Best External CD/DVD Drive for Windows & Mac 2023

Although CDs and DVDs have been gradually replaced by streaming media, cloud storage, or mass storage devices, there are still some friends who need to play DVD movie collections, burn personal music CDs or video DVDs, copy files from CDs or DVDs to a computer, or install the program, etc., since almost no laptop or desktop computer comes with an internal optical drive, a premium quality external CD/DVD RW drive at an affordable price is the best choice.

There are so many products on Amazon that look similar in appearance but vary in quality. It may take a lot of effort and time to find an external CD/DVD drive that suits your computer. In addition to the obvious product features, you have to analyze product reviews, seller qualifications, etc. So, what we can do is analyze most of the products on the market and find some reliable external CD/DVD drives that perform well overall, these selected products are perfectly compatible with almost all brands of Windows 11/10/8/7 laptops and desktops, as well as Apple’s MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac. If you have more specific or further needs, you can refer to these links.

• Best External CD/DVD Drive for Mac 
• Best External CD/DVD Drive with Power Supply Cable
• Best External CD/DVD Drive for Multi-OS (Android, Windows, Mac)

Below are the best external CD/DVD drives for Windows and Mac we selected. We try to list all key features and disadvantages of each product for your reference and will be updated regularly according to market dynamics.

1. Dell USB CD DVD Drive-DW316 

Specs & Features:

• Connector: USB 2.0
• Media Load Type: Tray
• Device Type: Reader, Writer, ReWriter
• Compatible with Windows 10/8.1/7/xp, Linux, and all versions of Mac OS
• Supported discs: DVD +/-R, DVD+/-RW, DVD+R(DL), DVD-R(SL), DVD-RAM, DVD-R(DL), CD-R, CD-RW
• Max Read Speed:  24x (CD)/ 8x (DVD) 
• Max Write Speed: 24x (CD)/ 8x (DVDR)/ 6x (DVDR DL) 
• Preloaded CyberLink Media Suite allows you easily play and burn DVD/CDs, or install disc-based computer programs.
• 1-year warranty

Disadvantage

• Not faster USB 3.0
• Do not support M-Disc

2. ROOFULL External CD DVD +/-RW Drive USB 3.0 Type-C Portable CD/DVD ROM Optical Drive Player Reader Writer Burner with Protective Carrying Case for Mac MacBook Pro/Air, iMac, Windows 10 Laptop Desktop

Specs & Features:

• Connector: USB 3.0 and USB-C
• Come with a USB to micro-USB power supply cable
• Media Load Type: Tray
• Device Type: Reader, Writer, ReWriter
• Compatible with Windows 10/8.1/7/xp, Linux, and all versions of Mac OS
• Supported discs: DVD +/-R, DVD+/-RW, DVD+R(DL), DVD-R(SL), DVD-RAM, DVD-R(DL), CD-R, CD-RW
• Max Read Speed:  24x (CD)/ 8x (DVD) 
• Max Write Speed: 24x (CD)/ 8x (DVDR)/ 6x (DVDR DL) 
• Come with a protective storage carrying case (If you do not need a carrying case, you can check this)
• 18-month warranty

Disadvantage

• No software included
• Do not support M-Disc

3. LG Electronics 8X USB 2.0 Super Multi Ultra Slim Portable DVD Writer Drive +/-RW External Drive with M-DISC Support (Black) GP65NB60

Specs & Features:

• Connector: USB 2.0 
• Media Load Type: Tray
• Device Type: Reader, Writer, ReWriter
• Compatible with Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP, Linux, and Mac OS (10.7.5 and above)
• Supported discs: DVD +/-R, DVD+/-RW, DVD+R(DL), DVD-R(SL), DVD-RAM, DVD-R(DL), CD-R, CD-RW
• Support M-Disc
• Max Read Speed: 24x (CD)/ 8x (DVD) 
• Mac Write Speed:  24x (CD)/ 8x (DVDR) 
• Come with Cyberlink Software software
• Ultra-slim design
• 1-year warranty

Disadvantage

• Not faster USB 3.0

4. ASUS ZenDrive Ultra Slim USB 2.0 External 8X DVD Optical Drive +/-RW with M-Disc Support for Windows and Mac and Nero BackItUp for Android Devices (SDRW-08U7M-U/BLK/G/AS)

Specs & Features:

• Connector: USB 2.0 
• Media Load Type: Tray
• Device Type: Reader, Writer, ReWriter
• Compatible with Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP/Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Linux, and Mac OS
• Supported discs: DVD +/-R, DVD+/-RW, DVD+R(DL), DVD-R(SL), DVD-RAM, DVD-R(DL), CD-R, CD-RW
• Support M-Disc
• Max Read Speed: 24x (CD)/ 8x (DVD) 
• Mac Write Speed:  24x (CD)/ 8x (DVD) 
• Includes CyberLink Power2Go 8, CyberLink PowerBackup 2.5, Nero BackItUp (includes Android support), E-Green, and 12-month subscription to ASUS Web storage Cloud Service
• Ultra-slim design
• 1-year warranty

Disadvantage

• Not faster USB 3.0

5. Verbatim External CD / DVD Writer – Compact & Slimline – USB Powered – Mac & PC Compatible – Black

Specs & Features:

• Connector: USB 2.0 
• Media Load Type: Tray
• Device Type: Reader, Writer, ReWriter
• Compatible with Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP/Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Linux, and Mac OS
• Supported discs: DVD +/-R, DVD+/-RW, DVD+R(DL), DVD-R(SL), DVD-RAM, DVD-R(DL), CD-R, CD-RW
• Support M-Disc
• Max Read Speed: 24x (CD)/ 8x (DVD) 
• Mac Write Speed:  24x (CD)/ 8x (DVD) 
• Featuring Nero Burn & Archive software
• Ultra-slim design
• 2-year warranty

Disadvantage

• Not faster USB 3.0

Conclusion

In addition to choosing an excellent external CD/DVD drive for your Windows laptop, you also need to prepare a media player software or burning/ripping software to finish the reading/writing CDs and DVDs.

FAQs:

Q: What are the popular media player software used for Windows 10?
A:  You can try free VLC player, 5KPlayer, Any Player, KMplayer, or paid PowerDVD, etc.

Q: Which burning software is better for Windows 10 OS?
A:  We recommend you try popular Nero Burning, WinX DVD Author, ImgBurn, CDBurnerXP, BurnAware Free, or Ashampoo® Burning Studio FREE, etc.

Q: Can I use these external DVD Drives on my Windows 10 Surface Pro laptop?
A: Surface Pro series laptop may not supply enough power for an external optical drive or hard drive. If you have a powered (20 watt or above) USB hub, you can use any of these products, or check the best external CD/DVD drive for your Surface Pro laptop.  

Q: Can these optical drives play Blu-ray discs?
A: No! These external CD/DVD drives can only read and write CD and DVD disks.

Q: Can I use one of these USB CD/DVD drives on my Chromebook, iPad, iPhone, car, or truck?
A: No! These devices can only work with Windows and Mac OS laptops and desktop computers.