BestCD/DVD Drives for MaciMore2020

If you've recently upgraded to a new iMac or MacBook Pro, you're probably going to need an optical drive if you want to continue importing your movies and music to iTunes, or just access the content on your discs. If you think you'll need an external drive mostly for Blu-Ray discs, most of them will also play DVDs and CDs but are not readable/writable drives for CDs or DVDs. Either way, here are some solid options.

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No adapter needed: Confoly USB-C Superdrive

Staff pick

I have this model CD/DVD drive for my Mac computers for multiple reasons. For one, it's practically the same as Apple's SuperDrive in every way, and second, it's got a USB-C cable so I can connect it to my MacBook Pro without needing any additional adapters. Oh, there's a third reason, too. It comes with a USB-A adapter so I can connect it to any standard USB port.

$49 at Amazon

Cupertino's own: Apple USB SuperDrive

Apple's branded playable/burnable CD/DVD drive is the perfect complement to your iMac or MacBook Pro unless you have a late 2016 or newer MacBook Pro, in which case you'll need the USB-C to USB adapter. It's not much larger than the size of a CD case, so it fits snug in your computer bag without taking up a lot of room. All you have to do is plug it into your computer using the USB cable. There's no need for special software or external buttons that might get broken. It's solid, simple, and it looks great with your Mac products.

$79 at Amazon

USB-C and USB 3.0: VisionTech External CD/DVD Drive

With no eject button on the device and powered by USB the VisionTech External CD/DVD Drive is very slim and compact. You can tuck it away anywhere that makes the most sense for you. Preprogrammed for both Mac and Windows, you shouldn't need to do any formatting to get the drive to work. Plus, this drive has both USB 3.0 and USB-C cables, meaning you can plug it right into your MacBook with no adapter needed.

$31 at Amazon

Inexpensive choice: LG GP65NB60

LG makes a CD/DVD drive that is lightweight, fast, and doesn't cost much. It's made of a hard shell plastic material, so it isn't going to feel as sturdy as Apple's SuperDrive or Confoly's USB-C drive. However, in exchange, you get something that's about as light as a CD in its case.

$25 at Amazon

Also worth considering: Verbatim External CD / DVD Writer

Here's another inexpensive choice, this time from Verbatim. Weighing just 12 ounces, this CD/DVD burner is compact, lightweight, and USB powered. It's a suitable choice if you need to back up sensitive data, as well as music and video libraries.

$24 at Amazon

Still serving a need

There are a lot of reasons why you'd need a CD/DVD drive for your Mac, despite the concept being heavily outdated in 2019. Whether you want to digitize your DVD collection or just view a disc on your computer, an optical drive is cheap and sometimes necessary.

As you can see, we've selected the Confoly USB-C Superdrive as our favorite since it's super similar to Apple's SuperDrive and you don't need adapters to utilize it. If you're working with a small budget, take a look at the LG GP65NB60. It gets the job done for a surprisingly low price.

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BestBlu-ray Drives for MaciMore2020

Blu-ray discs are the gold standard in physical video formats right now. You probably have a decent Blu-ray collection of your favorite movies, but without a Blu-ray drive, you can't play them on your Mac. Blu-rays aren't just great for movies; they also make great storage devices for backups or other relevant data as well. If you want to play, read, or write Blu-ray discs with your Mac, you're going to need to start with an excellent Blu-ray drive. Here are our favorite Blu-ray drives for Mac.

Budget option: SEA TECH Blu-ray drive

Staff Favorite

Completely compatible with Mac, you won't need to reformat or install anything to get the SEA TECH Blu-ray drive to talk to your Mac. Plus, it uses a USB 3.0 connection, meaning all your data transferring is happening at the fast speed of USB 3.0!

$87 at Amazon

Fast write speeds: Pioneer BDR-XD05

The Pioneer BDR-XD05's 6x write speeds on single-layer and dual-layer discs, and up to 4x max write speeds on quad-layer discs, which makes it one of the faster drives around. Compatible with Mac right out of the box, it also has a quiet mode, so it won't make a ton of noise when you're using the drive.

$110 at Amazon

Windows and Mac compatible: ASUS BW-16D1X-U

The ASUS 12X Blu-ray drive has a 16X burning speed, which is among the fastest of the optical drives out there. Plus, by using a USB 3.0 connection, the ASUS BW-16D1X-U Blu-ray drive can also write data much faster than other drives that still use USB 2.0. The drive is formatted both for Mac and Windows, so you don't have to worry about reformatting the drive if you want to switch back and forth between operating systems.

$148 at Amazon

Includes Cyberlink Media Suite: Buffalo MediaStation 6x Portable BDXL Blu-Ray Writer

For both Mac and Windows, this beautifully designed reader offers BDXL support for high capacity disc-writing for Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and CDs. It also includes M-Disc support for longer life recordings. Included is the Cyberlink Media Suite, which offers Blu-ray and DVD burning and playback tools.

$85 at Amazon

M-Disc compatible: OWC Mercury Pro

Housed in an aluminum casing, the OWC Mercury Pro may be a bit bulky and boxy, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in performance. This 16X drive is fast at burning Blu-Ray discs, and it's even compatible with M-Disc, so your archives will last much longer. The drive also uses USB 3.0, giving you a much faster connection speed, and it comes with all the cable you need in the box!

$147 at Newegg

Don't forget the software

When it comes to playing Blu-rays on your Mac, you're going to need software as well as an external drive, and sometimes that software can be expensive. For that reason, I think the SEA TECH Blu-ray drive is worth a look for people who just want to watch Blu-ray movies.

Of course, if you plan on using Blu-rays for hard copies of your work, document, files, and general back up, it's probably worth the dishing out the extra cash for a drive like the ASUS BW-16D1X-U. It just has way more power than those slimmer drives and will help you transfer all your data to disc a lot faster.

Either way, you'll need one of the great drives listed above if you want to watch or burn any Blu-rays on your Mac.

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