How much internal storage do the iPad Pro models have? Which models support external storage? Which external storage option is best?

All iPad Pro models have a fixed default capacity and this internal storage cannot be expanded or upgraded subsequently. They do not have an SD card slot, either.

However, it is possible to add external storage to all iPad Pro models. The original iPad Pro and iPad Pro (2nd Gen) models have a Lightning connector; the iPad Pro 11" (2nd Gen) and iPad Pro 12.9" (4th Gen) models have a USB-C port; and the iPad Pro 11" (3rd Gen) and iPad Pro 12.9" (5th Gen) models have a faster USB-C shaped Thunderbolt / USB 4 port.

Default Internal iPad Pro Storage (Skip)

The default storage is provided on the specs page for each iPad Pro, but also follows:

iPad Pro	Model No	Internal Storage
12.9" (Wi-Fi Only)	A1584	32, 128, 256 GB
12.9" (Wi-Fi/Cellular)	A1652	128, 256 GB
9.7" (Wi-Fi Only)	A1673	32, 128, 256 GB
9.7" (Wi-Fi/Cellular)	A1674	32, 128, 256 GB
10.5" (Wi-Fi Only)	A1701	64, 256, 512 GB
10.5" (Wi-Fi/Cellular)	A1709	64, 256, 512 GB
12.9" 2 (Wi-Fi Only)	A1670	64, 256, 512 GB
12.9" 2 (Wi-Fi/Cell)	A1671	64, 256, 512 GB
11" (Wi-Fi Only)	A1980	64, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
11" (Wi-Fi/Cellular - US/CA)	A2013	64, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
11" (Wi-Fi/Cellular - Global)	A1934	64, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
11" (Wi-Fi/Cellular - China)	A1979	64, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
12.9" 3 (Wi-Fi Only)	A1876	64, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
12.9" 3 (Wi-Fi+Cell US/CA)	A2014	64, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
12.9" 3 (Wi-Fi+Cell Global)	A1895	64, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
12.9" 3 (Wi-Fi+Cell China)	A1983	64, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
11" 2 (Wi-Fi Only)	A2228	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
11" 2 (Wi-Fi/Cell US/CA)	A2068	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
11" 2 (Wi-Fi/Cell Global)	A2230	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
11" 2 (Wi-Fi/Cell China)	A2231	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
12.9" 4 (Wi-Fi Only)	A2229	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
12.9" 4 (Wi-Fi/Cell US/CA)	A2069	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
12.9" 4 (Wi-Fi/Cell Global)	A2232	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
12.9" 4 (Wi-Fi/Cell China)	A2233	128, 256, 512 GB; 1 TB
11" 3 (Wi-Fi Only)	A2377	128, 256, 512 GB; 1, 2 TB
11" 3 (Wi-Fi/Cell US)	A2301	128, 256, 512 GB; 1, 2 TB
11" 3 (Wi-Fi/Cell Global)	A2459	128, 256, 512 GB; 1, 2 TB
11" 3 (Wi-Fi/Cell China)	A2460	128, 256, 512 GB; 1, 2 TB
12.9" 5 (Wi-Fi Only)	A2378	128, 256, 512 GB; 1, 2 TB
12.9" 5 (Wi-Fi/Cell US)	A2379	128, 256, 512 GB; 1, 2 TB
12.9" 5 (Wi-Fi/Cell Global)	A2461	128, 256, 512 GB; 1, 2 TB
12.9" 5 (Wi-Fi/Cell China)	A2462	128, 256, 512 GB; 1, 2 TB

To reiterate, the default internal storage in all of the iPad Pro models cannot be upgraded beyond the amount that was installed at the time of purchase.

External iPad Pro Storage Solutions

If you would like to add storage to your original iPad Pro or iPad Pro (2nd Gen), it is possible to add an external storage drive via Lightning connector or wirelessly.

Best Wireless External iPad Pro Storage

Effectively any external Lightning storage that works with the iPhone also will work with the original iPad Pro and iPad Pro (2nd Gen) models that have Lightning ports, including small storage devices like the SanDisk iXpand Drive Go. However, EveryiPad.com would suggest physically larger but much larger capacity wireless storage is best for the iPad Pro.

A well regarded high-capacity option is the Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro with up to 4 TB of storage. It is around five inches tall.

Photo Credit: Western Digital (My Passport Wireless Pro)

This Western Digital option is powerful with Plex Media Server capability for media organization and streaming. It also has an SD card slot to use with a digital camera and a built-in 6,400 mAh power bank to recharge your iPad Pro or other portable device while out and about.

Best USB-C External iPad Pro Storage

Wireless storage also will work for subsequent models, but for the iPad Pro 11" (Original & 2nd Gen) and iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd & 4th Gen) models that are equipped with a USB-C port, the best option is to use directly connected storage. In general, USB-C storage should be straightforward, faster, and more reliable.

Two good options include the durable, waterproof OWC Envoy Pro Elektron, from site sponsor OWC, and the SanDisk Extreme Portable External SSD.

Photo Credit: OWC (Left); SanDisk (Right)

Both are smaller than a mobile phone and enclosed in rugged cases designed to resist dust and water as well as survive a drop. OWC even advertises that the Envoy Pro Elektron is "crushproof" and "can be rolled over multiple times without damage to your precious data inside" if you drop the drive "onto a driveway or parking lot." Although it always is best to avoid having your storage drives run over, either certainly is a good choice to carry around in a backpack.

The SanDisk Extreme supports transfer speeds up to 550MB/s and is available in capacities ranging from 250 GB to 2 TB. The OWC Envoy Pro Elektron is faster, with transfer speeds up to 1011MB/s and capacities from 240 GB to 2 TB.

Best Thunderbolt 3 External iPad Pro Storage

For the current iPad Pro 11" (3rd Gen) and iPad Pro 12.9" (5th Gen) models, which support faster Thunderbolt / USB 4 storage with a USB-C shaped connector, it also is possible to use USB-C storage, but because Thunderbolt is faster, it is best to use Thunderbolt.

Photo Credit: OWC Envoy Express (Opened for SSD Installation)

Two good portable options include the high-performance, plug-and-play OWC Envoy Pro FX and the upgradable "add your own drive" OWC Envoy Express, both from site sponsor Other World Computing.

Both external drives are completely SSD-based. The OWC Envoy Pro FX provides transfer speeds up to 2800 MB/s, is available in capacities from 240 GB and 2.0 TB, and is dust proof, drop proof, and even water proof up to 30 meters.

The OWC Envoy Express provides transfer speeds up to 1533 MB/s and is ready for you to install "any 2280 M.2 NVMe SSD" of your choice, including OWC's own Aura P12 Pro NVMe M.2 SSDs. 4 TB is the maximum capacity available now, but because the SSD can be swapped out, you easily can upgrade it yourself to larger capacities in the future.

iPad Pro Storage Summary

By adding external storage to your iPad Pro whether wirelessly or via USB-C / Thunderbolt 3, it makes these tablets much more suitable for serious content creation and editing.

Particularly for the iPad Pro (3rd Gen) and later models -- including current ones -- true storage support and addition of a proper file manager starting with iOS 13 (iPadOS), makes the iPad Pro much more of a "real" computer for creative professionals. Any of these external storage options from SanDisk or OWC make life much better for iPad Pro users.