Dell NetWorker vs Synology DSM comparison

Dell Technologies and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Dell Technologies is ranked #9 with an average rating of 7.8, while Synology is ranked #52. Dell Technologies holds a 1.5% mindshare in BRS, compared to Synology’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Synology users who would recommend it.

Dell NetWorker

Read 86 Dell NetWorker reviews

4,808 Views
4,423 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

3,050 Views
3,020 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Dell NetWorker

Synology DSM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

Dell NetWorker and Synology DSM are two competing products in the enterprise data management space. Synology DSM appears to have the upper hand due to its features and user-friendly experience, making it worth the price.

Features: Dell NetWorker is praised for its scalability, reliability, and advanced data protection features. Synology DSM is favored for its seamless integration, ease of use, and comprehensive feature set, including backup and recovery functions. Users find Synology DSM's range of applications and third-party integrations to be superior.

Room for Improvement: Dell NetWorker users suggest enhancements in the areas of complex configuration and user experience, especially for less technical users. Synology DSM users mention the need for performance improvements under heavy load and better integration in enterprise environments. Both products can benefit from streamlined processes, but Dell NetWorker has more feedback regarding configurability challenges.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Dell NetWorker's deployment can be complex and time-consuming, often requiring technical expertise. However, its customer service receives positive remarks. Synology DSM offers easier and faster deployment processes, reducing the time required to get systems operational. Synology's customer service is generally well-received but can vary based on region.

Pricing and ROI: Dell NetWorker's upfront costs and ongoing expenses are higher, but users report good returns on investment through its capability to manage large-scale environments effectively. Synology DSM is more cost-effective with lower initial set-up costs and operational expenses, offering a strong ROI, particularly for small to medium-sized businesses. Users feel that the overall value of Synology DSM justifies its cost.

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

Buyer's Guide

Dell NetWorker 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 NetWorker

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

9th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

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 NetWorker is 1.5%, down from 3.1% 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 NetWorker	1.5%
Synology DSM	1.4%
Other	97.1%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

RaedHassan

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.

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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 response time of the tech support is swift. The support is fantastic."

"Technical support for this solution is very good."

"It is application aware for Meditech, Exchange and SQL."

"The standout feature of Dell NetWorker is its expertise in handling our VMware environment."

"If you need to backup multiple OS platforms, this is the product to purchase."

"Support for various operating systems, we use, AIX, Solaris, Linux, VMware, and Windows Excellent deduplication with Data Domain Boost A good user interface, so we can, from a single console, manage the entire backup infrastructure"

"Deduplication is the most valuable feature of this solution."

"NetWorker's most valuable feature is recovery, including the policy-based backups that can be configured."

More Dell NetWorker pros

"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 aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."

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

"The product performs well. It is easy to use and implement."

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

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

"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."

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"There should be more vendors incorporated into the solution."

"The interface could have a different appearance."

"When it comes to the stability of the product, some of the stores that have bad connectivity have some challenges backing them up because they operate remotely, the connection is slow, and it takes longer to manage the backup stuff."

"The product should provide integration with AWS."

"It is not easy to understand and deploy. It is complex in nature. Simplicity is not there. When we deploy it, the customer always needs some training from us. To make it user friendly, there should be one agent that can be used to back up every product. Dell EMC NetWorker uses so many user agents. In PowerProtect Data Manager, you can just install its VM, import that VM into vCenter, and you can start to do backups directly from vCenter. However, in Dell EMC NetWorker, you always need one server, and from that server, you need to initiate all backups. You must know the interface and the CLI. It is not user friendly. It would be a great feature if we can deploy Dell EMC NetWorker on a virtual machine, like Avamar. The additional features that are required in Dell EMC NetWorker are already available in PowerProtect Data Manager and Avamar. Therefore, there is no need to enhance Dell EMC NetWorker. It would be better if they can just rename it to PowerProtect Data Manager or Avamar."

"I would like to see the user interface improved, more documentation, faster support, and it could be easier to configure."

"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."

"Management of the software is a little bit hazy and not easy."

More Dell NetWorker cons

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

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

"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."

"Synology DSM's user interface is not quite intuitive."

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

"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."

"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."

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Pricing is cheaper for this product, compared to its competitors."

"Dell NetWorker has two types of licensing models."

"They are not cheap."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

"Dell NetWorker is an expensive solution. None of the backup products are cheap. The licensing model offered is usually a five-year one."

"The pricing for the telecom, government, and banking sectors is relatively affordable."

"Licensing is based on the number of terabytes, so you need to purchase packages."

"Earlier, users had to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs of the product. The licenses were expensive but users used to get the best device to use."

More Dell NetWorker pricing and cost advice

"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."

"The price of the solution is very good."

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

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

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"It is quite an affordable solution."

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Government

Manufacturing Company

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	24
Midsize Enterprise	33
Large Enterprise	38

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 do you like most about Dell NetWorker?

The feature that offers the greatest benefits in ensuring data integrity is its backup capability.

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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...

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Comparisons

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 20% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 11% of the time

Dell PowerProtect Data Domain vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 7% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 6% of the time

Rubrik vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 4% of the time

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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

Veritas Backup Exec vs Synology DSM

Compared 2% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell NetWorker

March 2026

Download Dell NetWorker product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

February 2026

Download Synology DSM product report

Also Known As

NetWorker

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Overview

Built on a reputation of efficiency and reliability, thousands of customers trust Dell NetWorker to protect their data and applications across multiple environments, from core to edge to cloud.

Inherently flexible, NetWorker helps you deploy and leverage the data protection that fits your needs. NetWorker protects both physical and virtual environments, including VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V, as well as cloud workloads on AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

NetWorker is available as part of Dell Data Protection Suite, which offers comprehensive data protection software applications and tools. NetWorker 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

Republic Bank, Westgate Resorts, Macquire Cloud Services, Shriners, Panatonni, Qatar Islamic Bank, Eurosport

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Dell NetWorker vs. Synology DSM

March 2026

Free Report: Dell NetWorker vs. Synology DSM

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