Best External Solid State Drives for Mac of 2025

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External Solid State Drives for Mac are high-performance storage devices that can help Mac users to easily store, backup and access their important data. These drives are designed to work seamlessly with Mac operating systems and are available in a range of sizes, from small portable drives to larger desktop models. They offer faster read and write speeds than traditional hard drives, which makes them ideal for tasks such as video editing, photo storage, and running virtual machines. With their durable and compact design, these drives are a great investment for anyone who needs reliable and fast storage solutions for their Mac.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 External Solid State Drives for Mac
Crucial X9 2TB Portable External SSD
The Crucial X9 SSD offers impressive read speeds of up to 1,050MB/s, allowing you to transfer files significantly faster than traditional portable hard drives and USB flash drives. Its plug-and-play compatibility means you can easily connect it to your PC, Mac, tablet, or gaming console without any hassle. With its durable design, the X9 is built to withstand shocks and drops, ensuring your data remains safe on the go. You can back up all your important files, photos, and videos, preventing any risk of loss.
Crucial X9 Pro 1TB Portable SSD for Mac
The Crucial X9 Pro SSD offers impressive read and write speeds of up to 1,050MB/s, making it perfect for quick data transfers. It comes preformatted for Time Machine, allowing for seamless backups on your Mac. This portable SSD is compatible with various Apple devices, enhancing its versatility for users. Its durable design features IP55 water and dust resistance, ensuring it survives the rigours of everyday use, which is particularly useful if you often work on the go.
Crucial X10 Pro 1TB Portable SSD
The Crucial X10 Pro SSD offers impressive read and write speeds of up to 2,100MB/s and 2,000MB/s respectively, making it ideal for editing directly from the drive. Its wide compatibility means you can easily use it with various devices, including Windows, Mac, and game consoles. With its dust and splash-proof design, you can take this portable SSD anywhere without worrying about damage. Additionally, it provides robust security features such as password protection and 256-bit AES hardware encryption, ensuring your sensitive data remains safe while on the go.
Lexar ES3 1TB Portable External SSD
The Lexar ES3 SSD offers high-speed data transfer with USB 3.2 Gen 2, reaching up to 1050MB/s for reading and 1000MB/s for writing. This means you can efficiently transfer large files in no time, enhancing your productivity. It boasts wide compatibility with various devices, including the iPhone 15 series and gaming consoles, making it versatile for your needs. Its sleek, lightweight design ensures that it is easily portable, fitting comfortably in your pocket, and the included Type-C cable adds to its convenience. Data security is prioritised with 256-bit AES encryption, keeping your files safe.
SAMSUNG T7 Shield 1TB Portable SSD
The SAMSUNG T7 Shield offers exceptional performance and durability, making it an ideal choice for users on the go. With its IP65 water resistance and dust protection, you can confidently use it in various environments. Enjoy lightning-fast read and write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and 1,000 MB/s, significantly outpacing traditional external hard drives. Furthermore, you can protect your sensitive data effortlessly with AES 256-bit hardware encryption, ensuring your information remains secure. The shock-resistant rubber housing adds an extra layer of safety, allowing it to survive falls from heights of up to three metres.
Netac 500GB Portable SSD External Drive
The Netac Portable SSD offers impressive speed with USB 3.2 Gen 2, allowing you to read data at up to 500 MB/s and write at 450 MB/s. Its lightweight and slim design makes it easy to carry, weighing only 30g and measuring 100 x 29.4 x 9 mm. You will appreciate its robust construction, featuring shock-resistant aluminium housing that enhances durability. Additionally, it is highly compatible with various devices, including laptops, desktops, and smartphones, making it perfect for transferring large files like 4K videos and high-resolution photos.
fanxiang 500GB Ultra-Compact External SSD
The fanxiang External SSD offers lightning-fast transfer speeds of up to 2050MB/s, allowing you to transfer large files in just one second. Its ultra-compact design, resembling a flash drive, makes it incredibly portable, fitting easily into your pocket for travel or everyday use. The effective heat dissipation ensures the drive remains cool even during intensive tasks, promoting reliable performance. With wide compatibility, this SSD works seamlessly with laptops, desktops, and gaming consoles like PS5 and Xbox, making it a versatile storage solution.
KOOTION 500 GB Portable External SSD
The KOOTION External SSD offers impressive read speeds of up to 500 MB/s, making it ideal for fast data transfers. Its compact size of 8.45 x 4.12 x 0.7 cm and lightweight design at 41g make it easily portable, perfect for on-the-go users. This external solid state drive enhances your gaming experience, whether you are playing on PC, PS4, or Xbox. Additionally, its wide compatibility with various devices ensures it can be used seamlessly with laptops, desktops, and more.
SK Hynix Beetle X31 1TB External SSD with DRAM
The SK Hynix Beetle X31 SSD offers blazing-fast data speeds with a sequential read speed of up to 1,050MB/s, ensuring that your file transfers are swift and seamless. Its DRAM technology supercharges data transfer speeds, making video editing and data access smoother than ever. The compact and sleek design, featuring durable aluminium casing, not only protects your data but also fits effortlessly into your pocket or bag. Additionally, it provides versatile connectivity with compatibility across various devices, from desktops to gaming consoles, making it an ideal choice for all your storage needs.
Samsung T9 1TB Portable SSD with Fast Transfer
The Samsung T9 SSD offers incredibly fast data transfer speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s, making it ideal for boosting your workflow, especially if you frequently handle large files. Its compatibility with a range of devices, including PCs, Macs, and game consoles, ensures flexibility in your storage options. With a drop-proof design from heights of up to 3 metres, you can trust it to withstand everyday bumps and knocks. Weighing just 122 grams, this compact SSD is easy to carry, allowing you to take your data wherever you go.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do external SSDs work on Mac?
If you need more storage space on your new Mac, you have plenty of different options to choose from. Here are our favorite external hard drive and SSD choices for Mac, from smaller, zippy options to rugged hard drives that will protect your data, drop after drop.
During our external solid state drive for mac research, we found 237 external solid state drive for mac products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 219,068 customer reviews through our big data system to write the external solid state drives for mac list. We found that most customers choose external solid state drives for mac with an average price of £68.28.
The external solid state drives for mac are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of external solid state drives for mac, including Crucial, Lexar, Samsung, Netac, fanxiang.

Kenneth Collin graduated from Imperial College, London, at 22. He is a UX/UI designer, a web developer, and a writer, amongst others. At age 14, Kenneth programmed his first app. Kenneth's app served as a remote control for censored devices. "When I was 8, I would pick up scraps from electronics and try to rebuild or at least fix them," Kenneth said in one of his recent articles on Home repairs for top gadgets.