Pick Hard Drives for Camera Recording
Surveillance-class drives, with WD Purple's figures from its data sheet
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A recorder writes all day and reads rarely, and surveillance drives are the lines sold for that pattern. The one with a data sheet read for this site is WD Purple: WD rates it for up to 180TB a year, up to 64 single-stream HD cameras and systems of up to 16 bays, with an MTBF of up to 1 million hours, a 3-year limited warranty and CMR recording on every model the sheet lists. That sheet stops at 8TB. Larger surveillance drives exist and are in the table; their figures are not stated here.
WD Purple, from WD's data sheet
| As WD states it | |
|---|---|
| Capacities on the sheet | 4TB, 6TB and 8TB |
| Model numbers | WD85PURZ (8TB), WD84PURZ (8TB), WD64PURZ (6TB), WD63PURZ (6TB), WD44PURZ (4TB), WD43PURZ (4TB) and WD42PURZ (4TB) |
| Recording | CMR, every model listed |
| Workload | Up to 180TB a year |
| Cameras | Up to 64 single-stream HD cameras |
| Bays supported | Up to 16 |
| MTBF | Up to 1 million hours |
| Limited warranty | 3 years |
| Firmware feature | AllFrame, which WD says reduces frame loss |
Surveillance drive or NAS drive
The two overlap. WD rates Purple and Red Plus alike at 180TB a year, and both sheets state CMR. What differs is what the firmware is tuned for: WD describes AllFrame as built for many simultaneous video streams.
If the recorder is a NAS that also holds files and backups, a NAS drive is the general-purpose choice and the second table is the one to use. If the array does nothing but record, the first table is.
Frigate's documentation, for one recorder, suggests drives designed for surveillance use and names WD Purple and Seagate SkyHawk as examples.
What is not stated here
Seagate SkyHawk and WD Purple Pro figures. Their sheets have not been read into this site's record, so no workload, camera count or warranty is given for them.
Recording type above 8TB. From 22TB up, a surveillance drive appears in the table only when its maker's document confirms the model; others are shown for reference with a badge.
Where the figures come from
Western Digital's WD Purple data sheet and Frigate's planning page, read on October 12, 2026.
Checked on October 12, 2026. Sources: Western Digital: WD Purple surveillance hard drive data sheet; Frigate documentation: Planning a New Installation.
Surveillance hard drives, by price per TB
Drives sold for recorders: WD Purple, Seagate SkyHawk and similar. From 22TB up, a drive is listed only when its maker confirms its recording type.
NAS drives, for comparison
The general NAS pool, for a recorder that shares its array with other work.
Renewed, refurbished and used listings
Shown for reference. These are not counted in the best price per TB above, and warranty terms differ from new drives.
Frequently asked questions
Is WD Purple CMR?
Yes, for every model on WD's Purple data sheet: the 4TB, 6TB and 8TB drives.
How many cameras does a WD Purple support?
Up to 64 single-stream HD cameras, by WD's data sheet.
Can I use a NAS drive for camera recording?
Yes. WD rates Red Plus at the same 180TB a year as Purple; the surveillance line adds firmware tuned for many video streams.