External hard drives provide expanded storage for your computer, allowing you to store more files like photos, videos, and documents. With many brands and models available, you may wonder what companies manufacture external hard drives. Here is an overview of the major external hard drive makers.
Seagate
Seagate is one of the largest and most well-known manufacturers of external hard drives. Founded in 1979, Seagate is an American data storage company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Some popular Seagate external hard drive product lines include:
- Backup Plus
- Expansion
- Portable
- Game Drive
Key features of Seagate external hard drives include:
- Storage capacities ranging from 500GB to 5TB
- USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB-C, Thunderbolt, and FireWire connections
- Plugs directly into Windows and Mac computers without needing a separate power cord
- Software tools like backup and folder mirroring utilities
Seagate drives cater towards both casual everyday users and enthusiasts seeking high-capacity storage. They offer reliable performance at an affordable price point. Seagate ships millions of external hard drives around the world every year.
Western Digital
Western Digital (WD) is another leading maker of external hard drives, founded in 1970 and headquartered in San Jose, California. Their main external hard drive lines consist of:
- My Passport
- My Book
- Elements
- WD Black
Key features of WD external hard drives include:
- Storage capacities ranging from 1TB to 10TB
- USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB-C, and Thunderbolt connectivity
- Password protection and hardware encryption
- Automatic backup software
- Durable enclosure to withstand shocks
WD drives are trusted for their reliability and performance. Their My Passport drives are popular portable options while the My Book line offers desktop external storage. WD external hard drives work right out of the box with Windows and Mac.
Toshiba
Toshiba is a well-established electronics manufacturer founded in 1939 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Their Canvio line of external hard drives includes:
- Canvio Basics
- Canvio Advance
- Canvio Ready
- Canvio Premium
Key features of Toshiba external hard drives include:
- Storage capacities ranging from 500GB to 4TB
- USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 compatibility
- Plug-and-play operation
- Preloaded backup software
- Password protection and scheduling features
Toshiba focuses on delivering simple, reliable external storage. Their drives are straight-forward to use and offer solid performance. The Canvio Basic line is their most affordable option. Meanwhile, the Canvio Premium line targets users wanting extras like encryption and cloud storage.
Samsung
Samsung is a major Korean multinational firm founded in 1938. For external storage, they offer two primary product lines:
- Portable SSDs
- Portable solid state drives
Key features of Samsung external hard drives include:
- Blazing fast read/write speeds thanks to SSD technology
- Durable metal enclosure
- Storage capacities from 500GB to 2TB
- USB-C connectivity
- Optional password protection and AES 256-bit encryption
Samsung focuses on premium, high-performance external storage solutions. The Portable SSD T5 is their flagship model, offering transfer speeds up to 540 MB/s in a compact and lightweight package.
LaCie
LaCie is a premium external hard drive brand owned by Seagate. Founded in 1989, LaCie drives cater towards working professionals needing RAID arrays, solid backup solutions, and expandable storage capacities. Some of their external hard drive products lines include:
- Rugged
- d2 Professional
- Biggest
- 5big
Key features of LaCie drives include:
- Storage capacities from 4TB to 60TB
- Rugged shock, drop, crush, and water resistant enclosures
- RAID support
- Enterprise-class drives
- USB-C, Thunderbolt, and FireWire connections
LaCie external storage provides top-tier performance for media professionals and businesses. Models like the Rugged offer all-terrain durability for on-the-go use. The d2 Professional caters towards multimedia editors needing ample speed and capacity.
G-Technology
G-Technology is Western Digital’s premium external storage brand focused on Mac users and creative professionals. Some key product lines include:
- G-Drive
- G-RAID
- G-Speed
Notable features of G-Technology drives include:
- High-performance 7200RPM hard drives
- Durable and stylish aluminum housing
- RAID support
- Enterprise-class drives
- USB 3.1 Gen 1, Thunderbolt 3, USB-C connections
G-Technology drives are built to demanding specifications for use in audiovisual production, digital photography, and other workloads needing blazing transfer speeds or huge capacities.
Buffalo
Buffalo is a Japanese manufacturer founded in 1975. They produce a wide range of external hard drives tailored towards various uses including:
- DriveStation desktop hard drive
- MiniStation portable hard drive
- DriveStation Axis networked attached storage (NAS)
Key features of Buffalo drives include:
- Quiet stepper motors
- DDR3 RAM cache for accelerated performance
- Scheduled backup capabilities
- Optional hardware encryption
- USB 3.0 support
Buffalo external hard drives offer excellent performance at an affordable price-point. Models like the DriveStation and MiniStation provide reliable plug-and-play storage well-suited for everyday home and office use.
Silicon Power
Silicon Power is a Taiwanese manufacturer founded in 2003 with a focus on portable storage devices. Their external hard drive lines consist of:
- Armor (rugged)
- Stream (slim portable)
- Ace (durable)
Notable features of Silicon Power drives include:
- Rubber shock-absorbing sleeve
- Aluminum housing
- Data encryption software
- Cloud storage integration
- Anti-slip and anti-scratch design
Silicon Power external hard drives are tailor-made for an active lifestyle. Their Armor series offers military-grade shockproof and water-resistant protection. The Stream series provides ultra-slim and lightweight portable storage. Overall, Silicon Power drives provide reliable performance at budget-friendly prices.
Transcend
Transcend is a Taiwanese company founded in 1988 focusing on storage and multimedia products. For external storage, they offer the StoreJet and ESD400 product lines.
Key features of Transcend drives include:
- One-touch auto-backup button
- Durable anti-shock silicone shell
- Advanced internal suspension system
- USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 Gen 1 interfaces
- Software suite with backup, restore, and cloud backup features
Transcend external hard drives provide reliable plug-and-play storage to safeguard your data. The StoreJet line offers rugged enclosures able to withstand shocks and drops. The ESD400 portable SSDs combine fast data transfer speeds and solid state durability.
ADATA
ADATA is a Taiwanese manufacturer of DRAM modules, USB drives, memory cards, solid state drives, and external hard drives. Their external hard drive offerings include:
- HD650
- HD700
- HD710 Pro
- HV300
- HV620S
Key features of ADATA drives include:
- G-Shock sensor protection
- IP68 rated for dust and water resistance
- MIL-STD-810G 516.6 shock-resistant construction
- USB-C and USB 3.2 Gen1 connectivity
- Data encryption and backup software suite
ADATA focuses on providing affordable and durable external storage devices. The HD650 is their budget-friendly option while the HD710 Pro offers robust shockproofing. ADATA drives work reliably across notebooks, game consoles, media players, and other USB compatible devices.
Apricorn
Apricorn is a storage device manufacturer founded in 1983 and headquartered in Poway, California. Unlike most other companies, they focus exclusively on encryption-enabled storage devices to provide ultra-secure data storage. Apricorn’s key external hard drive lines include:
- Aegis Padlock – Encrypted desktop drive
- Aegis Fortress – Armored encrypted drive
- Aegis Secure Key – Encrypted flash drive
Notable features of Apricorn drives include:
- Real-time 256-bit AES hardware encryption
- FIPS 140-2 Level 2 or Level 3 validation
- Wear-resistant keypads
- Tamper-evident seals
- Brute force defense against automated attacks
Apricorn external hard drives and encrypted storage solutions cater towards governments, military, enterprises, and other organizations needing ironclad protection for sensitive data. Their drives provide uncompromising data security that’s easy for end users to implement.
Oyen Digital
Oyen Digital is an American manufacturer of high-performance external storage and streaming media solutions. Their product lines include:
- U32 Shadow – SSD based external drive
- MiniPro – Portable hard drive
- Vaultz – Encrypted external drive
Key features of Oyen Digital drives include:
- SSD and HDD storage enclosures
- USB-C, USB 3.1, and Thunderbolt interfaces
- Silicone protective sleeve
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Video editing focused streaming media models
Oyen Digital caters their products towards media professionals needing compact, high-speed, and reliable portable storage. Models like the U32 Shadow offer some of the fastest transfer speeds available. The Vaultz encrypted drives safeguard sensitive data from unauthorized access.
Other Notable External Hard Drive Brands
Beyond the major brands mentioned, there are a few other external hard drive makers worth noting:
- HGST – HGST is owned by Western Digital and makes ultra-high capacity enterprise-class external hard drives.
- Maxone – Maxone focuses on high performance budget external SSDs.
- VectoTech – VectoTech makes lightweight and durable portable SSDs.
- Sabrent – Sabrent produces a wide range of USB external storage drives.
- Mediasonic – Mediasonic specializes in external hard drive enclosures and network attached storage.
Conclusion
There are many reputable external hard drive brands to choose from. Leading manufacturers include Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba, Samsung, and LaCie. Each company offers different product lines, features, and price points to suit various needs and budgets.
When shopping for an external hard drive, key factors to consider include the storage capacity, drive speed, connectivity such as USB or Thunderbolt, durability, and price. Top-tier manufacturers like Samsung and LaCie offer premium performance and features at a higher cost, while brands like Toshiba and Western Digital balance affordability and reliability.
Understanding the strengths of each external hard drive company can help guide you towards finding the perfect drive. For most everyday users, brands like Seagate, Western Digital and Toshiba provide proven quality at an accessible price point. Professional users may want to look at higher-end models from Samsung, LaCie or G-Technology. And for ultra-secure portable storage, Apricorn encrypts every drive to lock down sensitive data.
With the capabilities and reliability of modern external drives, there are more great options than ever. Do some research to pick the ideal external hard drive manufacturer and model for your needs and budget.