Best Micro SD Card: Compare & Find Which One is Best for You

Micro SD cards have become an essential part of many devices, including gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch, cameras, drones, and single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi. While most microSD cards are fast enough for simple file storage and transfer, some stand out by offering better performance and value for specific use cases. Here is the best Micro SD card you can buy, as well as some great alternatives.

Article Overview

Best Micro SD Cards: Quick Overview

Best microSD card: Samsung Pro Plus (128GB) $21 at Amazon
Best fast microSD card: Samsung Pro Ultimate $22 at Amazon
Best value microSD card: Samsung Evo Select $16 at Amazon
Another great one: Kingston Canvas Go Plus (128GB) $17 at B&H Photo

Let’s dive deeper into what makes them the best in their categories and what benchmarks led us to this determination.

What to Look for When Buying the Best Micro SD Card

Capacity

The first thing you determine when purchasing the best Micro SD card is the amount of storage space you require. Typical capacities for microSD cards are 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, and go all the way up to 512GB. Of course, with the recent availability of 1TB micro SDs, buyers can now enjoy even more generous storage capacity. Generally speaking, capacity versus price balance is usually found between 128GB and 256GB. Performance can also vary with capacity.

Read Speeds: Best Micro SD Card

MicroSD cards are commonly tested by their read and write speeds in megabytes per second (MB/s). Their read speed determines how fast the accessed data is going to be, and their write speed decides how fast you can save the data onto the card. For using Sing, it is mostly for media storage or gaming, higher read speeds are more important, but recording or doing video editing complicates it.

Sequential Speeds

Sequential speeds hint at how the card can handle large, continuous files, such as video files, but it’s the ability to access small files scattered around the drive that determines random speeds. This is crucial for gaming but even important for use in smaller devices, such as the Raspberry Pi.

Speed Class Ratings

Speed class ratings like V30, U3, and A2 are commonly marked on microSD cards. Here’s what these ratings mean:

V-rating (Video Speed Class Rating)

This will be the minimum sequential write speed. For example, a V30rated card would give you at least 30 MB/s, which means you can use it for recording 4K videos.

U-rating (UHS Speed Class)

U3class cards assure a sequential writing speed of at least 30 MB/s, while the U1 class guarantees only 10 MB/s. U3 more suitable for high-end applications.

A-rating (Application Performance Class)

A1 and A2 ratings have measured the random read and write speeds on the card, so important for apps and game applications. A2 cards have faster random-access speeds than A1class cards. Demanding users, who need this balance between performance and price, should be satisfied with a V30, U3, and A2 rated card. Cards rated V60 or V90 are mostly demanded in professional 4K or 8K video recording.

Best Micro SD Cards in 2024

Let’s have a deeper look at the best Micro SD cards of the year:

1. Best Micro SD Card Overall: Samsung Pro Plus

Capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Speed Classes: U3, V30, A2, Class 10

Price: $21 at Amazon (128GB)

Warranty: 10year limited

Description

The Samsung Pro Plus looked like the best microSD card for everyone but the ones who needed long-term access to fast sequential and random reads/writes. The Samsung SD card reached 130 MB/s write speeds in benchmarks, so it’s great for just about any task, from recording 4K video to running apps on a Raspberry Pi. It costs around $21 for 128GB, is a great value, and includes a 10-year warranty. The Pro Plus is a nice option that will be fine in anything from cameras to tablets to gaming consoles.

Pros:

Strong sequential and random performance
Competitive price
Purchased from reputable vendors
The Samsung Micro SD card is available as a 1TB model

Flaws:

Sequential read speeds are not the fastest compared with other options.

2. Faster Micro SD Card: Samsung Pro Ultimate

Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Speed Classes: U3, V30, A2, Class 10

Price: $22 at Amazon (128GB)

Warranty: 10year limited

Description

The best if you actually require faster performance is the Samsung Pro Ultimate. It was much faster, with nearly 200 MB/s with a good card reader. This makes it one of the best Micro SD cards and highly useful for anybody who often transfers large files, like video editors. But the Pro Ultimate is somewhat pricier than the Pro Plus, and improvements in performance certainly do not justify further expense for many users.

Pros:

Sequential read speed best in test
Tough and durable
Available at large chain retailers in high quantity

Cons:

Pricier than the Pro Plus
1TB not available

3. Best Value: Samsung Evo Select

Storage Options: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Speed Class: U3, V30, A2, Class 10

Cost: $16 on Amazon (128GB)

Warranty: 10year limited

Description

For the value-sensitive consumer, there’s the Samsung Evo Select at the top. While slower in write speeds compared to the Pro Plus (maxing at about 70 MB/s), it’s fast enough for any form of gaming, general-purpose file storage, and everyday tasks. The card often goes on sale, making it a good buy for consumers who don’t need their performance to be top-tier but want a reliable card at a budget-friendly price.

Pros:

Less expensive than the Pro Plus
Sufficient for most general user
Available in 1TB
One of the largest Micro SD cards.

Cons:

The write Speed is not as fast as any other high-end model.

4. Alternative Pick: Kingston Canvas Go Plus

Models: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Speed Classes: U3, V30, A2, Class 10

Price: $17 at B&H Photo in the 128GB

Warranty: Lifetime limited

Description

Of course, the Kingston Canvas Go Plus is another decent option for those looking for a lifetime warranty. The 1TB Micro SD card is great for the long term. Their sequential read speeds are near that of the Samsung Pro Ultimate, but their write speeds are slightly lower at 100 MBps. The 128GB Micro SD Card is great for photos and videos.

Factors to Consider for the Best Micro SD Card

UHS Bus Speeds

Most of the microSD cards sold nowadays are manufactured using either UHSI or UHSII bus interfaces. UHSI cards can technically go as fast as 104 MB/s, but the UHSII cards max out at 312 MB/s. Of course, the faster speed of UHSII cards only benefits you if your device can take advantage of that interface. UHSII cards are also very much more expensive.

Warranty and Longevity

The best Micro SD cards are made to be incredibly tough: they can withstand immersion in water and survive extreme temperatures and even X-rays. Most manufacturers also provide warranties of anywhere from 5 years to a lifetime, depending on the best SD cards. Cards that are built with toughness in mind, such as the Samsung Pro Endurance, naturally have shorter warranties.

Testing the microSD Cards

We tested 13 microSD cards using a mix of benchmarking tools, which are CrystalDiskMark, Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, and ATTO Disk Benchmark. We also ran real-world transfers of large files on Micro SD card 1tb, and tons of gaming on the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. The tests were done on a Windows 11 gaming PC as well as on a macOS system. To get maximum transfer speeds, we tested it on a Kingston USB 3.2 UHSII reader.

Avoiding Counterfeits

One of the biggest headaches facing microSD consumers is counterfeit cards, especially on online marketplaces. Just make sure you buy from reputable sellers. Buy from Amazon when sold by or shipped by Amazon. Buy from B&H Photo or Adorama, to name two. Once you get your new microSD card, you can run benchmarking software or check it out with tools like H2testw, so you know what the card is capable of.

Conclusion

As you can tell, there are a lot of factors to consider when searching for the best Micro SD card. In 2024, there are a lot of reliable options for SD cards. You can narrow down your search by seeing which ones meet these criteria. When it comes to storage, never compromise on the device, as it will hold all your precious memories and documents.