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Dell PowerVault vs ExaGrid EX 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 PowerVault
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise SAN (2nd), Fibre Channel (1st)
ExaGrid EX
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.0
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
Disk Based Backup Systems (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

Dell PowerVault and ExaGrid EX aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Dell PowerVault is designed for Enterprise SAN and holds a mindshare of 22.6%, down 25.1% compared to last year.
ExaGrid EX, on the other hand, focuses on Disk Based Backup Systems, holds 11.1% mindshare, up 10.7% since last year.
Enterprise SAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell PowerVault22.6%
Dell PowerStore24.7%
NetApp ASA6.3%
Other46.400000000000006%
Enterprise SAN
Disk Based Backup Systems Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
ExaGrid EX11.1%
Dell PowerProtect Data Domain38.8%
HPE StoreOnce37.5%
Other12.599999999999994%
Disk Based Backup Systems
 

Featured Reviews

Erhan Parlaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Sales Consultant at Teccle Group
Reliable midmarket backups have supported disaster recovery while centralized management needs work
Areas where I feel Dell PowerVault could be improved include especially the enterprise area and multiple interfaces in other areas, for example, backup software solutions and their integration. Handling extensive storage management functions such as snapshots, replication, and provisioning with Dell PowerVault is very well suited for the midmarket or even smaller midmarket environments. Only when environments become more complex, especially in the enterprise area, does Dell PowerVault struggle in the software area, including centralized management. I would welcome it if Dell PowerVault were a bit easier to manage in centralized management via the GUI, as it was in the past, because at the moment mid-sized companies find it not so straightforward to clearly calculate things such as how and where to use something, especially in the snapshot area. There is still room for improvement due to the missing interfaces and also the flexibility.
AhmedEl-Tayeb - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Manager at MCS
Has offered a cost-effective option with solid results but requires automation features for better efficiency
For ExaGrid EX, I would appreciate additional features such as backup and restore, automation processes, and automation software for backup and restore processes. I mention that some additional features may be provided by VMware or Dell as support for the hardware they are selling, but ExaGrid EX is more of a budget-friendly solution for customers who are in charge on a daily basis of the solution itself, dealing with manual tasks rather than automated tasks. I am not in a situation to provide an exact answer for what I would specifically improve in this regard.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We've even used PowerVault series that we intended to use for five years for almost eight years, and it was still working fine, providing good ROI compared to any other brand, which are the overall advantages of Dell PowerVault."
"I would say my favorite features of Dell PowerVault are that it's pretty easy to use, it has been pretty stable, firmware updates have been pretty easy to install, and replacing a bad drive is fairly simple."
"The initial setup was easy and simple."
"The solution is reliable and stable."
"It is an inexpensive storage solution."
"Dell PowerVault is user-friendly and easy to deploy."
"For us, the initial setup was easy."
"The solution is easy to configure and reliable; the performance is very good, and storage consolidation is quite easy to configure on it."
"I find ExaGrid EX to be a useful solution for customers looking for a budget-friendly product."
"The most valuable features of ExaGrid EX are the Veeam features and Landing Zone."
"Both the pricing and the performance are excellent."
"I find ExaGrid EX to be a useful solution for customers looking for a budget-friendly product."
 

Cons

"Sometimes integrating into a cluster can be difficult as you have to do it manually."
"Inter-site replication needs enhancement, particularly in Fibre Channel."
"Dell PowerVault is block-oriented storage only."
"If you do not have an existing relationship with Dell or are exploring the market for the first time, the initial acquisition cost of Dell PowerVault is high compared to competitors such as Hitachi or IBM, which often undercut prices."
"The price of the solution could be lower."
"The product could support an NVMe hard disk."
"In the next release, I would like the deduplication and compression included, as well as the flash technology. It doesn't currently use it."
"The scalability is present but it is a bit complex to scale to the desired level. When we needed to increase the performance, we faced some issues."
"ExaGrid EX is more of a budget-friendly solution for customers who are in charge on a daily basis of the solution itself, dealing with manual tasks rather than automated tasks."
"The solution’s web access should be improved."
"I would like to see free disk space."
"ExaGrid EX is more of a budget-friendly solution for customers who are in charge on a daily basis of the solution itself, dealing with manual tasks rather than automated tasks."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Dell PowerVault's price is the tool's main attraction."
"The price is reasonable and we are satisfied with it."
"I rate the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten."
"I rate Dell PowerVault a six or seven out of ten for pricing."
"They are offering a wide range of support models for the customers such as basic support that is budget-friendly, but they also provide a professional support solution that is a bit costly"
"The price of Dell PowerVault could be reduced. It is more expensive than some IBM solutions."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high."
"I would rate the pricing model a nine out of ten, with one being expensive and ten being cheap."
"The renewal fee is approximately $3,500 to $3.750 for a 60 terabyte device."
"I rate ExaGrid EX ten out of ten for pricing."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
15%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Outsourcing Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise12
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerVault?
I don't get involved in the negotiations for price for Dell PowerVault. We get a pretty good discount. I don't think it's terribly priced, but Pure Storage is cheaper.
What needs improvement with Dell PowerVault?
Areas where I feel Dell PowerVault could be improved include especially the enterprise area and multiple interfaces in other areas, for example, backup software solutions and their integration. Han...
What is your primary use case for Dell PowerVault?
My use cases for Dell PowerVault mainly focus on the backup area and disaster recovery in data centers in the midmarket.
What needs improvement with ExaGrid EX?
For ExaGrid EX, I would appreciate additional features such as backup and restore, automation processes, and automation software for backup and restore processes. I mention that some additional fea...
What is your primary use case for ExaGrid EX?
My role in relation to ExaGrid EX is partner and reseller.
What advice do you have for others considering ExaGrid EX?
I would prefer another way to provide support; sending all the questions in an Excel sheet or a Word file would allow me to answer them in a couple of hours and send them back. I have no problem re...
 

Also Known As

PowerVault
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Dayco, FAW Foundry, University of Cambridge, Finder, Stadtwerke Pforzheim GmbH & Co.
7-Eleven, ABC, ACNB Bank, Admiration Foods, Aeroflex, AGH, Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Alberta Motor Association, Allegro MicroSystems, American Standard, Ameris Bank, Arch Reinsurance Ltd., Arthritis Foundation
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco and others in Enterprise SAN. Updated: February 2026.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.