According to Tom's Hardware, the current Mac Mini's storage is soldered, making external drives the only practical way to add capacity. Several docks designed specifically for the Mini combine port expansion with NVMe SSD enclosures, letting users add both connectivity and storage in a compact footprint. The article highlights Prime Day deals on models from Satechi, UGreen, and Acasis, with the Acasis dock supporting two NVMe drives for up to 16TB of additional storage.
These docks also address the Mini's lack of legacy ports. While the Mac Mini has five USB-C ports, it has no USB-A or SD card slots, so docks typically add front-facing USB-A and SD/microSD readers. The article notes that the docks are only compatible with the current chassis, not older Mac Minis.
One caveat: some users report that placing a dock underneath the Mini can block Wi-Fi signals, which matters if you're not using Ethernet. Tom's Hardware also points out that a standard rectangular USB-C or Thunderbolt dock can offer similar benefits without the bespoke fit, so buyers aren't limited to Mini-specific designs.