TLDR Review: WD My Passport 4TB External Hard Drive
Verdict
If you want a large-capacity, portable external hard drive with solid performance, strong hardware encryption, and a trusted brand, the WD 4TB My Passport is a compelling choice. Its compact design and fast small-file transfers make it ideal for media-heavy users and ongoing projects. However, beware that the included backup software needs careful handling—it’s often unreliable and may lead to costly software purchases for restoring data. For a more dependable backup experience, consider using your own third-party backup tools alongside this drive. If software ease-of-use is a top priority, you might want to explore other backup solutions or drives with better-supported native software.
- Top pro:
- Reliable plug-and-play functionality that is immediately recognized by your computer without complicated setup.
- Top con:
- Backup software included has shifted from WD’s native solution to a trial version of Acronis that many users find unreliable and confusing.
Pros
- •Reliable plug-and-play functionality that is immediately recognized by your computer without complicated setup.
- •Large 4TB capacity provides ample room for media libraries, important documents, and ongoing projects like music albums.
- •Compact, lightweight design with a pleasing matte finish and rounded corners makes it highly portable and fingerprint-resistant.
- •Improved write speeds, especially for small files, with up to 8x performance boost in random write operations compared to previous models.
- •Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux out of the box (though reformatting is recommended for non-Windows systems).
- •Includes password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption for enhanced data security.
- •Comes with WD’s suite of software including WD Security, WD Backup, and WD Drive Utilities to manage backups and drive health.
- •Trusted WD brand with a solid history of dependable external drives and a 3-year limited warranty for peace of mind.
- •USB 3.1 / USB 3.0 compatibility ensures fast transfer rates up to 5 Gbps, much faster than traditional USB 2.0 drives.
Cons
- •Backup software included has shifted from WD’s native solution to a trial version of Acronis that many users find unreliable and confusing.
- •Acronis software may falsely report successful backups but fail to locate backup images when needed, risking data loss if relied on exclusively.
- •Restoring data via the included backup software may require purchasing a full license after the free trial, creating unexpected extra costs.
- •Proprietary backup file formats limit the ability to restore files using alternative, third-party backup programs without workarounds.
- •The included USB 3.0 cable is quite short, which can be inconvenient and may require purchasing a longer cable separately.
- •Real-world speed improvements are mostly noticeable with smaller file operations; sequential read/write speeds show only modest gains over older models.
We may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. How ShopSavvy makes money
How we researched this
About this review: it summarizes the professional reviews and customer ratings ShopSavvy collected for this product, alongside prices from 4 retailers in ShopSavvy's price data, most recently seen Jun 11, 2026.
Where to Buy
| Retailer | Price | Last seen | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| $109.99 | Sep 26, 2024 may have changed | ||
| $113.99 | Sep 26, 2024 may have changed | ||
| $129.99 | Sep 26, 2024 may have changed | ||
| $196.15 | Jun 11, 2026 may have changed |
Download ShopSavvy App
Compare prices across tens of thousands of stores, set price alerts, watch for deals by keyword, and much more.
Install ShopSavvy Browser Extension
Compare and track prices automatically while you shop online at thousands of websites.
