HPE Alletra Storage vs Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Lenovo are both solutions in the All-Flash Storage category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #2 with an average rating of 9.1, while Lenovo is ranked #21 with an average rating of 10.0. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 9.2% mindshare in AFS, compared to Lenovo’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Lenovo users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 18, 2024

The Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series and HPE Alletra Storage are two leading storage solutions. Users are happier with the pricing and support of the Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series, but HPE Alletra Storage is seen as a superior product due to its features.

Features: The Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series offers scalability, high performance, and robust data protection. HPE Alletra Storage provides advanced data management, integration capabilities, and superior automation features.

Room for Improvement: The Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series can improve its data encryption, remote management functionalities, and user interface. HPE Alletra Storage could benefit from enhanced reporting tools, more straightforward upgrade processes, and better initial setup options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series has a straightforward deployment process and strong customer service feedback. HPE Alletra Storage, although slightly more complex to deploy, includes detailed documentation and a responsive support team.

Pricing and ROI: Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is often more affordable in terms of setup costs and delivers quick ROI. HPE Alletra Storage, despite higher initial costs, offers better long-term ROI due to advanced features and reliability.

To learn more, read our detailed HPE Alletra Storage vs. Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HPE Alletra Storage vs. Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series

December 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 881,082 peers since 2012

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

Pure FlashArray X NVMe

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the All-Flash Storage category, the mindshare of Pure FlashArray X NVMe is 1.4%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Alletra Storage is 9.2%, up from 6.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is 2.1%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

All-Flash Storage Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
HPE Alletra Storage	9.2%
Pure FlashArray X NVMe	1.4%
Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series	2.1%
Other	87.3%

All-Flash Storage

Featured Reviews

Jaehoon Oh

Chief Technology Officer at Lambda256

Supports efficient storage management through volume snapshots and offers reliable non-disruptive upgrades

I have no specific improvements to suggest for Pure FlashArray X NVMe at this time. The performance statistics could be enhanced. I can see the performance statistics in the Pure Storage console, but it does not show the performance by 4K byte unit. It displays IOPS and bandwidth, but IOPS is about real use, and I want to know how many IOPS are currently running in 4K byte units. I cannot see that IOPS because most storage systems report their performance by 4K byte unit. I want to see Pure Storage performance by 4K byte unit to compare with other storage or other internal NVMe SSD.

Read full review

Toby Lutter

Systems Specialist at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees

Data management operations are streamlined with impressive metrics and responsive support

Improving HPE Alletra Storage is challenging to answer because there are several different metrics to consider. From a performance perspective, the improvements and large jumps are fantastic as is. From a deployment perspective, I was a big fan of the on-premise deployment model and then connecting it afterward to GreenLake. Now that's being sunsetted. From a sensor and metric standpoint, there is just enough data without getting useless metrics, where you become blind to what it provides. The HPE Storage Technical Assistance Center is still probably the best out of all the storage vendors. It's difficult to improve upon being able to call in and get assistance almost instantly.

Read full review

Giorgio Pozzi

System Administrator at PORTGUARDIAN.COM SRL

Performance and cost-effectiveness are maximized with seamless setup and significant ROI

I use Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series to replace the old storage in our infrastructure. Additionally, I use it in customer infrastructures to migrate from the old storage to the new one On the M storage, I find the best features to be deduplication and compression. On the DE storage, the most…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's helped us because we've changed fundamentally what we talk about. We don't talk about storage and different tiers of storage anymore nor do we talk about servers. We talk now about applications and how applications impact the business and end users."

"The tool's valuable features are speed, security, data compression, and reliability. Its data compression feature is the best that we have ever seen. It helps us to save money and resources."

"It has good, reliable, fast storage."

"On a scale of one to ten, I rate Pure FlashArray as ten."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is reliability."

"What I really like about this program, is that it is easy to use and easy to configurate."

"The latency is good."

"The solution is very straightforward to set up."

More Pure FlashArray X NVMe pros

"The features of HPE Alletra Storage that I appreciate the most are speed and reliability."

"HPE Alletra Storage scales effectively with the growing needs of my organization, and I don't see limitations or complexity for growth at the moment, as it has been selected among the top players."

"The features of HPE Alletra Storage that I prefer most are storage."

"3PAR took it to another level, but Alletra and GreenLake have impressed me utterly and totally and made life easier."

"Performance-wise, you're looking at different models; a 6030 gives you more than a 6010, and a 6050 gives you more than a 6030."

"HPE Alletra Storage enables me to get assistance from senior support engineers without having to go through support escalations."

"The workload consolidation is very simple to manage."

"The most important feature is scalability, which enables us to rapidly scale without any disruptions. We can easily scale up to more arrays without stopping any services."

More HPE Alletra Storage pros

"I would rate the stability of Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series as a ten."

"Fewer features is not necessarily a negative as it leads to simpler operation and lower price."

"Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is simple to use"

"Its initial setup process is easy."

"Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is quite an elementary box, no frills. It does not have all the functionality of the DM but it is acceptable, it does its task. It integrates pretty well."

"The solution's initial setup process is easy."

"Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is highly reliable, especially for block-level storage. It is stable, with minimal downtime and no issues beyond user errors."

"The solution is very easy to set up."

More Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series pros

Cons

"It's more multi-tenant functionality in their Pure1 manage portal that is lacking."

"We would like to see more visibility into garbage collection and CPU performance in the GUI."

"You cannot tag a LUN with a description, and that should be improved. What I like on the Unity side is that when I expand LUNs or do things, there is an information field on the LUN. This is the Information field that you can tag on your LUNs to let yourself know, "Hey, I've added this much space on this date". Pure lacks that ability. So, you don't have a mechanism that's friendly for tracking your data expansions on the LUN and for adding any additional information. That's a downside for me."

"Many options to check performance, like read, writes, random writes, and random reads, are missing in Pure FlashArray X NVMe."

"The software layer has to improve."

"There is room for improvement in catering to midrange storage needs, especially for customers seeking Enterprise-class features."

"Efficiency improvements would always be welcome, but I'm not sure if they could get more efficient."

"The tool's pricing is higher than competitors."

More Pure FlashArray X NVMe cons

"The power supply was not the correct power supply, and it took forever for them to send me the one that I needed. It took five months to get it."

"It would be great if it cost less."

"My suggestion is that the HPE Alletra Storage or HPE storage portfolio should offer storage models that can accommodate NFS and file shares, and block shares in the same single enclosure or controller."

"I don't know how HPE Alletra Storage can be improved; I will have to ask my team what they want next."

"To improve HPE Alletra Storage, I suggest adding more expansion capabilities."

"HPE is not offering unified storage in their storage portfolio, which causes problems in local tenders and RFPs where customers demand NFS shares and block shares in the same enclosure."

"HPE Alletra Storage could be improved with greater compatibility of the HPE KVM or VM hypervisor with our other products, which would allow us to migrate off of VMware."

"I'd like to see a smaller chassis in the hybrid arrays."

More HPE Alletra Storage cons

"It would be useful to have structured solutions replicated to other sites."

"The difficult part comes when dealing with the host. You have to enable multi-pathing and other aspects that are needed for proper configuration. I don't know if there is room for a more hyper-conversion structure to work with, but this would be easier."

"The product could support advanced software integrations."

"Its performance could be faster."

"Usually, when a part fails, we have to replace it and it takes a while. It would be better if the part could be available locally here in Kenya so we don't have to wait so long to repair the solution."

"ThinkSystem could be better integrated with backup software like Commvault, Veritas, or Symantec."

"Improvements can be made to the product's performance."

"In the next release, I would like to see more functionality. But, again, it is an entry-level product."

More Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"With Pure Storage, we would like to continue seeing price reductions with flash storage. I don't think we're any different than anybody else when we continue to look to the industry for price reductions of both NVMe and traditional SSD storage. We would like to see these prices continue to decline and erode, even displacing large spinning disks."

"Given its price, Pure is not the first option."

"With VMware, we pay $300,000 annually."

"As far as the licensing costs, everything is included in the license."

"Our licensing fees are $500,000+ USD."

"Pure FlashArray X NVMe’s pricing is cheaper than other products."

"Its price could be better. It is not too expensive, but it is the high-end cost. It is kind of a Rolls-Royce. You pay a lot, but you get a lot out of it. So, the price pressure on the way down would be great, but at the end of the day, if you need to do the work, you just pay for it."

"The tool is an investment that we've budgeted for. While the prices may be higher than those of other vendors, we see it as a market leader with benefits. We don't regret purchasing it."

More Pure FlashArray X NVMe pricing and cost advice

"There is a license. HPE Alletra uses a cloud-based model."

"Overall, it was good. It had a good price per gigabyte."

"The main competitor in the market for HPE Alletra Storage is Dell Storage, as they are selling at a low price."

"Its licensing is good. Pricing-wise, there can be a little bit more flexibility. It would help to have different sizes. However, it fits into the budget that we have, so we are happy."

"Its pricing is very competitive."

"It is fairly priced. It is in line with industry standard pricing and cost models."

"For us, its price is good."

"The pricing is somewhat high, but when customers choose HPE, they often prioritize the brand value over pricing. The pricing is higher compared to other vendors."

More HPE Alletra Storage pricing and cost advice

"The solution's price could be better."

"It is an expensive solution."

"We have a five-year contract for providing support."

"For an all-flash setup, the cost is around $20,000 for a decent configuration."

"The price of the Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is a one-time purchase. There is a global price list available to find the price of the solution."

"The pricing is fair and low compared to other products in this category."

"The pricing for this solution is good compared to HP or Dell EMC."

"All of the features are bundled together, and you can renew the bundle with all of the features included."

More Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which All-Flash Storage solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Government

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	12

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	30
Midsize Enterprise	25
Large Enterprise	36

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Pure FlashArray X NVMe?

Pure FlashArray X NVMe helps to improve our processing speed. It is user-friendly and easy to use.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pure FlashArray X NVMe?

The price of Pure FlashArray X NVMe is very expensive, though I do not know the actual price because I am using the E...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Pure FlashArray X NVMe?

I have no specific improvements to suggest for Pure FlashArray X NVMe at this time. The performance statistics could ...

See all answers

What do you like most about HPE Alletra?

It offers rich features and high speed for transferring data.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Alletra?

The cost overall depends on the competition; normally, the price is competitive for HPE Alletra 5000. However, for th...

See all answers

What needs improvement with HPE Alletra?

I would like to see improved in HPE Alletra Storage in the future the introduction of more performance-centric contro...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series?

The price of Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series is very good. We chose this type of storage for the performance and the price.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series?

The type of connection that is used in Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series should be improved.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series?

I use Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series to replace the old storage in our infrastructure. Additionally, I use it in custom...

See all answers

Comparisons

Dell PowerStore vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe

Compared 18% of the time

Dell PowerMax vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe

Compared 12% of the time

TrueNAS R-Series vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe

Compared 10% of the time

Pure Storage FlashBlade vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe

Compared 8% of the time

NetApp AFF vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe

Compared 7% of the time

More Pure FlashArray X NVMe Competitors

Dell PowerStore vs HPE Alletra Storage

Compared 27% of the time

Pure Storage FlashArray vs HPE Alletra Storage

Compared 10% of the time

HPE Primera vs HPE Alletra Storage

Compared 8% of the time

NetApp AFF vs HPE Alletra Storage

Compared 6% of the time

NetApp ASA vs HPE Alletra Storage

Compared 2% of the time

More HPE Alletra Storage Competitors

Dell PowerStore vs Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series

Compared 23% of the time

IBM FlashSystem vs Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series

Compared 11% of the time

NetApp AFF vs Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series

Compared 10% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem DM Series vs Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series

Compared 9% of the time

Dell Unity XT vs Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series

Compared 6% of the time

More Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Pure FlashArray X NVMe

January 2026

Download Pure FlashArray X NVMe product report

Buyer's Guide

HPE Alletra Storage

January 2026

Download HPE Alletra Storage product report

Buyer's Guide

All-Flash Storage

January 2026

Download Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series product report

Also Known As

Pure FlashArray//X NVMe, Pure FlashArray//X, FlashArray//X

No data available

ThinkSystem DE Series

Overview

Pure Storage FlashArray//X is the world’s first enterprise-class, all-NVMe flash storage array. It represents a new class of storage – shared accelerated storage, which is a term coined by Gartner – that delivers major breakthroughs in performance, simplicity, and consolidation.

Pure Storage

HPE Alletra Storage provides on-premises cloud-like operations, delivering high-performance NVMe drives, VMware integration, data deduplication, and compression. It's known for simplicity, management ease, and capacity efficiency.

HPE Alletra Storage stands out for its scalability and comprehensive features, benefiting diverse workloads and scenarios. Users report faster IOPS, reduced provisioning time, and fewer support tickets. Its guarantee of data availability and strong support network ensure high operational reliability and cost-efficiency. However, it could improve NVMe compatibility, setup, and connectivity. Enhancing intuitive design and monitoring capabilities while reducing internet dependency and refining integration with existing software would increase user satisfaction. Cost efficiency and streamlined licensing are ongoing concerns, with demands for file-based storage, better scalability, and customizability improvements.

What are the key features of HPE Alletra Storage?

Cloud-like Operations: Provides on-premises cloud-like experiences.
High-Performance NVMe: Utilizes NVMe drives for enhanced speed.
VMware Integration: Seamlessly integrates with VMware environments.
Data Deduplication: Efficiently reduces data redundancy.
Compression: Optimizes storage capacity through compression.

What benefits and ROI should be evaluated in reviews?

Reliability: High data availability guarantee and strong support network.
Scalability: Benefits workloads with flexible scaling options.
Speed: Reports of faster IOPS and reduced provisioning time.
Efficiency: Fewer support tickets and efficient resource management.
Cost-Effectiveness: Operational reliability leads to lower costs.

HPE Alletra Storage is widely used in virtualization, VMware, and data center block storage, particularly in financial and healthcare sectors. Organizations utilize it for VM storage, cloud infrastructure, and databases. It supports VDI, hyper-converged infrastructure, and high-performance computing. Businesses leverage its capabilities for data backup, compression, and deduplication, integrating seamlessly with existing environments to meet enterprise storage needs with high throughput and low-latency performance.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

The DE All-Flash Series delivers the performance of more than 2,000 15k rpm HDDs, yet requires only 2% of the rack space, power, and cooling. Because it consumes 98% less space and power, DE Series can significantly improve the overall efficiency of your IT operations while continuing to meet your performance requirements.

Lenovo

Sample Customers

Fremont Bank, Judson ISD, The Nielsen Company

Accenture, Aetna, AIG, Airbus, Allianz, American Express, ATT, Bank of America, Barclays, BASF, Bayer, Berkshire Hathaway, Boeing, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Coca Cola, Comcast, Credit Suisse, Dell, Deutsche Bank, ExxonMobil, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, Google, HSBC, IBM, Intel, JPMorgan Chase, Kroger, L'Oreal, Merck

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

HPE Alletra Storage vs. Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series

December 2025

Free Report: HPE Alletra Storage vs. Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series

Find out what your peers are saying about HPE Alletra Storage vs. Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our HPE Alletra Storage vs. Lenovo ThinkSystem DE Series report.

See our list of best All-Flash Storage vendors.

We monitor all All-Flash Storage reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.