state drives designed for professional video work. (U.K. prices dropped in 2024 but US prices don’t seem to have followed suit. Luckily you can get good deals at various resellers).

Switching to a solid-state drive means that the SSD Pro is now the smallest model in the Rugged range, measuring just 3.8in/98mm long, 2.5in/65mm wide and 0.6in/17mm thick. It only weighs 100g/3.5oz, so you can easily slip it into your pocket or bag when you’re traveling and barely even notice that it’s there.

Despite its compact design, that new black sleeve is seriously tough and rated IP67 for resistance to water and dust, allowing it to survive in 3.2 foot/1m of water for up to 30 minutes. It can cope with being dropped from a height of 9.8 foot/3m, and can even resist the weight of a two-tonne car driving over it. It includes a five-year warranty in case anything does go wrong, which includes one visit to LaCie’s data-recovery labs if you need to retrieve important data.

The Rugged SSD Pro includes just a single Thunderbolt 3/USB-C interface, but most of its high price is down to the use of the latest NVMe solid-state drives, which provide top performance for high-end video applications, such as editing 8K or super-slow-motion video files (which can be enormous, as they shoot at up to 240 frames per second on the latest iPhones). The drive didn’t disappoint, recording consistent write speeds of 1780MB/s, and an even faster 2480MB/s for read speeds – with both figures leaving just about every other SSD drive we’ve ever tested trailing in its wake. And, when backing up our iTunes music library, the Rugged SSD Pro blew us away by backing up 5GB of music files in just five seconds – look away for a couple of seconds and you’ll miss it!

Of course, not everyone will need that sort of performance – especially at this price – but if you work with high-res video and need a fast, tough drive for outdoor work then the Rugged SSD Pro is in a class of its own.

Read our full

LaCie Rugged SSD Pro review






8. LaCie Portable SSD














Pros

Small and stylish

Solid construction


Cons

Middling performance















The LaCie Portable SSD is an option for people who don’t need James Bond levels of security. Available with 500GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage, the Portable SSD has a new design compared to its predecessor. Rather than sharply angular corners and edges of the now discontinued LaCie Mobile SSD, the compact Portable SSD has smoothly round corners – perhaps following Apple’s recent fetish for rounded corners on icons in Big Sur and Monterey.

It’s smaller and lighter than previous drives from LaCie too, measuring just 0.4in/10.6mm thick, 1.9in/50mm wide, and 3in/80mm long, and it weighs a mere 1.5oz/45g, so it’s ideal for carrying around with your MacBook or iPad when you’re traveling.

The drive has a single USB-C interface, and includes a USB-C cable, but the low cost means that there are no added extras, such as an adaptor for older Macs that have USB-A (3.2) connectors.

LaCie hasn’t cut any other corners, though. The Portable SSD has a solid, sturdy design that should be able to cope with a few bumps in a backpack or briefcase, and it performs very well too.

LaCie quotes read and write speeds of 1000MB/s, but repeated tests with the BlackMagic speed test app showed the Portable SSD comfortably cruising along at around 1,300MB/s with no trouble at all.

That combination of speed, compact design and competitive pricing makes the Portable SSD a great option for anyone that needs a portable backup drive for their Mac or iPad.

Read our full review.







9. Samsung T5 EVO














Pros

Compact, lightweight design

 Sturdily built

 Provides up to 8TB storage

 Competitive price


Cons

Modest performer

Only supports USB 3.1 (Gen 1)















T5 EVO isn’t as fast as some of its SSD rivals, but it’s great as a general-purpose backup device and provides a faster and more portable alternative to a conventional hard drive. Unlike many solid-state drives, it provides up to 8TB of storage, making it a good option for people who need a lot of storage space for their work files, photos and videos. It’s competitively priced, starting at $189.99/£146 for 2TB of storage.

The drive is compact, just 17mm thick, 40mm wide and 95mm long, and weighing 102g. There’s a chunky metal ring on one end that can be used to attach the drive to a backpack or belt.

It doesn’t have the armor-plated protection of Samsung’s T7 Shield, but the T5 EVO doesn’t cut corners on build quality. The drive is metal and then wrapped in a rubber sleeve to provide extra protection. It doesn’t quote an IP rating for resistance to water and dust though.

It’s not the fastest back-up drive you can buy, and while there’s a USB-C port for connecting to a Mac or PC, it only supports the relatively old USB 3.2 (Gen 1) standard, and Samsung quotes fairly modest speeds of 460MB/s for both read and write performance. Our tests showed that the drive’s write performance was right on the nose with a speed of 460MB/s when running the Black Magic disk speed test, although read performance was slower at 370MB/s.

T5 EVO will be a great option for laptop users who want to ditch an old hard drive and replace it with a more portable solid-state drive that provides plenty of storage.







10. Lexar Armor 700














Pros

Competitive price

Up to 4TB storage

Rugged, weather-resistant design


Cons

No Thunderbolt support