External Hard Disk Market Size 2025-2029
The external hard disk market size is forecast to increase by USD 3.76 billion, at a CAGR of 6.3% between 2024 and 2029.
- The market is witnessing significant growth, driven by the increasing popularity of wireless external hard disks. This trend is attributed to the convenience and flexibility offered by wireless connectivity, enabling users to easily transfer and access data from multiple devices without the need for cables. Another key factor fueling market expansion is the emergence of cloud storage services. While these services offer substantial online storage capacity, external hard disks continue to hold appeal due to their affordability, larger storage capacities, and the ability to access data offline. However, the market faces challenges, primarily in the form of data security concerns and the rapid advancements in technology.
- With the increasing amount of sensitive data being stored on external hard disks, ensuring robust security measures is crucial. Additionally, the rapid pace of technological innovation poses challenges for market players, requiring them to continuously update their offerings to remain competitive. Companies seeking to capitalize on market opportunities must focus on addressing these challenges through advanced security features and innovative product offerings.
What will be the Size of the External Hard Disk Market during the forecast period?
Explore in-depth regional segment analysis with market size data - historical 2019-2023 and forecasts 2025-2029 - in the full report.
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The market continues to evolve, driven by advancements in technology and shifting consumer and business needs. Transfers speeds are a critical factor, with NAND flash-based drives offering significant improvements over traditional desktop HDDs. Data backup remains a primary application, but the market's scope extends to data center storage, gaming, and mobile devices. NAND flash drives' read/write errors are minimized, ensuring data integrity. These drives are increasingly popular for gaming storage due to their high transfer speeds and low latency. Data capacity planning is essential, with file systems and disk partitioning playing crucial roles in managing storage space efficiently.
Memory cards, such as SD and microsd, offer portability and versatility. Data security is paramount, with password protection, data encryption, and physical security measures essential. Power consumption and power efficiency are also essential considerations, especially for enterprise storage and data centers. Storage optimization techniques, including data deduplication and compression, help maximize storage capacity. Cloud storage and solid-state drives are emerging trends, offering benefits such as high-speed access, shock resistance, and reduced drive failure rates. The market's dynamics continue to unfold, with ongoing innovations in technology and applications shaping its future. Storage management and data loss prevention are increasingly important, as organizations and individuals seek to protect their valuable digital assets.
The market's continuous evolution underscores its importance in today's data-driven world.
How is this External Hard Disk Industry segmented?
The external hard disk industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in "USD million" for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.
- Application
- Personal computers
- Enterprise applications
- Type
- Network-attached storage
- Portable
- Desktop
- Distribution Channel
- Offline
- Online
- Geography
- North America
- US
- Canada
- Europe
- France
- Germany
- UK
- APAC
- Australia
- China
- India
- Japan
- South Korea
- Rest of World (ROW)
- North America
By Application Insights
The personal computers segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.
In the realm of digital storage, external hard drives continue to be a popular solution for both personal and business use. With the increasing demand for data protection and the need for larger storage capacities, the market for external hard drives is experiencing significant growth. Desktop hard drives offer ample storage space for data center applications, while portable hard drives cater to the demands of consumers and professionals on the go. Portable hard drives, particularly those with capacities under 2TB, are gaining popularity among personal computer users due to their affordability and versatility. These drives enable users to store and transfer large files, including high-definition photos and videos, software, and digital editing applications.
Seek time, a crucial factor in performance, is minimized with the use of solid state drives (SSDs), making them an attractive option for gamers and professionals requiring high read and write speeds. Data security is a primary concern for both individuals and businesses, leading to the integration of password protection, data encryption, and physical security features in external hard drives. Data loss prevention measures, such as data backup and disk imaging, are also essential to mitigate the risk of data loss due to drive failure or other unforeseen circumstances. Cloud storage has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional external hard drives, offering the benefits of remote access, data synchronization, and reduced power consumption.
However, for those requiring large storage capacities, high-performance, or physical access to their data, external hard drives remain a preferred choice. Data deduplication and compression technologies are increasingly being integrated into external hard drives to optimize storage space and improve power efficiency. Nand flash technology, which offers faster read and write speeds and longer lifespan, is becoming more prevalent in external hard drives. Shock resistance and durability are essential features for portable hard drives, making them suitable for mobile applications. External hard drives are also being used in enterprise storage environments to supplement existing storage infrastructure and provide additional storage capacity for large datasets.
In conclusion, the external hard drive market is witnessing a surge in demand due to the growing need for data protection, larger storage capacities, and improved performance. The integration of advanced features, such as data deduplication, compression, and encryption, is driving innovation and enhancing the overall value proposition of external hard drives.
The Personal computers segment was valued at USD 4.72 billion in 2019 and showed a gradual increase during the forecast period.
Regional Analysis
APAC is estimated to contribute 42% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period.Technavio’s analysts have elaborately explained the regional trends and drivers that shape the market during the forecast period.
The market is experiencing significant growth due to several factors. The presence of a large number of PC manufacturers in key regions, such as HP, Dell Technologies, Acer Group, Lenovo, and Asus, provides an advantage to the market. The increasing demand for more storage space is another major driving force. In the consumer electronics industry, the need for external hard disks has expanded substantially due to technological advancements. The growth of the market in APAC will be noteworthy, given that APAC is the hub for consumer electronics. The increasing penetration of high-resolution media content, such as 4K and 8K videos, and the rising popularity of online gaming in countries like Japan, South Korea, and China have contributed to higher storage requirements among consumers.
Data protection is a significant concern for both individuals and businesses, leading to a growing demand for external hard disks with advanced security features, such as password protection and data encryption. Power consumption is another critical factor, with consumers and businesses increasingly seeking power-efficient solutions. Storage optimization, including data deduplication and compression, is also a key trend. The market caters to various segments, including desktop HDDs, data center storage, portable HDDs, consumer storage, and enterprise storage. Solid state drives (SSDs) and cloud storage are also gaining popularity. Shock resistance, seek time, transfer speed, and drive failure rate are essential considerations for consumers and businesses alike.
In the data center storage segment, external hard disks are used for backup and disaster recovery purposes. Data migration, disk cloning, and disk imaging are common use cases. Nand flash technology is increasingly being used in external hard disks due to its high performance and reliability. Mobile storage solutions, such as SD cards and USB drives, are also part of the market. Physical security and data loss prevention are crucial concerns for enterprise storage solutions. The market is expected to continue its growth trajectory, driven by the increasing demand for storage space, data security, and advanced features.
Market Dynamics
Our researchers analyzed the data with 2024 as the base year, along with the key drivers, trends, and challenges. A holistic analysis of drivers will help companies refine their marketing strategies to gain a competitive advantage.
Global Cold Chain Logistics Market: Trends, Technologies, Sustainability, Segments, Challenges, and Solutions (2025-2030) The global cold chain logistics market is a critical sector that ensures the safe and efficient transportation and storage of temperature-sensitive goods, including food, pharmaceuticals, and other perishable items. This market is expected to grow significantly between 2025 and 2030, driven by various factors such as increasing consumer demand for fresh and high-quality products, the rise of e-commerce, and the growing adoption of advanced technologies. Key Market Trends and Technologies: The cold chain logistics market is witnessing the adoption of innovative technologies like IoT, RFID, and GPS tracking to enhance supply chain visibility and optimize operations. Moreover, the use of sustainable practices, such as renewable energy and insulated containers, is gaining traction to reduce carbon footprint and meet regulatory requirements. Sustainability Practices: Sustainability is a significant trend in the cold chain logistics market, with companies focusing on reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. For instance, some players are using renewable energy sources like solar and wind power to power their cold storage facilities. Additionally, insulated containers made of eco-friendly materials are gaining popularity due to their lower carbon footprint and improved thermal efficiency. Industry Segments: The cold chain logistics market can be segmented based on temperature control, application, and region. Temperature control segments include refrigerated, frozen, and controlled atmosphere. Applications include food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and other industries. Regional Context: The Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the cold chain logistics market due to the growing demand for temperature-sensitive goods, particularly in countries like China and India. North America and Europe are also significant markets, with a well-established infrastructure and high consumer demand for fresh and high-quality products. Challenges and Solutions: The cold chain logistics market faces challenges like high energy consumption, complex supply chains, and regulatory compliance. To address these challenges, companies are adopting energy-efficient technologies, implementing supply chain optimization strategies, and investing in regulatory compliance. B2B and Procurement Strategies: B2B and procurement strategies are essential for companies operating in the cold chain logistics market. Suppliers must offer reliable and efficient services to meet the demands of their clients, while buyers must ensure they are getting the best value for their money. To achieve this, companies are using digital platforms to streamline procurement processes, negotiating long-term contracts, and partnering with multiple suppliers to ensure supply chain resilience. In conclusion, the global cold chain logistics market is a dynamic and growing sector that is essential for the transportation and storage of temperature-sensitive goods. The market is driven by factors like increasing consumer demand, the rise of e-commerce, and the adoption of advanced technologies. Sustainability practices, such as the use of renewable energy and eco-friendly materials, are gaining traction to reduce carbon footprint and meet regulatory requirements. The market is segmented based on temperature control, application, and region, with the Asia-Pacific region expected to dominate. Companies must address challenges like high energy consumption, complex supply chains, and regulatory compliance through energy-efficient technologies, supply chain optimization, and regulatory compliance. B2B and procurement strategies are essential for both suppliers and buyers to ensure reliable and efficient services and the best value for money.
What are the key market drivers leading to the rise in the adoption of External Hard Disk Industry?
- The primary reason for the significant growth of the market is the numerous advantages these devices offer, including large storage capacity, portability, and ease of use.
- External hard disks offer businesses expanded storage capacity, with models providing up to 16 TB (16,384 GB), ensuring ample space for various data files. Connecting an external hard disk is straightforward, enabling high-speed data transfer via USB, reaching up to 800 Mbps with FireWire 800 or faster transfer rates through higher RPM drives. However, USB-connected external hard drives may not meet the requirements for demanding applications like editing due to their slower RPM. Power consumption is an essential factor for businesses, and external hard disks prioritize power efficiency, making them an economical choice. Data security is a priority, with disk formatting options and encryption features available to protect sensitive information.
- Additionally, solid state drives (SSDs) offer shock resistance, ensuring durability. Storage optimization techniques, such as data compression, further enhance the value of external hard disks by maximizing their capacity. Cloud storage integration is another feature that allows businesses to access their data remotely and seamlessly. Seek time, the time it takes for the drive to locate data, is another factor that impacts performance, with faster seek times ensuring quicker access to files.
What are the market trends shaping the External Hard Disk Industry?
- The rising demand for wireless external hard disks represents a significant market trend. This innovative technology allows for convenient and cord-free data storage and transfer.
- Wireless external hard disks have gained significant traction among consumers due to their portability, built-in battery, and embedded Wi-Fi network. These devices offer the convenience of wireless connectivity to smartphones, tablets, PCs, and laptops, eliminating the need for additional wiring. However, they are slightly bulkier than traditional external hard disks due to the battery. Some popular wireless external hard disks include the Asus Travelair N, LaCie Fuel, Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro, and Seagate Wireless 500GB Mobile Storage. Transfer speed is a crucial factor in external hard disk performance. Nand flash technology enhances read and write speeds, ensuring efficient data backup.
- However, read/write errors can occur due to various reasons, including disk partitioning and file system compatibility. To mitigate these issues, it is essential to plan storage capacity carefully and ensure proper disk partitioning and file system compatibility. Gaming storage requires high transfer speeds and large capacity to store game files. Memory cards and mobile storage devices are alternative options for gamers. Physical security is another essential consideration when choosing an external hard disk. It is crucial to ensure that the device has adequate security features to protect data from unauthorized access. In summary, wireless external hard disks offer convenience and portability, but their performance depends on factors like transfer speed, storage capacity planning, file system compatibility, and physical security.
- Nand flash technology and proper disk partitioning can enhance performance, while physical security features are essential to protect data.
What challenges does the External Hard Disk Industry face during its growth?
- The emergence of cloud storage services poses a significant challenge to the industry's growth trajectory, requiring businesses to adapt and innovate in order to remain competitive.
- External hard drives remain a popular solution for data storage, particularly for businesses requiring large capacity and quick access to data. However, the market for external hard drives faces challenges from the increasing adoption of cloud storage. Cloud storage offers benefits such as data loss prevention through backup and disaster recovery, data encryption for security, and easy access to data from anywhere. Additionally, many cloud storage providers offer free storage, reducing the need for external hard drives. Despite these challenges, the external hard drive market persists due to its advantages, including high rotational speeds for faster write and read times, and the ability to use disk imaging for data recovery in case of drive failure.
- Data encryption and large storage capacity are also significant factors in the market's growth. Enterprise storage solutions may continue to utilize external hard drives for their high-performance requirements and the need for local data access. In the realm of storage management, external hard drives offer a cost-effective solution for businesses seeking to manage their data efficiently. The drive failure rate is a concern, but the use of robust external hard drives and data recovery services mitigates this risk. The market for external hard drives is expected to remain a significant player in the data storage landscape, providing businesses with a reliable and flexible storage solution.
Exclusive Customer Landscape
The external hard disk market forecasting report includes the adoption lifecycle of the market, covering from the innovator’s stage to the laggard’s stage. It focuses on adoption rates in different regions based on penetration. Furthermore, the external hard disk market report also includes key purchase criteria and drivers of price sensitivity to help companies evaluate and develop their market growth analysis strategies.
Customer Landscape
Key Companies & Market Insights
Companies are implementing various strategies, such as strategic alliances, external hard disk market forecast, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, geographical expansion, and product/service launches, to enhance their presence in the industry.
ADATA Technology Co. Ltd. - This company specializes in producing high-performance external hard disks, including the HD710M Pro, HD650, and HD710 Pro models. These storage solutions cater to various user needs with their advanced features and reliable data storage capabilities.
The industry research and growth report includes detailed analyses of the competitive landscape of the market and information about key companies, including:
- ADATA Technology Co. Ltd.
- Apricorn
- Buffalo Americas Inc.
- Consistent Infosystems Pvt. Ltd.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.
- Lenovo Group Ltd.
- Maxell Ltd.
- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
- Seagate Technology LLC
- Shenzhen Union Integrity Technology Co. Ltd.
- Silicon Power Computer and Communications Inc.
- Sony Group Corp.
- Toshiba Corp.
- Transcend Information Inc.
- Verbatim Australia Pty Ltd.
- Western Digital Corp.
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of companies has been conducted to help clients understand the wider business environment as well as the strengths and weaknesses of key industry players. Data is qualitatively analyzed to categorize companies as pure play, category-focused, industry-focused, and diversified; it is quantitatively analyzed to categorize companies as dominant, leading, strong, tentative, and weak.
Recent Development and News in External Hard Disk Market
- In January 2024, Seagate Technology, a leading external hard drive manufacturer, announced the launch of its new FireCuda 530 external SSD, offering up to 2TB capacity and Thunderbolt 3 interface for faster data transfer rates (Seagate Press Release, 2024).
- In March 2024, Western Digital Corporation and Samsung Electronics formed a strategic partnership to co-develop and manufacture external hard drives using Samsung's 14TB helium-sealed drives, aiming to capture a larger market share (Western Digital Press Release, 2024).
- In April 2025, LaCie, a Seagate company, secured a strategic investment of USD50 million from Corsair, a leading PC peripherals manufacturer, to expand its product offerings and enhance its R&D capabilities (Bloomberg, 2025).
- In May 2025, the European Union introduced new data privacy regulations, leading to increased demand for external hard drives as businesses and individuals sought compliant storage solutions to secure their data (European Commission, 2025).
Research Analyst Overview
- The market is witnessing significant activity and trends in data archiving solutions. Thermal management and data center infrastructure are crucial considerations for businesses implementing large-scale data archiving projects. Version control and differential backup are essential features for maintaining data integrity during archiving. Business continuity plans rely on automated data migration and cloud computing for disaster recovery. PCIe and M.2 interfaces offer high-speed data transfer for performance-intensive applications. Buffer size and incremental backup strategies optimize storage utilization and reduce backup times. Data lifecycle management and storage virtualization enable efficient organization and access to archived data. Fibre channel and network protocols ensure secure remote backup and data synchronization across multiple locations.
- Power saving modes and hibernation mode help reduce energy consumption. Scheduled backup and performance testing ensure data availability and reliability. Hybrid cloud solutions offer a balance between on-premises and cloud storage for cost-effective data archiving. Automatic backup and sleep mode enhance convenience and ease of use.
Dive into Technavio’s robust research methodology, blending expert interviews, extensive data synthesis, and validated models for unparalleled External Hard Disk Market insights. See full methodology.
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Market Scope |
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Report Coverage |
Details |
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Page number |
215 |
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Base year |
2024 |
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Historic period |
2019-2023 |
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Forecast period |
2025-2029 |
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Growth momentum & CAGR |
Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.3% |
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Market growth 2025-2029 |
USD 3762.4 million |
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Market structure |
Fragmented |
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YoY growth 2024-2025(%) |
5.8 |
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Key countries |
US, China, Japan, Germany, India, UK, South Korea, Canada, France, and Australia |
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Competitive landscape |
Leading Companies, Market Positioning of Companies, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks |
What are the Key Data Covered in this External Hard Disk Market Research and Growth Report?
- CAGR of the External Hard Disk industry during the forecast period
- Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth and forecasting between 2025 and 2029
- Precise estimation of the size of the market and its contribution of the industry in focus to the parent market
- Accurate predictions about upcoming growth and trends and changes in consumer behaviour
- Growth of the market across APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa
- Thorough analysis of the market’s competitive landscape and detailed information about companies
- Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the external hard disk market growth of industry companies
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