How Much Storage Do You Need for Photography?
Published: August 25, 2026
Pulling live prices…
Live data across PricePerGig listings. Prices may change; Updated every few hours.
📊 As of August 29, 2026, the typical SSD on Amazon.com is $346/TB or $0.346/GB across the 4,200 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $160/TB or $0.16/GB. The best deals on Amazon.com start from about $158 for 1TB ($158/TB), $275 for 2TB ($138/TB) and $488 for 4TB ($122/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly $122 per TB.
📊 As of August 29, 2026, the typical SSD on eBay.com is $204/TB or $0.204/GB across the 394 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $121/TB or $0.121/GB. The best deals on eBay.com start from about $120 for 1TB ($120/TB), $214 for 2TB ($107/TB) and $353 for 4TB ($88.4/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly $88.4 per TB.
📊 As of August 29, 2026, the typical SSD on Newegg.com is $308/TB or $0.308/GB across the 382 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $205/TB or $0.205/GB. The best deals on Newegg.com start from about $150 for 1TB ($150/TB), $260 for 2TB ($130/TB) and $589 for 4TB ($147/TB). The current best value is 2TB at roughly $130 per TB.
📊 As of 29 August 2026, the typical SSD on Amazon.co.uk is £286/TB or £0.286/GB across the 2,563 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around £128/TB or £0.128/GB. The best deals on Amazon.co.uk start from about £126 for 1TB (£126/TB), £213 for 2TB (£107/TB) and £396 for 4TB (£99/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly £99 per TB.
📊 As of 29 August 2026, the typical SSD on eBay.co.uk is £227/TB or £0.227/GB across the 332 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around £164/TB or £0.164/GB. The best deals on eBay.co.uk start from about £145 for 1TB (£145/TB), £242 for 2TB (£121/TB) and £245 for 4TB (£61.1/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly £61.1 per TB.
📊 As of 29 August 2026, the typical SSD on Overclockers.co.uk is £186/TB or £0.186/GB across the 79 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around £175/TB or £0.175/GB. The best deals on Overclockers.co.uk start from about £160 for 1TB (£160/TB), £240 for 2TB (£120/TB) and £460 for 4TB (£115/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly £115 per TB.
📊 As of 29 August 2026, the typical SSD on Box.co.uk is £169/TB or £0.169/GB across the 128 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around £147/TB or £0.147/GB. The best deals on Box.co.uk start from about £130 for 1TB (£130/TB), £244 for 2TB (£122/TB) and £442 for 4TB (£111/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly £111 per TB.
📊 As of 29. August 2026, the typical SSD on Amazon.de is 251 €/TB or 0,251 €/GB across the 4,999 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 217 €/TB or 0,217 €/GB. The best deals on Amazon.de start from about 158 € for 1TB (159 €/TB), 344 € for 2TB (172 €/TB) and 432 € for 4TB (108 €/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly 108 € per TB.
📊 As of 29. August 2026, the typical SSD on eBay.de is 305 €/TB or 0,305 €/GB across the 1,516 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 198 €/TB or 0,198 €/GB. The best deals on eBay.de start from about 149 € for 1TB (149 €/TB), 265 € for 2TB (132 €/TB) and 419 € for 4TB (105 €/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly 105 € per TB.
📊 As of 29. August 2026, the typical SSD on getgoods.de is 528 €/TB or 0,528 €/GB across the 247 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 194 €/TB or 0,194 €/GB. The best deals on getgoods.de start from about 166 € for 1TB (166 €/TB), 299 € for 2TB (150 €/TB) and 490 € for 4TB (122 €/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly 122 € per TB.
📊 As of 29. August 2026, the typical SSD on Alternate.de is 195 €/TB or 0,195 €/GB across the 234 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 153 €/TB or 0,153 €/GB. The best deals on Alternate.de start from about 148 € for 1TB (148 €/TB), 239 € for 2TB (119 €/TB) and 489 € for 4TB (122 €/TB). The current best value is 2TB at roughly 119 € per TB.
📊 As of 29 August 2026, the typical SSD on eBay.com.au is $379/TB or $0.379/GB across the 238 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $339/TB or $0.339/GB. The best deals on eBay.com.au start from about $175 for 1TB ($190/TB), $499 for 2TB ($250/TB) and $993 for 4TB ($248/TB). The current best value is 1TB at roughly $190 per TB.
📊 As of 29 août 2026, the typical SSD on Amazon.fr is 286 €/TB or 0,286 €/GB across the 2,892 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 217 €/TB or 0,217 €/GB. The best deals on Amazon.fr start from about 154 € for 1TB (156 €/TB), 344 € for 2TB (172 €/TB) and 438 € for 4TB (110 €/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly 110 € per TB.
📊 As of 29 de agosto de 2026, the typical SSD on Amazon.es is 352 €/TB or 0,352 €/GB across the 2,331 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 151 €/TB or 0,151 €/GB. The best deals on Amazon.es start from about 145 € for 1TB (145 €/TB), 240 € for 2TB (120 €/TB) and 400 € for 4TB (100 €/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly 100 € per TB.
📊 As of August 29, 2026, the typical SSD on Amazon.ca is $510/TB or $0.51/GB across the 1,780 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $233/TB or $0.233/GB. The best deals on Amazon.ca start from about $227 for 1TB ($227/TB), $388 for 2TB ($194/TB) and $660 for 4TB ($165/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly $165 per TB.
📊 As of August 29, 2026, the typical SSD on eBay.ca is $409/TB or $0.409/GB across the 95 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $136/TB or $0.136/GB. The best deals on eBay.ca start from about $70 for 0.5TB ($144/TB), $150 for 1TB ($150/TB) and $260 for 2TB ($130/TB). The current best value is 2TB at roughly $130 per TB.
📊 As of August 29, 2026, the typical SSD on Newegg.ca is $548/TB or $0.548/GB across the 385 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $261/TB or $0.261/GB. The best deals on Newegg.ca start from about $210 for 1TB ($210/TB), $388 for 2TB ($194/TB) and $700 for 4TB ($175/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly $175 per TB.
📊 As of 29 augustus 2026, the typical SSD on Amazon.nl is € 243/TB or € 0,243/GB across the 2,626 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around € 175/TB or € 0,175/GB. The best deals on Amazon.nl start from about € 155 for 1TB (€ 155/TB), € 279 for 2TB (€ 140/TB) and € 400 for 4TB (€ 100/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly € 100 per TB.
📊 As of 29 agosto 2026, the typical SSD on Amazon.it is 247 €/TB or 0,247 €/GB across the 4,786 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 212 €/TB or 0,212 €/GB. The best deals on Amazon.it start from about 150 € for 1TB (150 €/TB), 344 € for 2TB (172 €/TB) and 440 € for 4TB (110 €/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly 110 € per TB.
📊 As of 29 agosto 2026, the typical SSD on eBay.it is 486 €/TB or 0,486 €/GB across the 627 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 211 €/TB or 0,211 €/GB. The best deals on eBay.it start from about 200 € for 1TB (200 €/TB), 330 € for 2TB (165 €/TB) and 475 € for 4TB (119 €/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly 119 € per TB.
📊 As of 29 augusti 2026, the typical SSD on Amazon.se is 3 020 kr/TB or 3,02 kr/GB across the 836 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 1 738 kr/TB or 1,738 kr/GB. The best deals on Amazon.se start from about 899 kr for 0.5TB (1 757 kr/TB), 1 483 kr for 1TB (1 483 kr/TB) and 2 310 kr for 2TB (1 155 kr/TB). The current best value is 2TB at roughly 1 155 kr per TB.
📊 As of 29 sierpnia 2026, the typical SSD on Amazon.pl is 1040 zł/TB or 1,04 zł/GB across the 847 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 760 zł/TB or 0,76 zł/GB. The best deals on Amazon.pl start from about 478 zł for 1TB (478 zł/TB), 1033 zł for 2TB (516 zł/TB) and 1099 zł for 4TB (275 zł/TB). The current best value is 4TB at roughly 275 zł per TB.
Sourced from real discussions on r/photography and r/DataHoarder, cross-checked against live PricePerGig listings.
Photographers run out of storage faster than almost anyone, because RAW files are huge and they pile up forever. So how much do you actually need?
The honest answer is more than you think, and a sensible setup matters more than one big number.
The smart move is a fast drive for current work and a big cheap one for the archive. Plus backups, because photos are irreplaceable.
The table above shows the live SSD prices on your marketplace for the working drive that makes editing feel fast.
Why photography eats storage
A quick reality check on the numbers.
RAW files are large, often many times bigger than a JPEG, because they hold all the sensor data for editing. Shoot regularly and they stack up fast.
- A keen hobbyist can fill several terabytes over a few years.
- A working photographer shooting events or weddings can blow through that in months.
And most photographers keep their RAW files forever, because you never know when you will want to re-edit an old shoot. So the archive only ever grows.
The smart two-drive setup
Here is the setup that keeps editing fast and costs sane.
- A fast SSD for your current projects and your photo catalog. Browsing and editing large libraries feels far snappier off an SSD, so this is where the speed pays off.
- A big cheap hard drive as your archive for finished and older work you are not actively editing.
Work on the SSD, then move completed shoots to the hard drive archive. You get speed where you feel it and cheap capacity for the years of photos behind you.
How much of each
Rough sizing to plan around.
- Working SSD: 1TB to 2TB is comfortable for active catalogs and recent shoots.
- Archive hard drive: as big as you can sensibly afford, because it only fills up. Many photographers run multiple large drives here over time.
Check the live prices above. The SSD is the smaller, faster spend, the hard drive is where you buy cheap bulk for the growing archive.
Backups are not optional
This is the part that matters most, so I will be blunt.
Your photos are irreplaceable. You cannot reshoot last year. So one copy is never enough.
- Your working drive and archive are your main copies.
- Keep at least one more copy offsite or in the cloud.
A drive failure, theft or fire should never be able to erase your life’s work. Compared to that, the cost of an extra backup drive is nothing.
The bottom line
Photographers need a lot of storage and an ever-growing archive, because RAW files are big and you keep them forever. Run a fast SSD for current edits and a big cheap hard drive for the archive.
Size the SSD for active work, buy the hard drive for cheap bulk, and always keep an offsite backup. Use the live prices above to build it affordably, and never lose a shoot to a dead drive agian.
