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Most of us have had a data scare—or worse lost data. If lucky, we can retrieve some but once it’s gone, it’s gone. The best way to make sure all your photos, videos, documents, and other files are safe is to use an external hard drive.
We are going to compare two external drives from Western Digital, the WD Easystore vs WD My Passport. We will look at all of the different features in the series such as the design, storage capacities, and software. You will be able to find a comparison chart for a quick recap of the specifications. We will finish up with some pros and cons and our final verdict.
There are just a couple of similarities between the WD Easystore and the WD My Passport. We will start by looking at these.
WD Easystore vs My Passport – Similarities
Quick Glance
The side-by-side chart below will give you the chance to review the specifics of the WD Easystore and the WD My Passport.
WD Easystore |
WD My Passport |
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| Images |  |
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| Size | 4.33 x 3.21 x 0.5 inches (1TB-2TB) | 4.33 x 3.21 x 0.64 inches (1TB) |
| Weight | 4.64oz (1TB-2TB) | 5.92oz (1TB) |
| Size | 4.33 x 3.21 x 0.83 inches (3TB-4TB) | 4.33 x 3.21 x 0.85 inches (2TB-4TB) |
| Weight | 8.16oz (4TB-5TB) | 8.64oz (2TB-4TB) |
| Color | Black | Black, black and gray, red, white, blue, orange, yellow |
| Storage Capacities | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 5TB | 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB |
| USB | 3.0 Type-A and 2.0 | 3.0 Type-A and 2.0 |
| Compatibility | Formatted NTFS for Windows 8 and 10, reformatting required for other OS. | Formatted NTFS for Windows 7, 8 and 10, Vista and XP (64-bit), reformatting required for other OS. |
| Plug and Play | Yes | Yes |
| WD Backup Software | Yes | Yes |
| WD Discovery | Yes | Yes |
| WD Security | No | Yes |
| What’s Included | USB cable, quick installation guide, WD software | 3.0 USB cable, quick installation guide, WD software |
| Warranty | 2 years worldwide | 2 years limited worldwide |
| Price |
Hard Drive Interface
You can connect the WD Easystore and the WD My Passport with the 3.0 Type-A USB cable that is included with the hard drives. They will also work with a 2.0 USB but for faster data transfer, the 3.0 is optimal.
Plug and Play
These are all incredibly simple hard drives to use. The WD Easystore and the WD My Passport are all Plug and Play.
Warranty
You get a 2-year worldwide warranty with the WD Easystore and the WD My Passport. The WD My Passport is listed as a limited warranty.
There are plenty of differences between the WD Easystore and the WD My Passport, which we will look at now.
Differences Between WD Easystore and WD My Passport
Appearance
The hard drives are very similar in size and weight, but one range is a little more stylish.
WD Easystore
There are two different sizes, 4.33 x 3.21 x 0.5 inches and 4.33 x 3.21 x 0.83 inches. The smaller weighs 4.64 ounces and the larger 8.16 ounces. All of the hard drives are black.
WD My Passport
There are very slight differences in the thicknesses. They are all 4.33 x 3.21 inches but the smaller is 0.64 inches thick and the thicker is 0.85 inches. The weight difference ranges from 5.92 ounces to 8.64 ounces. You can buy them in black, black and gray, red, white, blue, orange, and yellow.
The Winner Is- The WD My Passport
Read next – WD Elements vs My Passport: Which External Portable Drives are Better?
Storage Capacities
There are 4 different storage capacities with each series.
WD Easystore
It comes in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 5TB.
WD My Passport
There is a 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB hard drive.
The Winner Is- A Tie
Read next – WD Elements vs WD Easystore: Which External Portable Drives are Better?
Compatibility
You can use the hard drives with PCs, laptops, and video consoles. You need to check your operating system.
WD Easystore
They are formatted NTFS for Windows 8 and 10. For other operating systems, you can reformat the hard drive.
WD My Passport
Again, they are formatted NTFS for Windows but with more options. They are out of the box ready for Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista, and Windows XP but the 64-bit version. You can reformat the hard drives for other operating systems.
The Winner Is- The WD My Passport
Read next – WD My Book vs WD Easystore: Which External Portable Drives are Better?
WD Software
With Western Digital software, you can do more with your external hard drives. Some software is the same, but one has a significant advantage.
WD Easystore
WD Backup makes it easy to set up automatic backups for your files on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. WD Discovery is the software that lets you access cloud storage services.
WD My Passport
It comes with WD Backup and WD Discovery. What’s better is that it also comes with WD security so you can use password protection and it has 256-bit AES hardware encryption, so you know your data is safe.
The Winner Is- The WD My Passport
Read next – WD My Book vs WD My Passport: Which External Portable Drives are Better?
Pros and Cons
We have included some pros and cons of the WD Easystore and the WD My Passport to get a complete overview of the external hard drives.
WD Easystore
Pros:
- Good reliability
- Reformatting the hard drives is straightforward
- It’s super easy to use
Cons:
- It should come with security software for the price
WD My Passport
Pros:
- It’s a fun series with nice bright colors
- Good transfer speeds
- It works very well with Mac
Cons:
- The software could be better
The Final Verdict
The WD Easystore and the WD My Passport are incredibly easy to use and even if you do have to format the drives, the instructions are simple to follow. We felt like the range of storage capacities was enough for most people’s use. The sizes are also great for portability. The transfer speeds were also impressive.
Unless you really need 5TB, we felt the WD My Passport is the better series of external hard drives. The colors are good fun, but the security is the most important. Regardless of what you are storing on your hard drive, you need to know that it is safe. Finally, when comparing the price of the 1TB hard drives, the WD Passport is only a little more expensive, but for peace of mind, definitely worth it.