6 Best USB Benchmark Tools | Monitor USB Performance 2024

Tracy King updated on Oct 31, 2024 to Partition Manager | How-to Articles

Explore the top 6 USB benchmark tools to optimize and monitor your USB performance efficiently. Find the perfect software for your needs and monitor your USB drive's performance.

Trying to test your USB speeds? Got a new SSD, HDD, or USB drive and want to monitor its data transfer rates? Well, you're at the right place. This article offers a take on the top 7 USB benchmark tools to help you check your drive's performance.

Benchmarking your drives is essential to check if your new or old drive is working as expected and that you're getting the expected performance. It also helps you verify the drive's condition, life, storage space, and data transfer speeds.

Follow the guide below and learn how to select a suitable USB benchmark tool to monitor your USB drive's speeds, overall temperature, and other statuses instantly. So, what are you waiting for? Dive straight in!

Top 6 Best USB Benchmark Tools Recommend in 2023

We've compiled a list of the 6 best USB benchmark tools using the criteria listed above. That said, you can get a better overview of all the tools and pick one listed below.

USB Benchmark Tool >Price >Duration (Estimated Time) >Complex Level

EaseUS Partition Master🏆

Free/Pro ($69.95) Under 5 minutes Beginner-friendly
USB UserBenchmark Free 5 - 10 minutes (depending on the tests) Beginner-friendly
USBDeview Free 5 - 10 minutes Recommended for advanced users
USB Flash Benchmark Free Under 5 minutes Recommended for advanced users
CrystalDiskMark Free Under 5 minutes Beginner-friendly 
MiniTool Partition Wizard Free/Pro ($159) 5 - 10 minutes Beginner-friendly

My personal recommendation, get the EaseUS Partition Master tool. It was impressive to test all my USB drives, external SSDs, and external HDDs. Moreover, it's really user-friendly and best suited for Windows beginners.

However, here's a take on all the tools and services to help you benchmark your new USB stick or external drive. 

#1. EaseUS Partition Master

EaseUS Partition Master is an easy-to-use tool for all Windows beginners. It helps you test your USB drive's performance and health status using the "DiskMark" and "Disk Health" features and manage everything from data partitions to storage capacity and more. 

The DiskMark tool helps you check your drive's sequential read/write and random read/write speeds. It also measures the delay present in your drive in milliseconds (ms).

Note: You can find the "DiskMark" and "Disk Health" tools listed in the "Discovery" tab of the app.

Plus, the app also helps you back up and restore data present on your USB thumb drive or other SSDs and HDDs. You can also use the "Surface Test" feature to run a quick analysis of your drive.

You can download the software on Windows 7, 8/8.1, 10, 11. The tool can be installed in minutes, and you can manage your USB drive right from the homepage of the app. 

Free Download EaseUS Partition Mater - Easiest USB Benchmark Tool

Try the tool for free by downloading it from the following download button:

#Free USB benchmark#USB Speed Tester#Benchmark USB#USB monitor#Windows

Feature List of EaseUS USB Benchmark Tool:

Here are some additional benefits and features you get from using the EaseUS Partition Master app:

  • Manage drive partitions
  • Convert NTFS/FAT32
  • Clone partitions
  • Convert MBR/GPT
  • 4K Alignment
  • Check file system errors and a lot more

Pros and Cons, and Editors' Thoughts in Using EaseUS Partition Master:

Expert's Rating:

Pros

  • Beginner-friendly 
  • Offers multiple features and functions
  • Free and pro versions
  • Lets you manage and test USB drives in seconds
  • Works on all newer Windows versions

Cons

  • Pro plan is a bit expensive
  • Doesn't support old Windows versions

Editor's Review:

Lifewire - "EaseUS Partition Master Free Edition is incredibly simple to use, one of many reasons that you should consider it when looking for a good free disk partitioning tool."

Our Verdict

Using the EaseUS Partition Master tool to monitor my USB drive's performance was super convenient. The tool has the "Surface Test" feature to test everything, such as overall speeds, total capacity, and possible file errors. Highly recommended.

#Free USB benchmark#USB Speed Tester#Benchmark USB#USB monitor#Windows

#2. USB UserBenchmark

USB UserBenchmark is a PC benchmark tool that has multiple features for testing CPUs, GPUs, USB drives, RAM, and other components. 

The app is a decent choice for beginners but can get complicated really quickly. You can test your USB drive and measure its sequential read, sequential write, 4K read, and 4K write speeds.

Using the software is easy, and it works on Windows 7 and above. Once you've installed the tool on your PC, just select the tests you want to do and click on the "Run" button to start the process. 

USB UserBenchmark Free Download

Download the USB UserBenchmark tool using the link below:

Download USB UserBenchmark

Feature List of USB UserBenchmark:

The following are the major tests and features you can use on the USB UserBenchmark tool:

  • Integer, floating, and string point CPU tests
  • 3D game simulations GPU test
  • SkillBench to test input accuracy
  • Read, write, sustained write, and mixed IO drive tests (including USB sticks)
  • Single/multi-core bandwidth and latency RAM tests

Pros and Cons, and Editors' Thoughts in Using USB UserBenchmark:

Expert's Rating:

Pros

  • All-around PC components testing
  • Regularly updated
  • Free to use
  • Multiple tests for USB drives
  • Supports Windows 7 and above

Cons

  • Can get a bit challenging to use with the different tests
  • Doesn't support old Windows versions

Editor's Review:

Guru99 - "UserBenchmark is a tool that enables you to quickly speed test your computer. This CPU and GPU benchmarking software allows you to compare the result of other people with the same components."

Our Verdict

While the app looked a bit dated compared to today's standards, I never expected it to work so flawlessly. USB UserBenchmark helped me test all my USB drives and even run tests for other components on my PC. 

#USB benchmark#USB tester#USB read and write speed test

#3. USBDeview

USBDview is a website dedicated to testing USB sticks. You can find records of 170+ USB drives updated by users from around the world. However, the site does look like something straight out of the 90s and hasn't been updated to meet modern design standards.  

That said, if you own a fairly popular USB drive, then the USB Flash Drive Speed Test website will likely have the performance records for it. You can quickly look up your drive using the search bar or filter them out according to the listed groups. 

The website is available to use on all browsers and operating systems. So, it doesn't matter if you're using a Mac or Windows PC and either Safari or Microsoft Edge. 

USBDeview - Flash Drive Speed Test Tool Free Download

Here's the link for the USB Flash Drive Speed Test website:

Download USBDview

Feature List of USBDeview:

Here are some of the following main functionality of the website:

  • Track actual drive size
  • Compare read and write speeds of USB sticks
  •  More than 100 records of USB drives

Pros and Cons, and Editors' Thoughts in Using USBDview:

Expert's Rating:

Pros

  • Works across all operating systems and browsers
  • A 100+ test records of USB drives
  • Free to use
  • No installations required

Cons

  • Maybe a bit challenging to use for beginners
  • Limited to just a few selection of USB drives

Our Verdict

While the nostalgia hit me straight home with the UI, I would've still preferred an easier interface for beginners. The list can also feel a bit underwhelming but you're most likely to find the performance results for your USB drive. Not to mention, its still being updated by people. 

#Free USB benchmark tool#USB tester#Online USB benchmark

#4. USB Flash Benchmark

Another tool that can help you test your USB drive is USB Flash Benchmark. It's fairly popular in the community and can be used to test the read/write speeds of your USB drive or even other flash drives.

The tests are done using transferring 1KB to 16MB file chunks. USB Flash Benchmark then graphs the results so you can easily see how well your drive performs. 

However, the tool is now discontinued, but you can still download and use it on all major Windows revisions - Windows 7,8/8.1,10, & 11.

USB Flash Benchmark Free Download

You can download the USB Flash Benchmark tool by using the link below:

Download USB Flash Benchmark

Feature List of USB Flash Benchmark:

The following are major features that you get using the USB Flash Benchmark tool:

  • Easy read/write speed tests
  • Average read/write speed tests
  • Monitor VID/PID ports
  • Check drive capacity

Pros and Cons, and Editors' Thoughts in Using USB Flash Benchmark:

Expert's Rating:

Pros

  • Easy USB drive tests
  • Graphical overview
  • Free to use
  • Supports Windows 7+ PCs

Cons

  • The graphical results can be a bit challenging to understand for beginners
  • Is discontinued and doesn't have new updates

Editor's Review:

Softpedia - "USB Flash Benchmark is a tiny piece of software that enables you to learn more about the capacity as well as the overall performance of the USB Flash you have and compare it to the drive you intend to invest in."

Our Verdict

While the app has now been discontinued, it still works without issues. Not to mention, the graphical interface is just lovely. I really love the way the tests are presented and can be used to compare with other drives.  

#USB benchmark tool#NTFS for M2 Mac#Monterey#Ventura#Sonoma Beta

#5. CrystalDiskMark

CrystalDiskMark is a storage benchmark tool that tests your drive by performing read and write using files ranging from 16MB to 64GB. The default size is 1GB and comes with four presets.

You can also customize the benchmark and test the following parameters - sequential vs. random speeds, block size comparisons, queue depth, and threads. 

The app runs on Windows and supports the following versions:

  • Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10/11
  • Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019/2022

Download CrystalDiskMark

Downloading CrystalDiskMark on your PC just takes a few minutes, and you can find the app from the link below:

CrystalDiskMark Free Download

Feature List of CystalDiskMark:

Here are the following features that you get with the CrystalDiskMark app:

  • Sequential and random read/write speed tests
  • Support for real-world and peak performance comparisons
  • Customizable interface with support for third-party themes

Pros and Cons, and Editors' Thoughts in Using CystalDiskMark:

Expert's Rating:

Pros

  • Easy-to-use interface customizable with themes
  • Sequential and random performance comparisons
  • Supports multiple Windows versions
  • Freeware app

Cons

  • Results are not compatible between the different versions of the apps.

Editor's Review:

XDA Developers - "CrystalDiskMark has been around for over a decade, and it's one of the PC community's favorite ways to benchmark storage, whether it's hard drives, solid-state drives (SSD), or even flash drives. It's a simple, one-click benchmark that tells you how fast your storage is."

Our Verdict

My experience with CrystalDiskMark was amazing, as it offers the data you need directly on the homepage. Not to mention, the app is even trusted by many tech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

#USB tester#Open Source#Windows

#6. MiniTool Partition Wizard

MiniTool Partition Wizard offers an easy solution to test your USB drive's performance. You can use the "Disk Benchmark" tool to compare and test drives using the following parameters - Sequential/Random read/write tests, transfer size, total length, overall capacity, and more.

You also get other benefits like using the partition management tool to create/delete partitions and even using the app to back up/recover data on your USB drive.

MiniTool Partition Wizard's UI is clutter-free and simple to use for beginners and pros alike. The app was installed quickly on my Windows 11 laptop, and all I had to do was run the installer. 

Download Minitool Partition Wizard

The app runs on all Windows devices running Windows Vista and above. You can download MiniTool Partition Wizard using the link below:

Free Download MiniTool Partition Wizard

Feature List of MiniTool Partition Wizard:

Here are some of the additional features you can expect to see with MiniTool Partition Wizard:

  • Space Analyzer supports all USB flash drives and hard drives like SSD, HDD
  • Disk Benchmark helps you compare different drives on many parameters
  • Drive backup and restore functions

Pros and Cons, and Editors' Thoughts in Using MiniTool Partition Wizard:

Expert's Rating:

Pros

  • Multiple disk management features and tools
  • Beginner-friendly interface
  • Supports all USB flash drives, SSDs, and HDDs
  • Runs on Windows Vista and above

Cons

  • LImited features in its Free edition

Editor's Review:

TechRadar - "MiniTool’s Partition Wizard is an ideal tool that’ll help you manage the files on your PC more resourcefully, and is suitable for both individual and enterprise use. However, it’s much more expensive than competing products despite providing lesser customer support."

Our Verdict

I mostly used the free version of the app during my tests and got a decent overall experience. While it was good, the app still felt a bit lacking. So, the only choice was to upgrade to the "Pro" version. This significantly improved my experience, but the cost is really high and not recommended for users looking for free services.

#USB Benchmark#Test USB Speed#Windows

USB Benchmark Tool Selection Checklist 2023

A USB benchmark tool generally helps you assess the speeds of your USB flash drives, external hard drives, and SSDs. The software examines various different parameters, the read and write speeds, the overall time taken for transferring data, and how efficiently the drive handles data sizes and types. TL;DR, the tool, basically creates a profile for your drive.

There are many notable benefits of using a USB Benchmark Tool. Here are the most common ones:

  • Provides a clear, quantitative assessment of your USB drive for comparing against different models
  • Assists in diagnosing issues with your USB drive and pinpointing any other problems
  • Ensures you get optimal performance from your drives and avoid any decline in performance
  • Extend the lifespan of your drive by optimizing its performance and monitoring the workflow

However, before choosing a USB benchmark tool, it's crucial to know what you're looking for. That said, we have created a quick table that you can go through to select a reliable USB benchmark tool without much difficulty. 

💵Price Make sure the tool you choose fits within your budget. You also have the option to use free open-source software for testing and evaluating your drive's performance and life span. 
🚩Features Some of the essential features that you should expect with a USB benchmark tool range from read/write speed tests, random and sequential speed tests, and data transfer rates. Any other checks and tests are the cherry on the cake.
💽Supported Device Types The tool you select should help you test all your USB drives, such as SSDs, HDDs, SD memory cards, and USB flash drives. 
🔢Difficulty Level Another thing to keep in mind is the overall difficulty of the tool you're using. This means you need to select a tool that's easy to use and offers a reliable interface for beginners and pros alike.

Which USB Benchmark Tool to Pick? EaseUS Editor's Suggestion

Going through all the tools may overwhelm you, it sure did to me. However, if you're still confused about which USB benchmark app to pick, then here are some suggestions:

  • ✔Windows beginners & Non-Technical USB owners: EaseUS Partition Master
  • ✔Professionals & Developers: CrystalDiskMark
  • ✔Professionals looking for Freeware: USB UserBenchmark
  • ✔Beginners looking for Freeware: USBDeview

That said, I still recommend using EaseUS Partition Master for everyone. The app is really easy-to-use, can be installed on major Windows revisions. Not to mention, it offers many features to test your USB drive. Using the "DiskMark feature to test your drive or the "DiskHealth" feature for optimizing your USB drive, everything can be done in just a few clicks. 

Just download the app and give it a try to quickly test and manage your USB drives. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, benchmarking your USB drive is essential to keep everything running smoothly and guarantee that you get the expected performance. It also helps you diagnose potential issues and compare different models. 

This article provides you with a take on the 6 best USB benchmark apps you can download for your Windows PC. However, the EaseUS Partition Master software offers you the most features and is the easiest to use for beginners and advanced users alike. 

FAQs About USB Benchmark Tools

While the article above should answer nearly all your questions, you can still consider the FAQs below to get some further insight on USB benchmarking. 

1. When should I use a USB benchmark tool?

A USB benchmark tool should be used for the following - testing new drives, comparing different drives, troubleshooting issues, optimizing performance and running periodic checks.

2. How do I test my USB performance?

Testing your USB performance requires you to download a USB benchmark app and run its speed test features. You can download EaseUS Partition Master and use the "DiskMark" feature to test your USB drive's performance. 

3. Can I benchmark USB performance without software?

Yes, you can benchmark USB performance without software. However, the steps might be a bit complicated. It requires you to manually tests speeds by transferring large files and noting down the transfer speeds using the "detailed view" tab in the transfer window.