There are three types of storage you can use with your Mac. External storage devices like SSDs and hard drives can plug into your Mac and be used to back up your data or to extend your storage. There are also those little USB memory sticks you can use to store or transfer files, these days they can hold up to 2TB of files in your pocket.
These days cloud storage is particularly popular as it offers a simple way to access your data from anywhere, collaborate with teams of people, and it extends the amount of storage available on your Mac. You can also use the cloud to make a backup of your Mac, although unfortunately Apple’s back up solution, Time Machine, doesn’t work with iCloud. There are various cloud backup services that we look at here: Best Cloud backup for Mac.
The third kind of storage is a NAS (network-attached storage). A NAS drive is a good solution if you are looking for a shared storage solution for a team of people in an office, or if you are looking for a way to keep your Mac backed up without needing to leave it plugged into a drive. With the advent of home working meaning fewer people are confined to the office, lots are turning to cloud storage for collaboration, but there are downsides to this, not least the fact that typical cloud storage solutions are not really suitable for backing up (iCloud doesn’t work with Time Machine for example). Using a NAS to your files means you aren’t reliant on a good internet connection, you don’t need to upload your data to an external service, and you don’t (generally) have to pay a monthly subscription.
Read more at Macworld.com