{"id":"external-drives.transfer-drive-vs-backup-drive","url":"/faq/external-drives/transfer-drive-vs-backup-drive","category":{"id":"external-drives","title":"External drives"},"subcategory":{"id":"upgrading-and-copying","title":"Upgrading, transferring and backing up the drive"},"question":"What's the difference between Transfer Drive and Backup Drive?","alt_questions":["Transfer Drive or Backup Drive which one","Backup Drive vs Transfer Drive Storage Studio","Does Backup Drive switch drives?","transfer vs back up to another drive","Which should I use to upgrade my SSD?"],"short_answer":"Both copy and verify everything onto another drive. Transfer Drive then switches over to the new drive (for upgrades); Backup Drive stops and keeps your current drive active (a spare copy). Your current drive is never changed.","answer_markdown":"Both make a full, verified copy of everything on your fast drive — every moved app and folder plus Storage Studio's own records — onto another external drive. The difference is what happens next:\n\n- **Transfer Drive** then **switches over**: shortcuts are re-pointed and the new drive becomes the active one. Use it to upgrade to a bigger or faster drive.\n- **Backup Drive** then **stops**: your current drive stays active, and you get a point-in-time spare copy, with a **Reveal Backup in Finder** button at the end.\n\nIn both cases your current drive is never modified.","answer_html":"

Both make a full, verified copy of everything on your fast drive — every moved app and folder plus Storage Studio's own records — onto another external drive. The difference is what happens next:

\n\n

In both cases your current drive is never modified.

","answer_text":"Both make a full, verified copy of everything on your fast drive — every moved app and folder plus Storage Studio's own records — onto another external drive. The difference is what happens next:\n\n- Transfer Drive then switches over: shortcuts are re-pointed and the new drive becomes the active one. Use it to upgrade to a bigger or faster drive.\n- Backup Drive then stops: your current drive stays active, and you get a point-in-time spare copy, with a Reveal Backup in Finder button at the end.\n\nIn both cases your current drive is never modified.","tags":["transfer drive","backup drive","comparison"],"related":[{"id":"external-drives.transfer-drive-says-already-a-storage-studio-drive","question":"Why won't Transfer Drive use a drive that is already a Storage Studio drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/transfer-drive-says-already-a-storage-studio-drive"},{"id":"external-drives.how-do-i-move-everything-to-a-new-external-drive","question":"How do I move everything to a new, bigger external drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-move-everything-to-a-new-external-drive"},{"id":"external-drives.how-do-i-make-a-backup-of-my-fast-drive","question":"How do I back up my fast drive to another drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-make-a-backup-of-my-fast-drive"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What's the difference between Transfer Drive and Backup Drive? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Both copy and verify everything onto another drive. Transfer Drive then switches over to the new drive (for upgrades); Backup Drive stops and keeps your current drive active (a spare copy). Your current drive is never changed.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"External drives","path":"/faq/external-drives/"},{"name":"What's the difference between Transfer Drive and Backup Drive?","path":"/faq/external-drives/transfer-drive-vs-backup-drive"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/transfer-drive-vs-backup-drive","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What's the difference between Transfer Drive and Backup Drive?","alternateName":["Transfer Drive or Backup Drive which one","Backup Drive vs Transfer Drive Storage Studio","Does Backup Drive switch drives?","transfer vs back up to another drive","Which should I use to upgrade my SSD?"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Both make a full, verified copy of everything on your fast drive — every moved app and folder plus Storage Studio's own records — onto another external drive. The difference is what happens next:\n\n- Transfer Drive then switches over: shortcuts are re-pointed and the new drive becomes the active one. Use it to upgrade to a bigger or faster drive.\n- Backup Drive then stops: your current drive stays active, and you get a point-in-time spare copy, with a Reveal Backup in Finder button at the end.\n\nIn both cases your current drive is never modified.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/transfer-drive-vs-backup-drive"}}]},"fragment":"
\n
\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

External drives · Upgrading, transferring and backing up the drive

\n

What's the difference between Transfer Drive and Backup Drive?

\n

Short answer: Both copy and verify everything onto another drive. Transfer Drive then switches over to the new drive (for upgrades); Backup Drive stops and keeps your current drive active (a spare copy). Your current drive is never changed.

\n

Both make a full, verified copy of everything on your fast drive — every moved app and folder plus Storage Studio's own records — onto another external drive. The difference is what happens next:

\n
  • Transfer Drive then switches over: shortcuts are re-pointed and the new drive becomes the active one. Use it to upgrade to a bigger or faster drive.
  • Backup Drive then stops: your current drive stays active, and you get a point-in-time spare copy, with a Reveal Backup in Finder button at the end.
\n

In both cases your current drive is never modified.

\n\n

Last reviewed

\n\n

Related questions

\n

Also available as Markdown and JSON.

\n
"}