USB pen drives are best for carrying data around in a small and compact form factor. These days the prices have sharply fallen and the memory capacity has almost doubled.

In this article, we present to you the twelve best USB pen drives in India under different storage and price categories.

We have done thorough research about the models listed here and conducted various tests to make sure they are worth the asking price.

With that said, let’s jump straight into the article to know more about these products in detail.

Note: The price shown are the once when we reviewed the products. However, as the promotional offers changes on the given E-commerce sites, the price may vary. Bettershark is supported by it’s readers and when you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

1. SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe

Overall Best Pick

• Robust metal build
• Decent data transfer speed
• Thin and lightweight

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Sandisk is the subsidiary of portable storage giant, Western Digital, based in the United States.

The Sandisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe is a 1TB 2-in-1 USB pen drive with both Type C and Type-A ports on either end.

Design and Build Quality

As the name suggests, the design of this 1TB USB Pendrive is luxurious and premium.

The design of the Dual Drive Luxe is almost similar to that of the Sandisk Ultra Blade, apart from the rotating inner section.

The shiny metal build of this pen drive makes it stand out from the rest of its competitors in a similar price range.

The rotating cap helps cover one connector at a time and remains firm when aligned with the same.

Since the build material used is metal, the device does get a little warm while transferring large amounts of files and data, nothing like a deal-breaker though.

Data Transfer Performance

The Sandisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe is a USB3.1 dual connector pen drive compatible with older as well as newer generation gadgets such as laptops and tablets.

With regards to the write speed, you will get between 22-45MB/s on normal usage, when none of the apps is running in the background while transferring the data.

Miscellaneous

Sandisk provides 5-year warranty support to this device which covers any problems arising from manufacturing defects.

This pen drive comes pre-loaded with the Sandisk Memory Zone application which helps you take backups of the content in just one click, to make sure your data is safe and secure.

Verdict

The Sandisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe is a compact well-built 1TB flash drive that can be connected to your keys as a keychain and take anywhere you travel. with the keychain.

Priced at Rs.11,628, this pen drive is compatible with all devices out there with either a Type A or a Type C port.

2. HP x770w

Runner-up Pick

• Excellent data transfer performance
• Backwards compatibility
• Brand reliability

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HP is a consumer electronics conglomerate that is popular in India with its laptops and printers.

The company also concentrates on accessories such as computer mice and media storage devices such as pen drives.

The HP x770w is a USB 3.1 supported 256GB pen drive priced under Rs.10,000 in the Indian market.

Design and Build Quality

The HP x770w is an elegant-looking USB flash drive that has a fine piano finish on the body with the adorning logo HP.

The pen drive is made using metal and plastic material, the push-pull mechanism is made out of high-quality plastic while the rest of the chassis is forged from metal.

The push-pull mechanism has a blank space in it which allows the user to attach this pen drive with the keychain set.

That way the portability of this USB flash drive will be much easier. Since the drive has a glossy finish it will get dirty quickly.

Data Transfer Performance

This drive has a single USB 3.1 interface that is backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0 peripherals.

The size of the drive is 256GB so you will get enough space to keep multimedia files and documents offline.

According to HP, this drive provides an impressive read and write speed of 400MB/s and 180MB/s respectively.

This claim is no joke, in real-time use, you will get almost the advertised speed that is promised when used with the USB 3.1 peripheral, and not to mention, this score will vary when connected with the USB 2.0 port.

Miscellaneous

The HP x770w comes with two years of warranty and in India, you will find the HP service center easily with the help of Google search.

Verdict

The HP x770w is the fastest 256GB USB 3.1 drive and if you are someone who is working with a lot of workloads like high-quality videos and large-size documents then this is the perfect buy for you.

The price tag sure is high but in return, you will get the equivalent value.

3. Samsung Bar Plus

Reliable Pen Drive

• Read and write speed is good
• Premium build quality
• Brand reliability

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Although Samsung is a popular brand in India, its USB pen drives are lesser-known among the masses when compared to other brands such as Sandisk and Strontium. 

The Bar Plus from Samsung is an expensive USB3.1 pen drive with 128GB storage, capacity retailing in the Indian market for Rs.4,906.

Design and Build Quality

The Samsung Bar Plus features a unibody metal design that is polished and looks and feels premium.

This rugged USB flash drive of Samsung is waterproof, shock-proof, magnet-proof, temperature-proof, and X-ray proof.

This pen drive from Samsung has a curved design at the backside in which there are two cone-shaped holes provided for attaching a keychain so you can take this USB flash drive anywhere.

That’s it for its design and build, there’s nothing much to talk about because Samsung has kept the aesthetics simple and premium.

Data Transfer Performance

Now you know that the USB flash drive is reliable and durable but is it just the build quality that is premium or does the drive offer excellent performance for its asking price, let’s find out!

According to Samsung, the read speed is about 400MB/s which is insane but when it comes to real-time use we see the score of 250-300MB/s which in our opinion is still not bad.

Now, the write speed of this USB flash drive varies between 60-70MB/s, and for its price we’ve expected at least the mark of 100MB/s.

However, compared to other USB flash drives that come under Rs.5,000, this one is a viable option to go for.

The read and write score of this pen drive is achieved when connected with the USB 3.1 port and the speed will downgrade if you plug in with a USB 3.0 port or lower.

Miscellaneous

Samsung has offered a five-year limited warranty on this product.

Unlike other brands, Samsung does have a whole bunch of service centers across the nation so finding a nearby center just requires a basic google search.

Verdict

If you are looking for a rough and tough USB flash drive with excellent data transfer performance then opt-in for Samsung Bar Plus.

Priced under Rs.5,000, this pen drive sure is an expensive one but it’s reliable and ideal for long term use.

4. Transcend JetFlash 810

Best Economical Pen Drive

• Read and write speed as mentioned on the box
• 256-bit AES encryption
• Backward compatible

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Transcend was once a popular storage manufacturer but due to less marketing people almost forgot that this brand still exists.

The Transcend Jetflash 810 is a robust USB flash drive with a capacity of 128GB and is priced at Rs.5,098.

Design and Build Quality

The Transcend Jetflash 810 looks unique with the black and blue colour combination.

This sturdy-looking drive has a rubber casing that protects it from accidental shocks and provides a comfortable grip to the user’s hands.

The pen drive is resistant to shock, dust, water, and scratches.

It comes with the end cap protection and it fits snugly so even if you hold the pen drive from its top the drive won’t drop down.

To provide the user a convenience regarding the portability, there is a small hole at the end side of this drive in which you can attach your keyring and take this drive everywhere you go.

Data Transfer Performance

Unlike other brands, Transcend didn’t claim read and speed out of their league.

The read speed is 90MB/s and the write speed is around 40MB/s. In actual use, you will get these mentioned speeds.

We are happy to see that they did not over-promise anything and you will not find speed going down while transferring files.

However, the speed will be considerably low when used with the USB 2.0.

Miscellaneous

The Transcend Jetflash 810 comes with a 5-year warranty.

The Transcend Elite Data Management software lets you encrypt files, take easy backups, and allows you to load files directly from cloud storage.

The encryption feature is useful as you can prevent users from accessing your private data.

Verdict

The Transcend Jetflash 810 is undoubtedly one of the best USB flash drives around the price of Rs.5,000.

You will get a sufficient amount of storage capacity and a tool to manage your drive.

5. Strontium Ammo

Best Pocketable Pen Drive

• USB 3.1 device
• Transfer speeds up to 25MB/s
• Efficient multi-stream data transfer

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Strontium has been in the memory card business for so long and is popular in marketing affordable memory cards for smartphones and cameras.

The Strontium Ammo is a 128GB USB3.1 USB pen drive that features a rugged metallic build which makes it suitable for rough use.

Design and Build Quality

The Strontium ammo looks and feels sleek. The metallic chassis with a keychain holder makes it suitable to clip it with your backpack or keys.

The keychain holder is also forged from metal and durable enough to last a lot longer than plastic holders.

In short, compactness and sturdiness combined in an attractive form factor are what we can say about the design of the USB pen drive.

Data Transfer Performance

Strontium, in general, uses high-quality flash memory modules in its products.

This makes them perform faster when compared with some other USB3.0 devices priced similarly.

All USB Type-A pen drives are inter-compatible with different devices following different USB standards. If you plug this USB3.1 drive into the USB2.0 port, it will still work as intended.

The only difference will be the data transfer speeds and nothing can be done to improve the speed as it is a hardware related feature.

To use this device with your smartphone, you will need an OTG cable. 

Miscellaneous

Even though you may not find a service center for Strontium anywhere near you, the company has hosted a variety of tools for data recovery and memory diagnostic tools on their website which is available free of cost.

Verdict

The Strontium Ammo is a USB3.1 pen drive with a robust and sleek design enclosed within a sleek form factor that lets you carry your photos and files with ease.

The metallic keychain will make sure that the pen drive doesn’t get lost even when running or moving rapidly amidst the crowd.

6. Samsung Duo Plus

Rugged USB Pen Drive

• Excellent read and write speed
• Brand reliability
• Ergonomic design

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Samsung has been lately steadily releasing pen drives in the market with varying storage capacities. 

The Duo Plus is a compact 128GB pen drive with dual connectivity ports priced at Rs.3,999 in the Indian market.

Design and Build Quality

The Samsung Duo Plus has a no-nonsense design with a durable plastic body construction. 

Samsung has stated that this USB flash drive is water, shock, magnet, temperature, and X-ray proof which makes this one of the most rugged pen drives on this list.

This drive has a dual USB interface and both of them stay protected while not in use which is something that is not available in hybrid USB flash drives.

On either side of this USB pen drive you will find the USB type A and Type C ports for versatile usage with all devices including computers and smartphones.

Both these ports are protected by end caps, which is quite a rarity for pen drives with dual ports. 

Data Transfer Performance

The Samsung Duo Plus is a USB3.1 device that offers both USB type C and type A connectivity.

Samsung advertises read and write speeds of up to 400MB/s and 300MB/s respectively and with compatible USB3.1, the attained speeds hover around the rated speeds with a 30-50MBs variation.

Miscellaneous

The Samsung Duo Plus comes with a five-year warranty which covers just manufacturing warranty. 

This premium pen drive from Samsung is backwards compatible with legacy USB3.0 and USB2.0 ports. 

Verdict

The Samsung Duo Plus is for rough and tough users who need a hybrid pen drive with dual USB Type-C and Type-A connectivity and excellent data transfer performance.

7. SanDisk Extreme Pro

Value for Money Pen Drive

• Exceptional data transfer speed
• Robust metal casing
• Security software for data protection

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Sandisk is the subsidiary of the American brand Western Digital manufacturing portable drives for computers, laptops, and smartphones.

Priced at just Rs.4,099 this is one of the most expensive 128GB pen drives in this curated list. 

Design and Build Quality

The Sandisk Extreme Pro has a whole body metal casing which not only does look pretty but also keeps the internals safe from accidental falls and rough handling. 

This is a slider type USB pendrive where the connector slides in and out with the help of a manual slider up top.

This design choice keeps the end connector safe even without the need for a protective cap.

There is a blue LED notification on the chassis which indicates the working status of this drive. 

The integrated keychain hook makes sure that you can carry this pen drive anywhere along with your keys. 

Data Transfer Performance

The Sandisk Extreme Pro is a USB3.1 pendrive. This means it is much faster than the USB3.0 and USB2.0 counterparts available in the market. 

When connected to a compatible USB3.1 port, this pen drive will deliver speeds up to 300MB/s. 

Since the USB3.1 is backwards compatible with USB3.0 and USB2.0, this pen drive works fine with all your devices with a USB type-A connector.

If you have an OTG cable, you can hook this device directly to your smartphones and tablets to view/browse files. 

Miscellaneous

Sandisk RescuePro Deluxe software can be used to recover your accidentally deleted data from the pendrive. 

There is also the support for encrypting the contents inside the pendrive with a password using the Sandisk SecureAccess software. 

Verdict

The Sandisk Extreme Pro is a well built 128GB pen drive that delivers excellent read/write speeds for the asking price.

8. Samsung FIT Plus

Compact and Speedy Pen Drive

• Excellent data transfer speed
• Attachable to lanyard or keyring
• Compact and easy to carry

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The South Korean consumer electronics company Samsung has a loyal customer base here in India.

The Samsung FIT Plus is a tiny USB flash drive with a USB 3.1 interface and is priced expensively at Rs.7,582.

Design and Build Quality

The Samsung FIT Plus can be said as a tough rival to the Sandisk Ultra Fit because of the small form factor.

At first glance, we are thinking why Samsung has ramped up the price tag so high. Later we found it’s because of durability but before let’s have a quick look at the drive build quality.

The drive is so small and you will find a plastic area right after the USB interface and it has a hole in the side that allows you to attach a lanyard or keyring for easy portability.

The drive is waterproof, shock-proof, magnet-proof, temperature-proof and X-ray proof.

What else do you need in terms of protection? Use it as roughly as you want just make sure you don’t lose this drive otherwise finding it again will be a daunting task.

Data Transfer Performance

This 256GB drive comes with the USB 3.1 interface and Samsung claimed that the read speed is up to 300MB/s but in actual files transfer, this number goes up to 310MB/s which is highly appreciated.

The write speed is not mentioned but we find it either way. It has 48MB/s of write speed and you will be able to transfer 5GB files from computer to USB flash drive in less than 3 minutes.

Knowing the offering in build and this speed makes sense why the price tag is high.

However, keep in mind that speed will differ significantly when used with the USB 2.0 peripheral.

Miscellaneous

Samsung provides a 5-year warranty on this product but there are no tools to manage this drive.

In case of data loss or damage you can reach out to the nearest Samsung service center.

Verdict

If you are looking for a pen drive that is compact, durable, portable and offers excellent data transfer speed then Samsung Fit Plus is for you.

At the price of Rs.7,582, this drive offers pretty much everything a regular user can ask for.

9. SanDisk Ultra Fit

Budget All-round Performer

• Good software support
• Backward compatibility
• Decent build quality

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The popular subsidiary of Western Digital, Sandisk, is known in the Indian market for its quality and affordable pen drives.

The Sandisk Ultra Fit is a very small-sized pendrive that provides excellent data transfer rates priced at Rs.846.

Design and Build Quality

The Sandisk Ultra Fit is entirely made from plastic and it is way too small in terms of size.

If you use a laptop for work, then you don’t have to unplug the USB every time you finish the work as once you plug in the only part that remains visible to you is its backside.

At the back of this pendrive, there is a slightly curved hard plastic hook that allows you to attach this pen drive to your favourite keychain set.

Data Transfer Performance

The Sandisk Ultra Fit features a USB3.1 port with 15x faster read/write speeds when compared with older USB 2.0 flash drives.

This USB flash drive has rated read/write speeds of 100-130MB/s but in reality, the speeds you will get is around 20-30MB/s maximum. 

On a positive note, this USB3.1 USB pendrive is backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, but with a significant drop in the data transfer speeds.  

Miscellaneous

The Sandisk Ultra Fit comes with a 5-year warranty, limited to manufacturing defects. 

Using the Sandisk SecureAccess software, you can keep the files inside the pendrive safe and secure thanks to the strong 128bit encryption. The RescuePro software from Sandisk will help you recover accidentally deleted files with relative ease.

Verdict

The Sandisk Ultra Fit is a lightweight and compact USB3.1 pendrive with 64GB storage capacity and support for multiple companion software such as RescuePro and SecureAccess from Sandisk.

10. Strontium Nitro Plus

Best Affordable Pen Drive

• USB C/ USB-A dual-mode operation
• 5-year warranty
• Attachable with keychain

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Strontium is a PC and flash memory manufacturing company located in Singapore.

The Nitro Plus USB drive from Strontium is one of the company’s latest offerings in India featuring a USB C type input port to take advantage of the ever-increasing USB C adaptation among device manufacturers.

Design and Build Quality

The Strontium Nitro Plus is made of polished aluminium which feels extremely durable and premium.

The brushed aluminium finish on the main body of the USB drive makes it stand out from the rest of the coloured USB drives available in the market.

The rotatable cover protects the port from damage in the case of an accidental fall. Since it’s not a separate cap from the body, the chance of losing the cover is next to impossible.

Data Transfer Performance

The high-speed NAND chip inside has a maximum read speed of 150MB/s and write speeds up to 100MB/s, which is one of the best in its segment.

This 32GB pen drive from Strontium has a dual side USB C/USB A port for catering for the different types of inputs found on devices such as smartphones and laptops.

The high-speed USB 3.1 port is backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2,0 ports found on legacy devices.

With the USB C output, you can plug this device directly into the USB C port of your smartphone without any additional dongles such as the USB OTG.

Verdict

If you’re the type of person who loves to carry a lot of media with you and wants a small-sized storage medium apart from an external hard disk, the Strontium Nitro Plus is an excellent choice priced around Rs.700.

11. HP HPFD302M

Best Build Quality

• Robust metal build
• Decent data transfer speed
• Features dual USB interface – USB-A and micro USB

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HP is a California based brand that is primarily known for producing laptops, printers, and computer accessories.

The HP HPFD302M is a 16GB affordable OTG pen drive that is priced at Rs.569.

Design and Build Quality

The HP HPFD302M is built entirely from metal, only the blue coloured cap is made up of plastic.

This USB flash drive has a strap hole at the right side which lets you attach the pen drive to the regular keychain set for easy portability.

The plastic cap only covers the micro USB port, the USB 3.1 port on this device is strong and won’t break even if the pen drive falls from a certain height.

This pen drive is durable but is not waterproof so make sure to keep it away from the water places.

Data Transfer Performance

The device has two USB interfaces, USB-A, and micro USB. The micro USB port is still available in many smartphones so if you own the device with micro USB this pen drive lets you transfer data directly from your smartphone.

Coming to the USB Type-A 3.1 port, you will get a read speed of 100MB/s, and write speed is about 15-18MB/s which is decent enough.

The above speed score is achieved when the pen drive is connected to the USB 3.0 peripheral, if you plug in this USB 2.0 port then the speed will reduce significantly.

Miscellaneous

HP only gives a 2-year warranty on this device which is a little let down as there are companies who are offering a 5-year warranty.

Anyway, the good thing is that HP has multiple service centres in most of the cities and you can get help very quickly compared to other brands.

Verdict

HP is a trustable brand and the company manufactures quality products and the HP HPFD302M is no exception.

It gives a decent transfer speed, has a robust build quality, and has a 2-year warranty.

12. Kingston DataTraveller Exodia

Honourable Mention

• USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface
• Decent read and write speeds
• Five-year warranty

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Kingston is an American multinational computer technology company that manufactures flash drives and computer-related memory products.

The Kingston DT(Datatraveler) Exodia is a lightweight and compact 32GB USB flash drive with a USB3.2 interface priced under Rs.500.

Design and Build Quality

For obvious cost-cutting reasons, the Kingston DT Exodia features a complete plastic construction.

The fit and finish of the build seems decent but not the best per se. There is a keychain holder at the tip of the pen drive for using it with your existing keychain ring. 

This 32GB USB pen drive comes with a removable end cap that protects the USB Type-A port from accidental damage. However, make sure that you won’t lose the end cap.

Data Transfer Performance

The Kingston DT Exodia sports a USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface and it is compatible with older USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports as well.

This affordable 128GB pen drive has a read speed of 110MB/s and a write speed of 15MB/s in real-life conditions. 

For the price you pay for a 32GB pendrive, this is decent enough. While using the pen drive in the USB 2.0 port the results are much lower than expected – with read and write speeds of 25MB/s and 12MB/s respectively.

Miscellaneous

Kingston provides a standard five-year warranty on this pendrive but is limited to manufacturing defects.  

Verdict

If you are tight on budget but anyhow want a 32GB pendrive with decent data transfer speeds, the Kingston DT Exodia is a safe bet for a budget under Rs.1,500.

Here we conclude the buying suggestions for the twelve best USB pen drives available in the Indian market.

If you feel we’ve missed any products that should have been on this list do let us know in the comment section below.

Thanks for spending your valuable time on our website, do come back and have a great day ahead!

Buying Guide For Pen Drive

USB pen drives seem to be the most useful piece of gadget that is highly underrated amongst other storage devices these days. 

With the bunch of USB drives available in the market with different types and sizes, it is difficult to pick the best one suited for your use case scenario.

To tackle this, we bring you a short yet concise buying guide to help understand a few points that you should keep in while purchasing a USB pen drive. 

Design and Build Quality

Pen drives either feature plastic or metal chassis. While entry-level low-cost pen drives will be completely made from plastic, the expensive ones will have metallic chassis. 

Both of these are completely acceptable but the metallic ones offer good resilience against rough handling and accidental falls. 

A well-built pen drive will last you much more than one with the average build quality. Keep this in mind while picking a favourite. 

USB Type

There are different types of USB generations that evolved with time to deliver good read/write speeds.

Most of the pen drives available in the market are either USB3.1, USB3.0 and USB2.0.

USB3.1 is one of the latest USB types which offers the fastest data transfer speeds among these. USB3.0 is about 15x faster than a comparable USB2.0 pen drive. 

Again, in these variants, the Type C port with USB3.1 delivers the best speeds compared to Type A USB3.1 devices. 

Read and Write Speed

The read and write speed measures the performance of the pen drive. You might have seen some numbers on the pendrive package where read or write speed is mentioned, e.g. 150MB/s read speed.

The read speed is defined as how long it takes to open any files on the device – it could be documents, movies, or even applications.

The higher the read speed the fast it unloads the data.

The write speed is defined as how long does it take to save the files into a storage device.

If the USB pendrive has a good write speed then it transfers the data quickly to other devices or one folder to another.

Compatibility

This point you must consider if you plan to use the pendrive with different types of USB ports.

All USB3.1 devices are backwards compatible with USB3.0 and USB2.0 ports, given they all sport a Type-A connector. 

But the speed won’t be the same when you use a USB3.1 device plugged into a USB3.0 or USB2.0 port for that matter.