The best external hard drives in 2023

The Samsung T7 Touch offers fingerprint or password security in addition to being a fantastic value alternative. The T7 may be used to load, edit, and save 4K video directly. It can also be used to install software and, if desired, run a whole other operating system. The T7 is also fast, with read and write speeds of up to 1,050MB/s and 1,000MB/s, respectively.

Seagate Backup Plus is ideal if you want a backup solution that you can set up and leave alone. You can quickly set up your own backup programme to securely save data from all your devices. It transfers files from your computer and you can configure it to also retrieve information from your phone, cloud storage and social media accounts.

We wholeheartedly recommend this storage card for its fast transfer speeds, large capacity (up to 18TB) and reasonable price. It is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 devices as well as the latest USB 3.0 devices supporting data transfer speeds up to 6GBps.

With its high transfer rates (up to 5GBps), wide variety of capacities (up to 18TB), password security, 256-bit AES hardware encryption, and integrated backup software, My Book delivers value for money. So, if frequent backups and security are your top objectives, this is the card to choose.

This is one of the top external hard drives for Mac users and is geared for professionals who do a lot of digital work. Up to six more units can be daisy-chained to it. There are several storage capacities available, and the Thunderbolt connections let you charge it using either a regular wall outlet or your Mac or PC, which adds a little portability.

Do you need a gadget that can resist harsh environments? The ADATA HD710 Pro, which can withstand drops of up to 1.5 meters, provides three levels of anti-shock technology. It is waterproof and is protected against sand and dust thanks to its IP68 rating. With speeds of up to 5GBps, it is quite quick. Although the camouflage appearance may not be to everyone's taste, there is nothing more rough.

The WD My Book Duo, with storage possibilities of up to 36TB, can be appealing to you if you work with 4K/8K video or 3D sceneries. Your data is duplicated between two disks on the drive, so even if one fails, everything is still secure. Additionally, there are two more USB ports, 256-bit AES hardware encryption, and software for automatic backups.

SSDs can usually withstand more abuse than hard drives due to the lack of moving elements, which is often a weak point in HDDs: But the Adata SD700 goes one step further: It has an IP68 rating, which means it can withstand sand, mud and water for up to 30 minutes. Although write speeds are slower than the Samsung SSDs on our list and the initial capacity is lower, this is still a great alternative.

The Samsung T5, which is older than the T7 Touch variant, offers transfer speeds that are about half as fast. It also lacks a fingerprint scanner. However, you get the same excellent build and reliability as the T7 Touch, with AES 256-bit encryption and password security at a great price. Also, the T5 is more compact and lighter (5.7 x 1 x 7.4 cm and 51 g), so if you value space, this device might be worth considering. Plus, it's an older model, so you can pick one up for a reasonable price.