Dell ObjectScale vs IBM Storage Fusion comparison

Dell Technologies and IBM are both solutions in the File and Object Storage category. Dell Technologies is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.1, while IBM is ranked #28. Dell Technologies holds a 5.5% mindshare in FaOS, compared to IBM’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 30, 2025

Dell ObjectScale and IBM Storage Fusion are competing in the data storage sector. Dell ObjectScale has an upper hand in pricing and support, while IBM Storage Fusion is favored for its advanced features.

Features: Dell ObjectScale delivers scalable solutions for cloud environments, supports various protocols, and ensures high availability. IBM Storage Fusion integrates data migrations, provides robust security, and manages performance efficiently.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Dell ObjectScale offers simple deployment and reliable support, enhancing user onboarding. IBM Storage Fusion, although complex in setup, offers responsive and knowledgeable support.

Pricing and ROI: Dell ObjectScale is competitive in setup cost and offers excellent ROI for budget-focused enterprises. IBM Storage Fusion, despite higher costs, delivers significant ROI through its superior features, appealing to those seeking long-term value.

To learn more, read our detailed File and Object Storage Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

File and Object Storage

January 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

Pure Storage FlashBlade

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the File and Object Storage category, the mindshare of Pure Storage FlashBlade is 5.5%, down from 5.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell ObjectScale is 5.5%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Storage Fusion is 1.0%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

File and Object Storage Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Dell ObjectScale	5.5%
Pure Storage FlashBlade	5.5%
IBM Storage Fusion	1.0%
Other	88.0%

File and Object Storage

Featured Reviews

MikaelHellström

IT Manager at Regin Dalarna

Has handled backup storage needs reliably and supports seamless upgrades

In environments requiring high throughput and low latency, Pure Storage FlashBlade provides high throughput and normal latency, but we do not have any application that requires low latency right now, so the latency of three to five milliseconds is considered kind of high. Pure Storage FlashBlade's ability to integrate with enterprise applications is not important for us, as we only want to present an S3 bucket for our backup, which we have done, and it works very fast. We use the Purity software's data reduction techniques; we have a backup software that compresses everything before sending it to the S3 bucket, achieving a data reduction of 1.1 to one. I would recommend Pure Storage FlashBlade to other companies because it's a very fast and scalable solution for anyone who needs it. On a scale of 1-10, I rate this solution an 8.

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Mahmoud Abuherra

Manager, Technical Services at AXS

Offers seamless protocol integration for diverse solutions with flexible API communication

We recommend Dell ECS to customers looking for GeoDrive, archiving, long-term retention solutions, or S3 protocol. It is proposed to sectors like government, education, and banking. Overall, I would rate Dell ECS eight out of ten, as it has shown a lot of enhancement compared to previous solutions like Centera and Atmos.

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Branko Cirovic

Storage Engineer at Comtrade Group

Enables seamless file distribution while benefiting from scalability but could use simplified implementation

IBM Storage Fusion is used in telecoms. It is a file center that receives and shares files. It is also used for writing the CDR zone on the storage, since it offers a cost-effective solution for large-scale storage needs in a telecom setup The deployment of Storage Fusion has been new for us in…

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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 is Safe Mode."

"What I like best about Pure Storage FlashBlade is its object storage functionality, plus it has fast underlying hardware. Pure Storage FlashBlade is also very stable. I find its stability one of its valuable features."

"The initial setup is pretty easy and simple."

"The solution is able to handle workloads and is easy to use. It allows us to actually manage the boxes in less time."

"The tool's most valuable feature is its fast performance, especially in handling snapshots. It helps during power outages when we need to quickly move data between different data centers. It ensures efficient replication and helps maintain our data centers' uptime."

"Using this solution has made our backups more reliable."

"FlashBlade offers low latency, high throughput, and seamless scalability."

"The most valuable features include the ease of implementation, ease of use and the speed that you can do backup and recovery on."

More Pure Storage FlashBlade pros

"I would rate scalability ten out of ten since you buy what you want."

"We face very few hardware failures."

"Competitive object storage platform that's stable and scalable."

"It is a stable platform."

"It is 100% stable. It is also scalable."

"I have been satisfied with the stability."

"I have found Dell ECS to be scalable."

"What I like best about Dell ECS is its stability. I also like that you can use it for large-scale data purposes. The solution works fine for me, and I haven't encountered any issues with it."

More Dell ObjectScale pros

"Fusion provides the ability to install the secret server and distribute files; it serves as a black box where tickets are opened only if issues arise, reducing frequent upgrade problems."

Cons

"The only thing I feel FlashBlade is missing is the SOS API. If it had SOS API, that would put it well over the top."

"The features provided for SMB customers are limited."

"Its configuration should be easier."

"I have not seen ROI."

"I would also like to see better support for CIFS workloads."

"The speed could be improved."

"Pure Storage FlashBlade should improve on more cloud integration."

More Pure Storage FlashBlade cons

"If Dell ECS would be available as standalone software, so you can use any hardware with it, would make the solution better. It would also be good if Dell ECS had more integrations with other products."

"They need to ensure that the system will work if a site goes down."

"Dell EMC ECS should support segregation of duty, particularly for role-based access controls. Having a single pane of glass for smarter observation and better control mechanism would also make this solution better."

"One area for product improvement would be the garbage collection process. It takes longer than expected, so speeding up that process would be beneficial."

"The setup is very complex."

"Dell ECS is not fully compatible with S3, as it supports around ninety percent of S3 APIs, which can be improved. Additionally, sometimes there is an issue with memory where it hangs, and they can improve garbage collection, which takes up a lot of space during cleanup."

"Its security can be improved."

"From an improvement perspective, Dell ECS should aim to offer a better pricing plan to its users."

More Dell ObjectScale cons

"The implementation is complex, especially when using custom servers."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is a little high."

"Our licensing is renewed annually."

"The product is very expensive."

"I feel that the price could always be lowered."

"Licensing fees are paid yearly."

"The price could be cheaper."

"I understand that it is competitively priced compared to other brands."

"The price of this solution could be made more affordable."

More Pure Storage FlashBlade pricing and cost advice

"The solution's cost is quite reasonable."

"The charges for this solution are made in blocks of models, which are purchased depending on what features an organization requires."

"It is an expensive solution. There is a need to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the product."

"Dell ECS is a cost-effective solution."

"Dell EMC ECS is too expensive."

"The solution could be cheaper."

"If I remember correctly, Dell ECS is an appliance, so if you buy Dell ECS, you also have to buy the hardware, while IBM is standalone software, so you can buy IBM as software only without needing to buy the hardware. On a scale of one to five, I'm rating the pricing for Dell ECS a four."

"The product is quite expensive."

More Dell ObjectScale pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Financial Services Firm

19%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Outsourcing Company

14%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

13%

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	21

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	11

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Pure Storage FlashBlade?

The tool's most valuable feature is its fast performance, especially in handling snapshots. It helps during power out...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pure Storage FlashBlade?

Regarding pricing, it is okay; we needed exactly this in size, and the price was a lot lower than competitors, making...

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What needs improvement with Pure Storage FlashBlade?

In my opinion, one way Pure Storage FlashBlade can be improved is by having more compatibility between the FlashArray...

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What do you like most about Dell EMC ECS?

The tool is easy to use.

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

The pricing is moderate and at par with the market. As a service provider, we receive good margins, indicating a favo...

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What needs improvement with Dell EMC ECS?

I cannot think of anything as an area for improvement with Dell ECS. I do not see any pricing or usability concerns.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Storage Fusion?

Compared to other options, purchasing IBM Storage Fusion, along with necessary hardware and maintenance, comes with a...

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What needs improvement with IBM Storage Fusion?

The implementation is complex, especially when using custom servers. Simplification or better support for this aspect...

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What is your primary use case for IBM Storage Fusion?

IBM Storage Fusion is used in telecoms. It is a file center that receives and shares files. It is also used for writi...

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Comparisons

Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs Pure Storage FlashBlade

Compared 18% of the time

MinIO vs Pure Storage FlashBlade

Compared 9% of the time

Pure Storage FlashArray vs Pure Storage FlashBlade

Compared 8% of the time

VAST Data vs Pure Storage FlashBlade

Compared 8% of the time

NetApp StorageGRID vs Pure Storage FlashBlade

Compared 4% of the time

More Pure Storage FlashBlade Competitors

Amazon AWS vs Dell ObjectScale

Compared 24% of the time

NetApp StorageGRID vs Dell ObjectScale

Compared 11% of the time

Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs Dell ObjectScale

Compared 9% of the time

MinIO vs Dell ObjectScale

Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Azure vs Dell ObjectScale

Compared 2% of the time

More Dell ObjectScale Competitors

Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) vs IBM Storage Fusion

Compared 27% of the time

Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs IBM Storage Fusion

Compared 26% of the time

Pure Storage Evergreen One vs IBM Storage Fusion

Compared 12% of the time

HPE GreenLake for File Storage vs IBM Storage Fusion

Compared 9% of the time

More IBM Storage Fusion Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Pure Storage FlashBlade

January 2026

Download Pure Storage FlashBlade product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell ObjectScale

February 2026

Download Dell ObjectScale product report

Buyer's Guide

File and Object Storage

January 2026

Download IBM Storage Fusion product report

Also Known As

No data available

EMC ECS, Dell EMC Elastic Cloud Storage (ECS)

No data available

Overview

FlashBlade is the industry’s most advanced scale-out storage for unstructured data, powered by a modern, massively parallel architecture to consolidate complex data silos (like backup appliances and data lakes) and accelerate tomorrow’s discoveries and insights.

Pure Storage

Dell ObjectScale is a next-generation S3 object storage platform known for scalability, performance, and efficiency. It integrates with Dell EMC products, combining hardware and software for seamless user experience in the AI era.

Dell ObjectScale implements the S3 protocol, integrating smoothly with Dell EMC solutions like ISILON. Its architecture supports data compression and interoperates with multiple protocols for enhanced performance. Enterprise features include immutability, geo-replication, and user-friendly management. However, it needs better integration with other systems, enhanced security, and disaster recovery. Write performance and scalability improvements, competitive pricing, and documentation enhancements are key areas for progress. The interface could be more straightforward, with more remote management features and native analytics.

What features does Dell ObjectScale offer?

S3 Protocol Implementation: Brings industry-standard access with wide application compatibility
Seamless Dell EMC Integration: Ensures stability and ease of use with existing systems
Data Compression and Protocol Interoperability: Enhances performance and storage efficiency
Immutability and Geo-Replication: Provides enterprise-level data protection
Optimized Pricing: Balances cost with comprehensive support

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Scalability: Supports expanding data requirements effectively
Integration Flexibility: Works with many existing systems for better interoperability
Ease of Management: Streamlines hardware and software operations
Enterprise-Level Features: Delivers advanced protection and efficiency

Industries leverage Dell ObjectScale for cloud-based object storage, archiving, and backups. It's favored for unstructured data management, CCTV integration, and document archiving. Strong in data analytics, it integrates well with high-capacity applications, enhancing data retention strategies across fields.

Dell Technologies

IBM Storage Fusion is a powerful platform used for data management, monitoring, and performance optimization. Users leverage its intuitive interface for capacity planning, storage provisioning, and troubleshooting.

The product's scalability allows for easy expansion, while its reliability ensures data protection. With predictive analytics and automation features, users can enhance efficiency and prevent downtime.

IBM

Sample Customers

ServiceNow, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, Dominos, Man AHL

Atos

1. Accenture 2. Aetna 3. AIG 4. Airbus 5. Allstate 6. Amazon 7. American Express 8. ATT 9. Bank of America 10. Barclays 11. BASF 12. Bayer 13. Bechtel 14. Boeing 15. BNP Paribas 16. Cisco 17. Coca-Cola 18. Comcast 19. Dell 20. Deutsche Bank 21. Eni 22. ExxonMobil 23. Ford 24. GE 25. Google 26. Hitachi 27. Honeywell 28. IBM 29. Intel 30. JPMorgan Chase 31. Kellogg's 32. Lockheed Martin

Buyer's Guide

File and Object Storage

January 2026

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