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Dell Avamar vs IBM Storage Protect comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 16, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
5.8
Dell Avamar offers efficient data reduction, cost savings, enhanced IT operations, and strong data security against ransomware threats.
Sentiment score
1.0
IBM Storage Protect enhances data recovery, reduces downtime, and aids compliance, making it a valuable investment for organizations.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.9
Dell Avamar support is knowledgeable but slow, with communication challenges and limited first-level responsiveness hindering comprehensive assistance.
Sentiment score
7.6
IBM Storage Protect's support shows mixed experiences, with praise for expertise but concerns over response times and service consistency.
When their technical person is online, the quality of service and technical knowledge are very good.
Project Engineer at Concept Information Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.
The current technical support by Dell is very good.
Consultant at Key Information Technology L.L.C.
Support from IBM is very good, and they always have knowledgeable people.
Interim Head of Infrastructure at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Some support staff are highly skilled, others are not, leading to longer times to resolve issues.
CEO at Fischerei Leipold
Support is good from IBM, although it mainly comes from my local partner.
Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.6
Dell Avamar offers scalability for medium to large enterprises but requires costly node additions and has infrastructure limitations.
Sentiment score
7.7
IBM Storage Protect is praised for scalability and adaptability, though some users cite challenges in features and large-scale integration.
Dell Avamar offers very good scalability.
Project Engineer at Concept Information Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.
It is one of the most scalable platforms, and that is its strong point.
Interim Head of Infrastructure at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
TSM is a generic and robust product, which is why I continue using it for my core banking.
Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd
Scalability is great in IBM Spectrum Protect; there are several options available to scale.
Solution architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Dell Avamar is stable and reliable, praised for smooth operation and low failure rates in various infrastructures.
Sentiment score
8.0
IBM Storage Protect is highly stable and reliable, with consistent enhancements despite occasional minor issues with new features.
 

Room For Improvement

Dell Avamar needs UI, backup speed, cloud integration, and scalability improvements, with concerns over pricing and technical support.
IBM Storage Protect needs an improved interface, intuitive features, better cloud integration, and enhanced reporting and virtualization support.
They could add more features for cyber resilience and multi-cloud options in the next release to make it even better.
Consultant at Key Information Technology L.L.C.
There are instances where backups fail on certain applications, which is an area that could be improved.
Managing Director at Atlantic factorial
While Dell Avamar is a good product, the pricing is very high.
Project Engineer at Concept Information Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.
The new software, such as Rubrik, is very easy to use and more relatable to younger engineers because its interface design is more similar to Office 365 and the newer controls and labels that we are accustomed to.
Interim Head of Infrastructure at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
It is not compatible with other operating systems like Windows or Linux.
Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd
There is a need for additional layers of security to fill the gaps, which is why we are using Cobalt Iron.
Solution architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Setup Cost

Dell Avamar offers varying pricing experiences, with praised setup ease, but cost-effectiveness compared to competitors like Veeam is debated.
IBM Storage Protect offers varied and complex licensing, often seen as expensive but potentially cost-effective with tailored agreements.
I don't currently have detailed knowledge about the pricing, however, it is geared towards enterprise businesses and might be on the higher side.
Managing Director at Atlantic factorial
We do not see the cost of the licensing.
Interim Head of Infrastructure at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
It's expensive.
Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd
New customers can expect very high prices.
CEO at Fischerei Leipold
 

Valuable Features

Dell Avamar provides efficient deduplication, scalable backup, and recovery with strong integration and platform support for robust data protection.
IBM Storage Protect excels in efficient backups, cost-effective storage, scalability, reliability, user-friendliness, adaptability, and robust disaster recovery.
Its encryption mechanisms are very efficient, helping to secure sensitive data.
Consultant at Key Information Technology L.L.C.
The most valuable feature is the instant recovery capability.
Project Engineer at Concept Information Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.
The most valuable feature for me is the backup functionality.
Managing Director at Atlantic factorial
IBM Spectrum Protect has excellent integration capability.
Solution architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The product works efficiently with very large tape libraries, unlike most other products in the market that have problems handling large tape libraries or more than one tape library.
CEO at Fischerei Leipold
Incremental and differential backup features are built-in, which I frequently utilize on a weekly and daily basis.
Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd
 

Categories and Ranking

Dell Avamar
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
9th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
90
Ranking in other categories
Deduplication Software (5th)
IBM Storage Protect
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
13th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell Avamar is 2.0%, down from 3.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Storage Protect is 1.8%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell Avamar2.0%
IBM Storage Protect1.8%
Other96.2%
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

SamuelThomas - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at Key Information Technology L.L.C.
Have supported critical environments despite room for improvement in legacy backup options
It is very efficient in cyber resilience. Deduplication, automation, and everything is very efficient. It is multi-cloud enabled and has broad protections. The software delivers flexible and efficient backup and recovery options through its cyber resiliency features. Dell PowerProtect Manager provides insights in managing backup processes. Its encryption mechanisms are very efficient, helping to secure sensitive data. Its integration with Dell EMC Data Domain is very good. It is easy to integrate with Data Domain. Multi-cloud options are enabled, and backup in cloud options exist in Dell Avamar.
reviewer2787573 - PeerSpot reviewer
Interim Head of Infrastructure at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Backup coverage has supported immutable protection and now needs a more modern, intuitive interface
IBM Storage Protect is from a previous generation of backup software. In those days, backup software was complex in setting up and complex to manage. The new software, such as Rubrik, is very easy to use and more relatable to younger engineers because its interface design is more similar to Office 365 and the newer controls and labels that we are accustomed to. The difficulty that we now have with IBM Storage Protect is that for this day and age, compared to other products that are out there, it seems complex. If we look back 15 years ago, all enterprise class backup software was complex, so IBM was not any different. However, many of these older systems, such as Commvault, still have the same complaint that they are very complex because they have tried to keep that same interface and the same way it works. This suits them, but it probably needed a complete overhaul to bring it into the ease of use that we have with modern software. However, that upgrade has not been done. IBM Storage Protect has not been upgraded into a modern platform. It still looks a legacy platform.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business26
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise48
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business53
Midsize Enterprise25
Large Enterprise95
 

Questions from the Community

What's the difference between Dell EMC Avamar and Dell EMC NetWorker?
From the very beginning, Dell EMC NetWorker considers users and those who might potentially become users. In terms of both pricing and setup, this product offers an experience that is significantly...
What do you like most about Dell Avamar?
Easy to configure and highly reliable for backup.
What do you like most about IBM Storage Protect?
The best point about IBM Storage Protect is that it can use IBM tape environments, which we still use and will continue to use in the future.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Storage Protect?
I do not know the current licensing cost for IBM Storage Protect and how we get our support because our licensing model is not quite standard. We do not buy IBM Storage Protect direct from IBM. We ...
What needs improvement with IBM Storage Protect?
IBM Storage Protect is from a previous generation of backup software. In those days, backup software was complex in setting up and complex to manage. The new software, such as Rubrik, is very easy ...
 

Also Known As

Avamar
IBM Spectrum Discover
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Dodge County, St Laurence's College, FieldCore (a GE Company), Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Getronics, Lewisville Independent School District, EnvisionRxOptions, Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions
CEMEX
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Avamar vs. IBM Storage Protect and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.