GoPro SD Card Guide: Sizes, Works With Chart, Recommended

What’s the best GoPro SD card for your camera? Here are our top picks for each model. Learn to make sense of all the specs (size, speed, settings) to make the best choice for your camera and your next adventure.

• Hero12/11/10 Black cameras all take the same size SD card. You’ll want an SD card with a minimum speed of V30 (Class 30, UHS-3), and they accept a maximum size of 1TB.
• Older Hero9/8/7/6 Black cameras need a minimum speed of V10 (Class 10, UHS-1) and accept a maximum capacity of 256GB.

Here are all the size and speed specs for GoPro SD cards (sortable chart), along with my recommendations for the best brands and models of microSD cards.

This guide is part of our in-depth comparison of GoPro cameras.

Best GoPro SD Card for Every Model: Top Picks

First, here’s a short list of the best GoPro SD card for every model, with specific brand recommendations and the maximum size.

• Note: Speeds listed are minimum recommended, and the storage capacities are the maximum size for each model.
• Top Recommendations: Here are our picks for the best SD memory card for each GoPro model. We cover from the current Hero12 Black back to the first digital Hero.

If you want all the data and details, we also cover that below this list. 

GoPro Model	microSD Card	Min Speed	Max Capacity
Hero12/11/10 Black	SanDisk Extreme Series and Extreme Pro.	V30 (Class 30) UHS-3	1TB
Hero11 Black Mini, Hero10 Black Bones	SanDisk Extreme Plus and Extreme Pro Series.	V30 (Class 30) UHS-3	1TB
Hero9/8/7/6 Black, Max 360, Hero5 Session	Samsung Pro Plus 256GB	V10 (Class 10) UHS-1	256GB
Hero7 Silver/White, Fusion 360, Hero (2018), Hero5 Black	Amazon Basics 128GB	V10 (Class 10) UHS-1	128GB
Hero4 Black, Silver, Session	Amazon Basics 128GB	V10 (Class 10) UHS-1	128GB
Hero3, Hero3+, Hero+, Hero+ LCD	Amazon Basics	V10 (Class 10) UHS-1	64GB
Hero 2014	Samsung Pro Endurance 32GB	V10 (Class 10) UHS-1	32GB
HD Hero2, HDHero Original, HD Hero 960	Samsung Pro Endurance 32GB	Class 4	32GB

Interested in more options? We organize more microSD cards in a chart later in the article. By the end of this post, you’ll be able to choose the best card for your camera and shooting needs.

SD Cards That Work With Each GoPro (Specs, Speed, Size)

Here are the microSD specs for every GoPro model.

The chart includes specs: size (UHS and Video Speed Class), capacity range, and maximum storage size for each GoPro camera.

GoPro Model	UHS Speed Class	Video Speed	Capacity Range	Max Capacity
Hero12 Black	UHS-3	V30 (Class 30)	32/64/128/256/512GB/1TB	1TB
Hero11 Black	UHS-3	V30 (Class 30)	32/64/128/256/512GB/1TB	1TB
Hero11 Black Mini	UHS-3	V30 (Class 30)	32/64/128/256/512GB/1TB	1TB
Hero10 Black	UHS-3	V30 (Class 30)	32/64/128/256/512GB/1TB	1TB
Hero10 Black Bones	UHS-3	V30 (Class 30)	32/64/128/256/512GB/1TB	1TB
Hero9 Black	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	32/64/128/256GB	256GB
Hero8 Black	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	32/64/128/256GB	256GB
Max 360	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	32/64/128/256GB	256GB
Hero7 Black	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	32/64/128/256GB	256GB
Hero7 Silver	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	16/32/64/128GB	128GB
Hero7 White	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	16/32/64/128GB	128GB
Fusion 360	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	16/32/64/128GB	128GB
Hero (2018)	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	16/32/64/128GB	128GB
Hero6 Black	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	32/64/128/256GB	256GB
Hero5 Black	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	16/32/64/128GB	128GB
Hero5 Session	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	32/64/128/256GB	256GB
Hero4 Black	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	16/32/64/128GB	128GB
Hero4 Silver	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	16/32/64/128GB	128GB
Hero Session	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	16/32/64/128GB	128GB
Hero3, Hero3+	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	2/4/8/16/32/64GB	64GB
Hero+, Hero+ LCD	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	2/4/8/16/32/64GB	64GB
Hero 2014	UHS-1	V10 (Class 10)	2/4/8/16/32GB	32GB
HD Hero2, HDHero Original, HD Hero 960		Class 4	2/4/8/16/32GB	32GB
SD Hero			512MB/1/2GB	2GB

Now, with our top picks out of the way, let’s get into the specifics. Here are all the factors to consider when choosing the best SD card for your GoPro camera.

How to Sort Out SD Cards for GoPro

Trying to sort all the specs in an SD card can be pretty confusing. It’s almost like they try to make it confusing.

In this section, you’ll learn how to make sense of all the settings, speeds, and capacity.

Ready? Let’s get started!

5 Factors to Consider: GoPro Memory Cards

1. Storage Capacity: While this might sound important at first, it isn’t really. Extra cards aren’t that expensive. And if you shoot your day’s adventures on a few cards, you’ll reduce the risk of losing all your images – in case one fails. Here’s how many minutes of video and photos a gigabyte will hold. This can help determine how many gigabytes you need for the day.
2. Card Speed: This is more important than capacity. If you shoot faster than your card can handle, you’ll either get lower-resolution footage or the camera will stutter while it processes the photos you just shot. Neither is ideal. I recommend buying the fastest card you can afford.
3. SD Card vs microSD Card? GoPro cameras only use microSD cards. While most cards will come with an SD card adapter, ensure you order a microSD card – anything larger, and you’ll be disappointed.
4. Brand: There are many memory card manufacturers, including many generic brands. While much of this depends on personal preference, I recommend SanDisk and Samsung. We own about 20 microSD cards – mostly SanDisk, and the remainder are Samsung. Both are reliable and easy to find.
5. Included Accessories: This probably isn’t that important for most users. But if you don’t have an SD card adapter, you’ll probably want one. It will help you connect to a computer, delete videos, and even watch footage on your TV. You will sometimes get an SD card adapter or USB card reader with a microSD card.

Does a Fast SD Card Matter?

A fast memory card allows you to shoot longer videos at a higher resolution and process them faster.

A fast SD card is like a fast internet connection. The faster the speed, the more information you can record/download simultaneously.

If capturing your adventure is important, buy the fastest SD card you can afford. Some high-resolution video settings in your GoPro will automatically reduce if the card can’t handle it.

The speed of the card is more important than the capacity.

Well, as long as you buy a decent-sized card. Don’t make the mistake of buying the largest-sized microSD card you can find – and forgeting about the actual speed of the card.

Best SD Card for GoPro: All Models

The best memory card depends on several factors. Not all memory cards will work in all cameras.

Here are our picks for the best SD memory cards for each GoPro camera. They also correspond to the cards approved and recommended by GoPro for compatibility in each model.

Best SD Card: GoPro Hero12/11/10 Black

Hero12/11/10 Black cameras all take the same size/speed SD card. This also includes the Hero11 Black Mini and the Hero10 Black Bones.

For these five GoPro cameras, you’ll want an SD card with a minimum speed of V30 (Class 30, UHS-3). And these cameras all accept a maximum capacity of 1TB.

With one TB of storage, you don’t have to worry about running out of space.

• Recommended Micro SD Card: SanDisk Extreme Series and Extreme Pro
• Speed: V30 (Class 30) UHS-3 (Minimum)
• Capacity: 1TB (Maximum)
• File System: MicroSDXC

These five models (Hero12 back to Hero10 – Bones and Mini included) all accept a 1TB card. But I prefer to have a set of smaller cards. I have many 128GB and 256GB cards instead of one giant one. It spreads out my risk in case one of them fails. 

Curious about how KB relates to GB and TB? Check out our guide to all file sizes.

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Best SD Card: GoPro Hero9/8/7/6 Black

Hero9/8/7/6 Black cameras all take the same size/speed SD card. This also includes the Max 360 and Hero5 Session.

These six cameras need a minimum speed of V10 (Class 10, UHS-1) and accept a maximum capacity of 256GB.

• Recommended Micro SD Card: Samsung Pro Plus 256GB
• Speed: V10 (Class 10) UHS-1
• Capacity: 256GB
• File System: MicroSDXC

These six models (Hero9 back to Hero6, plus Max 360 and Hero5 Session) all accept a 256GB card. Consider buying a couple of 128GB instead of a single 256GB card. This has been our practice for the last number of years – it spreads out the risk if a card fails (or gets dropped in the ocean).

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Best SD Card: GoPro Hero7 Silver/White, Fusion 360, Hero (2018), Hero5 Black

This somewhat random list of GoPro cameras all have one thing in common. They all require a minimum card speed of V10 (Class 10) UHS-1. And they all accept a maximum card size of 128GB.

• Recommended Micro SD Card: Amazon Basics 128GB
• Speed: V10 (Class 10) UHS-1
• Capacity: 128GB
• File System: MicroSDXC

SD Cards for GoPro: FAQ

Here are the answers to common user questions about SD cards for GoPro cameras.

How to Format an SD Card in Your GoPro

There are a number of ways to format your memory card.

The easiest way is to format the card with your GoPro camera. Here’s how to do it with your GoPro camera. These instructions work for all recent GoPro models.

If you’re familiar with your camera, here’s how to format the card: Menu > Preferences > Reset > Format SD Card

Here are the step-by-step instructions.

1. With the camera on, swipe down to view Menu.
2. Tap Preferences.
3. Scroll to bottom and tap Reset
4. Tap Format SD Card (Top option)
5. Tap Format (confirming that you’ll delete all your files and reformat the card).

Congratulations! You just formatted your GoPro microSD card.

Learn how to format your SD card in Windows 10, on Mac, with your DSLR camera, and using CMD.

FAT32 vs exFAT: Which file system is best for memory cards?

• exFAT: (Current GoPro cameras) This file system replaces FAT32 and is an acronym for Extended File Allocation Table. This system allows for individual files larger than 4GB. And for larger SD cards, this is the default file system. This is the recommended file system for SDXC memory cards.
• FAT32: (Vintage GoPro cameras) This is the recommended file system for SD and SDHC memory cards. It is limited to a 4GB size for individual files.

For the best result, we recommend shooting within the ideal GoPro operating temperatures.

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Glossary of SD Memory Card Terms

Here’s a brief explanation of the terms you need to know.

SDXC vs SDHC

• microSDXC: Secure Digital Extended Capacity. This is the current type of memory card. Memory cards with a capacity from 32GB and larger use this specification. They allow individual files larger than 4GB. They use the exFAT file structure (see above for more).
• microSDHC: Secure Digital High Capacity. This refers to the older, smaller (under 32GB) cards. There is a maximum individual file size of 4GB. These use the older FAT32 file system.

UHS-1 vs UHS-2 vs UHS-3

What does UHS mean? UHS (Ultra High Speed) is a speed rating for memory cards.

• UHS-I is the older, slower version. It corresponds to Class 10 (U1). Read speeds up to 104 MB/s. And write speeds up to 10MB/sec. UHS-1 also comes in U3 speed (30MB/sec write speed).
• UHS-II is faster and can have read speeds up to 312 MB/s.
• UHS-III has read speeds up to 624 MB/s. This is the minimum speed rating for all newer GoPro cameras.
• Express can have read speeds up to 985 MB/s.

You’ll know immediately that a card is not UHS-I because of the price. The UHS-3 cards are much more expensive than equivalent capacity cards (in UHS-I speed). When I first wrote this guide, most GoPro models couldn’t benefit from this higher speed – and now it is the standard.

Speed Class: U1, U3, V30, V60, V90

These U and V ratings have basically replaced the Class ratings (Class 4, Class 10, Class 30).

• Speed Class:
• UHS Speed Class: Measured by U1 and U3. U1 corresponds to Class 10 and writes a minimum sequential speed of 10MB/sec. U3 corresponds to UHS-3 and Class 30.
• Video Speed Class: This is the newest measure of speed. V30 corresponds to U3 and Class 30 (and V10 corresponds to U1 and Class 10.) These ratings go from V6 (6MB/sec) to V90 (90MB/sec). The number following the V corresponds to the number of megabytes it can sequentially write per second. The speed ratings include V6, V10, V30, V60, and V90.

Just to keep things confusing, card manufacturers often publish two or three of these speed ratings on each memory card.

If you use a newer GoPro, you should disregard any Class 10 cards. Instead, watch for cards with the U3 or V30 rating (these are the same speed).

A1 vs A2:

This is the Application Performance Class of your card. This doesn’t affect the performance of your GoPro camera. But this might matter to you if you want a microSD card that can serve another function.

A1 / A2 refers to its performance capability when running an application from the card. A2 is 3 to 4 times faster than A1. Learn more from sdcard.org.

More reading: Learn about GoPro LRV and THM Files (And How to Use Them)

More reading: Delete vs Format: Why format an SD card?

Your Turn

And there you have it. The complete guide to choosing the best microSD card for your GoPro. Which card did you settle on? Have a question or tip? Join me below!