APFS vs HFS+: Apple File System Differences Explained
Published on April 20, 2026
APFS (Apple File System) replaced HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) as the default file system on macOS starting with High Sierra in 2017. APFS is designed for flash and SSD storage with modern features like snapshots, cloning, and native encryption. HFS+ dates back to 1998 and was built for spinning hard drives. If you are running any recent Mac, your internal drive uses APFS.
Performance
APFS is optimized for SSDs. File and directory operations like copying, renaming, and deleting are noticeably faster because APFS uses copy-on-write (CoW) instead of modifying data in place. Cloning a file or folder is nearly instant since APFS just points to the same data blocks until changes are made. On HDDs, however, APFS can actually perform worse than HFS+ because metadata lookups are scattered across the disk rather than stored in fixed locations. If you are formatting an external spinning hard drive, HFS+ may still be the better choice.
Snapshots and Space Sharing
APFS supports snapshots, which are read-only copies of the file system at a point in time. Time Machine on macOS Big Sur and later uses APFS snapshots instead of hard links. APFS also supports space sharing, where multiple volumes share a single partition and dynamically allocate space as needed. HFS+ requires each volume to have a fixed partition size set at creation time.
Encryption
APFS has built-in support for full-disk, single-key, and multi-key encryption at the file system level. HFS+ only supports encryption as an added layer through Core Storage (FileVault). The native APFS approach is faster and more reliable since encryption is not bolted on after the fact.
Capacity and Timestamps
APFS uses a 64-bit architecture and can address up to 9 quintillion files per volume. HFS+ uses a 32-bit file catalog and tops out around 4 billion files. APFS timestamps are nanosecond-precise, while HFS+ only tracks to the nearest second. This matters for build systems and backup tools that rely on modification times.
Which Should You Use?
For any Mac with an SSD (which is all modern Macs), use APFS. It is the default and the only option for macOS system volumes since Catalina. HFS+ still makes sense for external HDDs used with older Macs or for compatibility with macOS versions before High Sierra. For cross-platform external drives shared with Windows or Linux, consider exFAT or NTFS instead. If you need to transfer files between platforms, our ZIP Files tool compresses them for easier sharing.