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Dell Data Protection Advisor vs Synology DSM comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

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 Data Protection Advisor
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
38th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Synology DSM
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
49th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell Data Protection Advisor is 0.7%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.3%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell Data Protection Advisor0.7%
Synology DSM1.3%
Other98.0%
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

CanBolat - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Architect at GlassHouse
Has provided centralized monitoring for backup operations and reduced deployment times
The benefits of Dell Data Protection Advisor are that deployment and enablement are very easy. You can see everything in the backup infrastructure centrally. The real-time data gathering and monitoring process is robust. The predictive analytics feature in Dell Data Protection Advisor provides predictions about backup size and capacity for future periods.
Manuel Schulte - PeerSpot reviewer
Python Developer at BNP Paribas Asset Management
A reliable and user-friendly solution for effective backup, storage, and multimedia needs
In terms of scalability, I would currently rate it an eight out of ten due to its aging nature. While I don't have access to all the latest features available on more recent devices, at the time of purchase, considering its capabilities then, I would have given it a solid ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The platform's most valuable features are data protection and retention."
"It has a lot of stock reports. I believe over 300 canned reports, which for the most part meet a lot of generic needs."
"I have never found any glitch in any Dell solution to date."
"It generates very detailed reports, which makes things easier when it comes to IT auditing."
"My advice to others is if you are using Dell EMC, DPA is a must."
"The solution is easy to use, flexible and has a lot of out-of-the-box functionality. You can configure the dashboards or you can use a script. However, to fully utilize its capabilities you will want to use a lot of scripts which you will need advanced training. The reports can be customized for many things, such as chargeback billing."
"The most valuable aspects of the solution are the compression and the deduplication, and it has all the technology we require in a backup solution."
"The initial setup is very straightforward. Deployment typically takes about one hour. You just need one person to handle the deployment process."
"Synology DSM is very easy to work and operate."
"The most valuable features are the basic storage, file management, Btrfs file system, and built-in backups that come with the solution."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it serves as a backup for our company's virtual machine."
"The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity."
"The most valuable aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."
"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."
"It offers a variety of software options through its package center, allowing users to customize their NAS device to serve multiple purposes."
"The solution's most valuable feature stems from its ease of use, making it the tool's most interesting part."
 

Cons

"Dell EMC Data Protection Advisor is not very scalable."
"Dell Data Protection Advisor is somewhat complicated, but this depends on the software limitations."
"The stability of the solution needs improvement for stand alone users."
"Dell Data Protection Advisor's feature for data domain protection needs enhancement."
"It is difficult to manage the solution with the available tools. You need to know exactly what are you are doing."
"They should empower their customers with the ability to upgrade this solution as long as it's in the same major release."
"EMC, Dell as of late has dragged behind in their Java protocol, keeping up with Java and security vulnerabilities."
"It's a bit difficult for first-time users."
"Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly."
"One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication."
"Synology DSM's user interface is not quite intuitive."
"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."
"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 only bothersome aspect is that the device is aging."
"The product's only shortcoming is pricing, as it is an expensive solution."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is affordable."
"You need to make an upfront payment for three, five, or seven years and renew the licenses for support. We can do an annual maintenance contract with Dell. I would rate the product's pricing a six out of ten."
"If the customer has huge lineup of Dell Products then they receive discount on the pricing."
"It's not very expensive — I think the price is fair."
"The product pricing has been satisfactory, particularly with the economy of scale in our agreement."
"For pricing, I would rate Dell 2 out of 5. It's affordable."
"You have to procure the license when you are ordering or quoting for Dell Data Protection Suite (DPS). DPS is bundled with the suite and comes with a license. However, if you purchase NetWorker separately then you will have to procure the license for DPS separately."
"The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."
"Synology DSM is a free tool."
"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."
"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."
"It is quite an affordable solution."
"The price of the solution is very good."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
12%
Performing Arts
12%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise9
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell Data Protection Advisor?
The pricing of Dell Data Protection Advisor is very competitive among other vendors, and the license model is more economical than other vendor products.
What needs improvement with Dell Data Protection Advisor?
Dell Data Protection Advisor is somewhat complicated, but this depends on the software limitations. However, you can scale it if you work on the virtualization platform. There are no limitations re...
What is your primary use case for Dell Data Protection Advisor?
We use Dell Data Protection Advisor for backup operations. Dell Data Protection Advisor is very useful for the central view of the whole backup process, monitoring success and failed backups, and t...
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Also Known As

DPA
Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Nielsen, Trek Bicycle, Cal-Israel Credit Cards
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Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Data Protection Advisor vs. Synology DSM and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.