The Best External SSDs in 2024

Looking for an external SSD? If the answer is yes then check out our list of best external SSDs on the market. We have big, cheap, and affordable drives. Ultra-fast drives for those who want to transfer large files as quickly as possible, rugged drives that can take a beating or get underwater, and drives that feature advanced security features.

After you comb through our list of best external SSDs check out our external SSD buying guide, which is pretty detailed. Finally, if you like this list we also have pieces featuring best external hard drives, SSDs, and flash drives. Let’s begin.

wd elements se
  • USB 3.0 SSD
  • Up to 400MB/s transfer speed
  • Pocket-sized design

External SSDs have become quite mainstream and have replaced the old external HDD devices since these can be a lot smaller in size and perform a lot faster as well. One such SSD that is tiny but offers fast transfer speeds is the WD Elements SE.

Western Digital is known to make a lot of different drives therefore they have the reputation to back up their products. The Elements SE is a pocket-size drive that connects through USB 3.0 and delivers up to 400MB/s in transfer speeds.

This is equal to most internal SATA SSD drives and is well-suited for most office tasks and remote work. Since this is an SSD drive there are no moving parts therefore it is a lot more resilient to drop damage or wear and tear.

Overall this is an excellent external SSD that will speed up a lot of the file transferring process making your work a lot easier.

Pros:
  • Can be carried around easily
  • Uses a universal USB 3.0 connection
  • Offers a lot more speed compared to an external HDD
  • Comes in different capacity configurations
Cons:
  • SSDs are still more expensive than HDDs therefore for the same money you could potentially buy a bigger storage device for less
  • The transfer speeds are capped by the USB 3.0 interface

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

A Solid Rugged External SSD

sandisk extreme portable ssd
  • Capacity: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
  • Max Read Speed: 1050MB/s
  • Interface: USB-C 3.2 Gen 2

The Extreme Portable SSD from SanDisk is made for users who often have outdoor adventures and need portable storage that can survive the said adventures. This drive is exceptionally compact and features a rugged case that fulfills the IP55 rating for water and dust resistance. It can also survive drops from up to 2 meters without any damage.

The ruggedness is followed by fast performance. The new version of the drive can reach up to 1050MB/s, which is exceptionally fast for an external SSD drive, let alone a rugged one. The drive is preformatted for usage on Windows and Mac OS and the interface used is USB-C 3.2 Gen 2.

SanDisk provides a USB-C to C cable with a USB A adapter, which is enough to connect this SSD to any device. The only downside is the fact that the cable is detachable, which isn’t great on an SSD meant to be used outside.

Pros:
  • Rugged Design
  • Fast Performance
  • USB Cable With USB A Adapter Included With Drive
  • IP55 Rating
Cons:
  • Detachable Cable Isn’t Great On A Rugged SSD

Crucial X8 Portable SSD

The Best External SSD For Video Editing

crucial x8 portable ssd
  • Capacity: 500GB, 1TB
  • Max Write Speed: 970MB/s
  • Max Read Speed: 970MB/s
  • Interface: USB-C 3.1 Gen 2

The X8 external SSD from Crucial boasts fast write speed and surprisingly low price compared to other external SSDs with similar read and write speeds. It looks rather nice and comes with a USB-C to C cable with USB A adapter. Measured read and write speeds reach about 970MB/s making this SSD perfect for users dealing with large video files that are constantly accessed and/or moved.

The drive supports Windows, Mac OS, iPad Pro, Chromebook, and Android devices as well as PS4 and Xbox One. The blazing-fast performance will fall to about 100MB/s if you’re transferring very large (200GB or larger) files because of the limited cache. But in any other scenario expect maximum read and write speeds.

Overall, this is the best affordable option for video editing. Fast performance and nice design are followed by a very competitive price with the 1TB version of this disk selling for less than the majority of drives (even the slower ones) featured on this list.

Pros:
  • Exceptional Performance For The Price
  • Slick Design
  • Compatible With A Wide Array Of Devices
  • USB Cable With USB A Adapter Included With Drive
Cons:
  • Limited Cache Can Slow Down Transfer Speed When Moving Extra Large Files
  • Limited Capacity Options

SAMSUNG T7 Shield

The Best Rugged External SSD

samsung t7 shield
  • 1TB-2TB storage
  • 1050/1000 MB/s read/write speeds
  • Samsung quality NAND flash storage and DRAM cache

People buy external SSD drives so they can carry their library in the most remote of places without being afraid of suddenly losing all of their data. The Samsung T7 Shield takes that notion up a notch with IP65 dust and water certification for true peace of mind.

This drive is not only rugged, but it is also fast with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 that can achieve 1050/1000 MB/s read/write speeds allowing for big data transfers quickly. The quality of this drive is guaranteed by Samsung which is using quality NAND flash storage and includes DRAM cache for optimal performance for their T7 Shield external SSD.

You can take this drive anywhere, and plug it into any device without any fear of losing data and for that, you need to pay a little bit of a premium for the Samsung experience.

Pros:
  • IP65 certification is expensive to get so the fact that Samsung got it for this drive means they are confident
  • 1000MB/s is enough for most workloads in the professional field
  • The DRAM cache is a big plug for an SSD
Cons:
  • Samsung upcharge for being a Samsung product

Corsair EX100U

Real USB Type-C Speeds

corsair ex100u
  • 1TB-4TB storage
  • USB Type-C Gen 2
  • 1600 MB/s read and 1500 MB/s write speeds

External drives are not exactly an exciting topic but from time to time you see something that is quite inspiring and for us, it was the Corsair EX100U external SSD drive. This is a USB Type-C Gen 2 drive that can do 1600 MB/s read and 1500 MB/s write speeds – quite fast for transferring files around.

The size of this thing is also small making it portable and blazing-fast which makes this device quite a resounding success in our books. The EX100U uses a single connection for power and connection and works with any device you might own.

It also comes in different sizes ranging from 1TB up to 4TB which should be enough for most gaming/office work.

Pros:
  • Pocket-size external drive that is in the size category of a flash drive
  • Fast speeds for big data transfers
  • Uses a single connection for power and data transfers
  • USB Type-C makes it future proof
Cons:
  • Quite expensive for an external drive but you are paying for a small footprint and super-fast transfer speeds

Buffalo PG External SSD

Solid USB Type-C External SSD Drive

buffalo pg external ssd
  • USB 3.2 and USB-C SSD
  • Up to 340 MB/s transfer speed
  • Minimalistic design
CHECK PRICES

Since external USB drives are limited by their connection it is nice to see the newest types of USB connections for the fastest possible transfer speeds. The Buffalo external SSD device takes this to heart and implements a 3.2 USB-A to USB-C connection that allows for a stable 340 MB/s transfer speed.

Since this is an external SSD the Buffalo is quite rugged and offers Military Spec Shock resistance which could potentially be reassuring for those of you who have slippery hands and drop things all the time.

The overall size and design of the drive are quite small and minimalistic making it perfect for work environments like offices. Since there are no spinning parts this device is dead silent and operates at the max potential at all times.

External SSD devices can also be used for gaming consoles and PC devices if you like storing games on a portable drive. The faster speeds will allow you to game without interruptions since the loading screens will be instant.

Pros:
  • Rugged and durable
  • Has a USB 3.2 and a USB-C connection
  • Fast drive that can be used both for work and gaming
  • SSDs unlike HDDs do not break that often therefore it is a long-lasting investment
Cons:
  • Even though this device uses faster types of USB connection the transfer speeds do not reflect that

Seagate Expansion SSD

Affordable External SSD For Casual Users

seagate expansion ssd
  • Capacity: 500GB, 1TB
  • Max Write Speed: 400MB/s (Advertised)
  • Max Read Speed: 400MB/s (Advertised)
  • Interface: USB 3.0
CHECK PRICES

The Seagate Expansion SSD is an affordable external SSD for users who don’t need ultra-fast speeds, encryption, durable design, or other extra features. This is a cheap external SSD that’s a noticeable upgrade over any external hard drive.

Read and write speeds won’t leave anyone excited. Seagate advertises read and write speeds at 400MB/s but you can bet they are a bit slower. The drive uses an old USB 3.0 Micro interface so make sure you don’t lose the provided cable.

The drive is compatible with most operating systems and will work with both Xbox One and PS4. Overall, this is a cheap external SSD that’s perfect for keeping a backup of important files but isn’t suited for frequent file transfer.

Pros:
  • Affordable
Cons:
  • Low Read And Write Speeds
  • Dated Micro USB 3.0 Interface
  • Limited Capacity Options

How To Pick An External SSD

Picking an external SSD takes a few steps more than simply clicking on the desired capacity and then clicking buy. You have drives that come with physical encryption, which is great for security-minded users. Next, you should look at the interface used to determine whether you’ll be able to achieve max read and write speed on your computer.

Some users need rugged drives capable of withstanding shock and falling into water. There’s also the question of compatibility with your OS. And in case you have an old SSD you aren’t using, you can turn it into a portable drive for cheap. Let’s cover each of these points individually.

Picking The Right Capacity

You know the best which capacity you need so make sure to pick the right one. Most people should be comfortable with 512GB capacity but if you’re working with large video files and/or always have new files to copy to your portable SSD it’s better to get a unit with at least 1TB of storage.

Design And Portability

Some external SSDs are larger than others. Check dimensions of the external drive you’re interested in case you need an extremely small and portable drive. If you aren’t planning to move the drive around the size shouldn’t be an issue.

Different Interfaces Mean Different Read And Write Speeds

While internal storage devices use SATA, M.2, or PCIe interfaces external drives are limited to the USB interface. But USB can be confusing since there are so many different standards and technologies, each with its own max transfer speed. External SSDs use one of the three main interfaces:

  • USB 3.0/3.1/3.2 Gen 1 interface achieves up to 5Gbps bandwidth
  • USB 3.1/3.2 Gen 2 interface achieves up to 10Gbps bandwidth
  • Thunderbolt 3 interface achieves up to 40Gbps bandwidth

Today, most external SSDs use either a USB-A or USB-C port and come with a transfer cable so you shouldn’t have issues with connecting them to your computer or a console. The fastest SSDs use Thunderbolt 3 interface. And if you see an external SSD with USB 2.0 or eSATA port avoid it, transfer rates on that disk are extremely slow.

You should also know that most external SSDs work when hooked to slower ports. For instance, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 SSD will work when connected with a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port on a computer, it will only have slower transfer rates. Thunderbolt 3 drives can only work when connected to a USB-C drive that supports Thunderbolt 3 speeds. Vice versa, if you have a Thunderbolt 3 port on your computer, it should work with any external SSD.

Finally, remember that the maximum transfer rate also depends on the drive inside your computer. If you have an HDD or a slower SSD transfer rates will be affected. You can’t achieve max transfer speeds on your external SSD with Thunderbolt 3 interface if your internal storage is slow.

Do You Need A Rugged Drive With Shock And Water Resistance?

If you plan on taking your next external SSD with you on camping, hiking trips, or some other outdoor adventure make sure it’s shock and water-resistant. There are drives out there with different IP certificates so keep a close eye when looking for a rugged external SSD.

Also, many portable drives are shock-resistant so you don’t need to worry about damaging them in case you drop them from a relatively low height (1-1.5 meters).

And What About Security?

If you’re worried about your data being stolen in case you lose external drive, you can always install encryption software on the external drive. But some external SSD models come with AES 256-bit hardware encryption that encrypts your password and make it incredibly hard – practically impossible – to hack.

Further, there are external drives out there that come with a fingerprint reader, which is an even better method to keep your data secure.

Make Sure the SSD Is Compatible With Your Operating System

This is a small annoyance that can be remedied by formatting the drive but it can be irritating. Most external disks are formatted to work with new versions of Windows and macOS out of the box. If you want to use the drive on Linux or Android either look for a drive that is preformatted for these operating systems or be ready to format it once you buy it.

SSD Durability Shouldn’t Be An Issue

Years ago SSD durability was a valid issue. Older flash memory technologies weren’t very durable and looking for an SSD with the best durability was recommended. But today most internal and external SSDs are based on modern flash memory tech that can last for decades.

Unless you’re planning on using the external SSD on a server where large amounts of data are written 24/7 you’ll be fine with virtually any decent model on the market.

Some Models Are Designed To Fit With Xbox One And PlayStation 4 Design

Getting an SSD for your gaming console is a great way to reduce loading times. You can drastically reduce loading times by installing your games on an external SSD.

As is the case on PC, NVMe drives using PCIe interface, and boasting ultra-fast transfer speeds aren’t faster than SATA SSDs when it comes to loading games. The best SSD for gaming on consoles is an affordable and reliable SATA drive with a read speed of about 500MB/s.

If design matters to you you can get an external SSD that matches the design of your console. You can find a decent number of models that feature green and black design found on the Xbox One or blue and black design of the PS4.

Turn An Old SSD Into A Portable SSD

In case you have an old SATA or even NVMe SSD lying around, you don’t even have to buy an external SSD. There are plenty of external enclosures for SATA and NVMe drives out there that cost next to nothing and that’ll allow you to turn your old SSD into an external drive in just a couple of seconds.

About The Author

Goran Damnjanovic

Goran studied psychology but video games and PC hardware were much more interesting. On top of that he likes writing so he decided to become a writer. And it was the right choice. Other than games and hardware, Goran is interested in basketball, Sci-Fi literature, and music.

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Alvaro Romero Mato
Alvaro Romero Mato
3 years ago

Hey Goran !!! I am planning to install Linux in my SSD but I do not know which one I should buy. I am goin got use for my university (Robotics). I was looking the SanDsik Extreme 1TB but I have read that it doesn’t reach the veolicity rates of 500MB/s… Which one do you recommend me?

XbitLabs Team
Editor
3 years ago

Hi,

Samsung T7 and Crucial X8 are way faster so you can go for one of them. Here are some YouTube reviews that may be helpful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCwNvuE-I3c, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7yxDXcTMTI.