The difference between APFS, Mac OS Extended (HFS+), ExFAT (2023)

Most of the time, you won't bother to think about the file system your Mac uses. Many of us just create, store, and back up files as needed without even thinking about what kind of file system we're on. wearing.

For example, if you need to partition a drive, the type of file system you choose becomes extremely important. Depending on how you want to use the partition, and with whom, choosing the file type you want to use on your computer is critical.

Here we discuss all the Mac formats for its file system, APFS vs Mac OS Extended, the best format for external hard drives Mac might be using, ExFAT vs HFS+, and everything you need to know about macOS file systems.

Types of a file system

Before I get into things like ExFAT vs. Mac OS Extended, it is important that we define the file systems that we are going to discuss. There are three main file systems for the Mac environment, but your choice will depend on both the hardware available and whether you intend to work with Windows computers.

What is APFS?

APFS is an acronym for "Apple File System" that was first introduced with macOS High Sierra. This move coincided with the Mac shifting to Solid State Drives (SSDs) on all hardware, as APFS is optimized for SSD storage solutions. APFS will continue to work on mechanical or hybrid drives.

On new Macs, APFS is the default file system, since all modern Macs have SSD drives. If you're formatting a drive for use with a Mac with an SSD, and plan to use the drive only with that Mac, it might be a good idea to format it to work with APFS file systems as well.

Mac OS Extended – Best suited for mechanical drives or drives used with earlier versions of macOS

Also known as HFS Plus or HFS+, the Mac OS Extended file system is the default file system for all Macs from 1998 to present on Macs with mechanical or hybrid drives. Even if a Mac is running macOS High Sierra, the file system is Mac OS Extended by default if you have a hybrid or mechanical drive.

If you're formatting a drive for use with older Macs, or formatting a drive on an older Mac, Mac OS Extended should be your choice. Although APFS may work just fine, using Mac OS Extended is essentially a guarantee against problems.

Another thing to keep in mind is encryption. APFS can be encrypted, and Mac OS Extended Journaled is the method to use if you need to protect Mac OS Extended file systems. Just remember that you need to protect your encryption key for both, and encryption may slightly affect your performance.

ExFAT: Best for external drives shared with Windows computers

ExFAT is a cross-platform solution for use with Mac and Windows devices that now serves as the foundation for files shared and edited between the two platforms. If you frequently work with both Mac and Windows computers, ExFAT might be the best option for your Mac.

Introduced in 2006, the ExFAT file system was developed by Microsoft to provide cross-platform compatibility between its FAT32 format and the Mac without worrying about file or partition size limitations. Being an older system, ExFAT is much more prone to fragmentation than Mac OS Extended or APFS and strips out file metadata.

Simply put, ExFAT allows you to work on files between Mac and Windows computers without reformatting those files, but it lacks many modern features that people might find important.

Other formats (MS-DOS (FAT) and Windows NT

MS-DOS FAT is an older type of Windows file system, a precursor to the ExFAT FAT32 file format. It is backward compatible, but should only be used in the rarest of cases. Macs that need to work with Windows XP or earlier should consider MS-DOS FAT, but that's very rare these days. Windows XP is mostly used for really old business platforms that wouldn't work well with the Mac environment anyway.

The Windows NT file system won't be something Mac users want to use very often. It's a Windows file system for use with Windows devices, and there's rarely a reason a Mac user should consider using it. However, if your Mac is essentially the hardware that runs Windows every day, Windows NT might be the right file system for you. However, if you're using macOS and simply transferring files between your Mac and a Windows device, we recommend ExFAT.

Bonus Tip: Boost Your Mac

Whichever file system you choose, keep your Mac running at its bestclean up my mac x.

CleanMyMac X monitors your Mac's performance through the menu bar icon, which also provides quick access to properly open the application. Its Smart Scan engine quickly identifies unnecessary files on your Mac that have accumulated over time, scans your Mac for privacy threats, and optimizes your computer for fast performance.

There are also dedicated malware removal, privacy, optimization, maintenance, and file management modules that you can use to dig deeper into your Mac and keep it running in tip-top shape. There's also a really handy app and plug-in set for updating and uninstalling things on your Mac, including the associated files left behind by removed apps.

Choose for detailed, real-time monitoring of your Mac's performancestatus menus. Located in the menu bar of your Mac, iStat Menus keeps contextual track of what your Mac is doing, constantly updating the menus in real time.

iStat Menus tracks your CPU, GPU, network, battery (even for peripherals like keyboards and trackpads), memory, hard drives, and sensor performance. When you click the iStat menu icon in the menu bar, a continually updated graphics menu appears showing your Mac's performance. Hover over any section of this menu and a sub-menu with even more detail will appear.

But that's not all: if you hover the mouse over any graphic element in the submenu, it will still be displayedOthermenu with evenplusData. iStat Menus is great for giving you data at a glance, and even better for displaying data in submenus when you want to understand what your Mac is doing in real time, in more detail than you ever thought possible.

Tidying up the menu bar is a consideration many Mac users have, and we can't think of a better option.waiter.

Bartender manages all apps and services hidden in your menu bar under a simple three-dot menu. Clicking on the Bartender icon quickly reveals the apps and services that normally clutter up the menu bar, but you can also arrange them however you see fit. It's great for building better muscle memory for finding apps on the go and organizing them by frequency of use or type (or both!).

If you're a keyboard warrior, Bartended also has a feature to customize your own hotkey commands. If you prefer to bring apps to the surface with a few keystrokes, no problem with Bartender. And if you find that you need some apps more often than others, like iStat menus and CleanMyMac X, simply choose not to hide those icons for easy navigation, while keeping all other app icons hidden behind the bartender icon!