A good USB flash drive duplicator can quickly make as many copies of the data as you may need. It duplicates data with speed without compromising on accuracy. If you are looking for one these days, below are the five best options to keep in mind. There’s also a buyer’s guide in this article to help you choose a suitable duplicator with ease. Without wasting any time, let’s dive straight in.
1. StarTech.com Standalone USB Duplicator
Star techs standalone USB Duplicator and Eraser is a handy little tool that lets you simultaneously copy or erase up to 5 USB drives. It is available in two styles 1:2 for small and 1:5 for large-scale application. It is reliable, affordable, and easy to use. That’s why it is one of the best USB flash drive duplicators available today.
As per our tests, the cloning speed depends on your target flash drive. A regular USB Flash drive averages anywhere between 7 to 25 minutes to clone two 16GB drives. The ability to “set it and forget it” and don’t connect a PC to software clone a particular flash drive has been its biggest draw. What’s more, you can even specify to work with either the entire drive or a specific partition.
Moreover, this device is pretty easy to use too. You can monitor the entire erasing and duplication process with the help of the LCD. There are also four shortcut keys on top for convenient application. Finally, the standalone USB duplicator comes with a two-year warranty and lifetime tech support. So, your money is well worth spending.
Buy Here: Amazon
2. EZ DUPE 1 to 9 Mini USB Pro Duplicator
Sure, the EZ DUPE’s Mini USB pro is an expansive duplicator. Still, it lets you work with up to 9 different flash drives. And it’s a standalone device, which means no need to attach any computer for regular operation. The controls are also pretty straightforward and aided by a convenient LCD readout.
This Flash drive duplicator supports USB 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 flash drives and other USB devices. The plug-and-play asynchronous copy function, as per the manufacturer, it has a transfer rate of 35 MB per second. However, during our tests, the duplicator came short of these claims. It’s slower than our top pick, especially when you simultaneously work with more than 5 flash drives.
Still, the EZ DUPE Mini USB Pro Duplicator is an interesting option. It’s reliable. Works with all types of flash drives and copies without any issue. It comes in handy when you want to copy multiple drives. Small and compact, the Mini USB Pro is pretty easy to pack for occasions when you go on the road to record.
Buy Here: Amazon
3. Best Duplicator – 1 to 2 Target USB 2.0 Flash Drive Mini
On third, we have Best Duplicator’s Flash drive mini duplicator. This duplicator also comes with utilities to format and diagnose your USB 2.0 flash drive for any errors. It also lets you plug in adapters like microSD to USB to copy data into USB drives. Plus, it’s even cheaper than our top pick. So, if you are on a budget and need a basic 1 to 2 duplicator, Best Duplicator is an excellent option.
The device’s design is reminiscent of StarTech’s product, with 1 to 2 USB duplicators on the front and 4 key controls along with an LCD screen to keep track of the status. But that’s where the similarities end. The white frame looks pretty cheap. The user interface is also crude. But, the device works like a charm with both synchronous and Asynchronous copy modes. So, the look isn’t really a problem.
The best thing about this duplicator is that it only copies what you need. There’s another useful feature that lets you verify after every copy. As for speed, the duplication is as fast as your Flash Drive allows. Fast Duplicator conveniently beeps after completing the copy of every pair of flash drives from the Master drive.
Buy Here: Amazon
4. Aleratec Flash Drive Duplicator
At first glance, the Aleratec Mini V2 seems pretty expensive. However, considering you get up to 10 drive capacity, it turns out very economical. And with features to clone entire file trees, update any partial repositories and load boot drives from a computer, it’s not so mini when it comes to performance.
Mini supports both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 type drives. It includes the intuitive Aleratec Software Suite that has access to multiple duplication options. The software also includes various essential command functions such as Verify, Format, Create, and copy. It supports FAT, FAT32, and NTFS on Windows and UDF1.02, UDF1.50, FAT32, and Mac OS Extended (Journaled) on Apple machines for maximum compatibility.
It’s also plugs and plays. Works fast with accurate duplication. That’s only if you are on a windows machine. As per our experience, its software isn’t a hundred percent MAC compatible. Due to which you may run into issues such as duplicate files and frequent crashes. Overall, the Aleratec Mini is a very versatile option. If you want to clone maximum USB Flash drives in the minimum possible time, give it a shot.
Buy Here: Amazon
5. U-Reach SD300 Duplicator and Eraser
The compact and comparatively affordable U-Reach SD300 (around $140) is intended to clone, as well as erase, both standard and micro SD cards. The full erase function is quick and conforms fully to the DOD data security standards. Its onboard display shows the read and writes speeds, which can theoretically reach a maximum of about 1.5 Giga Bits a second.
We used this duplicator to clone microSD cards with 3 Linux partitions. It copied approximately 1 GB of data to an 8 GB MicroSD card in about 1 minute and 46 seconds during the test. That’s pretty impressive for an SD card duplicator. The cards also came out with the exact data every time.
That said, the SD300 is an excellent device for backing up your SD or mini SD cards, say, while traveling. The fact it can operate on AA batteries is the icing on the cake. Therefore, you can even tug it along on long safaris. There’s no USB input or output on its chassis, though. So, you won’t be able to duplicate anything from a USB with this device.
Buy Here: Amazon
How to Purchase a Flash Drive Duplicator
While few flash drive duplicators in the market, it’s important to know what separates one from another. Only then can you make the most out of your purchase. So, consider the following tips for a USB flash drive duplicator.
Common Applications
Flash drive duplicators are a very niche product. Therefore, it’s important to be very clear about what you need it for. Most common is obviously the data duplication purpose. But, security-related reasons are also gaining momentum. People use duplicators to securely transfer government data, share PGP keys as well as other important signatures. In that case, consider a DoD compliant Eraser to erase secret files safely.
PC dependent or Standalone
In case you are working exclusively with USB flash drives every once in a while, any of the standalone duplicators will do the job. However, if you want to make a large number of copies and want it quick, go for a 1:9 or 1:10 option, such as the Aleratec that can be connected with a PC. PC-dependent duplicators generally have better feedback. Such duplicators are also faster.
The Extra Goodies
Best USB duplicators go past merely cloning data. They provide additional features such as duplicating USB-associated external 2.5 inches HDDs or SSDs. Most top-notch models can even inspect the drives for errors and disinfect. For example, the Aleratec’s copy cruiser provides purification of 2.5 inches hard drives with 1Pass, 3Pass, or DoD 7Pass Overwrite capacities.
Different Formats Different Devices
If you deal with smaller microSD or SD formats, we suggest getting a specialized duplicator such as U-Reach. As it is limited only to SD formats, this will save you from messing around with different USB dongles and trying to find out which one supports small data drives. AleraTech, on the other hand, works exceptionally well with laptop SSDs or external enclosures.
Final Thoughts
Getting a suitable USB Flash drive duplicator is a piece of cake if you know what you are looking for. We hope the information in this article fills you in on everything you need to make an educated purchase. For most users, any one of the above flash drive duplicators will do the trick. That’s because these duplicators have been earned the seal of approval from most users. Although some of them are more than 5 years old, their utility continues to impress even today.
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