SSD Prices 2020-2026: The Complete Price History & 2026 Forecast
⚡Quick Answer+
SSD Price Summary 2020-2026: Consumer SSD prices dropped dramatically from $0.12/GB in 2020 to an all-time low of $0.05/GB in mid-2023 — a 58% decline. However, prices have since reversed sharply. As of February 2026, popular 1TB SSDs like the Samsung 990 Pro cost $218 and the Crucial MX500 hits $195-250 — up 200-400% from 2023 lows. TrendForce forecasts another 40%+ increase in Q1 2026 due to AI-driven NAND shortages. The golden era of cheap SSDs appears to be over.
If you bought an SSD in 2023, congratulations — you timed the market perfectly. If you’re shopping for one now in 2026, prepare for sticker shock. SSD prices have undergone a dramatic transformation over the past six years, from COVID-era premiums to historic lows and now back to pre-pandemic levels.
This comprehensive analysis examines the complete price history of consumer SSDs from 2020 through 2026, explains the market forces driving each phase, and provides data-driven insights for what to expect next.
SSD Price History: 2020-2026 Overview Chart
The following chart illustrates the average consumer SSD price per gigabyte from January 2020 through February 2026:
📊 Average Consumer SSD Price ($/GB) — 2020-2026
$0.14$0.12$0.10$0.08$0.06$0.04
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
🟢 Price Decline🟡 Transition🔴 Price Increase
Sources: TrendForce, Computer Weekly, Tom’s Hardware, DRAMeXchange. Data represents average TLC consumer SSD prices.
Complete SSD Price Data Table: 2020-2026
Date
Avg $/GB
1TB SSD Cost
2TB SSD Cost
YoY Change
Market Phase
Jan 2020
$0.12
$120
$240
—
Pre-COVID baseline
Jul 2020
$0.11
$110
$220
-8%
Early pandemic
Jan 2021
$0.13
$130
$260
+8%
Supply chain stress
Jul 2021
$0.14
$140
$280
+27%
Peak COVID pricing
Jan 2022
$0.10
$100
$200
-23%
Oversupply begins
Jul 2022
$0.08
$80
$160
-43%
Price collapse
Jan 2023
$0.065
$65
$130
-35%
Fire sale era
Jun 2023
$0.05
$50
$100
—
ALL-TIME LOW
Jan 2024
$0.065
$65
$130
0%
Recovery begins
Apr 2024
$0.095
$95
$190
+46%
Price surge
Sep 2024
$0.085
$85
$170
—
Brief dip
Jan 2025
$0.09
$90
$180
+38%
AI demand impact
Jul 2025
$0.10
$100
$200
—
Shortage intensifies
Jan 2026
$0.11
$110
$220
+22%
SHORTAGE CRISIS
Key insight: A 1TB SSD that cost $50 in June 2023 now costs $110+ in February 2026 — a 120% increase in just 2.5 years.
Phase 1: COVID-Era Volatility (2020-2021)
The early 2020s were characterized by unprecedented market turbulence. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, initial demand for PCs and laptops surged as millions shifted to remote work and learning. This created a classic supply/demand imbalance.
What Drove Prices Up
Remote work/learning demand: PC sales spiked 13% in 2020, the highest growth in a decade
Supply chain disruptions: Factory closures and shipping delays constrained production
Component shortages: Controller chips and other SSD components became scarce
By July 2021, the average consumer SSD reached approximately $0.14 per GB — the highest point in our tracking period. A 1TB NVMe drive like the Samsung 980 Pro cost $230 at launch, while even budget SATA drives exceeded $100 per terabyte.
Phase 2: The Great Collapse (2022-2023)
NAND manufacturers had ramped up production anticipating continued pandemic-level demand. When that demand evaporated, the market crashed spectacularly.
The Numbers Are Staggering
Metric
Peak (Jul 2021)
Bottom (Jun 2023)
Decline
512GB TLC NAND chip
$3.82
$1.63
-57%
256GB TLC NAND chip
$2.14
$0.92
-57%
128GB TLC NAND chip
$1.28
$0.58
-55%
Average SSD ($/GB)
$0.14
$0.05
-64%
Source: DRAMeXchange spot pricing data
Real-World Impact: Popular SSD Prices
To illustrate how dramatic this collapse was, here’s what happened to specific popular drives:
Source: Pangoly price tracking, Amazon price history
Why Prices Crashed
Demand collapse: PC shipments fell 16% in 2022, the steepest decline in decades
Massive oversupply: Manufacturers had over-invested in production capacity
Inventory liquidation: Companies had to sell excess stock at any price
Smartphone market weakness: A key NAND consumer, smartphone sales also declined
Technology advancement: 176-layer and 232-layer 3D NAND increased efficiency
By mid-2023, industry giants were hemorrhaging money. Samsung’s semiconductor division posted its first quarterly loss in 14 years. In response, manufacturers implemented aggressive production cuts — Samsung slashed NAND output by 50%, while Micron reduced wafer starts by 25%.
Phase 3: The Recovery and AI Demand Surge (2024)
The production cuts worked — perhaps too well. By early 2024, the oversupply had transformed into tightening supply, and prices began climbing.
2024 Quarterly Price Changes
Quarter
Avg $/GB
QoQ Change
Key Event
Q4 2023
$0.075
+15%
Production cuts take effect
Q1 2024
$0.085
+13%
Inventory depletion
Q2 2024
$0.095
+12%
AI demand emerges
Q3 2024
$0.085
-10%
Brief correction
Q4 2024
$0.09
+6%
Enterprise hoarding begins
According to TrendForce, NAND flash contract prices increased approximately 50% cumulatively throughout 2024. However, the biggest story was emerging behind the scenes: AI infrastructure was about to change everything.
Phase 4: The 2025-2026 AI Storage Crisis
The current phase represents something unprecedented in the storage industry: a structural reallocation of global NAND capacity away from consumers and toward AI infrastructure.
What’s Causing the Crisis
1. AI Data Centers Are Consuming Everything
Training large language models requires massive storage. Every GPU training node in an AI cluster needs multiple terabytes of high-speed NVMe storage. According to industry reports:
Meta’s Llama 3 training reportedly consumed 2.4 exabytes of flash storage — up 60% from 2024
Nvidia’s Blackwell-based VR NVL144 racks require 9.2TB of NAND per rack
Cloud service providers (Microsoft, Amazon, Google) account for 61% of enterprise NAND purchases
By 2026, one in five NAND bits will be used for AI applications, contributing 34% of total market value
2. Production Capacity Is Completely Booked
Phison’s CEO delivered a stark warning: “Every NAND manufacturer told us 2026 sold out. All the capacity sold out.”
New production lines won’t come online until late 2027 at the earliest, meaning consumer SSD shortages could persist for years.
3. Manufacturers Are Prioritizing Profits
After losing billions in 2023, NAND manufacturers are now allocating capacity to the highest bidders — enterprise customers willing to pay premium prices. Consumer SSDs, with their lower margins, are deprioritized.
Source: Amazon current pricing, February 2026. Price ranges reflect multiple seller listings.
SSD Price Per TB by Capacity: Historical Comparison
Larger capacity drives have historically offered better value per terabyte, but this relationship is changing during the shortage. Based on current Amazon pricing:
Observation: High-capacity drives (4TB+) have experienced smaller relative increases because enterprise demand focuses on maximum capacity. For consumers, 4TB and 8TB SSDs now offer the best value per terabyte — a reversal from typical patterns.
NAND Flash vs Consumer SSD Pricing Relationship
Understanding the relationship between raw NAND flash prices and finished SSD prices helps predict future trends:
Component
% of SSD Cost
2023 Trend
2025-26 Trend
NAND Flash chips
60-70%
↓ Falling rapidly
↑ Surging (+65% MoM)
Controller chip
15-20%
↔ Stable
↑ Shortage emerging
DRAM cache
5-10%
↓ Falling
↑ Surging (+55% QoQ)
PCB/Assembly
5-10%
↔ Stable
↔ Stable
The correlation is clear: NAND flash prices drive SSD prices, with a typical 4-8 week lag as manufacturers adjust.
SSD vs HDD Price Gap: 2020-2026
The price gap between SSDs and HDDs has fluctuated significantly:
Year
SSD $/TB
HDD $/TB
SSD Premium
Notes
2020
$120
$20
6.0x
Traditional gap
2021
$140
$18
7.8x
SSD premium peaks
2022
$80
$16
5.0x
Gap narrows
2023
$50
$15
3.3x
Historic low gap
2024
$85
$14
6.1x
Gap widens again
2025
$100
$12
8.3x
HDD gets cheaper
2026
$110
$15
7.3x
Both rising (AI demand)
Important note:HDDs are also experiencing shortages in 2025-2026, with lead times for enterprise drives exceeding 52 weeks. AI data centers are consuming both SSDs AND HDDs, as some workloads use HDDs for cold storage. Check our data hoarding guide for current HDD recommendations.
What’s Coming: 2026 and Beyond Forecast
TrendForce Q1 2026 Predictions
NAND Flash prices: +33-38% QoQ across all categories
Client SSDs: +40%+ QoQ — the largest increase among NAND products
Enterprise SSDs: Becoming the largest NAND Flash segment in 2026
Supply growth: Only 17% YoY — well below historical norms
IDC Memory Shortage Analysis
IDC’s December 2025 report describes the situation as “not just a cyclical shortage driven by a mismatch in supply and demand, but a potentially permanent, strategic reallocation of the world’s silicon wafer capacity.”
Key projections:
High prices likely through most of 2026
New fabrication plants won’t deliver relief until late 2027-2028
Consumer devices (laptops, phones) may see spec downgrades to manage costs
This signals “the end of an era of cheap, abundant memory and storage, at least in the medium term”
Our 2026-2027 Price Forecast
Timeframe
Predicted $/GB
1TB Cost
Confidence
Q1 2026
$0.12-0.14
$120-140
High
Q2 2026
$0.13-0.16
$130-160
Medium
Q3-Q4 2026
$0.12-0.15
$120-150
Medium
2027
$0.10-0.13
$100-130
Low (depends on new fabs)
Bottom line: Don’t expect prices to return to 2023 levels anytime soon. The structural shift toward AI infrastructure means consumer SSDs will remain expensive relative to the golden era of 2023.
Buying Advice: What Should You Do?
If You Need Storage Now
Don’t wait: Prices are rising, not falling. Waiting will likely cost more.
Buy larger capacities:4TB and 8TB drives offer better $/TB value currently
Consider QLC for bulk storage: Despite lower endurance, QLC SSDs are more available
Watch for brief promotions: Occasional sales still happen, but deals disappear quickly
Check our Price Per TB page: Find the current best value drives
If You Can Wait
Target late 2027: New fab capacity should begin easing shortages
Monitor Chinese suppliers: CXMT’s expansion may provide alternative supply
2023 was the golden era: SSDs hit all-time low prices of $0.05/GB — unlikely to return soon
AI changed everything: Data center demand has fundamentally altered NAND allocation
2026 will be expensive: Expect 40%+ price increases in Q1 alone
Supply relief is years away: New fabs won’t help until 2027-2028
Buy what you need now: Waiting is unlikely to save money in this market
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are SSD prices rising in 2026?
SSD prices are rising due to three factors: AI infrastructure demand consuming unprecedented NAND flash capacity, production cuts by manufacturers in 2023 to restore profitability, and capacity allocation prioritizing higher-margin enterprise products over consumer SSDs. TrendForce reports that 2026 production capacity is already sold out to enterprise buyers.
When will SSD prices go back down?
Industry analysts don’t expect significant relief until late 2027 or 2028 when new fabrication plants begin production. Even then, prices are unlikely to return to 2023 lows because AI demand is structural, not temporary. The era of $50 1TB SSDs appears to be over for the foreseeable future.
What was the cheapest SSDs ever cost?
Consumer SSD prices hit their all-time low in June 2023 at approximately $0.05 per GB. A 1TB NVMe SSD could be purchased for $50-60, and 2TB drives sold for under $100. Popular drives like the Samsung 870 EVO 1TB dropped to $50, while the Crucial MX500 1TB reached $47.
Should I buy an SSD now or wait?
Buy now if you need storage. All indicators point to continued price increases through 2026. TrendForce forecasts client SSD prices to rise 40%+ in Q1 2026 alone. Waiting is unlikely to save money in the current market environment. The only exception is if you can wait until late 2027 when new fab capacity may provide relief.
How much should a 1TB SSD cost in 2026?
As of February 2026, expect to pay $100-150 for a quality 1TB NVMe SSD. Budget SATA options start around $80-90. Premium drives like the Samsung 990 Pro cost $140-180. By Q2 2026, these prices may increase another 20-30% based on current forecasts. Compare this to mid-2023 when the same drives cost $50-80.
Are HDDs still cheaper than SSDs?
Yes, but the gap varies. In 2026, HDDs cost approximately $12-15 per TB versus $90-110 per TB for SSDs — a 7-8x premium for SSDs. However, HDDs are also experiencing shortages due to AI demand, with enterprise drives backordered 52+ weeks. For pure $/TB value, HDDs remain significantly cheaper, but availability is increasingly limited.
What capacity SSD offers the best value right now?
4TB drives currently offer the best $/TB value for most consumers. Enterprise demand focuses on maximum capacity, leaving 4TB consumer drives relatively well-supplied. The 8TB tier also offers good value per terabyte. Smaller capacities (500GB-1TB) have experienced larger percentage increases because they use the same production capacity but generate less revenue for manufacturers.
Why did SSD prices drop so much in 2023?
SSD prices collapsed in 2022-2023 due to massive oversupply. Manufacturers had ramped up production anticipating continued pandemic-level demand, but PC sales dropped 16% in 2022. Combined with smartphone market weakness and advancing 3D NAND technology, this created a surplus that crashed prices 60%+ from their peaks. Samsung’s semiconductor division posted its first quarterly loss in 14 years.
Data Sources and Methodology
This analysis draws from multiple authoritative sources:
TrendForce: NAND flash contract pricing and market forecasts
DRAMeXchange: Spot market pricing for NAND components
Computer Weekly: Weekly drive price tracking from Amazon via Diskprices.com
IDC: Market analysis and shortage impact reports
Pangoly: Historical retail price tracking for specific SSD models
Tom’s Hardware: Market analysis and pricing trends
Backblaze: HDD cost per gigabyte historical data
Consumer SSD prices represent averages across TLC-based NVMe and SATA drives. Enterprise SSD pricing is tracked separately due to different market dynamics.
