Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs ExaGrid EX Series comparison

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs. ExaGrid EX Series

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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 PowerProtect Data Manager

Ranking in Deduplication Software

6th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Backup and Recovery (11th)

ExaGrid EX Series

Ranking in Deduplication Software

8th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Deduplication Software category, the mindshare of Dell PowerProtect Data Manager is 12.3%, down from 14.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ExaGrid EX Series is 6.1%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Deduplication Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Dell PowerProtect Data Manager	12.3%
ExaGrid EX Series	6.1%
Other	81.6%

Deduplication Software

Featured Reviews

Jerome Edwards

Ops Specialist: System Engineer Backup at BCX

Backup platform has provided faster, reliable RMAN protection for critical databases

I apologize, but I'm not in a position to answer what areas of Dell PowerProtect Data Manager I would like to see improved or enhanced. There is still a lot of features that we haven't tried yet. I can't say whether I can answer that because we basically don't experiment as often as we should on PPDM. I won't be able to answer that. Based on my use cases with Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, I would like to see alerts improved, as streamlining the alerts could help. The alerts are becoming an issue because we don't always get notified of certain things via the alerts.

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Daniel Gillber

Information Technology advisor at Lotus Consulting

Improvements in data storage efficiency and customer support experience

ExaGrid EX Series and Veeam was easy to set up, and it worked seamlessly. It was very simple to use. We rarely needed to touch the ExaGrid boxes, except for upgrades. With the systems engineer from ExaGrid, and with our common knowledge of backup software, it was very easy to use. The performance was good, the interface was good, and the GUI was good. When ExaGrid introduced the air gapped feature, it was almost complete. Almost every hardware vendor has an air gapped feature, but they were significantly ahead of other vendors. The air gapped and immutable storage are very nice features. The price compared to other competitors was good with better features. It is not a cheap product, but compared to the features, it is a good competitor.

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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

"There are no issues at this point in time with Dell PowerProtect Data Manager."

"One notable feature is its robust backup support for Kubernetes and container environments. Additionally, PPDM stands out for its ease of deployment and management compared to other backup solutions. It is highly user-friendly, allowing users to quickly learn and implement backup and restore processes within a week. PPDM represents the next generation of backup software and is comparable to offerings from other vendors. Furthermore, PPDM prioritizes security with various access controls, such as user and database access controls. Its deployment tool is also known for its simplicity."

"The use of Dell PowerProtect Data Manager certainly improves the speed of my data recovery efforts compared to the previous Dell products because it is easier to use and much faster; the compression and deduplication are also good, which helps in recovery."

"I would recommend Dell PowerProtect Data Manager to other organizations because it is cost-effective and delivers good performance compared to alternative solutions."

"Dell EMC PowerProtect Data Manager is user-friendly and easy to use. it does what it needs to do."

"Dell PowerProtect Data Manager is a comprehensive backup software that integrates with Dell backup storage to enhance data protection."

"I would recommend it, as it's stable and you don't have downtimes, even with upgrades."

"The most valuable features of the solution are flexibility and data protection."

More Dell PowerProtect Data Manager pros

"One of the main features is the landing zone, it is a particular space where the information is not duplicated."

"The most valuable features of the solution are deduplication and landing zone."

"The solution easily integrates with the backup targets, such as Veeam."

"The tool has improved backup and recovery times. One of the key features contributing to this improvement is the landing zone and deduplication retention zone. When data is in the landing zone, the process is fast, ensuring smooth backup and recovery operations at high speeds. However, the process becomes slower for long-term backups moved to the retention zone due to fragmentation. So, if the data is older than a few days, the speed may be limited, especially for non-deduplicated data in the landing zone."

"ExaGrid EX Series and Veeam was easy to set up, and it worked seamlessly."

"The most valuable feature is the ease of use and data deduplication. It's extremely easy to use and does a very good job of data deduplication and compression."

"It is a solid and a quite simple solution, which is a good combination. The customers like the simplicity and its scale-out capacity. They like the support pricing, and even the extension capacity pricing, a fixed price, which the executive is offering in Czech market."

Cons

"PowerProtect Data Manager is missing a feature for takeout, which means I cannot store backup data off-site within the software. This is a limitation for organizations that require off-site solutions."

"A lot of improvement is required in Dell's first level of support."

"When I raise a ticket, it sometimes takes a while to get a response."

"Regarding the pricing aspect of Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, I am not very happy with that; compared to some other products, it is a bit more costly, and there are definitely areas for improvement."

"Regarding data recovery improvements in Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, there are challenges with data sets larger than one terabyte that are not related to VM."

"The main issue that needs improvement is the support system. When I raise a ticket, it sometimes takes a while to get a response."

"You need to use additional software to back up entire environments. It will be good if they could support entire tape libraries."

"Dell PowerProtect Data Manager should add support for Hyper-V and Nutanix VMs, as well as Kubernetes. Additionally, they should support tape library backup capabilities."

More Dell PowerProtect Data Manager cons

"The one place where we are sometimes losing the opportunity with ExaGrid is that a few customers still require a fiber channel connectivity, which is not always possible."

"I would like for them to develop direct cloud integration with a third-party cloud. Direct integration with AWS and other cloud providers."

"The tool reduces storage footprint. However, clients are now storing data for longer durations with increasing requirements to retain backups for longer periods, particularly as a defense against ransomware attacks. As a result, the retention zone with duplicated data is experiencing more demand, leading to space constraints. This necessitates using higher-end, more expensive models to address the issue."

"The product's documentation can be made more precise."

"The solution could improve by switching to a flash-type solution rather than the spinning drives that they currently use. However, we have not had any failure with the spinning drives. The flash-type drives are more up-to-date and are something that is in their roadmap."

"When speaking about a scale-out, you want to have better equipment. You cannot just add a disc to the foreign equipment. You have to buy another one and put it together, like parallel."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is more affordable than other vendors."

"The solution is not less expensive than competitors but pricing deals are available."

"The product is offered at a very competitive price in the market."

"Dell PowerProtect Data Manager is not an expensive solution."

"We offer monthly or yearly subscriptions. The price could be cheaper."

"The licensing costs and pricing model are based on capacity and the license is easy to upgrade."

"The price of Dell EMC PowerProtect Data Manager is reasonable."

"I rate ExaGrid EX Series' pricing eight to nine out of ten."

"My company had to pay 1,60,000 EUR for the system we use, and the payment was made just once for the system and five years of full support."

"The current agreement has 21 terabytes of free space and it cost approximately $35,000."

"The previous solutions I have used both included the Backup Software and the Appliance making it hard to compare to this solution. However, overall the solution is reasonably priced for the features you receive. ExaGrid EX Series is priced better than HP, Dell, and possibly Commvault which I have compared in the past."

"In comparison to other solutions, it's affordable. They're all too expensive."

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881,757 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Energy/Utilities Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	9

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell PowerProtect Data Manager?

One notable feature is its robust backup support for Kubernetes and container environments. Additionally, PPDM stands out for its ease of deployment and management compared to other backup solution...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerProtect Data Manager?

Regarding the pricing aspect of Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, I am not very happy with that; compared to some other products, it is a bit more costly, and there are definitely areas for improvement.

What needs improvement with Dell PowerProtect Data Manager?

Regarding data recovery improvements in Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, there are challenges with data sets larger than one terabyte that are not related to VM. While VM recovery functions adequate...

What do you like most about ExaGrid EX Series?

The tool has improved backup and recovery times. One of the key features contributing to this improvement is the landing zone and deduplication retention zone. When data is in the landing zone, the...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExaGrid EX Series?

I rate ExaGrid EX Series' pricing eight to nine out of ten.

What needs improvement with ExaGrid EX Series?

Everything can always be better, so I would give it a nine.

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Product Reports

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager

Download Dell PowerProtect Data Manager product report

ExaGrid EX Series

Download ExaGrid EX Series product report

Also Known As

PowerProtect, Dell EMC PowerProtect

EX Series

Overview

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager provides efficient backup and recovery for hybrid and multicloud environments. It consolidates VMware, Kubernetes, database, and file system protection through a singular interface.

PowerProtect Data Manager is a software-defined platform that integrates modern backup and recovery capabilities, focusing on enhancing performance metrics like RPO and RTO. It supports operations through automated discovery, policy-driven protection, and intelligent analytics while offering cloud mobility and robust cyber recovery mechanisms. Its architecture is designed to address complex data management needs while providing flexibility, backup efficiency, and capacity management. With capabilities spanning on-premise and cloud options, it delivers a comprehensive approach for data protection.

What key features make Dell PowerProtect Data Manager stand out?

High Deduplication: Optimizes storage by reducing data footprint.
Kubernetes Support: Ensures seamless integration with containerized environments.
Data Domain Integration: Enhances recovery metrics and performance.
Advanced Access Controls: Strengthens security measures.
Scalable Architecture: Adapts to growing enterprise needs.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Ease of Deployment: Simplifies initial setup and configuration processes.
User-Friendly Interface: Facilitates an intuitive user experience.
Flexibility in Deployment: Supports both cloud and on-premise environments.
Efficient Data Reduction: Saves storage costs and optimizes resources.
Secure Data Management: Provides peace of mind with robust security features.

Organizations in telecom and enterprise sectors employ Dell PowerProtect Data Manager for backing up and securing data in virtual and cloud-native environments. It supports continuous data protection for VMware and Kubernetes and plays a crucial role in ensuring container stability in platforms like OpenShift. Its native application integrations and disaster recovery through incremental backups make it suitable for larger businesses seeking a reliable data management partner.

Dell Technologies

The ExaGrid EX Series hyper-converged secondary storage for backup product line consists of eight appliance models. Each appliance is sized for a full backup and for long-term retention. Any ExaGrid appliance can be mixed and matched in the same scale-out system with any other size or age appliance, allowing customers to buy what they need as they need it. This pay-as-you-grow model allows up to 25 appliances in a single scale-out system.

ExaGrid

Sample Customers

National Bank of Greece, USC Australia, PCS Publishing, Dell Digital IT, Rushmore Electric, Melanson Health, Arrow Electronics

NCI Group, North Attleborough Public School, North Kingstown School Department, NPS Pharmaceuticals, Prudential Douglas Elliman, Rathbone Brothers PLC, Rio Hondo College, Ruder Finn, Sarah Lawrence College

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs. ExaGrid EX Series