Which Hard Drive Format is Best for Mac? [Complete Comparison]

Data that you create or manage is stored on hard disk drives. When you format a particular hard drive for use with your Mac, you might be confused by the options you have for the drive format. While this can depend on the nature of the data you'll store on it, you can still determine the best format for your needs.

In such cases, you might wonder what the best hard drive format for Mac is. This article will outline the best formatting options to help you decide which one to choose for your Mac.

Which formats are compatible with Mac?

All four major formats are compatible with Macs, so you can choose any of them based on your needs. To help you decide, this section will provide a brief overview of each format's functionality.

1. APFS (Apple File System)

APFS (Apple File System) has been running as the default file system since macOS 10.13 and later, marking its significance over other formats. It offers several appealing features such as impressive encryption, shared disks, proper resizing of directories, and snapshots, making it considered a better file system format in many aspects than other file system formats.

Although optimized for Flash and SSD storage, it's also compatible with older systems that use traditional HDD storage drives. You can easily manage the size of each drive, making it a great choice. On a Mac, you can find four formats of the APFS file system that better cater to your device's needs.

2. HFS (Hierarchical File System)

For macOS 10.12 and earlier, the officially supported default file system was HFS. Before APFS took over as the default, HFS featured various functionalities, including journaling, volume encryption, and data. Having been around for quite some time, HFS ensures compatibility with both newer and older Mac models.

Drives formatted with the HFS file system can be accessed on Windows using third-party apps, which is something that isn't possible with any other Mac-compatible file system.

Here's a link to help you learn about the detailed comparison between HFS and APFS: click here.

Beginner's Guide: Know Your Mac with Compatible Formats

Confused by various file system options when using Disk Utility on your Mac? This guide offers all the details you need.

3. FAT32

If you're looking for a versatile and different file system, rather than a proprietary format available on Mac, FAT32 is an excellent option to consider. This file system has the mechanism to be read and written on Mac, Windows, and Linux. It's the best choice to convert all your data to FAT32 when sharing files between different operating systems.

FAT32 doesn't support encryption or any security features, making it vulnerable to other types of attacks. It also has a 4GB limit on data storage capacity, which can become riddled with errors if not managed properly. While FAT32 is a versatile file system, it comes with its own set of issues when used on a Mac.

4. exFAT

In an effort to improve the user experience with FAT32, Microsoft introduced the exFAT file system, considered an improvement over its predecessor. While it shares many of the same features, it offers the option of larger storage capacity over 4 GB. This is why exFAT becomes a better choice for formatting drives when it comes to Mac.

Because exFAT doesn't have any complex structures or partitions, it's the preferred choice for sharing drives between Mac and Windows.

If you want to compare FAT32 with exFAT, this link might be helpful.

Is exFAT the Same as FAT32? Everything You Need to Know

FAT32 has long been a popular format, but it has limitations in terms of file size. Then came exFAT, and there are significant differences between them.

Which is the best format for Mac? We've laid out a detailed comparison to help you determine the best hard drive format for your Mac. This will surely help answer questions like “Should I use APFS or HFS for my hard drive?”

Which is the best hard drive format for a Mac?

We're going to compare the best Mac file systems now, which we'll define with this table:

Given the information provided, it's clear that APFS and HFS are the optimal file formats for Mac. These file systems offer the best features compared to others. But how do you format your hard drive to the best Mac format? Keep reading to find out.

Please remember to back up your Mac before formatting. Here's a link that can help with that.

What is the best file format to use for a Mac hard drive?

Now that we've explained the best file system for Mac, it's time to look at how you can go about doing it. We'll provide you with two separate guides on how to format your drive to the file system you need.

Guide 1: Formatting Hard Drives for Mac OS X - Disk Utility

With Disk Utility, you can format your hard drive in the best format with an easy-to-understand interface. If you want to use Disk Utility to format your hard drive, follow these simple steps:

Step 1: You'll need to find the “Utilities” folder within “Applications” in Finder on your Mac, and then search for “Disk Utility.”

**Step 2:** When it launches, select the hard drive from the left panel and click the “Erase” button in the top toolbar.

<img src="/images/en/screenshot/partition-manager/disk-utility-erase.png" width="700" height="425" alt="Click Erase">

Next, type in the new name and format for the disk. After selecting one of the available formats, click “Erase” to continue.

If you encounter something like:

Okay, so that's that. You can also format your Mac's drive from the Terminal, which is what we'll be looking at next. Let's get going.

Guide 2: The Best Mac Hard Drive Format – Terminal

If you're comfortable using the Terminal on a Mac, you can follow these steps to choose the best file system for your Mac:

First, open the Finder on your Mac, then search for “Terminal” in the “Utilities” folder within “Applications.”

<image> Locate the endpoint </image>

**Step 2:** At the prompt, type “diskutil list” to see the drives on your Mac.

<img src="/images/en/screenshot/partition-manager/terminal-on-mac.png" width="563" height="355" alt=" Typing the command on a Mac">

Step 3: After identifying your hard drive, format it using the following command:

Use the command diskutil erasedisk FILE_SYSTEM disk_name disk_identifier.

FILE_SYSTEM, disk_name, and disk_identifier refer to the file system you want to format the drive as, the name of the disk, and the target drive letter, respectively.

**Tip:** For help partitioning an external drive on a Mac, click here.

Conclusions

This article outlines the best hard drive formats for a Mac, along with each format's known attributes. After getting an overview of how to format a hard drive on a Mac, users should have a clear idea of how to proceed. However, there are still some questions to answer.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Best File System for a Mac

We've answered some important questions about the file systems available for macOS.

1. Which is better for Mac, NTFS or exFAT?

exFAT is preferred over NTFS, the file system used on Macs, due to significant differences between the two. While the NTFS file system is only readable on a Mac, exFAT is both readable and writable, making it a better option.

2. Is exFAT better for the Mac?

ExFAT is preferred for macOS because it allows file sharing between Macs and Windows machines.

Third, should the Mac use exFAT or FAT32?

macOS supports the exFAT and FAT32 file systems. You can format your drive with one of these file systems when you format it on your Mac.