WD My Passport vs. Elements: Which Western Digital Hard Drive Should You Buy?

Key Points

• The WD My Passport and WD Elements Portable have similar storage options and transfer rates, but there are key differences between them.
• The WD My Passport is slightly smaller and lighter than the WD Elements Portable.
• The My Passport drive is compatible with Windows 10+, Chrome OS, and macOS with reformatting, while the Elements drive is only compatible with Windows 10+.
• The WD My Passport offers a three-year limited warranty, while the WD Elements Portable offers a two-year limited warranty.
• The My Passport comes in multiple color options, while the Elements Portable only comes in black.

Western Digital is one of the most prominent names in the hard drive business today. From its solid state drives (SSDs) to its hard disk drives (HDDs) to its USB flash drives and beyond, WD has a storage solution for practically every need imaginable. This includes portable HDDs. Two of the most popular products under this umbrella are the WD My Passport and the WD Elements Portable. How do these two compare to one another? And which is best? Let’s compare the WD My Passport vs Elements at length below.

WD My Passport vs. Elements: Side By Side Comparison

WD My Passport vs. Elements: What’s the Difference?

Looking at the comparison chart above, it’s clear to see that the WD My Passport vs. Elements have just as much that sets them apart as unites them. Storage options and transfer rates are identical, and several other specs are close enough that they might as well be the same. But, when it comes to finding the right storage solution for you, “close enough” simply won’t cut it. Here are the key differences you need to know about the WD My Passport vs. Elements.

Western Digital WD 1TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive Black

$54.99

• Slim design
• 3-year limited warranty
• Superior password protection
• Six different types

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12/02/2023 04:20 am GMT

Size

The WD My Passport and WD Elements Portable are similar in size and weight, but they’re not quite the same. My Passports measure 4.22 inches long and 2.95 inches across with varying widths depending on the storage size. (All are less than 0.75 inches.) By comparison, Elements Portable drives measure 4.35 inches long and 3.23 inches across. They also range in thickness depending on storage, with the thickest at 0.83 inches.

Weight

Weight is another consideration. WD My Passport vs. Elements drives are both relatively lightweight. However, one drive is slightly lighter overall compared to the other. Once again, we see varying specs depending on how much storage you go with. The lower the storage, the lighter the drive. The heaviest WD My Passport is 0.46 pounds, while the heaviest WD Elements Portable is precisely half a pound. The latter is marginally heavier.

Compatibility

After considering the size and weight of these Western Digital drives, we need to talk about compatibility. These two HDD options from WD offer very different compatibility specs that could have a huge impact on what you ultimately decide. The My Passport drive is compatible with Windows 10+, Chrome OS, and macOS with some reformatting. The Elements drive, on the other hand, is only compatible with Windows 10+ and will require additional reformatting for any other OS.

Warranty

Next, we should consider the kind of warranty you’ll get with your WD HDD. The WD My Passport offers a three-year limited warranty across the full range of sizes and colors. Conversely, the WD Elements Portable offers just a two-year limited warranty. That’s an entire year less than the warranty offered by the My Passport. Most of us expect our HDDs to last a lot longer than just two years. This is a serious advantage on My Passport’s part.

Colors

While color choice might not be the most important spec on your mind when shopping for a new HDD, Western Digital still gives you some solid options to choose from. (Or, at least the My Passport drive does.) The My Passport comes in four different color choices: Black, Blue, Red, and White. You may also be able to find a Navy one floating around online as well. For now, the WD Elements Portable only comes in Black.

Pricing

Lastly, let’s compare pricing. After the amount of storage being offered, price is probably the most vital component in the debate between WD My Passport vs. Elements. My Passports start at $64.99 for the 1 TB option, then increase in price with each additional TB. The 5 TB option is priced at $134.99. On the flip side, Elements Portable HDDs are priced at $54.99 for the 1 TB option and stretch up to $129.99 for the 5 TB option.

Our Pick

Western Digital WD 1TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive, Blue

$67.99

• Small and light design
• SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port
• Software device management
• 256-bit AES hardware encryption

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12/02/2023 04:20 am GMT

5 Must-Know Facts About WD Portable HDDs

• WD’s portable external HDDs come in various storage options. Typically, these options range from 1 TB to 5 TB.
• Both the WD My Passport and Elements drives are compatible with Windows operating systems. However, they will both need to be reformatted for macOS compatibility.
• WD’s My Passport and Elements drives offer transfer speeds of up to 5Gb/s. They connect to devices through USB.
• The WD Elements line is best used for basic storage needs, while the My Passport line is for both storage and security.
• WD also offers a line of solid-state drives (SSDs). These are typically smaller, faster, and more expensive than HDDs by comparison.

The History of Western Digital

Western Digital was founded by Motorola employee Alvin B. Phillips in April of 1970. Originally called the General Digital Corporation, the burgeoning brand changed its name to Western Digital in 1971 with the launch of its very first product: the WD1402A UART. As is often the case with today’s top tech giants, it wasn’t always easy going for WD. In fact, the company almost went under in 1976. Then, in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, WD found its saving grace: storage.

The FD1771 was Western Digital’s first serious foray into data storage. Its success saved WD’s financials and secured its future in one fell swoop. By 1983, WD had earned the contract for IBM’s revolutionary new PC/AT. The company’s hard disk drive controllers brought in massive amounts of revenue and helped spur an extreme period of growth for WD. This growth lasted through the ‘80s and into the ‘90s. But no one could have guessed the state of computing was about to change again.

The ‘90s were much harder for WD than the ‘80s. There was increasingly less use for floppy disk drives, meaning that WD’s claim to fame was slowly becoming more and more obsolete. It wasn’t until the concept of external hard drives that the company would be able to make a recovery. As the ‘90s gave way to the 2000s, WD continually broke new ground and found massive success in the world of portable and external drives.

Our Pick

Western Digital WD 2TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive, Red

$79.99

• Backup with password protection
• Size 4.22 in. x 2.95 in
• Windows 10+, Chrome OS compatible
• 256-bit AES hardware encryption

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12/02/2023 04:40 am GMT

Emergence of My Passport and Elements

The WD My Passport vs. Elements debate emerged later in the 2000s as Western Digital continued to expand its portable storage options. In the early part of the decade, much of WD’s focus was on external hard drives — though not necessarily portable ones. Its “My Book” line was introduced in 2006, with the largest external drive size in the product line being 1 TB.

Both the My Passport and Elements portable HDDs are sold under the WD brand name. (Compare this to other storage devices sold by Western Digital under the Sandisk brand.) The My Passport line was first launched in 2004. It currently comes in six different types: the Essential, Essential SE, Elite, and Studio Editions as well as Essential and Essential SE for Macs.

The WD Elements line is similarly expansive. Throughout its history, the Elements family has grown to include the WD Elements Portable, WD Elements Desktop, and WD Elements SE. This presents another interesting distinction between the WD My Passport vs Elements: the former does not have a designated desktop version as the latter does.

WD My Passport vs. Elements: Pros and Cons

Our Pick

Western Digital 2TB Elements Portable HDD, External Hard Drive

$69.13

• USB 3.0 for maximum transfer speed
• Plug-and-play ready for Windows PC
• Up to 5TB capacity
• Very simple to use

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12/02/2023 04:45 am GMT

WD My Passport vs. Elements: Which Western Digital Hard Drive Is Best?

Looking at the WD My Passport vs. Elements portable external HDDs, the My Passport line inches ahead of the competition. With its superior security features, its lighter and more compact design, and its range of color options, the My Passport drive offers a better portable external HDD than the Elements drive. The WD Elements line still works well for simple, affordable storage. However, the My Passport drive gives you more bang (not to mention more protection) for your buck. It’s the better Western Digital Hard Drive of the two.