External hard drives are extremely important if you want to create a backup of your data. And if you are low on internal hard disk space, you need to get an external hard drive to store files or projects that you don’t access frequently. By doing so, you can free more internal space on your laptop, PC, or Chromebook. We highly recommend going for portable 20TB external hard drives if you need more space.
We always prefer SSDs over HDDs due to their fast read/write speed. However, external SSDs cost a little more than HDDs. So, if you really don’t care about the transfer speed, you can go straight away for an external hard disk drive that is an affordable option to store large amounts of important data.
Modern external hard drives are portable, faster, and much affordable now. By spending over $100, you can easily expand the storage of your Chromebook or laptop in Terabytes.
The storage capacity is the most important factor to look at in an external hard drive. Some other factors to consider are the physical dimensions, connectivity interface, and sequential reading speed. HDDs with larger capacities like 20 Terabytes are harder to find in the market. So, we will list the ones that are readily available and are worth buying. This guide will answer all those questions that might pop up in your mind while buying external hard drives with a large storage capacity.
List of the Best 20TB External Hard Drives
Here are some of the top recommendations from our side:
WD My Book Duo | The Most Reliable 20TB External Hard Disk Drive
Key Specifications:
| Storage Capacity | 20TB |
| Interface | USB 3.1 Gen1 |
| Sequential Read Speed | 360MB/s |
Western Digital is one of the most trusted brands when it comes to buying storage devices. And WD My Book Duo is one of the top-rated external hard drives from Western Digital with a lot of storage capacity. In this model, you will even find external storage drives up to 36TB. Also, this is one of the best-performing external HDDs on market with RAID-0, a technology that provides faster sequential reading speed up to 360MB/s.
Moreover, this USB 3.1 Gen1 external hard disk drive comes with 256-bit AES hardware encryption along with automated data backup software. Now, this hard drive has a lot to offer, you can store music, videos, photos, and other important documents at lightning-fast speed.
The 256-bit AES Hardware Encryption keeps your private content secure from hackers and unauthorized users. On top of all, Western Digital gives you two years of warranty with this hard drive. Right out of the box, this external storage drive comes preformatted for the NTFS file system.
So, if you need a future-proof external hard drive with more space, we highly suggest you go for WD My Book Duo.
G-Technology G-RAID | The Fastest 20TB External Hard Drive
Key Specifications:
| Storage Capacity | 20TB |
| Interface | USB 3.1 Gen2 |
| Sequential Read Speed | 500MB/s |
G-Technology might be a new brand, but it is going one on one with the most reputed disk storage brands in the market. And we talk about more storage capacity and speed, this is one of the only external hard drives that hold this title.
Although Western Digital’s WD My Book Duo has a 20TB storage capacity like G-Technology hard drive, the thing it doesn’t hold is the speed. The G-technology has a sequential read speed up to 500MB/s. Now, this is almost double the speed of WD My Book Duo.
Another edge that G-Technology G-Raid external drive has over the WD My Book Duo is the USB 3.1 Gen2 Interface. Also, this external storage disk comes with x2 Thunderbolt 3 ports for faster data transfer. It also has an HDMI port for 4K and HDR video streaming. Moreover, you can easily move your larger-sized files like 4K videos at lightning-fast speed, then Thunderbolt and USB-C ports.
The only downside that we’ve noted so far with this hard drive is the loud noise. It is a little noisier than the WD My Book Duo. This might be due to the cooling fan on the other side. Other than that, it is a great external 20TB hard drive with a solid build and fast transfer speed.
WD My Cloud Home Duo | A Complete 20TB External Storage Hard Drive for Home Use
Key Specifications:
| Storage Capacity | 20TB |
| Interface | USB 3.1 Gen1 |
| Sequential Read Speed | 360MB/s |
Here is another complete solution from Western Digital to your storage problems, the WD My Cloud Home Duo. It is one of those external hard drives that you can directly plug into your Wi-Fi Router to backup your data on the My Cloud app.
This hard drive comes with a 1.4 GHz Realtek RTD1295PB-CG A53 Quad-Core processor along with 1GB of DDR3L ram. Moreover, it uses Initial RAID 1 Configuration for efficient data transfer. This external hard drive is powerful than the WD My Book Duo in performance and features.
It has a USB 3.0 Type-A Port to transfer your photos, videos, and other important files in a short time. The software of this device allows you and your family members to create individual accounts to save private data. Each person can set a password to their data and share it whenever they want.
The WD My Cloud Home Duo automatically creates a backup of your data. This hard drive is fully compatible with Mac and Windows. This external HDD hits all the notes that you really need in a portable storage device.
Some General FAQs
Here are the answers to some common questions
Do you really need to buy external HDDs when SSDs are rocking the floor?
Well, hard drives are a cheaper option when going for the price to storage ratio. SSDs have almost no moving parts and are more reliable than HDDs. However, SSDs are expensive in price to storage ratio. Also, SSDs are a good option for operating systems. As you would be backing up your important data, buying an external hard drive with more capacity would be a better option.
Desktop External Drive or a Portable One?
If you are a photo or video editor who deals with larger-sized files, you should go for a desktop hard drive. These are the external hard drives that need an AC power supply to run properly. All the hard drives that you see on our list are desktop hard drives. Most of these hard drives are 5 inches tall and 3 inches wide.
Some hard drives are even taller and bulkier than the standard ones. In this case, you might need to place them under your desk. Such external hard drives are ideal for professional use like editing studios, surveillance control rooms, etc.
Desktop hard drives can let you backup your data automatically via software.
Connectivity interface to look in an external HDDs?
The connectivity interface determines how faster the data will be transferred between your hard drive and your computer. Branded external hard drives come with USB 3.1 Gen1 connectivity for faster data transfer. Some models also come with Thunderbolt 3 ports for rapid data sharing and backup. However, you can only take advantage of Thunderbolt 3 if your laptop or computer has a dedicated port for it.
Do you need a rugged external storage device?
Well, it depends, if you travel more frequently in rough conditions, then Yes. Some external hard disks are shockproof while others are dust-proof. Make sure the hard drive you choose comes with at least 1 year of warranty. But if you drop your hard drive and it breaks, you won’t be covered by the warranty in that case. So how rugged your external hard drive is, determines its durability.
Verdict | Which 20TB External Hard Drive You Should Buy?
It is important to go for an external hard drive that not only stores your data but also provides you additional features. Some models allow you to connect them directly to Wi-Fi to automatically backup your data on Cloud. We recommend you to go with WD My Cloud Home Duo due to its surplus features like Wi-Fi integration, multiple data accounts setup, and Cloud storage option.
