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Cisco MDS Series vs Dell PowerVault comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 29, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco MDS Series
Ranking in Enterprise SAN
3rd
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Dell PowerVault
Ranking in Enterprise SAN
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 6.6%, down from 25.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 32.2%, up from 5.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN
 

Featured Reviews

OğuzKalaycı - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures consistent availability during updates and integrates seamlessly
I am using Cisco MDS in SAN environments for storage connections and server connections The product is very stable and performs well. During the update periods, the devices do not need to reload, ensuring constant availability. It is easy to set up and use. I do not have a central management…
Gehad Said - PeerSpot reviewer
Consistent cost reduction and ease of deployment with storage solution
Dell PowerVault acts as an entry storage for a small organization; I've been using it in my organization. Dell PowerVault functions as SAN storage and iSCSI storage. Per workload capacity, the deployment and migration time is dependent on various factors. Dell PowerVault has strong features; we can work on it as a SAN storage, and if we are connecting with fiber, 16 gig or 22 gig, and as the iSCSI also. Dell PowerVault is a small SAN storage, and I recommend it for small organizations. If the customer does not have enough budget, and already has small capacity with not difficult workload, this is an entry-level storage solution, and for Dell PowerVault, I'm satisfied. I rate Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is its reliability, support, and scalability."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is security."
"The issues with these switches are extremely rare, and the whole product line is very predictable and stable."
"SAN switches in Cisco MDS Series are a valuable feature of the solution for our company."
"The product is easy to use."
"The product is very stable and performs well."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."
"The features I found most valuable are the ease of deployment, it's easy to upgrade, easy to configure and easy to administer. There is no need for vendor professional services which saves project cost. The usage of WebUI for all primary features like hostname, IP address, SNMP traps, zone sets, addition and deletion of zone members or zone sets, backup of switch DB is very simple."
"For us, the initial setup was easy."
"Dell PowerVault is cost-effective as a storage solution, and I see it has competitive pricing with other vendors."
"Dell PowerVault offers valuable full flash storage."
"Dell PowerVault is user-friendly and easy to deploy."
"The storage has been good."
"The solution is reliable and stable."
"PowerVault comes with free software that performs functions like data deduplication and replication, which is cost-effective and delivers added value to the product."
"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerVault is its ability to provide small to medium-range storage. It doesn't have any specific standout features, but it's great for applications, such as surveillance where a large number of videos need to be recorded and performance isn't a priority."
 

Cons

"The licensing model could be less complicated."
"The GUI client is Java-based and we know that Java is not secure, so everyone disables it."
"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having API functionality for automation and programming."
"I do not have a central management software to manage these products due to the licensing cost. It would be beneficial to have central management software for easier handling."
"It is quite a stable product. It should be shipped with the latest firmware to avoid download and upload schema at the beginning of the initial setup. There should also be the possibility of downgrading the firmware when required. WebUI needs DCNM instead a web-based GUI should be made available like Brocade san switch."
"The product is very expensive."
"The solution's management interface and GUI need improvement."
"Cisco MDS Series could improve by adding more gigahertz. However, they are doing this over time."
"There have been situations when our customers requested professional support and the price of that feature is quite high."
"I would like to see improvements made to the user interface."
"The tool needs to improve its UI."
"I would like Dell to improve on the configuration of the disk groups. Only one group is expandable. Once you configure the other disk group types, you cannot expand them. It limits scalability. If you want maybe to grow a disk group, you lose information, and then you need to build it up again, which is not a good use case for customers."
"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."
"PowerVault could be improved by increasing its memory cache capacity and adding the ability to export data to the cloud."
"The implementation process takes a while."
"Sometimes integrating into a cluster can be difficult as you have to do it manually."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's perpetual licensing and maintenance is a recurrent cost."
"The price of the Cisco MDS Series is high."
"Pricing cannot be considered an advantageous trait of the solution since it is expensive. I rate the solution's pricing a three out of ten."
"I rate Dell PowerVault a six or seven out of ten for pricing."
"Dell PowerVault's price is the tool's main attraction."
"They are offering a wide range of support models for the customers such as basic support that is budget-friendly, but they also provide a professional support solution that is a bit costly"
"The price is reasonable and we are satisfied with it."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high."
"I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten."
"The solution is more cost-effective than the competitors. It’s an affordable option for small businesses."
"I would rate the pricing model a nine out of ten, with one being expensive and ten being cheap."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
23%
Government
12%
Educational Organization
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco MDS Series?
The pricing could be improved as the solution is very expensive. I am on a yearly payment basis.
What needs improvement with Cisco MDS Series?
I do not have a central management software to manage these products due to the licensing cost. It would be beneficial to have central management software for easier handling.
What do you like most about Dell PowerVault?
Dell PowerVault offers valuable full flash storage.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerVault?
I rate the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten.
What needs improvement with Dell PowerVault?
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 durin...
 

Also Known As

Cisco MDS 9100, Cisco MDS 9222i, Cisco MDS 9700
PowerVault
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

National Rugby League
Dayco, FAW Foundry, University of Cambridge, Finder, Stadtwerke Pforzheim GmbH & Co.
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco MDS Series vs. Dell PowerVault and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.