Why Not exFAT

exFAT not recommended for long term usage.

What is exFAT?
Windows 95 introduced a new file named FAT32. FAT32 is still in common usage today, especially for thumb drives and portable media. FAT32 has several limitations such as 2TB maximum volume size, and a 4GB maximum file size. exFAT is a replacement for the FAT32, as it removes these limitations.

The main benefit of exFAT is that it is supported by most computer operating systems, making it convenient for transferring files. Because of cross-platform compatibility, exFAT has become popular, especially on removable media like thumb drives and some standalone external USB drives.

Why exFAT is not ideal for everyday use?
exFAT is not “journaled” like MacOS Extended (HFS+) or Windows NTFS; meaning if you have a system failure of like a crash, power outage, or bad unmount (such as your pet accidentally pulling out the cable to the drive), you could lose your entire volume. The File System has no way to “go back” to a working state.

There are also subtle difference in how exFAT volumes are created on Windows vs. macOS, such that an exFAT volume may mount on Windows, but not on macOS.

Today, there more reliable options for a volume file system, that is shared on Mac and Windows computers:
HFS+ (MacOS Extended format)
NTFS (Windows NT File System)

To use HFS+ on Windows you need an Application to mount the volume, such as SoftRAID or MacDrive. (Included if you install SoftRAID for Windows). To use NTFS on the Mac, you need to install an NTFS driver.

As a SoftRAID user, the obvious choice is simply use HFS+ as the volume file system if you are working with both Mac and Windows computers.