Is a USB Flash Drive Good for Backups?
Published: 19 Eylül 2026
Pulling live prices…
Live data across PricePerGig listings. Prices may change; Updated every few hours.
📊 As of September 28, 2026, the typical HDD on Amazon.com is $115/TB or $0.115/GB across the 5,912 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $36.6/TB or $0.037/GB. The best deals on Amazon.com start from about $270 for 8TB ($33.8/TB), $340 for 14TB ($24.3/TB) and $599 for 20TB ($30/TB). The current best value is 14TB at roughly $24.3 per TB.
📊 As of September 28, 2026, the typical HDD on eBay.com is $113/TB or $0.113/GB across the 11,060 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $95.8/TB or $0.096/GB. The best deals on eBay.com start from about $190 for 8TB ($23.7/TB), $300 for 14TB ($21.4/TB) and $520 for 20TB ($26/TB). The current best value is 10TB at roughly $19.9 per TB.
📊 As of September 28, 2026, the typical HDD on Newegg.com is $99.8/TB or $0.10/GB across the 1,135 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $42.8/TB or $0.043/GB. The best deals on Newegg.com start from about $325 for 8TB ($40.6/TB), $525 for 14TB ($37.5/TB) and $860 for 20TB ($43/TB). The current best value is 10TB at roughly $37.5 per TB.
📊 As of 28 September 2026, the typical HDD on Amazon.co.uk is £153/TB or £0.153/GB across the 3,350 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around £61.6/TB or £0.062/GB. The best deals on Amazon.co.uk start from about £299 for 8TB (£37.4/TB), £367 for 14TB (£26.2/TB) and £612 for 20TB (£30.6/TB). The current best value is 14TB at roughly £26.2 per TB.
📊 As of 28 September 2026, the typical HDD on eBay.co.uk is £95.3/TB or £0.095/GB across the 10,593 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around £28.1/TB or £0.028/GB. The best deals on eBay.co.uk start from about £200 for 8TB (£25/TB), £256 for 14TB (£18.3/TB) and £568 for 20TB (£28.4/TB). The current best value is 14TB at roughly £18.3 per TB.
📊 As of 28 September 2026, the typical HDD on Box.co.uk is £53.6/TB or £0.054/GB across the 75 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around £44.1/TB or £0.044/GB. The best deals on Box.co.uk start from about £108 for 2TB (£54/TB), £209 for 6TB (£34.8/TB) and £275 for 8TB (£34.4/TB). The current best value is 8TB at roughly £34.4 per TB.
📊 As of 28. September 2026, the typical HDD on Amazon.de is 176 €/TB or 0,176 €/GB across the 2,996 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 46,3 €/TB or 0,046 €/GB. The best deals on Amazon.de start from about 324 € for 8TB (40,5 €/TB), 400 € for 14TB (28,6 €/TB) and 600 € for 20TB (30 €/TB). The current best value is 16TB at roughly 28,1 € per TB.
📊 As of 28. September 2026, the typical HDD on eBay.de is 89,2 €/TB or 0,089 €/GB across the 16,290 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 99,4 €/TB or 0,099 €/GB. The best deals on eBay.de start from about 237 € for 8TB (29,7 €/TB), 299 € for 14TB (21,4 €/TB) and 530 € for 20TB (26,5 €/TB). The current best value is 14TB at roughly 21,4 € per TB.
📊 As of 28. September 2026, the typical HDD on Alternate.de is 58,8 €/TB or 0,059 €/GB across the 150 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 50,7 €/TB or 0,051 €/GB. The best deals on Alternate.de start from about 276 € for 8TB (34,5 €/TB), 539 € for 12TB (44,9 €/TB) and 599 € for 16TB (37,4 €/TB). The current best value is 8TB at roughly 34,5 € per TB.
📊 As of 28 September 2026, the typical HDD on eBay.com.au is $136/TB or $0.136/GB across the 3,681 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $85.8/TB or $0.086/GB. The best deals on eBay.com.au start from about $550 for 8TB ($68.8/TB), $599 for 14TB ($42.8/TB) and $1,145 for 20TB ($57.3/TB). The current best value is 14TB at roughly $42.8 per TB.
📊 As of 28 septembre 2026, the typical HDD on Amazon.fr is 196 €/TB or 0,196 €/GB across the 1,526 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 103 €/TB or 0,103 €/GB. The best deals on Amazon.fr start from about 352 € for 8TB (44 €/TB), 596 € for 14TB (42,5 €/TB) and 789 € for 20TB (39,5 €/TB). The current best value is 16TB at roughly 28,7 € per TB.
📊 As of 28 de septiembre de 2026, the typical HDD on Amazon.es is 163 €/TB or 0,163 €/GB across the 2,320 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 46,5 €/TB or 0,047 €/GB. The best deals on Amazon.es start from about 326 € for 8TB (40,7 €/TB), 525 € for 14TB (37,5 €/TB) and 750 € for 20TB (37,5 €/TB). The current best value is 16TB at roughly 28,7 € per TB.
📊 As of September 28, 2026, the typical HDD on Amazon.ca is $209/TB or $0.209/GB across the 1,974 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $62.1/TB or $0.062/GB. The best deals on Amazon.ca start from about $441 for 8TB ($55.1/TB), $567 for 14TB ($40.5/TB) and $947 for 20TB ($47.3/TB). The current best value is 14TB at roughly $40.5 per TB.
📊 As of September 28, 2026, the typical HDD on eBay.ca is $407/TB or $0.407/GB across the 1,300 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $43.3/TB or $0.043/GB. The best deals on eBay.ca start from about $200 for 8TB ($25/TB), $390 for 14TB ($27.9/TB) and $475 for 20TB ($23.7/TB). The current best value is 20TB at roughly $23.7 per TB.
📊 As of September 28, 2026, the typical HDD on Newegg.ca is $144/TB or $0.144/GB across the 447 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around $65.9/TB or $0.066/GB. The best deals on Newegg.ca start from about $420 for 8TB ($52.5/TB), $725 for 14TB ($51.8/TB) and $1,042 for 20TB ($52.1/TB). The current best value is 14TB at roughly $51.8 per TB.
📊 As of 28 september 2026, the typical HDD on Amazon.nl is € 108/TB or € 0,108/GB across the 1,650 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around € 51,6/TB or € 0,052/GB. The best deals on Amazon.nl start from about € 281 for 8TB (€ 35,1/TB), € 491 for 14TB (€ 35/TB) and € 559 for 20TB (€ 28/TB). The current best value is 20TB at roughly € 28 per TB.
📊 As of 28 settembre 2026, the typical HDD on Amazon.it is 179 €/TB or 0,179 €/GB across the 3,394 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 48,9 €/TB or 0,049 €/GB. The best deals on Amazon.it start from about 328 € for 8TB (41 €/TB), 500 € for 14TB (35,7 €/TB) and 756 € for 20TB (37,8 €/TB). The current best value is 16TB at roughly 30 € per TB.
📊 As of 28 settembre 2026, the typical HDD on eBay.it is 93,6 €/TB or 0,094 €/GB across the 7,028 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 92,6 €/TB or 0,093 €/GB. The best deals on eBay.it start from about 255 € for 8TB (31,9 €/TB), 290 € for 14TB (20,7 €/TB) and 455 € for 18TB (25,3 €/TB). The current best value is 14TB at roughly 20,7 € per TB.
📊 As of 28 september 2026, the typical HDD on Amazon.se is 1 559 kr/TB or 1,559 kr/GB across the 930 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 793 kr/TB or 0,793 kr/GB. The best deals on Amazon.se start from about 1 111 kr for 2TB (556 kr/TB), 1 771 kr for 4TB (443 kr/TB) and 1 500 kr for 6TB (250 kr/TB). The current best value is 6TB at roughly 250 kr per TB.
📊 As of 28 września 2026, the typical HDD on Amazon.pl is 609 zł/TB or 0,609 zł/GB across the 1,051 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around 286 zł/TB or 0,286 zł/GB. The best deals on Amazon.pl start from about 1188 zł for 8TB (148 zł/TB), 172 zł for 10TB (17,2 zł/TB) and 2214 zł for 14TB (158 zł/TB). The current best value is 10TB at roughly 17,2 zł per TB.
Sourced from real discussions on r/DataHoarder and r/techsupport, cross-checked against live PricePerGig listings.
Eyeing up that USB stick in your drawer as a backup drive? For a quick copy of a few files, sure. As your real backup of anything important, please do not.
Flash drives are handy, but they are the wrong tool for protecting data you cannot lose. They are tiny, easily misplaced, limited in size, and not built for reliable long-term storage.
Let me explain, and point you at a better option.
The table above shows the live price per TB on your marketplace for storage that actually suits backups.
Why flash drives fall short for backups
They are designed for convenience, not data safety.
- Easily lost. A drive the size of a thumb is trivial to misplace or leave in a pocket. Your backup is no good if it has wandered off.
- Limited capacity. Flash drives top out small and cost a lot per TB, so they cannot hold a real backup of your photos and documents.
- Not built for the long haul. Cheap flash drives can degrade or fail over time, especially if left untouched for years. That is exactly when you need a backup to still work.
For shuttling a presentation between computers, great. For safeguarding your memories, not the tool.
The hidden risk: it sits unused
Here is the trap with backups specifically.
A backup drive often sits in a drawer for a long time, only touched when disaster strikes. That is the worst-case scenario for a cheap flash drive, which can quietly degrade while unpowered.
So the one time you reach for it, in a crisis, is exactly when it is most likely to let you down. Not a risk worth taking with irreplaceable data.
What to use instead
The better option is barely more effort.
- An external hard drive or SSD for a local backup. Far more capacity, a much lower price per TB, and more dependable for long-term storage.
- Add a cloud or offsite copy so a fire or theft cannot take everything.
That is a real backup, following the principles in how to back up your data. A proper drive costs little per TB and is far harder to lose than a thumb-sized stick.
When a flash drive is fine
To be fair, they have their place.
- Moving a few files between computers.
- A quick temporary copy you will use within days.
- Carrying documents you also have safely stored elsewhere.
Just never let a flash drive be the only copy of something you care about.
The bottom line
A USB flash drive is fine for quick file transfers, but it is a poor choice for real backups. It is easily lost, small, pricey per TB, and not reliable for long-term unused storage, which is exactly how backup drives are used.
For backups, use an external hard drive or SSD with an offsite copy, following proper backup principles. Grab roomy, dependable storage at the best price per TB from the live table above, and keep that flash drive for what it is good at, quick litle transfers.
