Best Mac portable SSDs: Reviews and recommendations

While Apple does so many things right with its Macs, there is one major sticking point: The standard configurations don’t provide enough onboard storage. Most of the affordable Mac models come with an internal 256GB or 512GB SSD, and that’s too small. Sometimes you don’t realize you need more storage until after you bought your Mac and used it for a bit.

You can’t upgrade the internal storage after purchase, so you have to look to solutions outside of your Mac. You can use cloud storage, such as iCloud, Dropbox, and others, but then you become dependent on an internet connection, and you have to abide by any policies put forth by those services. 

Or you can take matters into your own hands and get an external SSD. They’re easy to use—just plug them into one of the Thunderbolt/USB-C ports on your Mac, and you’re ready to go. You can also do some SSD management, like use Disk Utility to reformat the drive and create separate volumes. And if you want to use Time Machine for backups, you need an external SSD.

There are a lot of drives available and it’s a competitive market, so it’s easy to get a good deal. In this guide, you’ll find links to our latest reviews, as well as our top picks and the latest prices. We’ll update this guide as review more drives, so if you’re in the market, you’ve found the right place to help you make the right choice.

Best portable SSDs reviews






1. SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD












Best Prices Today:


Not Available at Amazon





The SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD is currently the cream of the portable 10Gbps USB crop. It’s a bit larger than some, and perhaps not as sexy as others, but it’s the fastest, the most affordable from a brand vendor, and one of the few that sports an IP67 rating. Nice.






2. OWC Envoy Pro FX
















Best Prices Today:


$499 at OWC |
Not Available at Amazon





OWC’s Envoy Pro FX isn’t just a good-looking external SSD. It also is a great performer, with Thunderbolt 3 reads and writes rated at 2GBps, and USB Gen 2 reads and writes at 1GBps. You won’t spend much time at all twiddling your thumbs while you wait for it to do its thing. It has non-skid runners on the bottom to keep it stable on a desk and its metal case distributes heat nicely—the Envoy Pro FX was barely warm to the touch under heavy use. It has one Thunderbolt 3/USB-C port and is available in capacities of 240GB, 480GB, 1TB, or 2TB.

Read our full
Envoy Pro FX review





3. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro
















Best Prices Today:


$640.00 at Amazon





The LaCie Rugges SSD Pro isn’t as fast as other SSDs, but for the adventurous few, the peace of mind it will bring when you’re out in the world might well be worth the extra expense. The outer silicone provides a very reliable grip and also insulates against heat. The metal case underneath the silicon is completely sealed from dust and can withstand two tons of pressure. It’s available in capacities of 1TB or 2TB.

Read our full
Rugged SSD Pro review





4. OWC Envoy Pro EX with USB C portable SSD
















Best Prices Today:


$879.00 at Amazon |
$999 at OWC





The Envoy Pro EX USB-C is one of those products that actually lives up to the “Pro” in its moniker. Available in capacities up to 8TB, it has more space than the competition, and also just happens to be a hair faster. The pièce de résistance is IP67 certification, meaning the drive can survive 30 minutes under 3.3 feet of water. That’s sweet, though we don’t recommend you put that to the test.

Read our full
Envoy Pro EX with USB C portable SSD review





5. LaCie Portable SSD
















Best Prices Today:


$109.99 at Amazon





Buy the Portable SSD for its diminutive size, light weight, good looks and competitive if not record-setting performance. There are faster drives available, but not in this small of a form factor, or that appear so “where it belongs” next to your Mac. 

Read our full
Portable SSD review





6. OWC Envoy Pro Elektron
















Best Prices Today:


$99.00 at Amazon |
$119 at OWC





If good things come in small packages, then the truism reigns supreme in the case of the Envoy Pro Elektron. It’s small, it’s good– it’s rugged, fits easily in a shirt pocket, and delivers 1GBps reads and writes over SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps. (If you’re not up to speed to the latest USB naming conventions, that’s USB 3.X Gen 2.) If you’re looking for something small and speedy, it’s a great choice.

Read our full
Envoy Pro Elektron review





7. Sabrent XTRM-Q Thunderbolt 3/USB SSD
















Best Prices Today:


$1,399.99 at Amazon





Sabrent leverages the power of their Rocket Q NVMe SSD in this small but fast, dual-interface (Thunderbolt 3/USB) speedster. It’s also available with up to 8TB of capacity. It runs a bit warm, but it solves the cross-platform conundrum and is a good performer.

Read our full
XTRM-Q Thunderbolt 3/USB SSD review





8. Samsung Portable SSD X5
















Best Prices Today:


$169.99 at Amazon |
Not Available at Samsung |
Not Available at B & H Photo





If Samsung had included an AC jack so that the SSD X5 would work with Apple’s Thunderbolt adapter, this blazingly fast drive might have garnered 5 stars. As is, it’s the fastest portabe storage available for your Thunderbolt 3 Mac–by a lot.

Read our full
Portable SSD X5 review





9. OWC Envoy Pro SX
















Best Prices Today:


$199 at OWC





The Envoy Pro SX is Thunderbolt storage for your Mac that performs very well. However, it’s Thunderbolt only, and its USB-equipped sibling, the Envoy Pro FX, is only $20 more than the SX.

Read our full
Envoy Pro SX review





SSD enclosures

Got your own SSD module and you need a case for it? Here are a few enclosures you can consider.









Envoy Express T3 SSD enclosure











Read our review







Best Prices Today:


$79 at OWC |
$79.00 at Amazon















Shell Thunderbolt SSD











Read our review







Best Prices Today:


$130.99 at Fledging |
$134.99 at Amazon







SSD Thunderbolt docks

Some companies have made a Thunderbolt hub built with SSDs. The hub provides extra port connectivity if you have many external devices.









WD Black D50 Gaming Dock











Read our review







Best Prices Today:


$469.99 at Amazon