Dell NetWorker vs Synology DSM comparison

Dell Technologies and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Dell Technologies is ranked #10 with an average rating of 7.9, while Synology is ranked #22 with an average rating of 10.0. Dell Technologies holds a 1.7% 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

4,461 Views
4,060 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

2,683 Views
2,656 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: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Dell NetWorker vs. Synology DSM

December 2025

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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

10th

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

22nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell NetWorker is 1.7%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.4%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Dell NetWorker	1.7%
Synology DSM	1.4%
Other	96.9%

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 solution is simple to understand."

"Dell NetWorker allows for extensive customization, supporting various open-source databases like PostgreSQL."

"The full backup is a great feature. Restoration is also good and very quick."

"The extensive information provided on tool properties has been very useful, specifically the information on databases"

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

"Dell NetWorker is easy to install, configure, and operate."

"Storage-wise, EMC is user-friendly."

"The most valuable features for us at the moment are NFS, file system backup, and IP backup."

More Dell NetWorker pros

"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."

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

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

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

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

"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."

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"We would like support for tape space reclaim, using either the same or another pool."

"Ports are not visible to the network, which requires a dedicated physical server."

"The UI is not user-friendly."

"The price could be cheaper."

"They need more support for image backups."

"The UI needs some enhancement to be more user-friendly."

"The graphical user interface (GUI) of NetWorker needs improvement."

"There are too many reboots and the software requires constant updating."

More Dell NetWorker cons

"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."

"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."

"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."

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

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

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

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Low cost is key."

"It's approximate, but I believe we pay around $20-30,000 a month in licensing."

"We use a license without a time term. We just need to buy additional support when needed."

"If you purchase Avamar, NetWorker is free with Avamar, for one terabyte license capacity."

"The price of the license could be cheaper and it would be a benefit if they came up with a new pricing model. The competitors here in Oman sell universal licensing where a number of virtual machines are hosted at the customer place which can be licensed, or you can license the CPU sockets in those servers. However, NetWorker offers only CPU sockets or overall storage capacity to backup, but there is no universal licensing where you can provide a number of VMs. They should offer more options to stay competitive with other solutions, such as Veeam."

"It is a relatively inexpensive product compared to one of its competitors."

"The price of the solution could be lower, it is expensive."

"The pricing of this solution is very good."

More Dell NetWorker pricing and cost advice

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

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"The price of the solution is very good."

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

"It is quite an affordable solution."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Dell NetWorker?

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

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Synology DSM?

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

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Synology DSM?

The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Synology DSM?

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

See all answers

Comparisons

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 24% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 13% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 8% of the time

Dell PowerProtect Data Domain vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 7% of the time

More Dell NetWorker Competitors

Veeam Data Platform vs Synology DSM

Compared 7% of the time

UrBackup vs Synology DSM

Compared 6% of the time

NetApp SnapCenter vs Synology DSM

Compared 6% of the time

GoodSync For Business vs Synology DSM

Compared 6% of the time

Veritas Backup Exec vs Synology DSM

Compared 2% of the time

More Synology DSM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell NetWorker

January 2026

Download Dell NetWorker product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

January 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

December 2025

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