Best External DVD Drives of 2026

M-DISC support is the reason to look at the LG GP65NB78. Ordinary DVD±R discs are fine for a quick handoff, but if you are burning a family archive or a set of records you want to keep, M-DISC is the more durable media option, and this is the drive in this group that lists support for it.

The rest is classic optical-drive engineering: an ultra-slim 14mm body and 8x DVD/24x CD writing. LG includes CyberLink software, which saves you from hunting down a burning app on an older Windows machine. We like the grown-up simplicity of that bundle; it feels like a drive built for a specific job rather than a race to add ports.

This is not the value pick. You pay for the LG name, M-DISC support, and the software bundle. We treat it as a specialist for archival burns rather than the everyday default. If you mostly watch DVDs, the Amicool is easier to live with; if you are making a disc you intend to keep, the LG's media support is the feature that matters.

The BPAKDU 8-in-1 is the drive to consider when your laptop has too few ports. Its pitch is not just reading discs; it adds one USB 3.0 port, three USB 2.0 ports, and an SD/TF card reader, so it can replace a small hub as well as an optical drive.

The practical detail we appreciate is the extra power connection. When a laptop will not recognize a bus-powered DVD drive, that is the first thing to try, and BPAKDU builds the fix into the product instead of leaving you to guess. We also like the USB-C and USB-A connectors; between them, the drive covers most modern and older laptops without an adapter.

As an optical drive, it is a standard 8x DVD/24x CD unit with a slim body and a built-in cable. The hub is the reason to choose it, but the hub is also where the compromises live: sharing one connection is not the same as adding a proper dock. Keep important burns on a direct port and use the hub for a mouse, a keyboard, or a card dump.

Our take: this is the practical pick for a small desktop or a laptop that needs both disc access and a port multiplier. If you only need discs, a simpler drive is less to troubleshoot; if your desk is short on USB ports, the BPAKDU earns its space.

If your laptop still has a USB-A port, the Antika is the sensible cheap pick. It is a simple USB 3.0 writer with none of the hub clutter, and that is exactly why it appeals: fewer ports to troubleshoot, fewer things to explain, and a slim body that can live in a drawer until a disc shows up.

The listed read/write speed is up to 24x, and the drive is bus-powered, so there is no power brick to lose. It handles CD and DVD reading and burning, and Antika backs it with a 30-day refund or replacement and a one-year warranty. We value that safety net more than an extra card slot on a drive this simple; the warranty is the feature that makes a budget purchase feel less like a gamble.

It is also a plain drive, with no hub or card reader. For a Windows desktop or an older laptop, that simplicity is a feature. We see it as the drive to buy when the job is a handful of CDs, not a desktop dock.

The Asus SDRW-08D2S-U is the odd one out in a good way: it is the only drive here that makes disc encryption part of the pitch. Password-controlled, hidden-file encryption on a burned disc is a niche feature, but if you are archiving financial records or family documents, it is a meaningful one.

The drive itself is a USB 2.0 unit with 8x DVD writing, a diamond-cut glossy finish, and a space-saving stand that lets it sit vertically. We like the stand more than we expected: it keeps the drive from sliding around on a desk and gives it a smaller footprint. The drag-and-burn interface makes burning a three-step job, and the disc encryption tools add password and hidden-file protection. It is a desk accessory first, which suits the encryption feature.

Our take: this is a specialist drive for encrypted backups, not the everyday default. It is heavier and bulkier than the slim budget drives, so it belongs at a desk rather than in a bag. If you value the encryption and the looks, those compromises are easy to accept; if you just want to watch a DVD, a simpler USB-C-ready drive is the easier recommendation.

The Alronly is the featherweight spare in this group. At 0.55 pounds and 0.79 inches thick, it is the drive that disappears into a bag, and the built-in cable means there is no loose lead to lose. We like that for travel because the drive is easy to forget until you need it, which is the right quality in an occasional-use accessory.

The spec sheet is basic but complete: USB 3.0 and USB-C, 8x DVD and 24x CD, and a slim plastic shell. It does not have the extra hub ports of the BPAKDU or the M-DISC support of the LG, and that is fine. We see it as a second drive for travel or a cheap way to get a disc reader into a household that only needs one occasionally.

The caveat is reliability. Reliability is mixed, with some units failing early, so buy it with a simple return path rather than trusting it with a one-off important burn. For casual CD ripping and DVD playback, the low weight and low cost are the whole point.

The GODBPNYMU 5-in-1 is a small hub and a DVD drive in one shell, which is the right idea for a laptop that has run out of ports. The 5-in-1 label covers the optical drive, two USB 2.0 ports, and a TF card slot; it is not a full dock, but it is more than most budget drives offer.

The drive is a standard 8x DVD/24x CD unit with USB 3.0 and USB-C connectors, and the 24-month warranty is the longest in this group. We like that combination for a family computer: the drive can read old discs, the extra ports handle a mouse and a flash drive, and the warranty takes some of the sting out of the low price. The cable stores in the body, so the desktop does not turn into a snake pit.

The 5-in-1 format is best for light office use and occasional disc reading. For a heavy burning project, choose the simpler Amicool or the M-DISC LG; for a desktop that needs a card slot and a disc reader, this one is easy to justify.

The ASHDOL 8-in-1 makes its pitch on expansion: an optical drive plus extra USB ports and SD/TF card slots in one unit. That is a useful shape for a mini PC or a laptop with too few ports, though this is a more specialized pick than the BPAKDU. We see it as a low-cost experiment for someone who wants the extra connections more than a polished drive.

The core specs are familiar: USB 3.0 and USB-C, 8x DVD/24x CD, a slim body, and a built-in cable. The matte finish and tucked cable make it easy to carry, and the 8-in-1 hub is the reason to choose it over a bare drive.

The extra ports are the reason to choose it, but they are not a substitute for a proper dock. We are less sure about the hub's long-term behavior, and the 8-in-1 label does not tell you how fast those ports are. Those are the kinds of compromises that make sense on a secondary machine, not on the computer you rely on for every burn.

Our take: this is one for the tinkerer who wants ports and a disc drive in a single low-cost box. If you need a drive for important burns, the Amicool or LG is the safer recommendation. If you just want to add a disc reader and a card slot to a small desktop, the ASHDOL covers both without a second accessory.