💰 Quick Answer: Storage Costs in 2026

1TB Storage:

SSD: $50-80
HDD: $40-50

2TB Storage:

SSD: $100-180
HDD: $55-70

4TB Storage:

SSD: $200-350
HDD: $70-100

Understanding Storage Costs

Storage has never been cheaper. The cost of storing a terabyte of data has dropped dramatically — what cost $10,000 in 2000 now costs under $50. But prices vary significantly based on:

Technology: SSDs cost 3-5x more than HDDs per TB
Capacity: Larger drives have better $/TB (up to a point)
Speed: NVMe Gen 4 costs more than Gen 3 or SATA
Use case: NAS and enterprise drives have price premiums

This guide breaks down exactly what you'll pay at each capacity and helps you find the best value.

Complete Storage Cost Breakdown

Capacity	SSD Cost	HDD Cost	Best Value?	Ideal For
500GB	$35-50	$30-40	SSD	Budget laptops, light use
1TB	$50-80	$40-50	SSD ★	Gaming, general use
2TB	$100-180	$55-70	SSD ★★	Sweet spot for most users
4TB	$200-350	$70-100	Depends	Enthusiast, content creators
8TB	$500-800	$120-160	HDD ★	NAS, media storage
12TB	Rare	$180-220	HDD ★★	NAS, servers, bulk storage
16TB	Very Rare	$250-300	HDD ★★	Best $/TB for HDD
20TB+	N/A	$350-500	HDD only	Maximum capacity needs

★ = Best value at this capacity. Prices are typical ranges as of February 2026. See tables below for live pricing.

How Much Is 1TB of Storage?

1TB SSD: $50-80 — This is the minimum we recommend for a modern system. Budget NVMe drives (Crucial P3, WD Blue SN580) start around $50. Premium drives (Samsung 990 Pro) cost $70-80 at 1TB.

1TB HDD: $40-50 — Poor value. At this capacity, the small savings over SSD isn't worth the massive speed loss. Only buy a 1TB HDD for external backup purposes.

Recommendation: Buy an SSD. The ~$10-20 premium over HDD is absolutely worth it at 1TB. See all 1TB drives.

How Much Is 2TB of Storage?

2TB SSD: $100-180 — The sweet spot for most users. Budget options (Crucial P3 Plus, Kingston NV2) hit $100-120. Mid-range (Crucial T500, WD SN850X) run $130-160. Premium (Samsung 990 Pro) costs $160-180.

2TB HDD: $55-70 — Still not great value per TB, but acceptable for secondary storage or backup drives. Consumer drives (Seagate Barracuda, WD Blue) are in this range.

Recommendation: 2TB SSD is our top pick for primary storage. Great balance of capacity, performance, and value. See all 2TB drives.

How Much Is 4TB of Storage?

4TB SSD: $200-350 — Good for enthusiasts and content creators. Budget drives available around $200-250. Premium drives (Samsung 990 Pro 4TB) cost $300-350. This is where SSD prices start to feel expensive.

4TB HDD: $70-100 — Now HDDs start making sense. A 4TB HDD costs roughly the same as a 1TB SSD. Good for secondary storage, game libraries (store games you're not playing), and NAS.

Recommendation: Consider your use case. SSD for primary/active storage, HDD for bulk/secondary. A common setup: 2TB SSD + 4TB HDD. See all 4TB drives.

How Much Is 8TB+ of Storage?

8TB SSD: $500-800 — Expensive. Only buy if you need SSD speed for large datasets (video editing, professional work). Most users should combine smaller SSD + larger HDD.

8TB HDD: $120-160 — Sweet spot begins. At ~$17/TB, 8TB drives offer good value for NAS, Plex servers, and bulk storage. Seagate IronWolf and WD Red Plus are popular at this capacity.

12-18TB HDD: $180-300 — Best value per TB for HDDs (~$14-17/TB). This is the optimal range for NAS builders looking to maximize storage affordably. Enterprise drives (Seagate Exos, WD Ultrastar) often hit $13-15/TB.

Recommendation: 12-18TB HDDs offer the best cost per terabyte. See NAS drives or largest drives available.

Current Storage Prices — Live Data

See exactly what storage costs right now. Sorted by $/TB (best value first). Prices from Amazon, updated hourly.

Product	Capacity	Price	$ / TB	Price Drop	Brand	Interface
myVolts Step-Up USB-C to 5V DC Power Tip Compatible with LaCie Rugged 8TB RAID Shuttle External Hard Drive	8.00 TB	$19.99	$2.50	+0%	MyVolts	USB
MyVolts 12V Power Supply Adaptor Compatible with Western Digital Easystore 8TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive - US Plug	8.00 TB	$20.49	$2.56	+0%	MyVolts	USB
myVolts Step-Up USB-C to 12V DC Power Tip Compatible with LaCie d2 USB 3.0 Thunderbolt 6TB External Hard Drive	6.00 TB	$19.99	$3.33	+0%	MyVolts	USB
myVolts Step-Up USB-C to 5V DC Power Tip Compatible with LaCie Rugged RAID 4TB Thunderbolt USB 3.0 External Hard Drive	4.00 TB	$19.99	$5.00	+0%	MyVolts	USB
myVolts Step-Up USB-C to 12V DC Power Tip Compatible with LaCie d2 USB 3.0 Thunderbolt 3TB External Hard Drive	3.00 TB	$19.99	$6.66	+0%	MyVolts	USB
MyVolts 5V Power Supply Adaptor Compatible with LaCie Rugged RAID 4TB Thunderbolt USB 3.0 External Hard Drive - US Plug - with Extension and Inline Switch	4.00 TB	$31.99	$8.00	+0%	MyVolts	USB
Lacdo Hard Carrying Case for Samsung T5 EVO Portable SSD 2TB 4TB 8TB USB 3.2 Gen 1 External Solid State Drive Hard EVA Shockproof Water-Resistant Protective Storage Travel Bag, Black	2.00 TB	$16.99	$8.50	+0%	Lacdo	USB
Lacdo Hard Drive Carrying Case for LaCie Rugged Mini/Rugged Thunderbolt USB 3.0 2.0 USB-C External Hard Drive Portable HDD 1TB 2TB 4TB 5TB EVA Shockproof Protective Storage Holder Travel Bag, Black	1.00 TB	$9.99	$9.99	+0%	Lacdo	USB
Lacdo Hard Carrying Case for SanDisk Extreme Pro/SanDisk Extreme Portable External SSD 500GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB USB-C Solid State Drive EVA Shockproof Water Repellent Protective Storage Travel Bag, Black	1.00 TB	$9.99	$9.99	+0%	Lacdo	USB
Lacdo Hard Drive Carrying Case for Western Digital WD Elements/WD My Passport/My Passport Ultra Portable External Hard Drive HDD 1TB 2TB 4TB 5TB 6TB USB 3.0 Protective Storage Travel Bag, Black	1.00 TB	$9.99	$9.99	+0%	Lacdo	USB
MyVolts 12V Power Supply Adaptor Compatible with LaCie d2 USB 3.0 Thunderbolt 3TB External Hard Drive - US Plug - with Extension and Inline Switch	3.00 TB	$30.99	$10.33	+0%	MyVolts	USB
Genuine 16-100745-01 UCS-SD38TBKS4-EV 3.8TB SATA 6Gb/s Enterprise Value 2.5'' SSD MZ-7LM3T8N Original	38.00 TB	$399.00	$10.50	+0%	Genuine Original	SATA
Solid State Drive KFV6T 0KFV6T CN-0KFV6T Compatible Replacement Spare Part for Dell SK Hynix BC711 HFM256GD3GX013N 256GB M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 SSD	6.00 TB	$63.95	$10.66	+0%	Generic	NVMe
PNY 128GB Turbo Attaché 3 USB 3.0 Flash Drive 5-Pack – Grey, P-FD128X5TBOP-MP, 100MB/s, Light-Weight Durable - Data Storage and Transfer	5.00 TB	$54.99	$11.00	+0%	PNY	USB
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 3TB 7200RPM 128MB Cache SAS 6Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MD3TSAS12872E) - [ NOT a SATA HDD ] (Renewed)	3.00 TB	$33.99	$11.33	+13%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
Seagate Constellation 3TB ES.2 ST33000650SS 3.5in Enterprise SAS Hard Drive (Renewed)	3.00 TB	$34.90	$11.63	+0%	Seagate	SAS
Dell 6TB 7.2K 6Gbps NL SAS 3.5 HDD (NWCCG) (Renewed)	6.00 TB	$69.99	$11.67	+0%	Dell	SAS
Seagate 3TB Enterprise Capacity SAS 6Gb/s 128MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive (ST3000NM0023) (Renewed)	3.00 TB	$35.00	$11.67	+0%	Seagate	SAS
Seagate ST3000NM0023 3TB SAS 3.5 6GBPS 7.2K	3.00 TB	$36.00	$12.00	+0%	Seagate	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 2TB 7200RPM 128MB Cache SAS 6Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MD2TSAS12872E) - [NOT a SATA HDD] (Renewed)	2.00 TB	$24.99	$12.50	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
HGST 4TB 7.2K 12G LFF SAS Hard Drive (Renewed)	4.00 TB	$49.99	$12.50	+0%	HGST	SAS
Lacdo Hard Carrying Case for Seagate Barracuda Fast SSD/Game Drive for Xbox SSD, LaCie Portable SSD External Solid State Drive Portable 500GB 1TB 2TB USB 3.0 Shockproof Storage Travel Bag, Black	1.00 TB	$12.99	$12.99	+0%	Lacdo	USB
Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD (Constellation ES) 4TB 7200RPM 6Gbps SAS 128 MB Cache Internal Bare Drive ST4000NM0023 (Renewed)	4.00 TB	$53.00	$13.25	+0%	Seagate	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 6TB 7200RPM 128MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MD6TSAS12872E) - [NOT a SATA HDD] (Renewed)	6.00 TB	$79.99	$13.33	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
Seagate Expansion 26TB USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive STKP26000400 Black	26.00 TB	$349.99	$13.46	+0%	Seagate	USB
HP 4TB 6G SAS 7.2KRPM LFF HDD 695510-B21	4.00 TB	$55.00	$13.75	+0%	HP	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD 18TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD18TSAS25672E) - [Not a SATA HDD] (Renewed)	18.00 TB	$249.99	$13.89	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
HP 695842-001 4TB 6G SAS 7.2KRPM LFF HD	4.00 TB	$55.99	$14.00	+0%	HP	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 22TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD22TSAS25672E) - [NOT a SATA HDD] (Renewed)	22.00 TB	$309.99	$14.09	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
Dell DRMYH-CML COMPELLENT 4TB NL SAS 3.5 Drive (Renewed)	4.00 TB	$56.39	$14.10	+0%	Dell	SAS
MOVE SPEED External Hard Drive with Touchscreen, Up to 10Gbps Portable SSD, USB-C 3.2 Gen2, Compatible with iPhone, Windows, Mac & More (ST10,1TB)	10.10 TB	$142.99	$14.16	+0%	MOVE SPEED	USB
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD 18TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD18TSAS25672E) - [Not a SATA HDD]	18.00 TB	$259.99	$14.44	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 22TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD22TSAS25672E) - [NOT a SATA HDD]	22.00 TB	$319.99	$14.55	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
WD Easystore 14TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive - Black WDBAMA0140HBK-NESN	14.00 TB	$205.87	$14.71	+0%	External	USB
WD 16TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 for plug-and-play storage - WDBWLG0160HBK-NESN	16.00 TB	$239.00	$14.94	-20%	WD	USB
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 6TB 7200RPM 128MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MD6TSAS12872E) - [NOT a SATA HDD] (Renewed)	6.00 TB	$89.95	$14.99	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
Hpe ST31000640SS 1TB 7.2K DP LFF SAS Hard Drive	1.00 TB	$14.99	$14.99	+0%	HEWLETT PACKARD	SAS
Seagate Constellation 3TB ES.2 ST33000650SS 3.5" Enterprise SAS Hard Drive	3.00 TB	$45.00	$15.00	+0%	Seagate	SAS
Dell 529FG 4TB 7.2K 3.5 SAS 6GBPS Hard Drive (Renewed)	4.00 TB	$60.00	$15.00	+0%	Dell	SAS
Avolusion PRO-G2 18TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) External Hard Drive for Windows/MacOS (Silver)	18.00 TB	$269.99	$15.00	+0%	Avolusion	USB
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD 10TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD10TSAS25672E) - [NOT a SATA HDD] (Renewed)	10.00 TB	$149.99	$15.00	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
Lunchbox II SATA SSD Case, Compatibel with Atomos Ninja V, V+, Ninja Flame, Ninja Inferno, Shogun Inferno, for 860 EVO/QVO 1/2TB, 870 EVO/QVO 1/2TB SSD	2.00 TB	$29.99	$15.00	+0%	MUNYEAH	SATA
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 22TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5'' Internal NAS Hard Drive - 5 Years Warranty (Renewed)	22.00 TB	$329.99	$15.00	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Genuine HUS724030ALS640 3TB 7.2K 6G LFF SAS Drive Original	3.00 TB	$45.39	$15.13	+0%	Genuine Original	SAS
compatily LX23 36TB Portable (Dual 18TB) HDDs, USB-C 10Gbps External Hard Drive for Photos, Video, Game Storage (Renewed)	36.00 TB	$549.99	$15.28	+0%	compatily	USB
compatily LX23 32TB Portable (Dual 16TB) HDDs, USB-C 10Gbps External Hard Drive for Photos, Video, Game Storage (Renewed)	32.00 TB	$489.99	$15.31	+0%	compatily	USB
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 20TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD20TSAS25672E) - [NOT a SATA HDD]	20.00 TB	$309.99	$15.50	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 20TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD20TSAS25672E) - [NOT a SATA HDD] (Renewed)	20.00 TB	$309.99	$15.50	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD (MD18TSATA25672NAS) 18TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal NAS Hard Drive - 5 Years Warranty (Renewed)	18.00 TB	$279.99	$15.56	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
compatily LX23 44TB Portable (Dual 22TB) HDDs, USB-C 10Gbps External Hard Drive for Photos, Video, Game Storage (Renewed)	44.00 TB	$689.99	$15.68	+0%	compatily	USB
MDD (MDD22TS25672NAS) 22TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal NAS Hard Drive - 5 Years Warranty (Renewed)	22.00 TB	$349.99	$15.91	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Lacdo Hard Carrying Case for Samsung T7 Shield/Samsung T7 / Touch Portable Solid State Drives 500GB 1TB 2TB 4TB USB 3.2 External SSD Hard EVA Shockproof Storage Travel Bag, Black+Black	1.00 TB	$15.99	$15.99	+0%	Lacdo	USB
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD (MDD18TS25672CCTV) 18TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Surveillance Hard Drive - 3 Years Warranty (Renewed)	18.00 TB	$289.99	$16.11	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 8TB 7200RPM 128MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MD8TSAS12872E) - [NOT a SATA HDD]	8.00 TB	$129.99	$16.25	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
MDD 16TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (Renewed)	16.00 TB	$259.99	$16.25	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
MDD 14TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA Internal Hard Drive - 3 Years Warranty (Renewed)	14.00 TB	$229.99	$16.43	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Seagate Exos ST28000NM000C 28TB 7.2K RPM SATA 6Gb/s 512e CMR 3.5in Hard Drive	28.00 TB	$459.99	$16.43	+0%	Seagate	SATA
HP MB3000GBKAC 3TB 7.2K 3.5 6G SATA HTPLG MDL HDD SMART (Renewed)	3.00 TB	$49.99	$16.66	+0%	HP	SATA
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD (MDD18TS25672NAS) 18TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5'' Internal NAS Hard Drive (Renewed)	18.00 TB	$299.99	$16.67	+3%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
AOOSTAR WTR PRO AMD Ryzen 7 5825u 4 Bay NAS Mini PC, NO RAM NO SSD, 4K HDMI, 2 * M.2 NVMe Slots, 2.5/3.5 SATAx 4 Storage (Up to 4 * 22TB)	22.00 TB	$369.00	$16.77	+0%	AOOSTAR	NVMe
DELL 1P7DP dell 2TB 3.5 7200RPM SAS 6Gb/s Enterpise Internal Hard Drive (Renewed)	2.00 TB	$34.00	$17.00	+0%	Dell	SAS
MDD MDD (MDD20TSATA25672E) 20TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive - 5 Years Warranty (Renewed)	20.00 TB	$339.99	$17.00	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
MDD 10TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SAS 12.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Enterprise Hard Drive (MDD10TSAS25672E) - [NOT A SATA HDD]	10.00 TB	$169.99	$17.00	+6%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD (MD20TSATA25672NAS) 20TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal NAS Hard Drive - 5 Years Warranty (Renewed)	20.00 TB	$339.99	$17.00	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC530 WUH721414ALN604 0F31102 14TB 7.2K RPM SATA 6Gb/s 4Kn Power Disable HDD (Renewed)	14.00 TB	$239.99	$17.14	+0%	Western Digital	SATA
Western Digital DC HC550 18TB 512MB SATA Ultra SE NP3	18.00 TB	$309.00	$17.17	+0%	Western Digital	SATA
MDD (MDD18TSATA25672DVR) 18TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Surveillance Hard Drive - 3 Years Warranty	18.00 TB	$309.99	$17.22	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
WD 20TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 drive for plug-and-play storage - WDBWLG0200HBK-NESN	20.00 TB	$349.00	$17.45	+0%	WD	USB
(Old Model) Seagate 8TB NAS HDD SATA 6Gb/s NCQ 256 MB Cache Bare Drive ST8000VN0002	8.00 TB	$141.00	$17.63	+0%	Seagate	SATA
HGST/WD WUH721414AL5204 3.5" 14TB SAS 12Gb/s 7.2K 512M 0F31052 512e SE (He14) HDD (Renewed)	14.00 TB	$250.00	$17.86	+0%	HGST	SAS
HGST Ultrastar HUS723030ALS640 3TB 7200RPM SAS 6Gbps 3.5-inch 64MB Cache Enterprise Internal Bare or OEM Hard Disk Drives (Renewed)	3.00 TB	$54.00	$18.00	+0%	Hitachi	SAS
MDD (MD16TSATA25672NAS) 16TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal NAS Hard Drive - 5 Years Warranty (Renewed)	16.00 TB	$289.99	$18.12	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD 16TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for Surveillance Storage (MD16TGSA25672DVR) - 3 Years Warranty (Renewed)	16.00 TB	$289.99	$18.12	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
MDD (MDD16TSATA25672DVR) 16TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Surveillance Hard Drive - 3 Years Warranty (Renewed)	16.00 TB	$289.99	$18.12	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Western Digital HGST Ultrastar He10 HUH721008AL5204 8 TB Hard Drive - 3.5" Internal - SAS (12Gb/s SAS) - 7200rpm - 256 MB Buffer - 5 Year Warranty	8.00 TB	$145.00	$18.13	+0%	Western Digital	SAS
Avolusion PRO-G2 22TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) USB-C External Hard Drive for Windows/MacOS (Silver)	22.00 TB	$399.99	$18.18	+0%	Avolusion	USB
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA (MD6TB6472E) 6TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5'' Helium Platform Enterprise Hard Drive - w/3 Year Warranty (Renewed)	6.00 TB	$109.99	$18.33	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Avolusion PRO-G2 20TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) USB-C External Hard Drive for Windows/MacOS (Silver)	20.00 TB	$369.99	$18.50	+0%	Avolusion	USB
HGST Ultrastar He8 HUH728080AL5200 \| 0F23268 \| 8TB 7.2K RPM 128MB Cache SAS 12Gb/s 512E 3.5" Helium Platform Enterprise Hard Drive Bare Drive	8.00 TB	$149.00	$18.63	+0%	Western Digital	SAS
SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY ST4000NM0023 HDD 4TB 7200RPM SAS 128MB (Renewed)	4.00 TB	$75.00	$18.75	+0%	Seagate	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA (MDD16TSATA25672DVR 16TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal Surveillance Hard Drive - 3 Years Warranty (Renewed)	16.00 TB	$299.99	$18.75	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Seagate Constellation ES 4TB 7200RPM 6Gb/s SAS 128 MB Cache 3.5 Inch Self Encrypting FIPS 140-2 Internal Hard Drive ST4000NM0063 (Renewed)	4.00 TB	$75.00	$18.75	+0%	Seagate	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD 16TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for Surveillance Storage (MD16TGSA25672DVR) - 3 Years Warranty (Renewed)	16.00 TB	$299.99	$18.75	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD (MDD10TSATA25672NAS) 10TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5inch Internal NAS Hard Drive (Renewed)	10.00 TB	$188.99	$18.90	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 6TB 7200RPM 128MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive (Enterprise Grade) (Renewed)	6.00 TB	$113.99	$19.00	+4%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD (MDD10TSATA25672E) 10TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5inch Enterprise Hard Drive (Renewed)	10.00 TB	$189.99	$19.00	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Western Digital 22TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 external hard drive for plug-and-play storage - WDBWLG0220HBK-NESN	22.00 TB	$419.99	$19.09	+0%	WD	USB
HGST 12TB Ultrastar DC HC520 SATA 6Gb/s 7200RPM 3.5-inch 256MB Cache HUH721212ALE604 0F29592, with Power Disable Feature (Renewed)	12.00 TB	$229.95	$19.16	+1%	HGST	SATA
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA (MDD12TSATA25672E) 12TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Enterprise Hard Drive (Renewed)	12.00 TB	$229.95	$19.16	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Seagate Exos 7E8 6TB 7200 RPM 512e SAS 12Gb/s 256MB Cache 3.5-Inch Enterprise Hard Drive - ST6000NM0095 (Renewed)	6.00 TB	$115.00	$19.17	+0%	Seagate	SAS
Western Digital 12TB Ultrastar DC HC520 SATA HDD - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 256MB Cache, 3.5" - HUH721212ALE604 (Renewed)	12.00 TB	$229.99	$19.17	+0%	Western Digital	SATA
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA MDD (MDD12TSATA25672NAS) 12TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5'' Internal NAS Hard Drive - 5 Years Warranty (Renewed)	12.00 TB	$229.99	$19.17	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
MDD (MDD12TSATA25672DVR) 12TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Surveillance Hard Drive - 3 Years Warranty (Renewed)	12.00 TB	$229.99	$19.17	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Seagate Exos x12 12TB SATA 6Gb/s 256MB Cache Enterprise Hard Drive 3.5in (ST12000NM0007) (Renewed)	12.00 TB	$229.99	$19.17	+0%	Seagate	SATA
Toshiba MG08ACA16TE 16TB 7200RPM 512e 3.5" SATA Enterprise Desktop Hard Drive (Renewed)	16.00 TB	$309.99	$19.37	+0%	TOSHIBA	SATA
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 2021 MDD (MDD10TSATA25672NAS) 10TB 7200RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal NAS Hard Drive (Renewed)	10.00 TB	$194.99	$19.50	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
DELL 12GYY Dell 4TB 3.5' 7.2K NL SAS 6Gbs HDD (Renewed)	4.00 TB	$79.00	$19.75	+0%	Dell	SAS
MDD MAXDIGITALDATA 2022 10TB 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive (Renewed)	10.00 TB	$198.99	$19.90	+0%	MDD MAXDIGITALDATA	SATA
Seagate Exos x12 12TB SATA 6Gb/s 256MB Cache Enterprise Hard Drive 3.5in (ST12000NM0127) (Renewed)	12.00 TB	$238.99	$19.92	+4%	Seagate	SATA
HGST 0F31284 3.5inch 14TB 7200RPM 512MB SATA 6Gb/s 512e SE Ultrastar DC HC530 (Renewed)	14.00 TB	$279.59	$19.97	+0%	HGST	SATA

Storage Cost Trends & History

Storage costs have plummeted over decades:

1980: $100,000+ per GB (hard drives were measured in MB)
2000: $10 per GB
2010: $0.10 per GB ($100/TB)
2020: $0.02-0.03 per GB ($20-30/TB for HDD)
2026: $0.015-0.05 per GB ($15-50/TB depending on type)

Current trend: SSD prices dropped 30-40% from 2023 peaks due to NAND oversupply. HDD prices are stable. Both are at or near historic lows — great time to buy.

How to Get the Best Storage Value

Buy the Right Capacity

$/TB improves at higher capacities (up to a point). Don't buy 1TB if 2TB only costs 50% more. Sweet spots: 2TB for SSD, 12-18TB for HDD.

Capacity Strategy

Match Tech to Use Case

Don't pay SSD prices for archive storage. Don't suffer HDD speeds for your boot drive. Use SSD for active data, HDD for cold storage.

Right Tool for Job

Skip Unnecessary Premiums

NAS drives for single-drive use? Overkill. Samsung when Crucial performs the same? Brand tax. Match features to your actual needs.

Avoid Overpaying

Watch for Sales

Prime Day and Black Friday offer 20-40% discounts. But don't wait months if you need storage now — current prices are already excellent.

Timing

Frequently Asked Questions About Storage Costs

How much does 1TB of storage cost?

1TB SSD costs $50-80. 1TB HDD costs $40-50. At this capacity, we strongly recommend SSD — the small price premium gets you 5-50x faster speeds, better durability, and silent operation. Budget NVMe SSDs like Crucial P3 or WD Blue SN580 offer 1TB for around $50, making them excellent value.

How much does 2TB of storage cost?

2TB SSD costs $100-180. 2TB HDD costs $55-70. 2TB is the sweet spot for SSD storage — best balance of capacity, performance, and value. Budget SSDs (Crucial P3 Plus) start around $100. Premium drives (Samsung 990 Pro) run $160-180. For most users, we recommend a 2TB SSD as your primary drive.

How much does 4TB of storage cost?

4TB SSD costs $200-350. 4TB HDD costs $70-100. At 4TB, the price gap widens significantly. SSDs make sense for active storage needs (content creation, large game libraries). HDDs become competitive for secondary storage. A popular setup: 2TB SSD for OS/apps/active games + 4TB HDD for archives and overflow.

Why are SSDs more expensive than HDDs?

SSDs use flash memory chips, which cost more to produce than HDD platters. HDDs are 70-year-old technology with mature, cheap manufacturing. SSDs offer dramatically better performance (5-50x faster), durability (no moving parts), and efficiency (less power, no noise), which justifies the premium. The gap has narrowed significantly — SSDs cost only 3-4x more per TB now vs 10x+ a few years ago.

What's the cheapest way to get a lot of storage?

High-capacity HDDs (12-18TB) offer the lowest cost per terabyte at $13-17/TB. Enterprise drives like Seagate Exos or WD Ultrastar often hit $13-15/TB. Consumer NAS drives (IronWolf, Red Plus) run slightly higher. For pure capacity, nothing beats high-capacity HDDs. "Shucking" external drives can sometimes yield even better prices. See our largest drives guide.

Are storage prices going up or down?

Currently stable to declining. SSD prices dropped significantly in 2023-2024 due to NAND oversupply and remain at historic lows. HDD prices are stable. Long-term trends show continuous cost reduction (storage gets cheaper every year). Short-term fluctuations happen, but waiting rarely saves significant money. Current prices are excellent — buy when you need storage.