The cheapest by far is if you make it yourself, and the best part is you don't need any tools and it takes a couple minutes.
In terms of performance: * Solid State Drives - fast car to rocket * 7200RPM hard drive - horse * 5400RPM hard drive - goat
Today the price difference is $3.
Currently the cheapest 2.5" hard drive vs cheapest solid State drive among major retailers in the US:
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | TEAMGROUP CX2 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $32.99 @ Newegg |
| Storage | Western Digital AV-25 1 TB 2.5" 5400 RPM Internal Hard Drive | $29.88 @ Amazon |
To use these externally, you need an enclosure. These are available in tool-free versions for under $7-$10: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZSDVMSP
So you're looking at $37 for the cheapest and slowest storage, or $40 for something decently fast and more reliable.
If it's below this price, it's either used or a scam. For example here's a drive which is $38 used and about the cheapest you can find: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CRG7BBH
And here's a $20 1TB USB drive on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Data-Flash-Drive-Portable-Thumb/dp/B0C1SYG92Z
However if you see the date, it launched in April 2023.
If you see the reviews and photos, they say 128GB, not 1TB.