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Dell NetWorker vs IBM ProtectTIER 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

Dell NetWorker
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
10th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
86
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM ProtectTIER
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
65th
Average Rating
7.2
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
Deduplication Software (12th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell NetWorker is 1.2%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM ProtectTIER is 0.7%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell NetWorker1.2%
IBM ProtectTIER0.7%
Other98.1%
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

RaedHassan - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Specialist Backup/Storage at National Bank of Kuwait
Has supported flexible multi-platform backups and improved over time
Regarding the effectiveness of Dell NetWorker in terms of role-based access controls, I have experience with it, but I find it somewhat lacking in flexibility as it offers limited features, and I would rate it around seven out of ten. It is not that there is something wrong with the role-based access controls in Dell NetWorker, but it lacks many permissions or roles to assign, providing options only for administrator or user. To improve Dell NetWorker for the next release, I recommend enhancing flexibility in the policy, allowing selection of multiple options within the same policy, and addressing issues like the DNS lookup dependency to make it more controllable from Dell NetWorker itself rather than relying on other applications. Looking forward, I would like to see improved policy features and a more enhanced GUI, as it is still slow.
AG
Technical Lead at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Provides a short-term backup, archive, and cataloging for 20,000 people in our organization
The backup for a large amount of data is slow. When there's a large amount of data, sometimes the backup isn't completed in time. I have a 24 hour cycle, so it doesn't get completed in 24 hours with the large amount of data. With Veritas NetBackup, I can take 20 terabytes of backup in a day.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"From my perspective, Dell EMC NetWorker is a good solution to make backups."
"Dell NetWorker's user interface is quite simple and very interactive."
"Dell NetWorker allows for extensive customization, supporting various open-source databases like PostgreSQL."
"NetWorker has very good scalability."
"Dell NetWorker is easy to install, configure, and operate."
"NetWorker's most valuable feature is recovery, including the policy-based backups that can be configured."
"Dell EMC NetWorker does what I need it to do, it's efficient."
"It is the best umbrella, serving the best applications."
"In terms of stability, I've found it to be very stable."
"The cataloging is the best feature, as it takes millions of frames for the backup and, because it's incremental, it takes less time to complete."
"The command-line interface is good."
"The most valuable features are the self-service features and the ability to search the data."
"The most valuable feature is the incremental backup."
"In terms of stability, I've found it to be very stable. I've walked into the server room when it was at 60 degrees Celcius, and it was still running fine."
"The solution is highly stable."
"If you are looking for a reliable and scalable enterprise-class solution, you should consider this solution."
 

Cons

"The support is an area with concerns where improvements are required."
"The installation process should be improved as it is complicated. To connect to a server, it's necessary to install a client on the server, which is challenging."
"The technical support was slightly impolite in my experience."
"Users need to have specific knowledge of the product before they jump in and use it."
"Management of the software is a little bit hazy and not easy."
"In older versions, the graphical user interface isn't so good."
"The deduplication needs improvement and it could use better integration."
"Dell NetWorker could improve the GUI to include rack recovery."
"It is unmanageable. Support would be good."
"The configuration wizards are still complex and hard to navigate. These should be easier to manage."
"My advice to anybody who is considering this solution is to conduct a proof of concept first because everybody's needs are different, and this product is not suitable for every kind of backup."
"I would like the possibility to back up the infrastructure and then replicate it upon on restart, without having to orchestrate the starting of the VM."
"Setting up the system to work with legacy equipment is a bit complex at times."
"The backup for a large amount of data is slow. When there's a large amount of data, sometimes the backup isn't completed in time."
"IBM ProtectTIER could improve by being more user-friendly."
"These days, we are thinking about pushing another solution because of the poor support from IBM."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"They are not cheap."
"The licensing model can be traditional licensing or capacity-based licensing."
"You have to buy the deduplication software separately from the license."
"If you purchase Avamar, NetWorker is free with Avamar, for one terabyte license capacity."
"The tool is pricey."
"It is inexpensive compared to new products."
"Dell EMC NetWorker is very expensive."
"The pricing of this solution is very good."
"This solution is very expensive."
"The customer can decide how they want to purchase a license. However, the price of the solution is expensive."
"IBM ProtectTIER is an expensive solution."
"We have a capacity-based license, which is managed centrally for all the sites of my company."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
7%
Construction Company
22%
Manufacturing Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business24
Midsize Enterprise33
Large Enterprise38
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise3
 

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell NetWorker?
Regarding the pricing of Dell NetWorker, it depends on the deal or negotiation we have with the vendor, making it reasonable, although I cannot make a definitive decision without knowing the specif...
What needs improvement with Dell NetWorker?
Regarding the effectiveness of Dell NetWorker in terms of role-based access controls, I have experience with it, but I find it somewhat lacking in flexibility as it offers limited features, and I w...
Ask a question
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Also Known As

NetWorker
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Republic Bank, Westgate Resorts, Macquire Cloud Services, Shriners, Panatonni, Qatar Islamic Bank, Eurosport
Durham Police Department, Re-Store LLC, CenterGrid, pixx.io GmbH, Australian Government Department of Defence, QD, Refresco Gerber
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell NetWorker vs. IBM ProtectTIER and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,800 professionals have used our research since 2012.