A server for internal use is another issue. Would you pay extra for a backup server speed when the network can’t fill the pipe? Too many variables.
I’m really surprise in 2026 you are asking about it. Have been 7-12 years that most Hosting Providers are mainly offering SSD hostings.
It’s impossible to have any kind of modern site with a minimum of traffic on a HDD. I’m not sure to understand the question. But usually a SSD will be 10 times faster than an HDD when it’s about DB (It’s the real gap, even an old PC would do 3 times better). Even for storage it’s not the same but it might have some exceptions (It will depend what are you storing and how much members are trying to access it).
I repeat it, in 2026 if you plan to have a site with traffic it shall only be on it. I don’t think any kind of modern company is dodging this.
I use ssds from about 2017 for speed, and power consumption since I run server from home - I would consider hdd for backup only purposes but since mine concern is not only speed but also bill for power - ssd without question. Modern ssd are good. I still run my virtualmin on ssd I purchased in 2017 without single fail and it is kingstone some cheap ssd not even fastest one - just make sure you set automated backup once a week or few says to other ssd or two ssds (not a partition but physical disks) and you will be fine. I would not be considered hdd for anything then larger data pool storage around 1PT or bigger..
I have an old Synology NAS with a slow 4×HDD setup and some virtual machines running Linux, so it takes about 3-4 minutes to install Webmin and Virtualmin package updates, whereas it only takes my MacBook Air M3 about 3–5 seconds. 
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@Ilia you can replace those hdds to ssds of course - it would not be m3 speed of course but noise will go down - almost silence, and power bill will be reduced - calculating for log run like a year, you know it.
Well, yeah, yet it would be pretty expensive. Each drive is 6TB at the moment. It’d be cool to have a 4×8TB SSD setup though, I agree!
I guess something like Crucial X10 CT8000X10SSD9-02 8TB could work.
nice setup! yeah I agree its still expensive to go full ssd on large pools but we getting there - slowly and painfully 
anything above 4tb m.2 or just regular sata ssd in your scale or mine is like second life with second wife
yes that would cut a lot of energy and speed man but the price is still - fk too much
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Well, to be fair, I need slow virtual machines too. Everything else is blazing fast, which makes it hard to replicate a low-cost cloud virtual machine.
And that scratching sound of the HDD gives me nostalgic vibes—I actually like it. So it’s fine as it is.
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I still enjoy the sound of rust being scraped off also 
@Ilia yeah I still use those 2.5" hdds as usb bootup for OSes and its nice to hear it like zzzzzz - tick - tick - tick like you remember those days when connecting to internet made analog sounds, you had to make cup of tea to just download the image meh anyway we are going off topic a bit.. on my end to OP - go with SSDs
@CTS some things will never change and some do
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I like the tick tick tick when they crap themself’s, SSD just stop working, silence
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I remember replacing my HDD’s with SSD’s on my Synology box… and the next day I started complaining about the “fan noise”… I’m so stupid.