For backing up personal collections of photos and family videos, look at the total GB of data you have and get a drive that's at least 50% higher capacity so for file stash has room to grow.

How much capacity? For full-system backups of a computer with a 1 to 2TB internal SSD, a 1TB external storage drive should be adequate because imaging software such as Acronis uses a lot of compression.

The 20 and 40 Gbps speeds are nicer, but not worth it unless you are a creative professional.

If you are getting an external SSD and your PC has at least one 10 Gbps port, we recommend spending a little extra to upgrade to 10 Gbps.

What USB connection? You can get a drive with a USB or Thunderbolt interface that operates at up to 5 Gbps (USB 3.x), 10 Gbps (USB 3.1 / 3.2 Gen 2), 20 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) or 40 Gbps (Thunderbolt or USB 4), but you'll pay more for the privilege.

But if you need cavernous amounts of external storage, one of the best hard drives is a better option for most, as multi-terabyte external SSDs sell for several hundred dollars, but 4TB portable hard drives often sell for under $100 (£90). A portable SSD will also be much faster at reading and writing lots of data. If you don’t need terabytes of storage and you often travel with your drive, a portable SSD is worth paying extra for. But they’re also much slower and more fragile than solid-state drives.

Portable Hard Drive or SSD? Drives that have spinning storage platters inside are very affordable, with 1TB models often selling for under $50 (£40).

When shopping for an external drive or SSD, consider the following: Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Picking the Best External Drive or SSD for You If you're looking for an internal hard drive for your PC or NAS, head to our list of best hard drives, but below we have the list of the best external SSDs and HDDs.

To help you pick the right storage device for your needs, we test and review dozens of drives as they become available and publish our list of specific recommendations for the best portable SSDs and hard drives below. But with dozens of portable storage options available, how do you know which is the right external drive to buy? Should you opt for a speedier, more rugged (and more expensive) external SSD instead of a portable hard drive made up of comparatively fragile spinning platters and an actuator arm? Or could a slower, roomier and much cheaper portable hard drive be adequate for your storage needs? Maybe you should just get one of the best flash drives instead? Those drives are generally more compact, but usually not as fast or roomy as external SSDs - although that is changing.

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