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WD offers Elements, My Passport and My Book lines.

This guide is built from Amazon product listings and maker specs, not our own testing, so confirm compatibility, capacity and current price on each product page.

Prices are approximate and were shown on Amazon.com on November 1, 2026; check the current price.

Last updated: November 1, 2026.

Quick Picks

Product Type Best for
WD Elements 2TB Portable External Hard Drive Portable HDD, USB 3.2 Gen 1 WD drives
WD Elements 5TB Portable External Hard Drive Portable HDD, USB 3.2 Gen 1 WD drives
WD Elements 6TB Portable External Hard Drive Portable HDD, USB 3.2 Gen 1 WD drives
WD My Passport 4TB Portable External Hard Drive Portable HDD with backup software WD drives
WD My Passport 5TB Portable External Hard Drive Portable HDD with backup software WD drives
WD Elements Desktop 12TB External Hard Drive Desktop HDD, USB 3.0 WD drives
WD My Book 12TB Desktop External Hard Drive Desktop HDD with password protection WD drives

Our Picks

1. WD Elements 2TB Portable External Hard Drive

A WD Elements 2TB Portable External Hard Drive (portable hdd, usb 3.2 gen 1), per the listing. It showed at about $131 on Amazon.com on November 1, 2026.

Good for: WD drives. Watch out: Formatted for Windows.

Check on Amazon

2. WD Elements 5TB Portable External Hard Drive

A WD Elements 5TB Portable External Hard Drive (portable hdd, usb 3.2 gen 1), per the listing. It showed at about $218 on Amazon.com on November 1, 2026.

Good for: WD drives. Watch out: Formatted for Windows.

Check on Amazon

3. WD Elements 6TB Portable External Hard Drive

A WD Elements 6TB Portable External Hard Drive (portable hdd, usb 3.2 gen 1), per the listing. It showed at about $278 on Amazon.com on November 1, 2026.

Good for: WD drives. Watch out: Higher price.

Check on Amazon

4. WD My Passport 4TB Portable External Hard Drive

A WD My Passport 4TB Portable External Hard Drive (portable hdd with backup software), per the listing. It showed at about $193 on Amazon.com on November 1, 2026.

Good for: WD drives. Watch out: Software is optional.

Check on Amazon

5. WD My Passport 5TB Portable External Hard Drive

A WD My Passport 5TB Portable External Hard Drive (portable hdd with backup software), per the listing. It showed at about $226 on Amazon.com on November 1, 2026.

Good for: WD drives. Watch out: Software is optional.

Check on Amazon

6. WD Elements Desktop 12TB External Hard Drive

A WD Elements Desktop 12TB External Hard Drive (desktop hdd, usb 3.0), per the listing. It showed at about $550 on Amazon.com on November 1, 2026.

Good for: WD drives. Watch out: High price.

Check on Amazon

7. WD My Book 12TB Desktop External Hard Drive

A WD My Book 12TB Desktop External Hard Drive (desktop hdd with password protection), per the listing. It showed at about $525 on Amazon.com on November 1, 2026.

Good for: WD drives. Watch out: High price.

Check on Amazon

How to Choose

HDD vs SSD

Hard drives cost less per terabyte; SSDs are faster and tougher.

Capacity

Pick 2TB to 5TB for backups and media.

Format

Windows drives may need reformatting for Mac. Back up before reformatting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do hard drives last?

Often several years; replace and back up regularly.

Do I need external power?

Portable drives use USB power; desktop drives need an adapter.

Is one backup enough?

No. Keep another copy.

Bottom Line

WD Elements for value, My Passport for software, My Book for desktops.

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