Personal and Entry level Storage Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented, By Product Type (Solid-State Drives, Cloud-Based Drives, Hard Disk Drives and Recordable Discs), By Technology (Directly Attached Storage, Network-Attached Storage, Cloud Storage Technology, Signal Attached SCSI, and Others), By End User (Media & Entertainment, Financial Services, Public Sector, Health Care Industry, and Others), By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 61.65 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	22.09%
Fastest Growing Segment	Cloud-Based Drives
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 204.18 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Personal and Entry level Storage Market will grow from USD 61.65 Billion in 2025 to USD 204.18 Billion by 2031 at a 22.09% CAGR. Global personal and entry level storage encompasses direct attached devices such as external hard drives, portable solid state drives, and flash memory units utilized for individual data preservation and mobility. The market is primarily propelled by the exponential accumulation of high resolution digital content which necessitates substantial local capacity for consumers and professionals alike. Furthermore, the persistent threat of cyberattacks has reinforced the critical need for offline backups as a secure alternative to network dependent solutions. These fundamental drivers effectively sustain demand for physical storage hardware despite the ubiquity of online alternatives.

One significant challenge impeding broader market expansion is the intense competition from cloud based storage services that offer seamless synchronization and multi device accessibility without hardware maintenance. Despite this obstacle, the sector maintains resilience through cost advantages and capacity requirements. According to the Japan HDD Association, in 2024, the total global shipment of hard disk drives was projected to reach approximately 124 million units. This figure highlights the enduring reliance on physical storage media for managing substantial data volumes within the personal and entry level sectors.

Key Market Drivers

The Rapid Expansion of the Global Gaming and Esports Sector acts as a primary catalyst for the personal storage market as modern game titles increasingly demand higher capacities and faster retrieval speeds. With AAA game installations frequently exceeding 100GB and frequent patches adding to the data load, gamers require substantial local storage to maintain performance and minimize load times. This trend forces a migration from lower-capacity legacy drives to multi-terabyte solutions capable of handling extensive digital libraries without compromising performance. According to Valve Corporation, March 2024, in the 'Steam Hardware & Software Survey: February 2024', the proportion of surveyed users utilizing storage drives with capacities exceeding 1 TB increased by 4.59 percent. This surge validates the direct correlation between the thriving gaming ecosystem and the rising consumer demand for expanded local storage hardware.

Simultaneously, the Accelerated Transition from HDD to Advanced SSD Technologies is redefining entry-level storage. Consumers are progressively abandoning mechanical drives in favor of Solid State Drives that offer enhanced durability and rapid data transfer rates essential for hybrid work and content creation. Manufacturers are responding by increasing the density of flash memory to make high-performance storage more accessible. According to Western Digital, July 2024, in the 'Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results', the company reported that year-over-year revenue growth in its Client segment was primarily driven by an increase in flash bit shipments, highlighting the widespread adoption of SSDs. While flash technology grows, the broader storage industry remains robust; according to Seagate Technology, in 2024, the company reported total fiscal year revenue of $6.55 billion, reflecting the enduring financial scale of the storage sector.

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Key Market Challenges

The intense competition from cloud-based storage services presents a formidable barrier to the expansion of the global personal and entry-level storage market. Consumers are increasingly prioritizing the convenience of seamless synchronization and multi-device accessibility offered by digital platforms over the manual management required by physical hardware. This preference shift significantly lengthens the replacement cycle for external hard drives and flash memory units, as everyday users find their storage needs adequately met by subscription-based online solutions without the burden of hardware maintenance or physical preservation.

Consequently, the sector witnesses a dampening of unit sales in the consumer segment, as the exponential accumulation of digital content no longer automatically translates into local hardware purchases. This trend is corroborated by recent industry data reflecting the divergence between cloud and client storage demand. According to IDEMA, in 2024, global hard disk drive shipments in the first quarter reached approximately 29.7 million units, a figure primarily bolstered by high-capacity enterprise drives for cloud environments rather than personal legacy applications. This data illustrates how the dominance of cloud infrastructure is actively absorbing data volume growth that would otherwise propel the personal storage sector.

Key Market Trends

Personal storage devices are increasingly incorporating advanced security features such as built-in AES 256-bit hardware encryption and biometric authentication to address escalating data privacy concerns. This development is essential for professionals who require secure, offline methods to transport sensitive information without exposure to network-based vulnerabilities. These mechanisms provide robust protection that isolates data from host system compromises, ensuring integrity during transit. According to Apricorn, May 2025, in the '2025 Annual Survey of IT Security Decision Makers', encryption adoption reached 94% among surveyed organizations, validating the market's decisive shift towards mandated hardware-level security for mobile data.

Market players are prioritizing sustainability by manufacturing storage enclosures from recycled materials and engineering energy-efficient drives to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. This transition involves integrating post-consumer recycled plastics into product designs and optimizing manufacturing processes to minimize carbon footprints and waste generation. Manufacturers are actively aligning their production lifecycles with global environmental standards to reduce the ecological impact of electronic waste. According to Seagate Technology, May 2025, in the 'Sustainable Datasphere: FY2024 ESG Performance Report', the company reported a 63% decrease in operations emissions intensity, demonstrating the significant impact of renewable energy adoption within the storage hardware sector.

Segmental Insights

Market research identifies the Cloud-Based Drives segment as the fastest-growing category within the Global Personal and Entry Level Storage Market. This expansion is fundamentally driven by the escalating demand for ubiquitous data accessibility and seamless synchronization across multiple electronic devices. As individuals and small businesses accumulate vast quantities of digital content, reliance on physical hardware is diminishing in favor of scalable remote solutions that eliminate storage capacity constraints. Additionally, the permanent shift toward remote work models has necessitated centralized platforms that ensure secure file sharing and immediate information retrieval from any global location, further cementing this segment's upward trajectory.

Regional Insights

North America currently holds the largest share of the global personal and entry-level storage market, primarily driven by the strong presence of key industry manufacturers such as Western Digital and Seagate Technology. The region benefits from established information technology infrastructure and early adoption of data management solutions by small businesses and individual consumers. Additionally, the continuous expansion of digital content creation and the increasing requirement for secure data archiving in the United States contribute significantly to regional demand. This established ecosystem ensures steady market maturity compared to other global regions.

Recent Developments

• In January 2025, Toshiba Electronics Asia unveiled updated designs for its Canvio Flex and Canvio Gaming portable hard drives in Singapore to address the evolving needs of the personal storage market. These 2.5-inch external drives were introduced with storage capacities of up to 4TB and simple plug-and-play functionality. The company highlighted the Canvio Flex for its cross-device compatibility, as it includes both USB Type-C and Type-A cables to ensure seamless connectivity across Macs, Windows PCs, and tablets. The Canvio Gaming model was specifically tailored for console users, featuring a specialized "always on" mode designed to enhance gameplay response times.
• In May 2024, Western Digital expanded its consumer portfolio with the launch of the SanDisk Desk Drive, which was marketed as the company's highest-capacity external desktop solid-state drive at the time. The new storage solution was released with capacities of 4TB and 8TB, targeting content creators and professionals who require rapid access to large media files. The drive was engineered to deliver read speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s, offering performance up to four times faster than traditional desktop hard drives. The product also featured a compact, award-winning design and included software to facilitate automatic backups for both Windows and macOS users.
• In March 2024, Synology announced the global availability of BeeStation, a personal cloud storage device designed to simplify file backup and management for home users. The product launched with a built-in 4TB hard drive and was positioned as a user-friendly solution that allows individuals to create their own private cloud without subscription fees. The company emphasized the device's ease of use, noting that it could be set up in minutes by scanning a QR code and required no complex networking knowledge. The BeeStation also featured AI-powered photo organization and mobile app integration, enabling users to access their digital assets remotely.
• In January 2024, Lexar showcased a new range of portable storage solutions at the Consumer Electronics Show, specifically targeting professional videographers and content creators. The company introduced the SL500 Portable SSD, a compact drive capable of achieving read speeds up to 2,000 MB/s and write speeds up to 1,800 MB/s, making it suitable for high-resolution video workflows. Additionally, Lexar revealed the ARMOR 700, a rugged portable drive designed with an IP66 rating to withstand water, dust, and drops. These products were developed to support high-performance recording on modern devices, including the latest smartphones and professional cameras.

Key Market Players

• Microsoft Corporation
• Alphabet Inc.
• Apple Inc.
• Autoliv, Inc
• Cisco Systems Inc.
• IBM Corporation
• Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company
• Amazon.com, Inc.
• Dell Inc.

By Product Type	By Technology	By End User	By Region
Solid-State Drives Cloud-Based Drives Hard Disk Drives and Recordable Discs	Directly Attached Storage Network-Attached Storage Cloud Storage Technology Signal Attached SCSI Others	Media & Entertainment Financial Services Public Sector Health Care Industry Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Personal and Entry level Storage Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Personal and Entry level Storage Market, By Product Type:

• Solid-State Drives
• Cloud-Based Drives
• Hard Disk Drives and Recordable Discs

• Personal and Entry level Storage Market, By Technology:

• Directly Attached Storage
• Network-Attached Storage
• Cloud Storage Technology
• Signal Attached SCSI
• Others

• Personal and Entry level Storage Market, By End User:

• Media & Entertainment
• Financial Services
• Public Sector
• Health Care Industry
• Others

• Personal and Entry level Storage Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE