The Difference Between SD and microSD Cards

SD Card vs. microSD Card

  • Different Sizes: SD card is 32 mm * 24 mm * 2.1 mm, and that of microSD card is 15 mm * 11 mm * 1 mm. microSD card is much smaller than SD card.
  • Different Weight: SD card is about 2 gram and microSD card is usually less than 0.5 gram. microSD card is much lighter than SD Card.
  • Different Origins: SD cards were developed by Panasonic, Toshiba and SanDisk in August 1999. microSD card is the latest generation of memory card specifications introduced by Motorola and SanDisk, which was launched in 2004.
  • Use in Different Devices: SD cards are widely used in portable devices, such as digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDA) and multimedia players. microSD card is mainly used in smart phones, tablets, smaller action cameras (e.g. GoPro), and drones because of its light weight and compact size.
  • Different Card Readers: SD card requires standard SD card reader to connect to computer, and microSD card requires microSD card reader. There are microSD to SD card adapter to convert a microSD card to a SD card.

SD Card Software Tools

SD Card Recovery

If you need to recover lost photos and videos from a corrupt or formatted SD card, or a microSD card, or retrieve deleted photos from SD cards, you may use CardRecovery Software from WinRecovery Software.

SD Card Formatter

If you need to format a SD card or a microSD card, it is recommended to use the official freeware tool SD Memory Card Formatter from SD Association. Please note, the formatting process will wipe all the data on the card.