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Hitachi Thin Image Advanced vs NetApp SnapMirror comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 1, 2025

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

Hitachi Thin Image Advanced
Ranking in Data Replication
6th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.7
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NetApp SnapMirror
Ranking in Data Replication
1st
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Data Replication category, the mindshare of Hitachi Thin Image Advanced is 4.0%, down from 8.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetApp SnapMirror is 7.2%, down from 17.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Replication Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
NetApp SnapMirror7.2%
Hitachi Thin Image Advanced4.0%
Other88.8%
Data Replication
 

Featured Reviews

Bratislav Petkovic - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead for Core Infrastructure at Raiffeisen bank Serbia
Fast data transfer and quick setup for new servers
We use Thin Image to image new test servers, create new development servers, and test new servers. It is also used for fast data transfer to new servers Hitachi Thin Image allows us to quickly create new data snapshots. It speeds up synchronization and setup tasks significantly, which is…
LeeLee2 - PeerSpot reviewer
Storage Infrastructure Engineer at Gigabit Technologies Pvt Ltd
Reliable replication has transformed disaster recovery and supports realistic dev-test environments
The best feature NetApp SnapMirror offers is block-level incremental replication, which is the foundation of everything. After the initial baseline transfer, only the changed blocks move across the wire, not entire files or volumes. In a busy storage environment, that is the difference between replication that fits in your backup window and replication that hammers your network all day. NetApp SnapMirror has positively impacted our organization by taking us from a theoretical DR capability, meaning we had a secondary site but had never fully tested a failover, to a validated, tested, documented DR process that we run quarterly, which is a fundamental change in our risk posture. Management can now say with confidence that if the primary site goes down, we recover within two hours with zero data loss on critical systems.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Script submission allows us to make an application for Hitachi Thin Image and this assists us with synchronization."
"The most beneficial feature is its fast data transfer capabilities."
"Hitachi Thin Image is stable."
"It's a stable solution; it just works."
"The product has good performance."
"The tool seamlessly moves data over the network without putting pressure on the network."
"This solution provides safety and data protection for my customers."
"With SnapMirror, the solution is the feature itself that is most valuable. It just replicates the data. It's very difficult to speak about, in the sense that it's similar to the features of a wheel. It is round and it's a part of an automobile."
"NetApp is one of the best products in this field of storage solutions."
"The performance and stability are valuable features. It seems to fulfill all the requirements."
"It has been 100% stable."
 

Cons

"We are having problems with the speed of synchronization and transferring of data."
"Hitachi needs to improve their management software, especially the Ops Center."
"It is not as efficient as it needs to be. It doesn't compress the data really well when it is forwarded to a secondary site. The download performance could be better."
"Technical support is only available if there is a problem."
"At the moment, we are not using the synchronous mirror, but we can implement the synchronous mirror. The only thing is that it needs another license. This is the same issue we have with business continuity. It needs another license to be implemented. You need too many separate licenses for the features. They should add some of the aspects of the premium bundle into the basic bundle. Sometimes our customers choose other replication services because of the initial cost of the licenses."
"On very large data sets with a lot of changes, the interval between mirrors can be rather long."
"The tool should also work on third-party solutions."
"Synchronous replication with read-write on both sides in both data centers is powerful but risky since it is greatly affected by high network latency."
"You need too many separate licenses for the features. Sometimes our customers choose other replication services because of the initial cost of the licenses."
"It's necessary to install NetApp simulator to avoid complications."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"It's a highly cost-effective solution"
"The product price is reasonable."
"The pricing can be improved."
"The solution has monthly and yearly licensing options."
"It's part of the NetApp Firewall, so it's free."
"SnapMirror is extremely expensive. We had a hard time adjusting to our budget. If rated on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most expensive, I would definitely rate it ten out of ten."
"The cost is low compared to different vendors."
"The pricing could be improved."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
13%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Construction Company
9%
Performing Arts
9%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Construction Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Performing Arts
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Hitachi Thin Image?
Hitachi needs to improve their management software, especially the Ops Center. Better management could enhance the overall experience.
What is your primary use case for Hitachi Thin Image?
We use Thin Image to image new test servers, create new development servers, and test new servers. It is also used for fast data transfer to new servers.
What advice do you have for others considering Hitachi Thin Image?
Thin Image is suitable for both small and big companies. It is highly recommended for its fast performance. I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetApp SnapMirror?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing shows that NetApp SnapMirror is licensed as part of the ONTAP Data Protection bundle, which covers both NetApp SnapMirror and SnapVault. For or...
What needs improvement with NetApp SnapMirror?
NetApp SnapMirror can be improved as the initial configuration is not simple; if you are new to NetApp and ONTAP, NetApp SnapMirror concepts take time to get right. Peering clusters, peering SVMs, ...
What is your primary use case for NetApp SnapMirror?
My main use case for NetApp SnapMirror is disaster recovery replication, primarily, as we have two data centers and NetApp SnapMirror keeps our critical data synchronized between them continuously....
 

Also Known As

Hitachi Thin Image
SnapMirror
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Net Credit Financial Group
University at Albany, City of Houston, Yahoo Japan, Washington Employment Security Department, DG Khan Cement Co. Ltd., AmTrust Financial Services, Sheridan College
Find out what your peers are saying about Hitachi Thin Image Advanced vs. NetApp SnapMirror and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.