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Cisco MDS Series vs Dell PowerVault comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

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
4th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
10
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
43
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 10.0%, up from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 12.3%, down from 30.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerVault12.3%
Cisco MDS Series10.0%
Other77.7%
Enterprise SAN
 

Featured Reviews

VK
Product Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Reliable storage networking has ensured seamless multi-protocol access and continuous redundancy
Currently, I do not have any major suggestions for improvement as everything is working well without issues. If additional functions could be introduced to simplify usage, I would suggest that AI functionality or better integration capabilities would be advantageous for Cisco MDS Series. Any new AI-related features or functionality added to Cisco MDS Series would represent a positive advancement.
Storage has supported long-term CCTV archiving and improves on-premises application performance
I think it would be good regarding how Dell PowerVault could improve to have, in addition to the excellent support service that exists, some training courses, forums, and a training school for using these tools. Many people specialize only in this kind of equipment, and others have no idea how to configure them or how they work and always end up depending on people who have spent a long time working with these systems and know how to handle them more because of experience than because of information that can be easily obtained about using this equipment. Everything regarding additional aspects that could be improved in Dell PowerVault has already been mentioned.

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 features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."
"This solution is required for any type of IT infrastructure for Storage Networking and provides high availability for storage service."
"Cisco MDS 9148 SAN switch model is the best product, highly reliable and low cost, easy to deploy, easy to upgrade, easy to configure, easy to administer, and it gives effective performance when used for SAN switch connectivity between hosts and storage boxes."
"It enables us to integrate and load balance between multiple layer one fiber vendor links, which is very useful."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is security."
"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."
"The product is easy to use."
"Dell PowerVault offers valuable full flash storage."
"The solution is reliable and stable."
"The most valuable features are stability and response time."
"The security of the backup and the overall system that Dell PowerVault brings to the table is definitely the most valuable feature."
"For us, the initial setup was easy."
"Dell PowerVault is a more scalable and secure solution compared to other backup solutions."
"The most valuable features are that it's easy to set up and I also like the provisioning of storage because it's very easy."
"Dell PowerVault is cost-effective as a storage solution, and I see it has competitive pricing with other vendors."
 

Cons

"Data Center Network Manager is good but it is not free and requires purchasing a separate license."
"The solution's management interface and GUI need improvement."
"The GUI client is Java-based and we know that Java is not secure, so everyone disables it."
"The licensing model could be less complicated."
"Cisco MDS Series could improve by adding more gigahertz. However, they are doing this over time."
"I find it difficult to operate and troubleshoot."
"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."
"Webui needs Data Center Network Management tool licensed copy for accessing Cisco Switches instead a web-based GUI should be made easily available the way Brocade san switch is managed."
"In most instances, clients are using Dell PowerVault with tape drives, but we want to transition them away from tape drives due to the risk of data loss."
"The implementation process takes a while."
"The price of the solution could be lower."
"PowerVault could be improved by increasing its memory cache capacity and adding the ability to export data to the cloud."
"We've had some control issues."
"Dell PowerVault is capturing an area that is needed for our customers, and it can be improved if this part could include a NAS option as well since the entry-level NAS part is currently missing in the portfolio, which would be a very good offering for customers, especially for their small and medium businesses."
"Dell's technical support will guide you through the steps, but there are certain steps they are not able to do for you, so you might need a local service provider."
"We could set up the installation through a web server, but it's not very reactive on the web server. For example, when you launch a task, and you don't know exactly if the task has begun or if the task is in progress, or if it's finished. You have to wait for three to five to ten minutes to be sure that the task is running or in progress or finished. So at that point, it's not very good."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"It's perpetual licensing and maintenance is a recurrent cost."
"The solution is more cost-effective than the competitors. It’s an affordable option for small businesses."
"Dell PowerVault's price is the tool's main attraction."
"The cost, compared to other solutions, is on the higher end."
"I rate Dell PowerVault a six or seven out of ten for pricing."
"The product is inexpensive."
"I would rate the pricing model a nine out of ten, with one being expensive and ten being cheap."
"I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Healthcare Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
17%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise18
 

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?
Currently, I do not have any major suggestions for improvement as everything is working well without issues. If additional functions could be introduced to simplify usage, I would suggest that AI f...
What is your primary use case for Cisco MDS Series?
Cisco MDS Series is primarily used for connecting storage arrays. The multi-protocol feature supports all protocols and functionality working seamlessly. Virtual SANs operate without any issues. Pe...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerVault?
Budget is one concept I am not aware of because I am not really involved in it, so I cannot comment on whether Dell PowerVault has contributed to staying within budget for operations.
What needs improvement with Dell PowerVault?
I would like them to improve the controllers, specifically the stability of the controllers.
What is your primary use case for Dell PowerVault?
My usual use case for Dell PowerVault is as an end user. I am using the HTML5 PowerVault Manager GUI for ME5.
 

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: August 2026.
908,858 professionals have used our research since 2012.