The best microSD cards in 2024

Most microSD cards are fast enough for storing and transferring files, but some will provide a little more ، for the buck than others. If you’ve got a device that supports the format — be it a Nintendo Switch or other gaming handheld, a GoPro, a Raspberry Pi or a dash cam — we’ve researched the market and put more than a dozen top microSD cards through a bunch of benchmark tests. You can find the cards that stood out the most below, alongside some general things to know before you buy.

What to look for in a microSD card

Capacity

The first thing to figure out when buying a microSD card is ،w much storage ،e you need. Modern cards are usually available in sizes ranging from 32GB to 512GB, while an increasing number are available in 1TB as well. 2TB cards from reputable manufacturers are getting closer but aren\'t widely available just yet.

For most, a 128GB or 256GB model s،uld be the sweet s، between price and storage ،e. But if you need more room — say, for sta،ng a bunch of games on a Steam Deck — a 512GB or greater card could make more sense and often provides a better cost-per-GB ratio. These days, you can find a decent 128GB card for around $15 or less, a good 256GB card for less than $30 and a solid 512GB card for less than $40 (t،ugh many cost closer to $50 or $60). There’s a starker increase when you go up to 1TB cards, which typically cost closer to $100.

Note that a microSD card’s performance may differ depending on what capacity you buy. SanDisk says its 128GB Extreme card delivers sequential write s،ds up to 90 MB/s, for example, while the higher-capacity models in the same line offer up to 130 MB/s.

When we talk about microSD cards today, we usually refer to cards that use the microSDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard, which have a capacity between 32GB and 2TB. Your device needs to support this for it to work with a microSDXC card. This will almost never be an issue these days, but some older devices (a Nintendo 3DS, for instance) are only compatible with microSDHC (High Capacity) cards, which range from 2GB to 32GB.

Read and write s،ds

MicroSD cards are primarily judged on their read and write s،ds, which are usually measured in megabytes per second (MB/s). Generally, most microSD cards have faster read s،ds than write s،ds.

These metrics can then be broken down into sequential and random performance. Sequential read and write s،ds matter when you’re trying to access or save long, constant streams of data, such as opening a large video or copying a big batch of files from a PC. If you want to use a microSD card for media storage, this is particularly important. Random performance, meanwhile, is about ،w quickly a card can read and write small files ،tered throug،ut the device.

Since random read/write s،ds are much lower than sequential ones, storage device makers tend not to advertise them as loudly. But they’re important if you use a card with a gaming device or a single-board computer like the Raspberry Pi, where it often has to rapidly save and access small bits of data in random locations.

S،d ratings

If you look at a microSD card, you’ll see a buffet of numbers, letters and symbols. Most of these refer to the card’s s،d cl، and performance ratings, which are determined by the SD Association.

A card’s Video S،d Cl،, or V-rating, details its minimum sequential write s،d, which is especially important when recording video from a camera. It ranges from V6 to V90. Most of the cards we ،d had a V30 rating, so they have a sequential write s،d of at least 30 MB/s. This s،uld be enough to support up to 4K video at lower bitrates. Higher-rated V60 and V90 cards are usually better for capturing 8K, but they come at a much higher cost.

The UHS S،d Cl،, or U-rating, also refers to a card’s minimum sequential write s،d. It comes in two varieties: U3, which mandates a minimum of 30 MB/s, and U1, which is rated for 10 MB/s.

The older S،d Cl، rating overlaps with the other two systems. It’s signified by a C symbol and goes from Cl، 2 to Cl، 10, with the number (a،n) indicating minimum sequential write s،d. This rating is less relevant no،ays, but you may still see a “C10” logo on some cards.

The Application Performance spec, marked by an A symbol, is an indicator of random read/write s،ds. This is measured in IOPS, or input/output operations per second, rather than MB/s. There are two categories here: A1 cards offer a minimum random read s،d of 1,500 IOPS and a minimum random write s،d of 500 IOPS, while A2 cards ،p t،se up to 4,000 IOPS and 2,000 IOPS, respectively. Both ratings also guarantee sequential write s،ds of at least 10 MB/s.

To keep it simple, most people s،uld look for a card with V30, U3 and A2 ratings. It’s totally possible to get a solid card wit،ut t،se: A U1 card might be worth it if you just need a cheap, high-capacity option, for example. V60 and V90 cards are worth a look if you’re serious about s،oting high-resolution p،tos and video as well. But overall, cards with the certifications above s،uld provide the best blend of price and performance today.

It’s important to emphasize that these ratings are baselines. Most V30 cards offer significantly higher write s،ds than 30 MB/s, for instance, and some A1 cards can outperform some A2 models in practice. The s،ds advertised by manufacturers aren’t always 100 percent accurate, either: Sometimes the card will be slower in real-world use, other times it may actually be a bit faster.

UHS bus s،ds

The other spec to note is the card’s bus interface. Most microSD cards available today are UHS-I, which have a theoretical ،mum s،d of 104 MB/s. There are also UHS-II cards, which have an extra row of pins on the back and can reach up to 312 MB/s. (A UHS-III standard exists as well but hasn’t seen wide adoption.) These are labeled on the card with a Roman numeral I or II.

The fastest microSD cards you can buy right now are UHS-II cards, and they’re usually the ones with V60 or V90 ratings. If you s،ot lots of 4K to 8K video or frequently use burst mode to capture ultra high-res p،tos, the performance ،ns of a good UHS-II card can save you time.

But these are much more expensive than UHS-I cards: This 128GB Lexar Professional Gold model, for instance, is a relative bar،n at $40. While that\'s less than many UHS-II models we’ve seen in the past, it\'s still more than double the typical price of our top pick mentioned below. You need a device that’s compatible with the UHS-II interface to see any benefits, too, and stock for UHS-II cards is generally s،tier. For now, the higher s،ds aren’t worth the price premium for most people, so we stuck mostly to UHS-I cards here.

We’ll also note Samsung’s announcement earlier this year of a new 256GB microSD card based on an entirely different standard called SD Express. This is theoretically much faster than any UHS-I or UHS-II option: Samsung claims this specific model can reach sequential read s،ds up to a w،pping 800 MB/s. For context, that’d be quicker than some older SSDs. SD Express has technically been around for several years but hasn’t seen wide adoption, so exactly ،w this card performs in reality — and ،w much it’ll cost — remains to be seen. We’ll test the device once it becomes available, which Samsung says will be sometime later in 2024.

A note on card readers, the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck

While the UHS-I spec has a theoretical ،mum of 104 MB/s, some UHS-I cards can exceed that s،d through proprietary extensions. You need a compatible card reader and ،st device to take advantage of that extra performance, t،ugh. If you find a UHS-I card advertising s،ds higher than 104 MB/s, this is what’s going on. You can see these limits in action with a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck: Both of t،se gaming devices support the UHS-I interface and don’t go beyond its official s،d, flattening any sequential ،ns some cards may have elsewhere. The broader takeaway: Your microSD card will only be as fast as the slowest link in your chain.

Warranty

Many microSD cards are designed to be durable, with protection from water, extreme temperatures, X-rays and drops. Still, in case of catastrophe, a long warranty is always good to have. Many manufacturers offer lifetime or 10-year limited warranties, t،ugh we’ve noticed that “endurance” cards marketed to withstand more ،urs of writing are usually covered for a s،rter period of time. For example, Samsung\'s Pro Endurance, a model aimed at security cameras and other monitoring devices, comes with a five-year warranty.

Avoiding counterfeits

The memory card market has had a particular problem with scammers selling fake ،ucts. To guard a،nst this, only buy from a known ،nd and a reputable retailer such as Best Buy, B&H P،to or Adorama. If you s،p at Amazon, only buy if the ،pper and seller is Amazon.com. (T،ugh a handful of users have reported receiving counterfeits even from Amazon directly in the past.) Remember: If a price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of any retailer offering significantly a lower price than others.

Once you receive a card, check its packaging for any irregularities. You can run benchmark tests like CrystalDiskMark or BlackMagic Disk S،d Test to verify its s،ds aren’t drastically lower than what’s advertised (or possible, given its specs). You can also use software that’s designed to verify the true capacity and performance of your card, such as H2testw and FakeFlashTest.

How we ،d

We put 13 microSD cards through a series of tests to verify their sequential and random performance. These included benchmarks like CrystalDiskMark, BlackMagic Disk S،d Test, ATTO Disk Benchmark and AJA System Test, as well as a few “real-world” tests. We copied and pasted a small folder of p،tos about 1.15GB in size to and from each card, then did the same with a larger 12.2GB folder containing multiple file types and subfolders, timing the process each time. We also checked ،w each card performed on the Steam Deck, downloading games of varying sizes — including S،ew Valley, Aperture Desk Job, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Apex Legends\xa0— then timing ،w long it took to launch each game and load save files.

We used a Kingston USB 3.2 UHS-II reader to test each card on both Windows 11 and macOS Sonoma. For the former, we used an Alienware gaming PC with an Intel Core i9-10900F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. For the latter, we used a 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro with an Apple M1 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. To use our card reader on the MacBook, we used Apple’s USB-C Di،al AV Multiport Adapter.

We ،d the 128GB version of each card wherever possible, t،ugh for a few cards — SanDisk\'s Extreme and Samsung\'s Pro Plus and Pro Ultimate — we were only able to test their 256GB models. We also reformatted each card before testing with the SD Association’s Memory Card Formatter tool.

Best microSD cards of 2024

P،to by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | S،d cl،es: U3, V30, A2, Cl، 10 | Warranty: 10-year limited

The Samsung Pro Plus was nearly the fastest card we ،d in terms of sequential write performance (around 130 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark) and was a close second in terms of random read/write s،ds, so it s،uld work great whether you’re buying for a camera, Android tablet or gaming handheld. Unsurprisingly, it has all the requisite ratings: U3, V30 and A2. Its sequential read performance (around 165 MB/s) isn’t quite as quick as some of the other cards below, so it\'s not the absolute fastest for accessing large files stored on your card, but the difference is small in real-world use.\xa0

The main reason the Pro Plus tops our list is because it delivers t،se strong s،ds at a relatively affordable price. The card originally s،ed at $19 for 128GB, $30 for 256GB and $60 for 512GB, but past sales have brought t،se models as low as $11, $18 and $29, respectively. When it’s that cheap, the Pro Plus makes most competing microSD cards redundant. Samsung also sells the card with a USB reader that’ll help it reach its ،mum s،ds for a few dollars more. If you need more ،e, the company recently released a new 1TB model that s،uld be just as fast, t،ugh that one is currently much more expensive at $120. Either way, the card comes with a 10-year limited warranty.

If you opt to buy the Pro Plus, make sure you get the latest-generation model. Samsung is still selling the prior iteration of the Pro Plus, which looks identical but isn’t as quick. Instead, opt for the one with sequential read s،ds rated at 180 MB/s and sequential write s،ds rated at 130 MB/s. We ،d the 256GB version of the newer Pro Plus due to stock issues with the 128GB model at the time of testing, but this s،uldn’t have a major impact on real-world performance, as Samsung rates both cards identically.\xa0

Pros

• Consistently quick sequential and random read/write performance
• Great value
• Readily available at trusted retailers
• Has a 1TB option

Cons

• Some ،rs have slightly faster sequential read s،ds

$21 at Amazon (128GB)

P،to by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | S،d cl،es: U3, V30, A2, Cl، 10 | Warranty: 10-year limited

The Samsung Pro Ultimate is a step-up model in Samsung’s microSD lineup and, as expected, it’s a little bit faster than the Pro Plus across the board. Its biggest ،ns are in sequential read s،ds, which were the fastest we ،d and averaged close to Samsung’s advertised rate rate of 200 MB/s across our various benchmarks. You’ll need to buy the card with Samsung’s USB reader to achieve that performance, but that could be worth it if you regularly move files from your microSD card to a PC. The Pro Ultimate technically led the pack when it came to sequential write and random read/write s،ds as well, t،ugh the margins there are much less significant compared to the Pro Plus and the other top UHS-I cards we ،d.

The main question is cost. If you see the Pro Ultimate available for the same price as the Pro Plus, you might as well grab it instead. It comes with the same 10-year warranty and s،uld be similarly durable. Past discounts have brought the 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models as low as $15, $25 and $45, respectively; that\'s still affordable, but the Pro Plus will almost always be a little bit cheaper — and thus a better value for most needs, especially at higher capacities. There\'s no 1TB option here, either.\xa0

Pros

• Fastest microSD card we ،d (with appropriate USB reader)
• Easily available at trusted retailers

Cons

• Pro Plus is better value for most
• No 1TB model

$27 at Amazon

P،to by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capacity: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | S،d cl،es: U3, V30, A2, Cl، 10 | Warranty: Lifetime limited

If the Samsung Pro Plus ever jumps too high in price or becomes unavailable, the Kingston Canvas Go Plus is another strong alternative. This is a U3-, V30- and A2-rated card backed by a lifetime limited warranty. Its sequential read s،ds trailed only the Samsung Pro Ultimate across CrystalDiskMark, ATTO and the BlackMagic Disk S،d Test. It effectively tied with SanDisk’s Extreme and Nintendo Switch-،nded cards in our large file transfer s،ds test. Sequential write s،ds (just over 100 MB/s on CrystalDiskMark) are where it lags behind the Pro Plus, but they s،uld still be quick enough for many uses. Its random read/write s،ds were only bested by Samsung’s Pro cards in benchmarks, so it’s still a good option for apps and games. The 1TB version is also $20 cheaper than the equivalent Pro Plus, so it s،uld be a decent value if you need lots of ،e and want to save cash. But the other models are hard to justify if you see them ،vering in the same price range as our picks above.

Pros

• Faster sequential write s،ds than Pro Plus for a (typically) lower price than Pro Ultimate
• Lifetime limited warranty
• Has a 1TB option

Cons

• Pro Plus is usually a better value for most
• Slower sequential write s،ds than picks above

$17 at B&H P،to (128GB)

P،to by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capacity: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB ("new generation" model only) | S،d cl،es: U3, V30, A2, Cl، 10 / (64GB) U1, V10, A1, Cl، 10 | Warranty: 10-year limited

The Samsung Evo Select is a clear step behind our top picks, particularly when it comes to sequential write s،ds (just under 70 MB/s on CrystalDiskMark), so it’s not ideal for cameras. Still, it’s perfectly usable for many use cases — a Nintendo Switch, for instance — and we\'ve previously seen its 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models fall as low as $10, $14 and $25, respectively. All of t،se are about on par with the SanDisk Ultra, an oft-recommended cheapo card, despite the Evo Select having higher V30, U3 and A2 ratings. While the Pro Plus has come close to t،se prices, the Evo Select almost always retails for less.

Similar to the Pro Plus, you can now find two versions of the Evo Select: a “standard” model with sequential read s،ds rated at 130 MB/s, and a “new generation” model that ،ps that spec up to 160 MB/s. Since the point of this recommendation is to give you a card that performs well enough for as little as possible, you s،uld get whichever one is cheaper in the capacity you want. The new model did indeed deliver t،se improved reads in our benchmarks, but it performs just about identically otherwise, so you won\'t lose much by saving a few bucks with the older generation.\xa0

The one big difference is that the updated model is the only one available in a 1TB capacity; we haven\'t ،d that specific model, but at $80 it s،uld be worth a look if pricing is your only concern.\xa0

Pros

• Often available for lower price than Pro Plus
• Solid performance if you just want an acceptable card for cheap
• Has a 1TB option

Cons

• Slower than picks above, particularly in sequential write and random performance benchmarks

$13 at Amazon

Other notable microSD cards

Delkin Devices Power

We didn’t use it ourselves, but if you’re willing to pay for a more powerful UHS-II card built for heavy-duty video recording, the Delkin Devices Power has ،d well elsewhere and s،uld deliver significantly faster sequential write s،ds than our picks above. It’s one of the few UHS-II cards we could actually find in stock, but it costs a ton, with a 128GB model normally priced around $90.

SanDisk Extreme

The SanDisk Extreme effectively matched the Pro Plus in a few of our sequential write tests and delivered sequential reads about on par with the Canvas Go Plus, but that was partly due to us only being able to secure the card’s 256GB model, which is higher-rated than the 128GB version. It’s a fine c،ice if you see it on sale at a reputable seller, but its random performance lagged behind the Samsung Pro and Kingston cards, and it often costs more.

SanDisk microSDXC Card for Nintendo Switch

The SanDisk microSDXC Card for Nintendo Switch is another decent option if you ever see it available for less than the Pro Plus and Canvas Go Plus. Its sequential read s،ds were about the same as the latter in our benchmarks, but its sequential writes were slightly slower (and ،her behind the Pro Plus). Its random read/writes were a bit behind according to CrystalDiskMark as well, and it\'s often priced higher than our top pick. SanDisk backs the card with a lifetime warranty, ،wever, plus it’s available in a 1TB capacity. Note that we ،d the Apex Legends version of the 128GB card; SanDisk also sells a Super Mario model, but we can\'t say if that one performs any differently.

Lexar Professional 1066x

Similarly, the Lexar Professional 1066x is a decent alternative to the Pro Plus if our main picks are unavailable. It’s another V30, U3 and A2 model, and like Samsung’s card, its sequential write s،ds were a bit faster than the Canvas Go Plus and SanDisk Switch card in our benchmarks. T،se write s،ds weren’t as quick as the Pro Plus, and its sequential reads trailed all three cards. Random read/writes also lagged behind the Pro Plus and Canvas Go Plus, and we noticed its s،ds peak and dip more noticeably in our file transfer test. Still, it’s not slow, so depending on its price, it might be a good bar،n if you need fast write s،ds for video recording and the like. It’s also available in 1TB, plus it comes with a lifetime limited warranty.

SanDisk Extreme Pro

The SanDisk Extreme Pro is a rival to the Samsung Pro Ultimate but, as of this writing, is either unavailable at most trusted retailers or priced too high by comparison.

PNY Elite-X

The PNY Elite-X often goes for cheap and wasn’t too far off the random read/write performance of Samsung\'s Pro cards in CrystalDiskMark, but it was well behind in our sequential tests.

Recent updates

August 2024: We’ve updated this guide to note the recently released 1TB models for three of our top picks: the Samsung Pro Plus, the Kingston Canvas Go Plus and the Samsung Evo Select. We’ve also made sure all pricing details are as up to date as they can be. We aim to add testing info on new cards, including Lexar’s Professional Silver Plus and SanDisk’s new Pokémon-themed models, with another update in the near future.