NTFS or exFAT: Which File System Is Better for an External Hard Drive?

Updated by

Linda 

Written by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 19, 2024

"I'm curious about whether to use ExFAT or NTFS, but I can't find a straight answer: which one is better? I know ExFAT is relatively new and primarily intended for external devices like flash drives and USB hard disks. What are the pros and cons of using ExFAT on such devices?"

Running out of disk space again? With limited storage on internal drives, many users rely on external hard drives to store large files or transfer important data between devices. But it's not as simple as buying an external drive and saving your data. If you look at the fine print, you'll see formats like exFAT, NTFS, and more. Disk formatting is a principle of organizing data for a specific operating system.

Which one is better? It depends on your needs – you'll have to format your external hard drive to either NTFS or exFAT. Read on for more details.

Quick navigation:

NTFS for Windows Only
exFAT for Windows and Mac
Which File System to Use for External Hard Drives: NTFS or exFAT?
How to Format an External Hard Drive as NTFS or exFAT

NTFS is available only for Windows.

NTFS (New Technology File System) is the default file system for Windows NT-based environments. It is compatible with operating systems such as Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and various versions of Windows NT. Praised for its improved features, NTFS supplanted the older FAT file system. It supports metadata, advanced data structures, reliability, and efficient disk space utilization. Additionally, it offers extra functionalities like file system encryption, hard links, sparse files, and reparse points.

If you only use Windows, choose NTFS. Macs can usually only read NTFS. Some devices, like the Xbox One and Xbox 360, as well as other media players and printers, also support NTFS. NTFS is an essential file system for Windows, and now that you know more about it, share this article to spread the word!

exFAT for Windows and Mac

exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) is a file system introduced by Microsoft for use with flash memory in Windows Embedded 5.0 and later (including Windows CE 5.0, 6.0, Windows Mobile 5, 6, 6.1).

This system was designed to address the issue of files larger than 4 GB not being supported by FAT32 and other file systems. For flash drives, memory cards, and USB sticks, NTFS is not the ideal file system; exFAT is a better choice.

If you use both Windows and Mac, exFAT is a good choice. It also works with Xbox One and PS4, but not with Xbox 360 and PS3. The downside to exFAT is its lack of journaling.

After you have grasped the basics, we will proceed to give you more information about NTFS and exFAT. Plus, we will also recommend a professional formatting tool to help you out. Read on.

Should an external hard drive be formatted as NTFS or exFAT?

With the basics of NTFS and exFAT in mind, let's see which format is better for an external hard drive.

Compatibility

As mentioned, NTFS is only compatible with Windows. Choose this if you'll only be using the external hard drive on Windows and don't care about other devices. If your new hard drive is formatted to NTFS by default, you don't need to reformat it. On the other hand, exFAT works with Windows, macOS, Android, smart TVs, cameras, and more. Pick this based on your current operating system.

Data Security

The only downside of exFAT is the lack of logging, which makes data corruption more likely, for example, in case of a sudden power loss leading to lost files. NTFS has logging, which prevents file corruption in case of power issues.

NTFS has the ability to encrypt files by default, while exFAT requires manual encryption.

Storage Limits

In theory, exFAT supports unlimited storage and larger files, but since NTFS is primarily used for Windows, it's not as good at file management, which is why it has the 16 TB limit.

How to Format an External Hard Drive to NTFS or exFAT

Have you decided which format you want to choose? If so, you can choose from two methods below to perform the conversion.

How to format an external hard drive to NTFS

Now, you can download a simple formatting tool – AOMEI Partition Assistant Free. It allows you to format external hard drive to NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4. It is a formatting solution for internal/external hard drives, SD cards, flash memory, etc.

Download the software and follow the simple instructions.

Step 1: Right-click on the hard drive partition and select the "Format" option.

Step 2: In the new window, assign a volume label, file system, and cluster size for the partition, then click OK.

Step 3: A warning message will appear. Click "Yes" to proceed.

Step 4. Click the "Perform 1 Task" button and then click "Apply" to start formatting the hard drive partition.

How do I format an external HDD to exFAT?

You can also format the external hard drive to exFAT through "Disk Management." Follow these steps:

Press the Windows + X keys and click Disk Management. Right-click the external hard drive you want to format. Select exFAT when the window pops up, then click OK.

If you found this tutorial helpful, please don't forget to share it.

In summary

In this article, we figure out which format to choose for an external hard drive – exFAT or NTFS.

• Suitable for multiple operating systems – go with exFAT.
• Protecting data from accidental damage – choose NTFS (with logging as a checkpoint to restore unsaved data).
• Storage capacity – choose exFAT (but NTFS performs well, too).

In order to format external hard drive quickly and easily, you can use the "Format" feature of AOMEI Partition Assistant to meet your various needs.

Frequently Asked Questions about exFAT or NTFS for External Hard Drive

You might still be confused about formatting an external hard drive to exFAT or NTFS. If you're one of them, refer to the following questions and find the answers:

< strong > Is exFAT slower than NTFS?

Yes, exFAT is generally slower than NTFS. exFAT is faster with small files, and it writes large files at around 15 MB/s. NTFS is slower with small files but is the fastest with large files, capable of speeds up to 25 MB/s.

2. What's the best format for an external drive?

• For Windows PCs, the best format for an external hard drive is NTFS.
• For use with both Windows and Mac, the best format for an external hard drive is exFAT.

3. Is exFAT good for external hard drives?

Certainly. exFAT breaks the partition size limit of FAT32, supporting larger single partitions over 64 GB. It also has good compatibility between Windows and macOS operating systems. exFAT is a good choice for large external hard drives, especially when you need to use the drive on both Windows and Mac computers.