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The Best MicroSD Card

Last updated on August 31, 2022

We looked at the top 9 MicroSD Cards and dug through the reviews from 31 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best MicroSD Cards.

Best MicroSD Card

Our Review Process

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MicroSD cards are some of the most convenient storage devices for our electronics today. At only about the size of a nickel, a MicroSD card can store photographs, videos, documents and many other types of media in a conveniently small package. MicroSD cards can be found as the primary storage device for many cameras that are used today, as well as a significant amount of smartphones and even some other technology like the Nintendo Switch. Using these forms of external storage can help enhance how we use a lot of our technology as they provide a fast and secure way to save media that we find important, whether it be memorable videos and photographs or documents and records that need to be stored over time.

MicroSD cards are all the same exact physical size, which helps them pair up with so many different technological devices, but they can vary drastically in storage size. The storage capacity of a MicroSD card is measured in gigabytes (GB). Thanks to the recent advancement in this type of technology, the capacity of the most common brands of MicroSD cards is higher than ever, while the price is more reasonable than it has been.

“Before buying a microSD card, consider how much storage and what class of card you need to purchase,” advises technology and parenting blogger Molly Thornberg, who writes the Digital Mom Blog. “While about the size of a fingernail, microSD cards can store anywhere from 64 MB to over 2 TB of data. MicroSD cards are also categorized into classes, based on their minimum transfer speed. How you use the card determine which microSD class you need.”

To get a feel for what different storage sizes mean, a 128 GB MicroSD card is capable of storing approximately 11 hours of 1080p HD video, which a lot of modern smartphones are capable of recording in. The 128 GB MicroSD card can alternatively hold somewhere between 20,000 to 80,000 compressed JPEG image files, which is a standard type of photo storage.

MicroSD cards were released in their tiny form factor after SD cards had already been around for a while. The SD cards were much larger, sizing up to nearly three times as big as the newer MicroSD cards. This is important to note as many older devices like laptops and cameras had built-in SD ports for those cards when they were more widely used. If you have a device that can take an SD card though, your MicroSD card will still fit easily inside through the use of an adapter. The adapters only require inserting the MicroSD card into a plastic housing that is the same size as an SD card, so the use of the adapter is not complicated.

Some companies will actually make your life easier when you purchase their MicroSD cards by throwing in the useful SD adapter with it. This type of deal will offer a great value to many users who might make use of the included adapter and additional memory card.

Speed is the key factor that sets varying MicroSD cards apart. Each popular brand will have its own unique terminology or color-coding for their memory cards based on the speed of the card and it’s not always super clear how much speed you actually need or want. Speed, in this case, refers to the speed at which the MicroSD card will transfer data in or out, which is often referred to as their read and write speeds. When a MicroSD card will be in your phone or another device that you want to work quickly so you aren’t waiting around as the files upload or download slowly, then you might seek out a card on the faster end.

MicroSD cards require formatting to work in the device that they are plugged into. This formatting is sometimes set up to work behind the scenes, thanks to smart programming by the manufacturer. The SanDisk Ultra microSDXC, 400 GB is another huge storage device, still in its micro-sized package, but SanDisk went one step further to offer an app that will let you work seamlessly with the card when you want to transfer files to or from it. Their “Memory Zone App” will even allow you to set up your smartphone to keep a backup of all the programming it has on the SanDisk MicroSD card. This means you have the confidence in knowing that your phone is properly backed up in the event of it breaking or crashing. Just like other cards, these SanDisk MicroSD cards read and write data at exceptional speeds. Both of the MicroSD cards are classified as “Class 10” in their speed category, which is what you would want to look for if you do think that having the fastest card will be a benefit as you record in 4k UHD.

Many of us end up storing valuable information on these convenient little storage devices. Photographs of our big life events might be stored on this MicroSD card, or maybe loads of documents related to your work. Either way, it is important to think about the quality of the card you are saving these files on. Like with most things, the cheapest options are not always the best when it comes to a memory storage device. Simply put, if the device fails, you lose all the pictures, videos, documents and any other bit of data that might have been stored on it. This is an unlikely event, but it can be mitigated through the use of proper back-ups and by ensuring that you use memory cards with good quality-control in their manufacturing process.

To ensure you have your files backed up, you can choose from any number of options, you can easily use a second MicroSD card or save the data to a cloud service of your choice, alternatively, you can save the files to your computer or an external hard drive. Any way you go about it, having the files stored in two or three different locations is the safest way to make sure you don’t lose your precious memories and data.

Our Picks For The Top MicroSD Cards

View All Recommendations
Product Overview
Our Take
Pros
Cons
 Top Pick

Gigastone Ultra Fast 4K Ultra HD MicroSD Card, 128 GB

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Gigastone

Ultra Fast 4K Ultra HD MicroSD Card, 128 GB

Use this microSD card with a gaming console, home security system or dash cam. It offers 128 gigabytes of memory and supports the recording of 4K videos. With fast read and write speeds, you'll find transfer times are minimal.

Overall Take

Reduces Transfer TimesWith this microSD card, you'll be able to run apps much faster and without interruption.

 Runner Up

KOOTION Water-Resistant Camera MicroSD Card, 32 GB

KOOTION

Water-Resistant Camera MicroSD Card, 32 GB

You'll get not one, but two microSD cards when you go with this option. Each card offers 32 gigabytes of memory, read speeds of up to 92 megabytes per second and write speeds of up to 25 megabytes per second. The cards are also widely compatible and can be used with everything from a smartphone to a drone to a gaming console.

Overall Take

Most Affordable OptionIf price is a factor, opt for this economical microSD card.

 We Also Like

SanDisk Ultra Alexa Enabled MicroSDXC, 400 GB

SanDisk

Ultra Alexa Enabled MicroSDXC, 400 GB

This microSD card boasts a huge amount of storage for such a compact form-factor. The read and write speeds are rated as "Class 10" which means you'll not be waiting long to save or load content with this card.

Overall Take

Large Storage with Fast SpeedsThis microSD card will hold a serious amount of data and it works at fast speeds.

Pros
" The card can store up to 40 hours of full HD video."
Cons
"You may also need to update your system to work with this XC, or Extended Capacity, SD card."
 Strong Contender

SanDisk Extreme Smartphone MicroSDXC, 128 GB

SanDisk

Extreme Smartphone MicroSDXC, 128 GB

This microSD card offers a fast and reliable memory card in one of the most common sizes seen today. You'll be able to use it on a wide variety of devices.

Overall Take

High Capacity MicroSD CardThis microSD card is well suited for most smartphones as a reliable memory storage device.

Pros
" With this new model, it has slightly improved speeds."
Cons
"If you want the best performance on a device that uses full size SD cards, you're better off buying a full size SD card instead of microSD cards that come with an SD adapter."
Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
16

Products Considered

We identified the majority of the microsd cards available to purchase.
9

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

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31

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Have Camera Will Travel, Tech Spot, Camera Memory Speed, New York Times Wirecutter, The Tech Lounge.

193,884

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 9 MicroSD Cards and also dug through the reviews from 31 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best MicroSD Cards.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

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Our Expert Consultant

Molly Thornberg   
Technology and parenting blogger

Molly Thornberg is a professional writer, creative and mom to four kids, living her best life outside of Dallas, Texas. With a love for all things tech, she is passionate about helping parents raise kids in the digital age. She writes about technology, parenting and humor on her blog Digital Mom Blog.

The Best Bang For Your Buck

KOOTION Water-Resistant Camera MicroSD Card, 32 GB

User Summarized Score

9.0
10,677 user reviews

Our Take

You'll get not one, but two microSD cards when you go with this option. Each card offers 32 gigabytes of memory, read speeds of up to 92 megabytes per second and write speeds of up to 25 megabytes per second. The cards are also widely compatible and can be used with everything from a smartphone to a drone to a gaming console.

What to Look For

  • Be sure your MicroSD card is compatible with the device or devices that you intend to use it for. There will be a list of compatible devices in the website’s description of most MicroSD cards. This will help make sure that you don’t run into any issues when setting up your new memory card.

“To get optimal performance, especially when storing video and photography – you will want to use a minimum of a Class 10 microSD card with a smartphone,” Thornberg recommends. “For a DSLR camera, use a minimum Class 10 microSD card. For best performance, consider using a UHS1 or UHS3 class. When doing HD video work, a v-series class of microSD card will allow you the best experience in regards to saving and working with HD video. These include V6, V10, V30, V60 and V90.”

  • Formatting the card to an exFAT format rather than FAT32 is a simple process that should be done with most MicroSD cards upon initial purchase. This might sound daunting, but it’s usually a straightforward process and you can find videos online that will walk you through the process step-by-step so you can be confident you are doing it correctly.
  • The older FAT32 format of MicroSD cards will not allow file sizes of greater than 4 GB to be transferred to or from the card. When you are taking 4k UHD video footage with your camera or phone, a video file size could very well be greater than the 4 GB limit that the FAT32 formatting will allow. Without getting into too much gory tech talk, the knowledge you need to know is that exFAT is the formatting that most people want and that will give you the best user experience with your new MicroSD card.

MicroSD Card Rankings

1. Gigastone Ultra Fast 4K Ultra HD MicroSD Card, 128 GB

Overall Score: 9.4
Reviews Included: 1

2. KOOTION Water-Resistant Camera MicroSD Card, 32 GB

Overall Score: 9.3
Reviews Included: 1

3. SanDisk Ultra Alexa Enabled MicroSDXC, 400 GB

Overall Score: 9.2
Reviews Included: 8

4. SanDisk Extreme Smartphone MicroSDXC, 128 GB

Overall Score: 9.1
Reviews Included: 7

5. Samsung MicroSD Laptop Memory Card, 128 GB

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 19

6. Inland Shockproof MicroSDXC Card, 64 GB

Overall Score: 8.8
Reviews Included: 2

8. Samsung EVO Android Compatible MicroSDXC, 256 GB

Overall Score: 8.3
Reviews Included: 7

More to Explore

In 2005 there was a big wave in memory storage devices and articles proudly touted how you could get a 1 GB memory card for only $100. This was nearly half of the cost that it had been before. That 1 GB card would not be enough to hold even one episode of your favorite HD television show today, but the good news is that you can get MicroSD cards of 128 GB in size for under $20 and the pricing trend only seems to support that, over time, memory will become even cheaper for us.

More to explore