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Dell PowerVault Reviews

Vendor: Dell Technologies
4.2 out of 5
Badge Ranked 1
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What is Dell PowerVault?

PowerVault MD3 storage arrays help you cost-effectively address the challenges of data growth with versatile solutions that are optimized for smaller-scale storage consolidation, flexible virtualization projects and high business continuity.
Get the Dell PowerVault Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerVault, Dell PowerStore, NetApp ASA and more!
Dell PowerVault is the #1 ranked solution in top Fibre Channel solutions and #2 ranked solution in top Enterprise SAN solutions. PeerSpot users give Dell PowerVault an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Dell PowerVault is most commonly compared to Dell PowerStore: Dell PowerVault vs Dell PowerStore. Dell PowerVault is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 50% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a manufacturing company, accounting for 13% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerVault
August 2025
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Dell PowerVault mindshare

Product category:
Enterprise SAN
As of September 2025, the mindshare of Dell PowerVault in the Enterprise SAN category stands at 29.6%, up from 5.3% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell PowerVault29.6%
Dell PowerStore30.7%
Dell Connectrix6.6%
Other33.10000000000001%
Enterprise SAN

PeerResearch reports based on Dell PowerVault reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryEnterprise SANSep 3, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersSep 3, 2025Download
ComparisonDell PowerVault vs Dell PowerStoreSep 3, 2025Download
ComparisonDell PowerVault vs Cisco MDS SeriesSep 3, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Dell PowerStore4.330.7%96%120 interviewsAdd to research
NetApp ASA4.54.6%100%3 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

Dell PowerVault offers features like reliability, expandability, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. It's easy to deploy and manage, stable, scalable, and provides strong support. Users appreciate its performance, storage capabilities, simple setup, and affordability. It supports functions like data deduplication and replication, benefiting small to medium-range storage needs. Users value its security, longevity, and ability to connect with fiber or iSCSI, offering good return on investment compared to other brands.
  • "I would say my favorite features of Dell PowerVault are that it's pretty easy to use, it has been pretty stable, firmware updates have been pretty easy to install, and replacing a bad drive is fairly simple."
  • "Dell PowerVault is cost-effective as a storage solution, and I see it has competitive pricing with other vendors."
  • "We've even used PowerVault series that we intended to use for five years for almost eight years, and it was still working fine, providing good ROI compared to any other brand, which are the overall advantages of Dell PowerVault."

Room for Improvement

Dell PowerVault needs improvements in UI, scalability, and integration capabilities. Deduplication, compression, and flash technology features are desired. Users face difficulties with high costs, upgrade processes, and Active Directory integration. Real-time feedback, cache capacity, cloud export, and NVMe support require enhancement. Reducing dependence on tape drives and offering a unified storage system are priorities. Initial acquisition costs and support pricing are concerns, and users request enhanced configuration options for better scalability.
  • "There is room for improvement with Dell PowerVault as we did have some promises about dedupe and compression that did not turn out as promised, but Dell trued up and gave us more storage for no cost."
  • "If you do not have an existing relationship with Dell or are exploring the market for the first time, the initial acquisition cost of Dell PowerVault is high compared to competitors such as Hitachi or IBM, which often undercut prices."
  • "The product is generally stable, but there have been instances, to my knowledge, where we faced issues in the controller during software upgrades. The availability is not at the desired level during these upgrade processes, as we sometimes need to shut down both controllers. This could be an area for improvement."

ROI

Organizations using Dell PowerVault reported a decrease in storage costs from .81 cents to .18 per GB with the 3260i, enhancing profitability while reducing customer pricing. Users experienced ROI within a year and rated the value favorably. They confirmed Dell PowerVault delivers effective returns when performance criteria are met. The use of Dell PowerVault has shown beneficial ROI, indicating satisfaction among users with its financial impact.

Pricing

Enterprise users of Dell PowerVault describe its pricing as mostly reasonable and competitive. Setup costs were cited around £30k, with initial purchase prices ranging from $15,000 to $25,000, plus 10% annually. There's emphasis on additional fees for operating systems and licenses, which some find expensive. Despite certain costs being high compared to competitors, users rate its overall affordability between seven to nine out of ten, highlighting its cost-effectiveness and strong market position.
  • "I rate the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten."
  • "The product is inexpensive."
  • "I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high."

Popular Use Cases

Dell PowerVault is primarily utilized for virtualization, storage, backup, and application hosting. Users employ it for ERP production, Hyper-V and VMware clusters, and small environment virtualization. Hospitals, contact centers, and organizations in need of affordable storage options appreciate its advanced capacity and redundancy. It supports data management tasks, such as backup, data retention, and file sharing, often integrated with other storage solutions for comprehensive data handling in small to medium-sized business environments.

Service and Support

Dell PowerVault's customer service and support are largely rated highly. Many find technical support excellent, responsive, and knowledgeable. Users in specific regions note logistical challenges and time-consuming ticket processes. Some report complex interactions requiring multiple explanations to support personnel. Others highlight the value of having spare parts due to delivery delays. Despite some minor issues, satisfaction remains high, with many appreciating the range of support options and quick responsiveness in addressing concerns.

Deployment

Dell PowerVault's initial setup is generally straightforward and simple. Many find it easy and intuitive, often taking only one person a couple of hours to complete. Some mention that specific configurations, like SAN installation, can be slightly complex. Companies reporting first-time installations found it challenging but expect simplicity with more experience. Typically, setup requires little maintenance and is adaptable, allowing for multiple deployment methods depending on connectivity options.

Scalability

Dell PowerVault's scalability varies, being effective for small to medium enterprises. Many find it suitable, rating it positively, although some face limitations in large environments or with certain configurations, particularly in disk expansion. While capable of almost doubling capacity and adding storage, configuration challenges exist. The ability to scale is praised by some, yet others find it constrained beyond certain thresholds, especially when expanding performance or accommodating large user bases.

Stability

Dell PowerVault is widely regarded as stable, with many users giving it high marks for stability. It is noted for easy deployment and management, though some users mentioned occasional minor control issues and a lack of active-active controller. Ratings for stability vary from six to ten out of ten, with praise for its performance in both small enterprises and larger organizations. Users appreciate its stability and scalability but mention it has not kept up with some needs.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our Dell PowerVault Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business143
Midsize Enterprise78
Large Enterprise222
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Outsourcing Company
4%
Energy/Utilities Company
4%
Educational Organization
4%
Hospitality Company
4%
Retailer
4%
University
3%
Construction Company
3%
Media Company
3%
Healthcare Company
2%
Performing Arts
2%
Wholesaler/Distributor
2%
Non Profit
2%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
2%
Aerospace/Defense Firm
2%
Transportation Company
2%
Real Estate/Law Firm
2%
Legal Firm
2%
Marketing Services Firm
1%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Insurance Company
1%

Compare Dell PowerVault with alternative products

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Learn more about Dell PowerVault

Dell PowerVault was previously known as PowerVault.

Dell PowerVault customers

Dayco, FAW Foundry, University of Cambridge, Finder, Stadtwerke Pforzheim GmbH & Co.

Related questions

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Product Categories

Product Categories
Enterprise SAN
Fibre Channel

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Dell PowerVault Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Associate Vice President - Technical Services Group (TSG) at HGS4.5I've used Dell PowerVault for over a decade to store critical data on our on-prem infrastructure; it's reliable, easy to deploy, and offers good ROI, though initial costs are high without existing Dell relationships.
Senior Presales Solutions Engineer ( DELL EMC & VMware) at NTT DATA4.5I've used Dell PowerVault for 10 years as a cost-effective, reliable storage solution for small organizations. It's easy to deploy, supports SAN and iSCSI, but lacks AI capabilities and broader hardware integration needed for larger or enterprise environments.
Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees4.0I've used Dell PowerVault for about five years as tier-two VMware storage and a Veeam backup target; it's stable, easy to manage, scales well, and support is responsive, though dedupe and compression fell short initially.
Senior Business Development Manager at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees4.0I use Dell PowerVault for storage consolidation in SMBs, appreciating its full flash storage. However, during software upgrades, we occasionally face controller issues that affect availability, indicating room for improvement in this area.
ICT manager at Thys Bouwprojecten3.5I find Dell PowerVault ideal for small companies with a straightforward setup. It's a stable solution, preferable to Synology, with upcoming features like reporting available on Dell's cloud IO platform, offering scalability and endless possibilities for diverse customer needs.
Owner at Arsium5.0I appreciate Dell PowerVault for its simplicity and platform stability, though improvements are needed in the web server's responsiveness and task feedback. Duplication also requires enhancement. Overall, it's suited for basic storage directly attached to servers.
Technical Support Manager at Genex Infosys Ltd.4.0I primarily use Dell PowerVault for backup and file-sharing, appreciating its cost-effectiveness. However, I find its professional support expensive and suggest flexible pricing. I've also worked with NetApp, QNet, and HPE, which offer similar features and pricing.
Senior System Engineer at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees4.0The Dell PowerVault is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, offering cost-effective data deduplication and replication. It lacks Active Directory integration and unified storage but provides valuable features like data tiering, making it preferable over cheaper alternatives like QNAP.