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Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs NetApp StorageGRID comparison

Dell Technologies and NetApp are both solutions in the File and Object Storage category. Dell Technologies is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.8, while NetApp is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.3. Dell Technologies holds a 8.6% mindshare in FaOS, compared to NetApp’s 5.8% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of NetApp users who would recommend it.
Sponsored
Pure Storage FlashBlade
Read 38 Pure Storage FlashBlade reviews
  • 4,959 Views
  • 3,372 Comparison Views
94% willing to recommend
Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
Read 67 Dell PowerScale (Isilon) reviews
  • 10,602 Views
  • 6,149 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
NetApp StorageGRID
Read 17 NetApp StorageGRID reviews
  • 2,871 Views
  • 2,871 Comparison Views
88% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024

Dell PowerScale and NetApp StorageGRID compete in the enterprise storage market, known for their performance in handling large data volumes. Dell PowerScale offers more advanced integration with protocols and superior data oversight, giving it an edge in features, while NetApp StorageGRID excels with cost flexibility despite its premium tier pricing.

Features: Dell PowerScale is recognized for its ease of management and comprehensive protocol integration. It supports efficient data management with advanced snapshot functionality for robust data protection. PowerScale's architecture allows for effective scaling and handling of vast data volumes, enhancing its storage capabilities. Conversely, NetApp StorageGRID is praised for its impressive speed and usability. Its powerful deduplication and compression features optimize data storage efficiently. The remote setup capability of StorageGRID enhances flexibility in data management across varied environments.

Room For Improvement: Dell PowerScale needs improvement in version upgrades, as well as better object storage integration and cloud connectivity. Pricing remains a challenge, and users encounter complexity in configuration for large environments. NetApp StorageGRID faces criticism for its initial cost, configuration difficulties, and managing metadata efficiently. There is also a need for improved marketing and integration capabilities to meet evolving customer demands.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Dell PowerScale provides broad deployment options with user-friendly interfaces for on-premises and private cloud setups, but customer support responsiveness requires enhancement. NetApp StorageGRID offers deployment flexibility across hybrid and public clouds, backed by reliable support that occasionally needs specific escalation to resolve issues efficiently. Both strive for comprehensive customer service despite mixed support experiences.

Pricing and ROI: Dell PowerScale is seen as premium-priced but justifiable with a significant ROI through decreased administrative costs and energy efficiency. It offers scalable solutions, appealing to organizations requiring robust infrastructure. NetApp StorageGRID's pricing models are flexible yet often criticized for being high, even as they cater to customer-specific needs, indicating room for better communication on value potential. Both storage solutions aim for ROI through effective data management and operational savings.

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To learn more, read our detailed Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs. NetApp StorageGRID Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs. NetApp StorageGRID
September 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
8.5
Pure Storage FlashBlade boosts ROI by reducing costs, enhancing efficiencies, increasing VM density, and saving 20%-85% in time.
Sentiment score
7.1
Dell PowerScale offers efficient scaling, simplified management, cost savings, and optimized resources, enhancing data storage performance and energy efficiency.
Sentiment score
1.0
NetApp StorageGRID lowers costs by eliminating tape libraries and improving efficiency, offering scalability and revenue-generating opportunities for customers.
It does not require much management once you set up correctly, so it saves time, allowing an admin to focus on other work.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
Despite being more expensive than Huawei, it is stable and most enterprises accept the price due to its stability.
In terms of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) specifically, we have seen a return on investment due to faster performance than our last few storage arrays, and the general usability is a lot better.
The second cluster of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) gives us flexibility for small things like code upgrades, all the way to scenarios where we have lost this data center or data, allowing us to check if data is still intact on the other side.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerScale (Isilon) report
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the NetApp StorageGRID report
Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewerAtif Pervaiz - PeerSpot reviewer
CS
reviewer2706753 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
Pure Storage FlashBlade support is praised for responsiveness and knowledge but criticized for slower responses and occasional language barriers.
Sentiment score
8.2
Dell PowerScale support is praised for expertise and responsiveness, though users note issues with first-level support and systems complexity.
Sentiment score
7.2
NetApp StorageGRID support is efficient but has mixed reviews due to expertise gaps and reliance on self-support in small markets.
I would rate them an eight out of ten.
The support is done through email and is not that great, making it a very problematic area I've been dealing with for over four years.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
Support online is definitely a ten out of ten.
Dell provides support within four hours, and they always fulfill their promises.
They have managed previous issues well.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerScale (Isilon) report
When evaluating the technical support of NetApp StorageGRID, I would give it an eight out of ten.
I would rate the support for NetApp StorageGRID as eight out of 10.
That's due to the fact that we haven't implemented all the technical support facilities in NetApp.
For more quotes and insights, download the NetApp StorageGRID report
RE
Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
MJ
Atif Pervaiz - PeerSpot reviewer
MH
AP
Michael Lopez - PeerSpot reviewer
JV
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.8
Pure Storage FlashBlade is praised for scalability, ease of expansion, and support, despite some areas needing improvement.
Sentiment score
7.4
Dell PowerScale offers scalable, flexible storage with seamless node integration, supporting large projects and diverse needs without downtime.
Sentiment score
7.3
NetApp StorageGRID is commended for seamless, non-disruptive scalability and effective handling of large data volumes in enterprise environments.
Pure Storage FlashBlade is scalable.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
We started on PowerScale with around about 300 terabytes and are now two and a half petabytes, still on the same file system.
That's really saved us in certain areas as we didn't have funding to expand Dell PowerScale (Isilon) until next year, which is why we utilized the cloud pools functionality to offload.
Dell PowerScale is highly scalable, as evidenced by the reduced physical hardware and the efficient use of rack space.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerScale (Isilon) report
The scalability of NetApp StorageGRID has been proven as we've expanded twice.
The scalability of NetApp StorageGRID rates an eight or nine out of ten.
For more quotes and insights, download the NetApp StorageGRID report
Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
UB
Scott Taylor - PeerSpot reviewer
MK
Michael Lopez - PeerSpot reviewer
AP
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.8
Pure Storage FlashBlade is praised for its impressive stability and reliability, with minimal disruptions and consistent uptime even during upgrades.
Sentiment score
8.1
Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is praised for exceptional stability, robust performance, and ease of management with minimal disruptions.
Sentiment score
8.3
NetApp StorageGRID is valued for its reliable performance, redundancy, and effective support, with stability ratings of eight to nine.
In case there is any issue with any blade, the data is moved to another.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
Since we have good protection levels, the data is secured and replicated across the disks.
I assess the stability and reliability of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) as perfect.
I find the product to be resilient and stable. There's no downtime and no crashes.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerScale (Isilon) report
My impression of the stability of NetApp StorageGRID is quite high; from one to ten, I would rate it a nine.
We experienced very little stability issues.
For more quotes and insights, download the NetApp StorageGRID report
RE
MJ
CS
Scott Taylor - PeerSpot reviewer
AP
Michael Lopez - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Room For Improvement

Users seek better cloud integration, enhanced deduplication, improved support, protocol enhancements, simpler configuration, and a more intuitive interface.
Dell PowerScale faces challenges in cost, complexity, cloud integration, support, and performance, needing improvements in usability and efficiency.
NetApp StorageGRID's interface is complex, integration and pricing need improvement, and marketing and automated management require enhancement.
Technical support definitely needs significant improvement.
Its configuration should be easier.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
Hardware failures under warranty should be addressed within the promised timeline.
I would want to see more AI features with Dell PowerScale (Isilon).
If I could improve one thing on Dell PowerScale (Isilon), it would be better object storage as it recently breached into S3, and that capability could be broadened.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerScale (Isilon) report
They need to focus on a better upgrade path with easier and more resilient upgrades.
It would be great if it could fix internal issues itself without manual intervention.
In terms of functionality, reliability, and scalability, we are satisfied with NetApp.
For more quotes and insights, download the NetApp StorageGRID report
Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
RE
MK
CS
reviewer2706753 - PeerSpot reviewerMichael Lopez - PeerSpot reviewer
GP
JV
 

Setup Cost

Pure Storage FlashBlade offers high performance and features, justifying its cost with no extra software fees and fixed support costs.
Dell PowerScale offers high initial costs but justifies investment through features, flexibility, and performance despite additional expenses.
NetApp StorageGRID is expensive yet cost-effective for large-scale storage, with flexible initial investment and negotiable annual licensing.
The pricing of Pure Storage FlashBlade is expensive compared to other products I used from other companies in the past, but one benefit is that they have built-in ransomware protection.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
It's quite expensive for the amount of storage we have.
My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Dell PowerScale (Isilon) shows it's a premium platform, so it's a big amount of money.
The pricing is excellent.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerScale (Isilon) report
I'd rate the pricing eight out of ten.
It would definitely be more on the expensive side, especially if you compare it with open source solutions like Ceph.
From what I understood, it was cheaper than EMC ECS, though this was over seven years ago.
For more quotes and insights, download the NetApp StorageGRID report
Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewerScott Taylor - PeerSpot reviewer
UB
AR
AP
JV
Michael Lopez - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Valuable Features

Pure Storage FlashBlade offers fast, scalable, and user-friendly storage with efficient integration, analytics, and versatility for diverse needs.
Dell PowerScale offers scalable, easy-to-manage storage with seamless integration, remote monitoring, and advanced data protection features.
NetApp StorageGRID offers S3 access, rapid backup, deduplication, scalability, management ease, and integration, enhancing usability and data retrieval.
We can plug in many blades, and we can have data up to one terabyte.
The best features of Pure Storage FlashBlade include better throughput and better performance.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
Dell PowerScale offers high scalability and stability as well, making it a valuable solution for enterprises.
In our AI initiatives, Dell PowerScale (Isilon) plays a significant role in data analysis, data fusion; principally, it is involved in data analysis, data extraction, and statistical analysis.
Single files are limited to four terabytes in our configuration, however, the system can support up to 16 terabytes, so we can scale based on that too.
For more quotes and insights, download the Dell PowerScale (Isilon) report
The feature of NetApp StorageGRID that has significantly improved data storage management for my customers is the value of the S3 API because it allows developers who are not infrastructure-oriented to use it and write code against it.
NetApp StorageGRID is a great alternative to AWS S3 buckets.
The scalability is very effective for our customers.
For more quotes and insights, download the NetApp StorageGRID report
RE
Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewerAtif Pervaiz - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer2689287 - PeerSpot reviewer
BE
AP
GP
JV
 

Categories and Ranking

Pure Storage FlashBlade
Sponsored
Ranking in File and Object Storage
8th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
All-Flash Storage (15th), Software Defined Storage (SDS) (8th)
Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
Ranking in File and Object Storage
3rd
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
67
Ranking in other categories
NAS (2nd)
NetApp StorageGRID
Ranking in File and Object Storage
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the File and Object Storage category, the mindshare of Pure Storage FlashBlade is 5.7%, down from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is 8.6%, up from 8.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetApp StorageGRID is 5.8%, up from 4.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
File and Object Storage Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell PowerScale (Isilon)8.6%
Pure Storage FlashBlade5.7%
NetApp StorageGRID5.8%
Other79.9%
File and Object Storage
 

Featured Reviews

Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
High performance and throughput enhance IT backup management
The multi-dimensional scale-out design feature of Pure Storage FlashBlade is not in use in our environment. Regarding data reduction technologies, we don't get much deduplication because the data is already deduplicated from our FlashArray before we get to backup, so there is no benefit of deduplication. Regarding the integration with cloud-native ecosystem tools, we are not on cloud; we are strictly an on-premises solution. Pure Storage FlashBlade is not used by any end-user; it's used only for IT backup, with only about four people in our group managing it. I cannot recommend Pure Storage FlashBlade to other users depending upon their financial situation because it's an expensive solution, and the cost is very high, including licensing and renewal every year. I rate Pure Storage FlashBlade an eight out of ten.
Read full review
Scott Taylor - PeerSpot reviewer
Manages large data sets efficiently with hybrid cloud integration
My organization is quite large, with about 30,000 employees. The growth has been substantial in areas such as radiology and genomics. One of the best features we've utilized recently is offload to cloud pools due to capacity constraints on-premise. We didn't want to expand Dell PowerScale (Isilon) straight away, so we utilized cloud pools to offload some data to Azure. That's really saved us in certain areas as we didn't have funding to expand Dell PowerScale (Isilon) until next year, which is why we utilized the cloud pools functionality to offload.
Read full review
Michael Lopez - PeerSpot reviewer
Has reduced storage costs and improved snapshot management for large data workloads
The advanced features of NetApp StorageGRID which our upper management wouldn't agree to use, include the S3 feature. We are heavy into AWS, and my thoughts were to develop a small dev environment or even a POC environment on-prem. That's still up in the air as we continue on. Currently, AI has taken over everything with a focus on AI. The upgrades of NetApp StorageGRID present a challenge. It's a rolling upgrade, node by node. At one point, one node would not upgrade. The positive aspect is that it didn't take down the entire environment. The environment remained functional on two different versions. The scalability of NetApp StorageGRID has been proven as we've expanded twice. We started with six or seven nodes and have grown to 15 nodes. It does take time for synchronization to complete. From what I've seen, it took a couple of months for it all to sync up once adding nodes. However, it was transparent. It captured the addition and performed effectively, all happening in the background, steadily and surely.
Read full review
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Healthcare Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
20%
Manufacturing Company
18%
Computer Software Company
15%
University
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise20
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise36
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise11
 

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...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pure Storage FlashBlade?
The pricing of Pure Storage FlashBlade is expensive compared to other products I used from other companies in the pas...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Pure Storage FlashBlade?
I believe there is not much improvement needed because they have everything we need, but the interface is a little bi...
See all answers
What do you like most about Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?
The solution provides massive performance, scalability, efficiency, and ease of management.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?
It's considered between mid and high-end regarding. Dell usually knows how to position each model. If the customer wa...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?
With every iteration of the OneFS system, new features are being added, and the UI is being updated here and there. S...
See all answers
What do you like most about NetApp StorageGRID?
The management portals have most significantly improved our data retrieval times. They've made it much easier to rest...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetApp StorageGRID?
It would definitely be more on the expensive side, especially if you compare it with open source solutions like Ceph.
See all answers
What needs improvement with NetApp StorageGRID?
If I could change anything in NetApp StorageGRID, that would be pricing. In terms of functionality, reliability, and ...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Pure Storage FlashArray vs Pure Storage FlashBlade Logo
Pure Storage FlashArray vs Pure Storage FlashBlade
Compared 11% of the time
MinIO vs Pure Storage FlashBlade Logo
MinIO vs Pure Storage FlashBlade
Compared 10% of the time
Red Hat Ceph Storage vs Pure Storage FlashBlade Logo
Red Hat Ceph Storage vs Pure Storage FlashBlade
Compared 9% of the time
VAST Data vs Pure Storage FlashBlade Logo
VAST Data vs Pure Storage FlashBlade
Compared 8% of the time
Qumulo vs Pure Storage FlashBlade Logo
Qumulo vs Pure Storage FlashBlade
Compared 3% of the time
More Pure Storage FlashBlade Competitors
NetApp FAS Series vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon) Logo
NetApp FAS Series vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
Compared 16% of the time
Qumulo vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon) Logo
Qumulo vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
Compared 9% of the time
Dell ObjectScale vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon) Logo
Dell ObjectScale vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
Compared 8% of the time
HPE StoreEasy vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon) Logo
HPE StoreEasy vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
Compared 6% of the time
VAST Data vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon) Logo
VAST Data vs Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
Compared 5% of the time
More Dell PowerScale (Isilon) Competitors
MinIO vs NetApp StorageGRID Logo
MinIO vs NetApp StorageGRID
Compared 29% of the time
Dell ObjectScale vs NetApp StorageGRID Logo
Dell ObjectScale vs NetApp StorageGRID
Compared 23% of the time
Red Hat Ceph Storage vs NetApp StorageGRID Logo
Red Hat Ceph Storage vs NetApp StorageGRID
Compared 22% of the time
Scality RING vs NetApp StorageGRID Logo
Scality RING vs NetApp StorageGRID
Compared 6% of the time
VAST Data vs NetApp StorageGRID Logo
VAST Data vs NetApp StorageGRID
Compared 3% of the time
More NetApp StorageGRID Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Pure Storage FlashBlade
September 2025
Pure Storage FlashBlade reportDownload Pure Storage FlashBlade product report
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
September 2025
Dell PowerScale (Isilon) reportDownload Dell PowerScale (Isilon) product report
Buyer's Guide
NetApp StorageGRID
September 2025
NetApp StorageGRID reportDownload NetApp StorageGRID product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
PowerScale, Dell EMC Isilon
Storage GRID
 

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 PowerScale leads in unstructured data management with unified file and object storage, massive scalability, security, and cloud adaptability, enhancing AI, analytics, and enterprise applications with exceptional performance and resilience.

Dell PowerScale Isilon provides a comprehensive platform for unstructured data, excelling in scalability, management, and performance. With features like single-pane management, SyncIQ, and SmartQuotas, it handles large datasets with flexibility and robust security. Its multi-protocol support and seamless expansion improve operational efficiency. While it offers strong data protection, enhancements in cloud integration, cybersecurity, and performance are sought. Users note potential for cost reductions and streamlined configurations and mention desired improvements in object storage handling and NFS support.

What are the key features of Dell PowerScale Isilon?
  • Single-pane management: Simplifies data control and monitoring through a unified interface.
  • SyncIQ: Ensures efficient data replication for business continuity.
  • SmartQuotas: Provides intelligent quota management for optimized storage allocation.
  • Multi-protocol support: Facilitates cross-platform data access and integration.
  • Seamless storage expansion: Allows effortless scaling to accommodate growing data needs.
What benefits should users consider when reviewing Dell PowerScale Isilon?
  • Operational efficiency: Reduces workload with easy management and automation.
  • Enhanced security: Offers comprehensive data protection and recovery options.
  • Scalability: Supports large-scale data storage with flexible growth capabilities.
  • Performance: Delivers high-speed data processing for demanding applications.
  • Integration flexibility: Adapts to on-prem and hybrid cloud environments for diverse deployment needs.

Organizations across industries utilize Dell PowerScale Isilon for large-scale unstructured storage, supporting applications like video archiving, genomic data storage, and high-resolution imaging. Educational institutions, research centers, and media enterprises rely on its scaled-out storage capabilities, providing centralized, secure storage for diverse applications in hybrid, cloud, and on-prem environments.

Dell Technologies

Store and manage unstructured data at scale using NetApp StorageGRID for secure, durable object storage. Place content in the right location, at the right time, and on the right storage tier, optimizing workflows and reducing overall costs for globally distributed rich media. 

NetApp
 

Sample Customers

ServiceNow, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, Dominos, Man AHL
OMRF, University of Utah, Translational Genetics Research Institute, Arcis, Geofizyka Torumn, Cyprus E&P Corporation, Colburn School, Columbia Sportswear, Harvard Medical School, University of Michigan, National Library of France,
ASE, DARZ GmbH
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs. NetApp StorageGRID
September 2025
Free Report: Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs. NetApp StorageGRID
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