You can freely copy files from NTFS drive to Mac without any issue. However, writing to NTFS is restricted by default on macOS no matter which version it is.why you even using exfat for a hard drive?
go for NTFS, nix systems and windows support it without a issue
that's how i use my drives simultaneously on fedora and w11
The choice between NTFS and exFAT for external storage depends on your needs. Below is a breakdown to help you decide which is better for your situation:
1. NTFS (New Technology File System)
- Best for: Primarily Windows users.
- Advantages:
- Reliable with strong file permissions and security features.
- Good for large files (>4GB) and partitions.
- Less prone to corruption.
- Supports features like journaling, file compression, and encryption.
- Disadvantages:
- Read-only on macOS by default (without third-party software like Paragon NTFS or Tuxera NTFS).
- Cannot be used natively to write files on Mac, so this limits flexibility.
2. exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table)
- Best for: Cross-platform use (Windows and Mac).
- Advantages:
- Fully compatible with both Windows and macOS—read and write support on both systems without additional software.
- Supports large files (>4GB), unlike FAT32.
- Lightweight compared to NTFS (no journaling or permissions overhead).
- Works with some other systems (e.g., Linux with additional drivers, cameras, or smart TVs).
- Disadvantages:
- Less reliable than NTFS—more prone to corruption if the drive isn't ejected properly.
- No advanced features like journaling or encryption.
- Slightly slower compared to NTFS for certain operations due to the lack of optimization.
