Table of Contents
While most of us take advantage of some free cloud storage, this space quickly gets used up. For all of your other valuable documents, photos, videos and music, an external hard drive provides the added space and peace of mind.
Western Digital is synonymous with hard drives. We will look at two series, the WD Elements vs WD My Book. We will compare all of their features such as ease of use, storage capacity and software. After a side-by-side chart for a quick review, we will add some pros and cons to decide which series is the best.
There aren’t many similarities between the WD Elements and the WD My Book. We will start with these features.
WD Elements vs WD My Book – Similarities
Quick Glance
The following comparison chart has all of the features of the WD Elements and the WD My Book side by side.
WD Elements |
WD My Book |
|
| Image |  |
 |
| Size | 4.35 x 3.23 x 0.59 inches (500GB-1TB) | 5.5 x 6.7 x 1.9 inches (3TB) |
| Weight | 4.64oz (500GB-1TB) | 34.08oz (3TB) |
| Size | 4.4 x 3.2 x 0.82 inches (1.5TB- 4TB) | 5.48 x 6.72 x 1.93 inches (18TB) |
| Weight | 4.8oz (1.5TB- 4TB) | 35.2oz (2TB-4TB) |
| Color | Black | Black |
| Storage Capacities | 500GB, 750GB, 1TB, 1.5TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB | 3TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB, 16TB, 18TB |
| USB | 3.0 Type A and 2.0 | 3.0 Type A and 2.0 |
| Compatibility | Formatted NTFS for Windows 7, 8 and 10, Vista and XP (64-bit), reformatting required for other OS. | Formatted for Windows 7, 8 and 10, MacOS Catalina, Mojave or High Sierra, reformatting required for other OS. |
| RAID-optimized | No | Yes |
| Plug and Play | Yes | Yes |
| WD Software | No | WD Backup, WD Discovery, WD Security and WD Drive Utilities |
| What’s Included | USB cable, quick installation guide | 3.0 USB cable, quick installation guide, software, AC adapter |
| Warranty | 2 years limited worldwide, 3 years China | 3 years worldwide |
| Price |
Hard Drive Interface
The WD Elements and the WD My Book have USB 3.0 ports for fast data transfer. The USB 3.0 cable is included; however, they are also compatible with USB 2.0.
Plug and Play
You don’t need to have any technical knowledge as the WD Elements and the WD My Book are both Plug and Play. All you need to do is plug it into your device to start saving files.
Now let’s move on to the differences between the WD Elements and the WD My Book.
Differences Between WD Elements and WD My Book
Appearance
Both hard drive series come in black, but the similarities end there.
WD Elements
The smallest in the series is 4.35 x 3.23 x 0.59 inches and weighs 4.64 ounces. The largest is 4.4 x 3.2 x 0.82 inches and weighs just 4.82 ounces. This makes all of them portable.
WD My Book
The smallest is 5.5 x 6.7 x 1.9 inches and weighs 34.08 ounces. The largest is similar in size at 5.48 x 6.72 x 1.93 inches but weighs a little more at 35.2 ounces. Aside from the weight, this series needs to be connected to a power source, so practically not portable.
The Winner Is- The WD Elements
Read next – WD My Book vs WD Easystore: Which External Portable Drives are Better?
Storage Capacity
Between the two series, there is a storage capacity for everyone!
WD Elements
You can choose from 500GB, 750GB, 1TB, 1.5TB, 2TB, 3TB and 4TB.
WD My Book
The smallest starts at 3TB, then you have 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB, 16TB and 18TB. The WD My Book Duo range has capacities up to 28TB.
The Winner Is- A Tie
Read next – WD My Book vs WD My Passport: Which External Portable Drives are Better?
Compatibility
Be sure to check your operating system before making a purchase or be prepared to format the hard drives.
WD Elements
This series is formatted NTFS for Windows 7, 8, 10, Windows Vista and Windows XP (64-bit). For other operating systems, you will need to follow the instructions to format the hard drive.
WD My Book
Out of the box, it is ready for Windows 8 and 10, MacOS Catalina, Mojave and High Sierra. Again, for other operating systems, you will need to format them.
The Winner Is- The WD My Book
Read next – WD Elements vs WD Easystore: Which External Portable Drives are Better?
RAID-optimized
RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks that combines multiple disk drive components in one or more units
WD Elements
These hard drives are not RAID-optimized.
WD My Book
If you choose one of the WD My Book Duo hard drives, it is RAID-optimized with WD Red Drives for added speed and reliability.
The Winner Is- The WD My Book
Read next – WD Elements vs My Passport: Which External Portable Drives are Better?
WD Software
The software that comes with a hard drive will allow you to do more with it.
WD Elements
There is no software with this hard drive.
WD My Book
WD Backup software lets you set automatic schedules to back up your files, choosing a time and frequency. With WD Discovery, you can connect to your favorite social media and cloud storage services. WD Security enables password protection and 256-bit AES hardware encryption and finally, you can manage your hard drive with WD Utilities
The Winner Is- The WD My Book
Pros and Cons
Before the final verdict, we will take a quick look at some pros and cons of the WD Elements and the WD My Book.
WD My Elements
Pros:
- It is significantly cheaper
- Works well with PlayStation and Xbox
- It’s very easy to use
Cons:
- Lacking some basic security software
WD My Book
Pros:
- Faster transfer speeds than expected
- It doesn’t overheat
- It is compatible with Smart TVs
Cons:
- For the price, you would expect at least an activity light
The Final Verdict
Your choice may come down to the storage capacity you require. If you don’t have a lot of important files to save, the WD My Elements is an excellent series with up to 4TB of space, enough for most people. The prices also vary greatly depending on the size of the hard drive. That being said, when looking at the 4TB side by side, they are the same price. Considering all of the software that is included and the extra year on the warranty, we decided that the WD My Book was the better hard drive.