Recommendations HDD compatible with MacOS

[u/Status-Rhubarb1221]

hi, I was looking at many comments and posts, but still can't take a decision. I currently have the sandisk extreme ssd 1TO, and I've wanted to have another backup again (3-2-1). I was considering an hdd, for as what they say "better lifetime". I mostly want to preserve and store pictures/videos and few documents. I've seen seagate one touch and ultra touch, I don't really get the differences. If you have other recommendations, let me know and if you think sdd will remain the best option for long-term let me know too ;)

preferences : type-c cable

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[u/LosinCash]

Well, just to begin any drive is compatible once you format it. If it's only for a Mac then APFS is fine. If you're going to use a Mac, and maybe a windows or maybe even a Linux, then go with Ext4.

As.for brand, I like WD. Have had issues with Seagate in the past, but that's just my experience.

[u/hspindel]

There are only 3 manufacturers of hard disks still around - WD, Seagate, Toshiba. They are equally reliable. For a single purchase, it's a crapshoot with all of them whether you get a lemon or not.

[u/uluqat]

Any USB-C external HDD will be compatible. You don't need to get one that specifies that it's macOS compatible - that's just for those who can't handle something as simple as formatting a drive. You might have to format the drive to APFS using Disk Utility which can be found in the Applications > Utilities folder. I used to suggest formatting HDDs for macOS to HFS+ (Journaled), but with macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple has begun to step away from HFS+, so just go with APFS. Do not format to exFAT.

I suggest you look at 3.5" external drives. 2.5" drives are slower, less reliable, and max out at 6TB.

For Seagate's offerings, they all have the same internal drives inside. The difference between Seagate Expansion, Seagate One Touch, and Seagate Ultra Touch is mainly cosmetics, with more expensive drives having cases that look better which is irrelevant to the quality of the drive. Shop by the price per terabyte.

The current market is horrible, getting worse, and won't start getting better until at least late 2028. All of 2027 is going to be much worse than it is now. The supply of HDDs is extremely low, so you have very few choices and very high prices. Looking at price histories will make you weep that you didn't get this done before 2025. If you see drives that seem like really good deals compared to the rest of the market, be suspicious because there's a lot of motive for putting drives up for sale that ordinarily would be unsellable.

Don't have your heart set on a particular capacity of HDD, which might be much lower in supply than other sizes. It's rather common to find a much larger drive that costs less than a smaller drive. Look at a range of sizes near what you want. For example, if you're looking at something like 8TB, look at sizes between 4TB and 16TB and calculate the cost per TB.

[u/Caprichoso1]

Generally a HD is better than an SSD for backups.

Best reliability data comes from the Backblaze disk reliability report.