Best 1TB Portable External Hard Drive for under $50

The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is the top portable hard drive in our review. It’s one of the most reliable external hard drives, supporting fast transfer rates with USB 3.0. At 5.28 ounces and 2.99 x 4.47 x 0.48 inches, this is truly a slim, portable drive. Another feature that brings this to the top of our list is the Seagate works interchangeably on PC and Mac computer, without needing to reformat. This is why you’ll want this slim drive to safely store all your photos, music and videos to share with your friends and family.

Seagate
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 1TB ($49.99) – With the included 18-inch USB cable, you can get sustained transfer rates up to 120MB/s when connected to a USB 3.0 port. This drive is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 systems.

Create easy customized backup plans with included Seagate software. Pre-loaded on every Backup Plus drive is the new Seagate Dashboard. Designed with simplicity in mind, it lets you easily protect, share and save what you have, and even protect what you’ve shared. And backing up your system is automatic, once you set up the backup plan in a few easy steps. All in one simple interface.

An added bonus: When buying this drive, Seagate includes a 2-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan.

If you need more storage space, the Backup Plus Slim is available up to 5TB. Here are the links, and spot-pricing through Amazon:

Seagate Backup Plus Slim 1TB – $49.99
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB – $69.99
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 4TB  – $99.99
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 5TB – $129.99

Western Digital
If the Seagate isn’t available, our runner up is the WD 1TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive ($52.00). At just over 8 ounces, and measuring 3.21 x 4.33 x 0.64 inches, the WD is a little bigger than the Seagate, but is still small enough to easily pack into your laptop bag or backpack. The WD is also USB 3.0, and backward compatible to USB 2.0.

What makes the WD special is you can enable password protection with 256-bit AES Hardware Encryption for added security. This is a great feature if you are concerned about losing the drive or having it stolen. Encrypting your files means that it’s nearly impossible for the average unauthorized user to get to your content.

WD also provides auto backup features with included WD Backup software .

These portable drives are available in 1TB, 2TB, 3TB and 4TB densities. Here are the spot-prices on Amazon, and links for ordering:
WD 1TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive – $52.00
WD 2TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive – $76.54
WD 3TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive – $93.98
WD 4TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive – $104.83

At these prices, you can back-up your entire system and have peace of mind knowing your files are safe.