Disk partitions can be a good way to keep personal and system data separate or useful if you want to run Windows alongside macOS. Setting them up can be a bit tricky, so it’s a good idea to use dedicated software if you want to get the best results.
We’ve gathered together some of the finest currently available to deal with your various disk-related needs. To see what the process entails, be sure to also take a look at our How to partition a Mac hard drive tutorial.
Before you begin, it’s absolutely essential that you make a full backup of your data, as partitioning involves working with your hard drive and things can go wrong. Follow our How to back up a Mac and Best backup software 2019 guides for more details.
Disk Utility
- Already on your Mac
- Creates and resizes partitions
- Reformats drives
While there are a number of good reasons to invest in a professional software package – additional features, simple interface and so on – the truth is your Mac already comes with Disk Utility built in. This helpful app allows users to create new partitions, alter their size (the partition that is, not the user, it’s not Magic Disk Utility), reformat a drive or convert it to a different format.
To see all the things you can do with it, read our How to use Disk Utility on a Mac guide.
Hard Disk Manager
- Easy to use
- Includes backup software
- Restores accidentally deleted partitions
This app by Paragon has a range of tools available for cleaning up, managing and backing up a hard disk.
The latter is very useful, as not only can you set up a regular routine, but the software allows access to previous backups as if they were normal storage device. This means if you need to find a file that’s since been deleted, you don’t have to restore the entire backup to do so.
Partitions can be created easily, then resized using a slider control. Should disaster strike, you can also restore accidentally deleted partitions as well. Hard Disk Manager has a selection of other features too, all of which make it a comprehensive way to control both the health and arrangements of your storage.
Stellar Partition Manager
- Merges free space
- Works on external drives
- Creates bootable USB tool
Another popular app is Stellar Partition Manager, which can help users create partitions not only on their hard drive but on external drives as well.
The software allows the creation of new volumes by merging together free blocks of space that are scattered across a drive, something that Disk Utility can’t handle.
As you’d expect there’s also the standard features of being able to create and resize partitions, reformat drives, resize Boot Camp partitions, and make a bootable USB tool that can help repartition the Mac’s startup drive.
The only real reservation about Stellar is that it’s only optimised up as far as macOS Sierra (10.12) at the moment, so if you’re running High Sierra or Mojave you might find a few quirks in the performance, but hopefully that will be changed soon.
For more useful hard-drive related ideas read our How to defrag a Mac, How to install Windows on a Mac, and How to recover data from a damaged Mac articles.
Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.