Both flash drives, also known as USB drives, and external hard drives can be used to store and transfer data between devices. However, there are some key differences between the two that give flash drives certain advantages over external hard drives in some situations.
In the opening paragraphs, we’ll provide a quick overview comparing flash drives and external hard drives in terms of their physical size, storage capacity, speed, durability, and cost. This will help establish the main advantages that flash drives have which we’ll expand on further in the article.
Quick Comparison
- Physical size – Flash drives are much smaller and more portable than external hard drives.
- Storage capacity – External hard drives generally have a much higher maximum storage capacity.
- Speed – Flash drives connect via USB which has faster data transfer speeds than external hard drives.
- Durability – Flash drives have no moving parts so are less prone to breakage if dropped.
- Cost – For lower capacities, flash drives are generally cheaper than external hard drives. At higher capacities, external hard drives become more cost effective.
As this quick comparison shows, the main advantages of flash drives over external hard drives are their smaller size, greater portability, lack of moving parts, and faster transfer speeds. We’ll now go into greater detail on each factor.
Physical Size
One of the most significant advantages of flash drives is their smaller physical size compared to external hard drives.
Flash drives are based on flash memory chips which are very small and compact. They are typically about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide by 1/4 inch thick, similar in size to a small matchbox. This means they take up very little space when not being used.
In comparison, external hard drives use mechanical spinning hard disks similar to what’s inside a computer. The housing around these disks makes external hard drives much larger in physical size, usually around 5 inches long by 3 inches wide by 1/2 to 1 inch thick. That’s up to 8 times bigger in volume than a typical flash drive.
The ultracompact nature of flash drives makes them highly portable and easy to transport between locations. You can easily slip a flash drive into a pocket or bag. Most external hard drives, on the other hand, would need their own protective case to be safely carried around.
If you need to transfer data between work and home or school, share files with friends, or give a presentation using media stored on a device, a flash drive is far more portable and convenient option.
Storage Capacity
Although flash drives traditionally had lower data storage capacities compared to external hard drives, this gap has narrowed significantly over time.
In their early days, most flash drives stored less than 1GB of data. But capacities have expanded enormously over the years as flash memory technology has improved. Today, it’s common to find flash drives with capacities up to 1TB and some models go as high as 2TB.
Meanwhile, external hard drives typically range from around 500GB up to 10TB for desktop models. Portable external hard drives designed for easy transport tend to max out at 2-4TB.
So while external hard drives still have the advantage of higher maximum capacities, standard flash drives can match the capacity of portable external hard drives. This makes flash drives a viable option for everyday file storage and transfer.
Here’s a comparison table of common storage capacities available for each device type:
| Device | Typical Capacities |
|---|---|
| Flash Drive | 1GB to 2TB |
| Portable External HDD | 500GB to 4TB |
| Desktop External HDD | 2TB to 10TB |
The majority of flash drives available meet capacities suitable for personal document, photo, music, and video collections. Unless you need to store huge volumes of data, the storage space on a flash drive should be adequate for most users.
Transfer Speeds
Flash drives connect to computers and other devices via a USB port. Modern USB standards provide very fast data transfer speeds:
- USB 2.0 – Up to 480Mb/s (Megabits per second)
- USB 3.0 – Up to 5Gb/s (Gigabits per second)
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 – Up to 10Gb/s
For reference, a 100MB file transfers in under 3 seconds via USB 3.0 and around 20 seconds on slower USB 2.0 flash drives.
External hard drives usually connect via USB so also use these interface standards. But some budget drives still use the older, slower USB 2.0 so will have much slower transfers than a USB 3.0 flash drive.
Even USB 3.0 external hard drives can’t quite match the speeds of the fastest USB 3.1 Gen 2 flash drives. This is because external hard drives are limited by the speed of the mechanical disks inside. Flash memory has no such limitation.
The faster transfer speeds of flash drives compared to many external hard drives makes them better suited for transferring large files like videos, photos, and games. You spend less time waiting around for files to copy.
Durability and Reliability
Flash drives have no moving parts – they are essentially a plug-in block of memory. This makes them far more durable and resistant to damage than external hard drives.
If a flash drive is dropped or banged around, there is little risk of internal damage. The main components are solid state chips securely embedded in plastic or metal housing.
In contrast, external hard drives have mechanical hard disk drives spinning at thousands of RPM. If an external drive suffers a heavy impact, the internal disks can malfunction and become unreadable. Sudden bumps and drops can also damage the needle arm used by the read/write head.
For this reason, external hard drives require more careful handling to avoid damage. Flash drives can withstand much rougher treatment before failing. Even if the outer casing becomes cracked or bent, the storage chips inside usually remain intact and functional.
The solid state nature of flash drives also makes them better suited for harsh or changeable conditions. As they have no moving parts, they are not affected by dust, temperature fluctuations, or moisture like external hard drives.
Overall, flash drives are more reliable for active day-to-day usage and traveling where the device may be subject to drops, movement, weather changes, and general wear-and-tear. An external hard drive stored safely on a desk is less prone to damage but less convenient to transport files.
Cost
At lower storage capacities, flash drives are generally cheaper to purchase than external hard drives. Basic flash drives under 16GB can easily be found for under $10 while 1-2TB external hard drives typically cost $50 and up.
However, at higher capacities, this cost advantage shifts to external hard drives which becomes much more cost effective per gigabyte of storage compared to flash drives.
Here’s a rough table comparing approximate costs for each device type at different capacities:
| Capacity | Flash Drive Cost | External HDD Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 16GB | $5-$10 | $15-$25 |
| 64GB | $10-$20 | $25-$50 |
| 500GB | $80-$150 | $40-$60 |
| 1TB | $200-$400 | $50-$80 |
| 2TB | $400-$800 | $60-$100 |
Up to about 128GB, flash drives offer the most economical solution for casual file storage and transfer purposes. At capacities above that, external hard drives become much more cost effective.
Professionals and businesses dealing with huge volumes of data will likely still prefer external hard drives overall for their higher maximum capacities of up to 10TB and their lower cost per gigabyte. But for everyday consumers, flash drives offer adequate cheap storage in a tiny package while also being faster and more rugged.
Conclusion
In summary, flash drives hold several key advantages over external hard drives that make them a superior choice for more casual everyday usage:
- Smaller physical size and weight makes flash drives extremely portable.
- Faster transfer speeds with USB 3.0/3.1 interfaces.
- More durable and reliable thanks to a solid state design.
- Cheaper than external HDDs at smaller capacities.
The only areas where external hard drives come out ahead are their higher maximum capacities and lower cost at capacities above around 128GB. This makes them more suited for large volume data storage requirements.
For most students, individuals, and normal households who only require a few hundred gigabytes of space, a flash drive will fulfill their storage needs while being a cheaper, faster, and more convenient solution overall. The ability to easily slip a flash drive in your pocket and quickly transfer files between locations is a key benefit that external hard drives cannot match.