When it comes to choosing the right type of drive for backing up your data, there are a few key factors to consider: cost, capacity, speed, portability and reliability. In this comprehensive guide, we will compare popular backup drive options like external HDDs, SSDs, NAS devices and cloud storage to help you determine the best solution for your needs.
Quick Overview: HDD vs SSD for Backup
HDD (hard disk drives) have traditionally been the most popular and affordable option for backup drives. They offer high capacities (often 1TB to 4TB) at low costs per GB. However, HDDs rely on mechanically spinning disks, making them slower and more prone to physical failure compared to solid state drives (SSDs).
SSDs (solid state drives) provide much faster read/write speeds, more durability and resistance to shock thanks to their flash memory design without moving parts. But SSD capacities top out lower than HDDs today (commonly around 2TB max for external models), and their prices per GB remain considerably higher.
For most home users doing basic backups of documents, photos, videos and other media files, an external HDD will provide plenty of capacity and speed at an affordable price point. Power users working with very large files and running frequent system backups may benefit from the extra speed of an SSD, but will need to weigh the higher cost per gigabyte.
Cost & Capacity
One of the first considerations when choosing a backup drive is price versus how much storage you’ll need. Let’s compare the cost and capacities of popular HDD and SSD options for home users and small offices:
| Drive Type | Typical Capacity Range | Average Cost Per GB |
|---|---|---|
| External HDD | 500GB – 4TB | $0.02 – $0.05 |
| External SSD | 250GB – 2TB | $0.20 – $0.40 |
As you can see, external hard drives offer vastly higher maximum capacities, typically topping out at 3-4TB per drive. At the same time, they provide the lowest cost per gigabyte in the range of 2 to 5 cents per GB on average.
External SSD capacities max out at 2TB currently, and cost a premium – around 20 to 40 cents per GB. This makes HDDs much more affordable if you need high quantities of storage.
Advantages of HDDs:
- Low cost per gigabyte
- High max capacities (up to 10TB per drive)
Advantages of SDDs:
- Faster transfer speeds
- More durable and shock-resistant
Transfer Speeds
If you plan to back up large amounts of data frequently, the speed of the drive you choose becomes important. HDDs with spinning disks have slower read/write speeds compared to SSDs using flash memory. Here’s a general comparison of average sustained transfer speeds:
| Drive Type | Avg Sustained Transfer Speed |
|---|---|
| HDD | 100-150 MB/s |
| SSD | 350-500 MB/s |
As you can see, SSDs can reach transfer speeds of up to 500 MB/s, over 3 times faster than the fastest HDDs. This makes a major difference when transferring large files like videos, photo collections, game installs and disk images.
For simple periodic document backups or file transfers, an HDD will provide sufficient speeds. But large or frequent file transfers will benefit greatly from the extra transfer performance of an SSD.
Advantages of HDDs:
- Lower cost per gigabyte
Advantages of SSDs:
- Faster transfer speeds (up to 500MB/s)
- Better for frequent large file transfers
Portability
If you plan to physically transport your backup drive to different locations, portability is also a factor to consider. HDDs and SSDs both come in compact external enclosures with USB connectivity standard. However, SSDs have a durability advantage thanks to their flash memory design without moving parts:
HDDs
- Portable and compact
- Handle with care – mechanical parts can break with bumps or drops
SSDs
- Ultra portable and compact
- Very durable and shock resistant
The rugged design of SSDs makes them better suited to transporting without damage or loss of data. Although portable, HDDs require more careful handling to avoid possible failure from bumps or drops while powered on.
Reliability & Durability
Backup solutions need to provide reliable storage for your important data. Let’s look at how the durability and reliability of HDDs and SSDs compare:
HDDs
- Prone to physical failure if dropped or damaged
- Mechanical parts wear over time with frequent use
- Magnets can corrupt data on HDDs
- Average 3-5 year lifespan under frequent use
SSDs
- Extremely shock and drop resistant
- No moving parts, only electronics – minimizes wear
- Not affected by magnets or vibrations
- Average 5-10 year lifespan with heavy use
The mechanical nature of HDDs leaves them prone to physical failure from drops, vibration or general wear after a few years. SSDs are far more rugged thanks to their flash memory design and lack of moving parts and can withstand much heavier physical punishment while lasting years longer.
For important data backups and archives, SSDs provide the most reliable and durable storage solution all around.
Advantages of SSDs:
- Shock and drop resistant
- Longer lasting with less wear
- Not prone to physical failure like HDDs
Backup & Recovery Software
Whichever type of physical drive you choose, the right software is essential for automatically backing up your files and providing options to restore or recover lost data. Here are some key features to look for in backup software:
- Scheduling: Set up automatic, incremental backups on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
- Backup Types: Choose full or incremental backup types to balance storage space and convenience.
- Backup Scope: Back up select files, folders, or entire drive volumes as needed.
- Restoration: Restore previous versions of individual files or full system restore points.
- Encryption: Optional encryption to secure backed up files and protect sensitive data.
- Compression: Save storage space with compression of backup files.
- Backup Monitoring: Track backup statuses and get notified of any errors.
Top backup software providers include Acronis, Macrium, Veeam, Duplicati, and Cobian Backup. Many also provide free versions with limited features.
The Verdict: HDD vs SSD for Backup
When it comes to choosing either HDD or SSD storage for backups, each has pros and cons that make them better suited to some use cases than others:
| HDD | SSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Pro: Lower cost per GB | Con: Higher cost per GB |
| Capacity | Pro: More storage (4TB+) | Con: Lower capacities (2TB max) |
| Speed | Con: Slower transfer speeds | Pro: Faster transfer speeds |
| Portability | Con: Less durable if dropped | Pro: Extremely durable and shock-proof |
| Reliability | Con: Shorter lifespan (3-5 years) | Pro: Longer lifespan (5-10 years) |
Overall, HDDs provide the best value for higher capacity backups at a reasonable speed. But SSDs bring advantages in transfer rate, ruggedness and longevity that make them ideal for frequent large backups and off-site archival storage.
Recommendations:
- For basic user file backups, use an external HDD for capacity and affordability.
- For frequent large backups or system images, use an external SSD for speed and reliability.
- Use enterprise-class HDDs or SSDs for business storage and backups.
Other Backup Drive Options
Beyond desktop HDDs and SSDs, there are other backup drive technologies to consider each with their own pros and cons:
External Portable HDD/SSD
- Compact and portable.
- Requires manual connectivity and operation.
- Lower capacities than desktop drives.
NAS (Network Attached Storage)
- Always-on network appliance with multiple bays.
- Accessible by all devices on your network.
- More expensive than standalone drives.
Cloud Storage
- Access files from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Private encryption and sharing options.
- Reliant on internet connection speed and bandwidth caps.
Cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and iDrive provide easy online backup solutions starting under $10 a month for individual users. However, uploading terabytes of data to the cloud remains costly and bandwidth limited.
On-site backup solutions using local external drives or networked NAS provide the highest capacities and speeds. Off-site “cold storage” of a backup drive or hard drive mirror provides protection against site disasters.
Choosing Your Backup Destination Media
To create a robust backup solution, you may want to utilize a combination of both local and cloud backup destinations:
Local Backup
- External HDD or SSD
- NAS
- Separate internal drive
Off-site/Cloud Backup
- External drive in remote location
- Cloud storage service
For example, you could back up your system to an external HDD or NAS on-site for fast and frequent backups. Then use a cloud service or off-site drive mirror for protection against local failures and disasters.
How Much Backup Storage Capacity Do You Need?
Available backup capacities range widely between HDDs and SSDs. To choose the right size drive, consider:
- Total capacity needed for a full system backup image.
- Capacity for incremental file/folder backups between full backups.
- How many versions or generations of backups you want to save.
- Whether original files will remain on your system or be deleted after backup.
- How quickly you expect your storage needs to grow.
For example, a user with 1TB of data on their PC may want a 4TB+ HDD. This allows saving multiple backup versions over time as their storage needs grow.
Power users with larger storage needs may prefer a 2TB SSD for rapid backups of critical files, paired with a higher capacity HDD for archival backups.
SSD vs HDD for Backup: Bottom Line
The right storage drive for backups depends on your capacity requirements, use frequency, transport needs and budget:
- HDDs offer ample capacities and speeds at a low cost for high capacity backups.
- SSDs provide rugged, high-speed storage well-suited to active working backups and off-site archival.
- Personal users can benefit from portable external HDD/SSD backups.
- Businesses and power users may prefer always-on NAS units with RAID arrays.
Pairing local backup drives with cloud storage provides comprehensive data protection and recovery options for both home and business users. Following best practices like the 3-2-1 backup strategy (3 copies, 2 local and 1 off-site) lets you design a robust backup solution that keeps your data safe.