APFS vs Mac OS Extended: A Beginner’s Guide

Ever felt confused by the many file system options while using Disk Utility on your Mac? A flagship product of Apple Inc., Macs sell both desktop and laptop computers. With macOS, it offers one of the most efficient systems out there. However, when it comes to partitioning or formatting hard drives, Mac users can often feel lost.

So many choices can make it difficult to decide. Which one is best for you? To help you understand, we'll explain the APFS and Mac OS Extended file systems in detail.

Step 1: Search for the missing file

On macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and the latest Sonoma, select the disk location where you want to search for the lost file (it can be either an internal HDD/SSD or a removable storage device). Then, click on the "Search Lost Files" button.

Note: Before you perform data recovery, it's recommended that you click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar to create a backup of your Mac to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can write new data again.

Step 2: Preview the scan result

Mac Data Recovery Wizard immediately scans the disk volume you select and displays the scan results.

Step 3: Select the files and recover them.

From the scan results, select the files(s) you want to preview and click on the “Recover” button to get them back.

APFS stands for Apple File System. It is a contemporary file system developed by Apple Inc. specifically for use with their macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS operating systems. Introduced in 2017, APFS was designed to replace the older Hierarchical File System Plus (HFS+). It aims to offer enhanced performance, security, space efficiency, and features such as encryption, snapshots, and cloning. APFS is optimized for solid-state drives (SSDs) and flash-based storage, though it is also compatible with traditional hard disk drives (HDDs).

APFS (Apple File System) is the latest file system introduced by Apple for Mac users. It was first released in 2016 and has since become the default option for devices running macOS High Sierra and later. The primary reason behind its introduction was to address various issues with the previous Mac OS Extended file system.

APFS is highly compatible with solid-state drives (SSDs). One of the many benefits you get from APFS is faster data copying. Plus, it only takes seconds to copy and paste files within an APFS drive. This speed makes APFS an ideal choice.

Improvements in the storage and management of metadata also make APFS's directories faster. With more easily accessible metadata, the file system can operate seamlessly. Now, APFS does not have to check each metadata file.

Another notable advantage of APFS is its reliable data storage. You don't have to worry about file corruption due to various reasons. The impressive feature of shared storage space in APFS is also worth mentioning, where you don't need to manually partition the storage space.

APFS features a dynamic method for allocating storage space to each volume, as needed. This means users don't have to worry about estimating how much space each volume needs.

However, it also has some downsides. For instance, due to the lack of backward compatibility, APFS can't be used on older versions of macOS. In that case, you need to format APFS to Mac OS Extended.

And it doesn't support Windows. In that case, ExFAT is your best bet.

What is "Mac OS Extended"?

Starting in 1998, Mac OS Extended has been the default file system for macOS. Undoubtedly, it's the go-to choice for most Mac users when formatting a hard drive. However, with macOS High Sierra and later, Mac OS Extended is only used for hybrid and mechanical drives.

Although the introduction of the APFS file system has significantly diminished its standing, Mac OS Extended still holds some advantages. The primary reason for using Mac OS Extended is its well-known backward compatibility. Since the APFS file system isn't compatible with older versions of macOS, Mac OS Extended remains relevant.

Mac OS Extended is also known as HFS Plus or HFS+. Apple released Mac OS Extended in 1998 to replace the then-existing HFS file system.

Also, Mac OS Extended is still the default option for a macOS Time Machine backup disk. If you're formatting a portable flash drive to use as a Time Machine backup, Mac OS Extended is a great choice.

Another appealing aspect of Mac OS Extended (HFS+) is its cross-platform compatibility. However, it's worth noting that Mac OS Extended is not compatible with Windows. For this reason, we don't recommend using Mac OS Extended as your file system format when working between Windows and macOS systems.

File System Comparison: ExFAT vs Mac OS Extended

Every external storage device has a file system format. On macOS, compatible formats include FAT, ExFAT, APFS, and Mac OS Extended. For some users, it's difficult to choose between ExFAT and Mac OS Extended due to the lack of understanding of their pros and cons. In this article, we'll help you clarify.

APFS vs. Mac OS Extended Format

Comparisons between APFS and Mac OS Extended are a common topic of discussion. Mac users often get confused about which file system to use. To point out the differences between these two file system formats, we've listed their pros and cons. Let's see –

APFS stands for Apple File System. It is an advanced file system developed by Apple Inc. for use with their macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS operating systems. APFS is designed to offer enhanced performance, security, and efficiency in managing data on contemporary storage devices. Key features include encryption, snapshots, cloning, and space sharing functionality, along with various other improvements.

Advantages:

Compared to Mac OS Extended, it is more reliable and stable • Allows easy implementation of point-in-time snapshots for Mac users • Supports multiple copies of the same file • Stores changes incrementally to save storage space • Helps reduce storage demands and optimize space utilization • Enhances security with full-disk encryption • Improves system performance by minimizing frequent write operations • Validates metadata integrity with checksums • Leverages an efficient storage management system to easily free up extra space • Creates new records to overwrite old ones as a safeguard against metadata corruption

Disadvantages:

• Not compatible with Time Machine
• Doesn't allow compression
• Can't be accessed by other systems running macOS High Sierra or later when encrypted
• Doesn't support Fusion drives
• Checksums aren't reliable for verifying the integrity of user data
• NVRAM (non-volatile random-access memory) is not intended for data storage

Mac OS Extended (Mac OS Extended format)

Advantages:

• Supports different versions of macOS and Mac OS X • Fusion drives are supported • Encrypted volumes are accessible from all macOS and Mac OS X versions

Disadvantages:

• Lack of instant snapshots for Mac users
• No checksums for verifying user data or metadata integrity
• Limited native file support when dealing with different file systems
• Inability to support concurrent access in the file format system
• End of support for Mac OS Extended file system on February 6, 2040

In summary, the main difference between Mac OS Extended and APFS is that the latter offers improved speed and reliability. However, if you're using an older version of macOS, it makes sense to stick with Mac OS Extended.

In the latest versions of macOS, APFS is the default. Additionally, if you have an SSD or flash storage device, APFS is the better choice. If you have a hybrid or spinning hard drive, however, Mac OS Extended is the better option.

In fact, it depends on the version of macOS you're using and the condition of the disk, but both options are suitable. It's important to recognize, however, that APFS is superior to Mac OS Extended. In all likelihood, APFS will eventually supplant Mac OS Extended altogether.

Conclusions

Both APFS and Mac OS Extended are file systems supported by all Mac systems. Choosing the best file system depends on the macOS you're running and the type of drive. For instance, APFS is most ideal for Mac devices running macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later. Similarly, Mac OS Extended is most ideal for older macOS versions.