8 Best Optical Drives in 2024

Affordable and high-quality optical drives.

Laptops that have been released in recent years rarely include optical drives for CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs anymore. That said, such drives are essential to have for some users even today, as they represent a convenient storage option and support a plethora of writing methods.

If you purchase a high-quality optical drive, you’ll be able to write and read data to and from your discs with maximum efficiency. If you’re struggling to find the best optical drive for your system, this article is here to help. It goes over numerous top-rated options and includes a breakdown of factors you have to consider when making your decision.

Compatibility: macOS/Windows/Linux | Interface: USB 3.0 | Speed: Max 8x DVDR, Max 24x CD (write speed)

The Gotega USB 3.0 external DVD drive is a great tool to help you easily store and transport your movies, music, and video files from computer to computer and back again. These drives are ideal for use in notebook PCs, netbooks, and other small form factor computers. They are relatively cheap when compared to alternatives like a traditional CD and DVD burners and can be plugged directly into a USB port making them extremely convenient and cost-effective. The Gotega range of drives has been developed to work flawlessly with Windows, Linux, macOS operating systems.

The drive is very easy to install and work with making it suitable for use in any environment. So if you are looking for a simple way to back up your data and transfer it to another computer, the Gotega USB 3.0 External DVD drive may be a good fit for you.

Compatibility: macOS/Windows/Linux | Interface: USB 3.0, Type-C | Speed: Max DVD read speed 8X, Max CD read speed 24X, Max CD burn speed 8X

Amicool USB 3.0 Type-C optical drive is the best device available in the market that ensures secure and reliable data storage and transfer of movies, music, pictures, and documents. Amicool External DVD drive helps you to save your data and files in a safer manner because it has all the features and functionalities as the usual CD-R and CD-RW discs. One of the best features of this device is its slim & compact design, which is why many users prefer this particular model.

The USB port that comes with the drive allows you to use it for connecting your external hard drive to your laptop, desktop, PC or Mac for working. With a high transfer speed of about 450MBps, it offers the user high-quality audio and video recording and playback, thereby ensuring that the user always gets the best possible results from their work.

Compatibility: Windows | Interface: USB 2.0 | Speed: 24x (CD)/ 8x (DVD) read speed; 24x (CD)/ 8x (DVDR)/ 6x (DVDR DL) write speed

If you are searching for an external hard disk drive, which can store large volumes of data, the Dell DW316 is the best one available in the market today. Dell DW316 is compatible with the following operating systems: Windows, macOS, and Linux. This is a very compact, durable and powerful drive suitable for data storage needs. It can be easily plugged into the USB port of a PC, or it can be plugged into an individual desktop computer.

The Dell DW316 external hard drive is ideal for use in the creation and backup of DVD-RW and DVD+RW multimedia files. The drive offers extremely high read and write speeds, supports transfer speeds up to 480 Mb/s. The Dell DW 316 external CD drive is one of the best portable storage devices available on the market today.

Compatibility: macOS/Windows/Android | Interface: USB 2.0 | Speed: 8x (DVD) Write Speed; 8x (DVD) , 24x (CD) Read Speed

ASUS ZenDrive External DVD Drive is a simple yet elegant solution to store all your precious DVDs. This tiny external hard drive has operating system compatibility that can be used with any Windows & Mac compatible computer. With its ultra-slim, lightweight design, the ZenDrive will be the perfect companion to thin and light laptops.

ASUS ZenDrive U7M offers double the amount of capacity in Ultra Slim configurations. Provides 8x DVD write/read speed and 24x CD read speed. Your system will run more efficiently than before, and you will save time and effort.

Compatibility: macOS/Windows/Linux | Interface: USB 3.0, USB C | Speed: Max DVD read speed 8x; Max CD read speed 24x, Max CD burn speed 8x

The Amicool USB 3.0 USB C optical drive is a small and slim form factor device with built in data storage that will give you plenty of room to store all your favourite films and other media. It is extremely easy to use because of the software that is included which allows users to connect it to a computer via USB.

When it comes to this drive being able to handle large amounts of data storage. All you need to do is to plug this drive in and turn it on. There is no need for users to worry about compatibility because the drive works perfectly with Windows as well as Macintosh and Linux operating systems. The Amicool drive is one that offers a high degree of protection against unauthorized access.

Compatibility: macOS/Windows/Linux | Interface: USB 3.0 | Speed: Max 8x DVDR, Max 24x CD (write speed)

MthsTec USB 3.0 optical drive is a device that is designed to give the user easy access to large files, and it also has the latest HD burning technology. MthsTec external DVD drive has a beautiful light change on the top. The drive is extremely light and compact making it very portable, so it is ideal for the consumer as it can easily be carried from one place to another.

This device can be easily connected to the USB port of the computer. It provides 6x Blu-ray read speeds, 8x DVD read speeds, 24x CD read speeds. MthsTec external DVD drive is extremely easy to install and compatible with most of the operating systems (Linux, Windows, macOS) that you might be using these days. The user has total control over the operation of this drive.

Compatibility: macOS/Windows/Linux | Interface: Type C, USB 3.0 | Speed: Max DVD read/burn speed 8x; Max CD read/burn speed 24x

The Cocopa USB 3.0 optical drive is a portable and convenient way to transfer movies, music and photos. This external DVD drive comes with the built-in multi-functional, basic and advance burning technology that gives you wide compatibility (macOS/Windows/Linux) for your device. This small and sleek device can easily fit into your bag, and you can travel anywhere you like. It has a high speed transfer rate of DVD quality that is perfect for your home, office or entertainment. There is an extra power cable that comes with this device.

The Cocopa external DVD drive offers a good value for your money. It can play DVD+R, DVD-R, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, and it is a super cool and stylish device. You will love how easy it is to use and how it is a versatile and handy tool to carry around.

Compatibility: macOS/Windows/Android | Interface: USB 2.0, Type-C | Speed: 8x DVD Read/Write Speed, 24x CD Read/Write Speed

ASUS ZenDrive U9M is an external DVD/ Burner Drive with a slim design and distinctive Zen style. One of the features of this model is support for durable optical media in M-Disc format. The ASUS ZenDrive U9M is designed in just 13.9mm thickness, making it the perfect accessory for thin and light laptops.

The software bundled with ASUS ZenDrive U9M includes a data backup utility for smartphones and tablets, and Cyberlink Power2go, an optical disc burning tool that encrypts confidential files.

The majority of newer optical drives are slick and slim devices, requiring minimum space in your PC case. The best optical drive should ideally also be lightweight and offer terrific portability in case you have to travel with your rig.

Optical drives rely on laser technology that enables your system to show the content stored on a disc, whether it’s a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray. You can use such hardware to view the content and edit it as you see fit. Whether the disc contains a movie, song, or a folder full of documents and images, you’ll have no trouble opening it using appropriate software.

The majority of external DVD drives can be used with virtually any modern PC build out there. That said, if you happen to own an older rig that relies on USB1.1, you might encounter some compatibility issues, but that should be the least of your concerns if you’re still using such a dated system. Despite their universal nature, optical drives can offer better performance when paired with specific brands. For instance, the Apple USB SuperDrive is designed primarily with Mac PCs in mind.

The read and write speed of each particular optical drive isn’t identical for DVDs and CDs. 8x is considered to be the usual DVD speed while CDs can go up to 24x. Drives that come with USB 3.0 connectivity can theoretically reach higher speeds, but that isn’t always the case in practice. Another thing you have to keep in mind is that high speeds are the main reason why an optical drive can make a lot of noise when working. Even the best optical drive won’t be completely silent, but it’s still recommended to read user reviews or watch a YouTube video to see what level of noise you should expect from a drive you're considering buying.