Dell Avamar vs Synology DSM comparison

Dell Technologies and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Dell Technologies is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.9, while Synology is ranked #52. Dell Technologies holds a 1.9% mindshare in BRS, compared to Synology’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Synology users who would recommend it.

Dell Avamar

Read 90 Dell Avamar reviews

5,936 Views
5,461 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

3,050 Views
3,020 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Dell Avamar

Synology DSM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

Dell Avamar and Synology DSM are both prominent data protection solutions. Dell Avamar seems to have the upper hand due to its superior data deduplication capability and cost-efficiency, despite Synology DSM's robust integration and customization flexibilities.

Features: Users value Dell Avamar's efficient data deduplication, ease of data retrieval, and reasonable setup costs. Synology DSM is favored for its integration with various cloud services, extensive customization options, and long-term value through extensive features.

Room for Improvement: Dell Avamar reviews suggest improvements in performance speed, user learning curve, and initial setup. Synology DSM users point out the need for enhanced customer service, backup reliability, and easier deployment.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Dell Avamar is praised for its straightforward deployment but criticized for slow initial setup. Synology DSM has mixed reviews on deployment, with some users finding it complicated. Customer service is seen as adequate for Dell Avamar, whereas Synology DSM users express the need for improvement.

Pricing and ROI: Dell Avamar users typically report reasonable setup costs and quick ROI due to its effective deduplication. Synology DSM might have higher initial costs but is seen as providing good long-term value through its extensive features.

To learn more, read our detailed Dell Avamar vs. Synology DSM Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Dell Avamar vs. Synology DSM

March 2026

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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

Dell Avamar

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

11th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Deduplication Software (6th)

Synology DSM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

52nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell Avamar is 1.9%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.4%, down from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Dell Avamar	1.9%
Synology DSM	1.4%
Other	96.7%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

SamuelThomas

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.

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Michael Adejoh

Solutions Manager at Excel Connect Ventures

Reliable and cost-effective

One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication. Currently, it lacks the capability to automatically stop backups if it detects a virus or suspicious network activity, as some third-party solutions can. Having AI-driven analytics to identify anomalies and halt backups during potential attacks, along with notifications to administrators, would be valuable. Additionally, providing a dashboard for monitoring the backup environment's security would be a beneficial feature. These improvements would help address security concerns and make Synology more competitive in this aspect.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution scales well."

"Avamar's source side deduplication is very strong, it can easily back up remote sites' data, and not much bandwidth is required on the Avamar side."

"The most valuable feature for me is the backup functionality."

"They are extremely reliable and scalable — they provide the best de-duplication on the market."

"For the on-prem backup, it has all the necessary features that we require. They keep coming up with new scripts and new updates."

"Duplication and the speed of backup are great."

"We are talking about a complete end-to-end solution which comes with its own hardware storage to back up the data on tape-less."

"Avamar has long been the best in its class, but that's changing as new solutions emerge. However, Dell has traditionally been a leader in deduplication and compression. Avamar enabled us to shift data from on-premise local appliances to data centers and multi-tenant infrastructure. That's a powerful feature. because customers can back up to the cloud without upgrading o high-capacity links or congesting their backups."

More Dell Avamar pros

"The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity."

"Synology DSM is very easy to work and operate."

"Because of its simplicity and the wide array of features it offers, I would recommend DSM for both tech-savvy individuals and those who prefer a straightforward file-serving solution."

"The solution's most valuable feature stems from its ease of use, making it the tool's most interesting part."

"It offers a variety of software options through its package center, allowing users to customize their NAS device to serve multiple purposes."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it serves as a backup for our company's virtual machine."

"The most valuable aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."

"The most valuable features are the basic storage, file management, Btrfs file system, and built-in backups that come with the solution."

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"Desktop-laptop backups and backup over the WAN needs lot of improvisation. For DTLT there must be a provision to push agents from the management console."

"Compared with Cohesity or Rubrik, which have some continuous data protection for backup and replication, this solution tends to lack in this area."

"The challenges we do face typically revolve around aligning specific features with our accustomed tool usage."

"Backup image browse times should be faster."

"Avamar is not the best tool when it comes to taking Azure backups. Like Commvault, if Avamar can support VM-level backups for the cloud, that would make it a bit better."

"The UI is not easy to use. There are other products such as Veeam that are easy to use for the end-user which is why they are moving away from Avamar or Networker."

"The stability could improve, a lot of scheduled backups failed at one time."

"It is very scalable, and that's its claim to fame, but that also makes it hard to make changes. Anytime there is a large piece of software, changing that piece of software is harder. You've got a larger install base, so you can't just rapidly change. We also use another product called Veeam, and it has this new feature called Continuous Data Protection, which basically lets you get very close to the way the system was in time. We have a system or two up there on which we have set 10 minutes Continuous Data Protection. So, we can roll it back to whatever it was 10 minutes ago, 20 minutes ago, or 30 minutes ago. This feature doesn't exist in Avamar Data Domain. That's the one feature I'd like to see first."

More Dell Avamar cons

"The product's only shortcoming is pricing, as it is an expensive solution."

"Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly."

"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."

"Synology DSM is a good enough solution for small and medium companies, but I have not seen a big configuration of the solution for a big organization."

"There's a surveillance application that allows you to connect IP cameras and stream footage to Synology and it is a great feature, but it's not always clear that adding more cameras may require purchasing additional licenses."

"The platform could be much more cost-effective and flexible for integrating third-party products."

"One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication."

"The only bothersome aspect is that the device is aging."

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It was very expensive before, but after integrating it with Dell EMC Avamar Data Protection suite licensing, we are getting better discounts."

"Dell Avamar is free when we deploy the data protection. When we order data protection, this software is included in the hardware."

"It's an expensive tool"

"Licensing was generally on a per VM or terabyte basis. They changed their licensing model a couple of times and turned it into socket-based licensing, which is an improvement in their licensing model."

"I'm not sure, but perhaps the pricing could be done better at the moment."

"Its price should be reduced. It would be good if you could pay as per usage, and there is a subscription model like VMware. There should be some flexibility because sometimes, the customer only uses the backup for one month or three months. Currently, I have to pay whether I use it or not. Its licensing should be flexible and based on consumption."

"Regarding pricing, I would say Avamar is slightly expensive compared to its functionalities. It's not high-priced or low-priced but somewhere in between."

"Dell Avamar is expensive."

More Dell Avamar pricing and cost advice

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."

"The price of the solution is very good."

"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."

"The licensing part of the solution is free. The hardware is more expensive than the other solutions in the market, but it's okay in the long run."

"It is quite an affordable solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	26
Midsize Enterprise	18
Large Enterprise	48

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	1

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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell EMC Avamar?

The cost is very significant, and it could be lower.

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What do you like most about Dell Avamar?

Easy to configure and highly reliable for backup.

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Comparisons

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs Dell Avamar

Compared 34% of the time

Rubrik vs Dell Avamar

Compared 6% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs Dell Avamar

Compared 6% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Dell Avamar

Compared 4% of the time

Dell PowerProtect Data Domain vs Dell Avamar

Compared 3% of the time

More Dell Avamar Competitors

Veeam Data Platform vs Synology DSM

Compared 6% of the time

UrBackup vs Synology DSM

Compared 5% of the time

GoodSync For Business vs Synology DSM

Compared 4% of the time

NetApp SnapCenter vs Synology DSM

Compared 4% of the time

More Synology DSM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell Avamar

March 2026

Download Dell Avamar product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

February 2026

Download Synology DSM product report

Also Known As

Avamar

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Overview

Dell Avamar data protection software delivers flexible and efficient backup and recovery operations that can scale from daily backup protection for endpoints to high-performance protection for large enterprises with diverse applications and workloads. With application consistent recovery, automation and fast backup and restores, Avamar can help you meet your SLAs and optimize your backup and recovery processes

If you are deploying all or part of your backup environment to the cloud, Avamar enables you to make the most of your cloud investment, enabling replication, disaster recovery and long-term retention for customers using AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud.

Avamar is available as part of Dell Data Protection Suite, which offers comprehensive data protection software applications and tools. Avamar is delivered as software and as a virtual edition.

Dell Technologies

Synology DSM (DiskStation Manager) is a comprehensive software platform designed for Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices. It serves as the operating system for these devices, providing a wide range of features and functionalities.

The primary use case of Synology DSM is to centralize and manage data storage for organizations. It allows businesses to store, access, and share files securely across multiple devices and platforms. With its intuitive user interface, DSM simplifies the management of data, making it easy to create shared folders, set access permissions, and monitor storage usage.

One of the most valuable functionalities of Synology DSM is its robust data protection capabilities. It offers various RAID configurations, including SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID), which ensures data redundancy and safeguards against drive failures. DSM also supports advanced backup and disaster recovery solutions, such as Snapshot Replication and Hyper Backup, enabling organizations to protect their critical data effectively.

Furthermore, Synology DSM provides a wide range of productivity and collaboration tools. It offers applications like Synology Drive, which allows seamless file synchronization across devices, and Synology Office, a web-based suite for document editing and collaboration. DSM also supports various third-party applications, including popular cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive, enabling organizations to integrate their existing workflows seamlessly.

Synology

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Dell Avamar vs. Synology DSM

March 2026

Free Report: Dell Avamar vs. Synology DSM

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