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Dell PowerStore vs Dell PowerVault comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 PowerStore
Ranking in Enterprise SAN
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
82
Ranking in other categories
Data Warehouse (4th), NAS (2nd), All-Flash Storage (1st), NVMe All-Flash Storage Arrays (1st)
Dell PowerVault
Ranking in Enterprise SAN
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.9
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Dell PowerStore is 30.3%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 29.4%, up from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN
 

Featured Reviews

Ken Boyer - PeerSpot reviewer
Reduces the footprint, is easy to use, and can handle heavy workloads
The systems I currently have in place are old, and their support is running out. They're at the end of their life cycle. One of the key improvements that PowerStore is going to bring is that it will enable me to shrink the physical footprint. I'll be going from 5 physical HP arrays, which are about 12 racks in size, down to 4 PowerStores, which can fit on one rack. As a result, I'll be able to shrink the footprint, save power, cooling, etc. I will also be able to improve the existing performance and longevity of the platform. When we put the PowerStore in for the Oracle database, it was previously on NetApp. The staff wanted to do snapshots but also clone, and then be able to clone from a clone to add it to another system. PowerStore enabled them to do just that. They not only got their performance back to where it needed to be from previously being on the NetApp array but also got some of the feature functions that they require for the application.
SigfridCecillon - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers good stability and simplicity
The room for improvement lies in the responsiveness and real-time feedback of the web server setup. We could set up the installation through a web server, but it's not very reactive on the web server. For example, when you launch a task, and you don't know exactly if the task has begun or if the task is in progress, or if it's finished. You have to wait for three to five to ten minutes to be sure that the task is running or in progress or finished. So at that point, it's not very good. For the rest, we have a good organization for the platform. And it's working everywhere. Another area of improvement is duplication.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The tool's most valuable features are compression and speed."
"We used Cloud IQ. The central management and outside support functionality were great since we had systems all over the world."
"The simplicity and performance are great."
"The biggest improvement we found when moving into Dell PowerStore was the deduplication and compression."
"PowerStore's compression ratio is a valuable feature for our VMs because it gives us a lot back."
"It's a great product. Integrating PowerStore with the IT workflow is easy."
"The product's initial setup phase was very easy."
"The most valuable feature is the encryption in the loop because we can manage data center data from a different perspective, reducing the space used while growing data using the same equipment."
"The most valuable features are that it's easy to set up PowerVault. I also like the provisioning of storage."
"I find this solution to be cost-effective in providing data storage for clients."
"The most valuable features are stability and response time."
"The initial setup was easy and simple."
"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerVault is its ability to provide small to medium-range storage. It doesn't have any specific standout features, but it's great for applications, such as surveillance where a large number of videos need to be recorded and performance isn't a priority."
"The Dell warranty is the most valuable feature."
"PowerVault comes with free software that performs functions like data deduplication and replication, which is cost-effective and delivers added value to the product."
"It is an inexpensive storage solution."
 

Cons

"The solution's pricing could be better."
"There could be better reporting."
"There is no Synchronize replication feature on the storage."
"The support is not very good."
"The replication part needs improvement, particularly the integration of RecoverPoint."
"We are looking for the Dell PowerStore to become more mature to maximize our use cases."
"The previous version of Dell PowerStore we used was easier to use compared to the current one. They have made it more cumbersome to handle, although it still works. It has become more complicated to manage."
"The support team should have more people with experience in the solution's installation process, as it is one of the areas where I see certain shortcomings."
"I would like to see improvements made to the user interface."
"The product could support an NVMe hard disk."
"Dell PowerVault is block-oriented storage only."
"The price of the solution could be lower."
"PowerVault doesn't integrate with Active Directory. Other storage solutions offer SAN and NAS unified storage in a single appliance, but PowerVault is only SAN."
"PowerVault could be improved by increasing its memory cache capacity and adding the ability to export data to the cloud."
"We could set up the installation through a web server, but it's not very reactive on the web server. For example, when you launch a task, and you don't know exactly if the task has begun or if the task is in progress, or if it's finished. You have to wait for three to five to ten minutes to be sure that the task is running or in progress or finished. So at that point, it's not very good."
"I would like Dell to improve on the configuration of the disk groups. Only one group is expandable. Once you configure the other disk group types, you cannot expand them. It limits scalability. If you want maybe to grow a disk group, you lose information, and then you need to build it up again, which is not a good use case for customers."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"PowerStore's pricing is reasonable."
"Dell PowerStore is affordable and the license is just a face license which is great."
"I rate the price of Dell PowerStore a seven out of ten."
"The rate is always too high. Nobody likes paying for it. I have not seen a client yet who says that the price should be higher. Initially, people look at it, but when they see what the benefits are, it is a no-brainer. We can give them good pricing at the outset."
"The price is high compared to the Tunisian market."
"The solution's price was comparable to other products for the use case, size, and setup."
"We are happy with the pricing that we get from Dell."
"The licensing for this solution is good and is in the mid-range tier."
"I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten."
"The product is inexpensive."
"The price is reasonable and we are satisfied with it."
"It is important to remember that the retail price may seem high, but the final price is usually different."
"The cost, compared to other solutions, is on the higher end."
"Dell PowerVault's price is the tool's main attraction."
"The solution is more cost-effective than the competitors. It’s an affordable option for small businesses."
"I rate the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
17%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you think about Dell EMC PowerStore? Is it actually a new product?
PowerStore is flexible, scalable, simple, and performant with market-leading economics for a wide range of legacy and next-gen apps. It is only Flash and can support many workloads from today's app...
How does Dell's EMC PowerStore compare with its EMC Unity XT?
Dell EMC PowerStore is a unified storage platform that has the added benefit of being scalable. The automated management of resources feature provides a more simple administration. I found the flex...
What's the difference between DELL EMC Powerstore and Powermax NVMe?
Dell PowerStore is an all-solid-state midrange storage system. It has many internal elements taken from other Dell offerings and integrated into the PowerStoreOS. The installation and setup have a ...
What do you like most about Dell PowerVault?
Dell PowerVault offers valuable full flash storage.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerVault?
I rate the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten.
What needs improvement with Dell PowerVault?
The product is generally stable, but there have been instances, to my knowledge, where we faced issues in the controller during software upgrades. The availability is not at the desired level durin...
 

Also Known As

PowerStore
PowerVault
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Dayco, FAW Foundry, University of Cambridge, Finder, Stadtwerke Pforzheim GmbH & Co.
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerStore vs. Dell PowerVault and other solutions. Updated: February 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.