HPE Apollo Systems vs IBM Power Systems comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and IBM are both solutions in the Rack Servers category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.5, while IBM is ranked #4 with an average rating of 9.3. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 5.4% mindshare in Rack Servers, compared to IBM’s 6.5% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of IBM users who would recommend it.

HPE Apollo Systems

Read 25 HPE Apollo Systems reviews

2,852 Views
2,481 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

IBM Power Systems

Read 73 IBM Power Systems reviews

4,756 Views
4,756 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

HPE Apollo Systems

IBM Power Systems

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

HPE Apollo Systems and IBM Power Systems are major competitors in the high-performance computing sector. IBM Power Systems is often favored for its advanced functionalities, whereas HPE Apollo Systems is appreciated for cost and support.

Features: HPE Apollo Systems offer scalable dense architectures, excellent for data-focused operations, support for NVIDIA GPUs, and expansive storage capacity. IBM Power Systems provide robust processing power, integrated virtualization tools, and high reliability, making them suitable for intensive computational tasks.

Room for Improvement: HPE Apollo Systems could improve in processing power, advanced virtualization integration, and system reliability under heavy workloads. IBM Power Systems might consider enhancing ease of deployment, initial setup simplicity, and cost-efficiency for budget-sensitive projects.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HPE Apollo Systems provide easy deployment with effective support, often regarded as more accessible. IBM Power Systems offer comprehensive deployment and superior customer service, which may involve complexities during initial installation.

Pricing and ROI: HPE Apollo Systems are priced competitively, offering appealing ROI for those mindful of budgets. IBM Power Systems, while having higher initial costs, promise significant long-term ROI with their efficiency and advanced capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed HPE Apollo Systems vs. IBM Power Systems Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

HPE Apollo Systems vs. IBM Power Systems

June 2026

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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:

Categories and Ranking

HPE Apollo Systems

Ranking in Rack Servers

9th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

5.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Density Optimized Servers (2nd)

IBM Power Systems

Ranking in Rack Servers

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of HPE Apollo Systems is 5.4%, up from 4.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 6.5%, down from 9.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rack Servers Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
IBM Power Systems	6.5%
HPE Apollo Systems	5.4%
Other	88.1%

Rack Servers

Featured Reviews

Gökhan DURMAZ

Account Manager at TD SYNNEX

High-quality integration and strong support have optimized our rack server operations

HPE Apollo Systems is a good product because it has better support and best quality with integrity. When I speak about integrity, I speak about GPU integration or other integrations such as GPU integration, backup software integration, and hypervisor integration. Regarding the integration of high-speed interconnectors in HPE Apollo Systems, they impact computational tasks because the high-speed interconnect affects performance. I don't remember the specifics. Regarding the cooling technologies, they help to reduce operational costs. The positive impact I see from HPE Apollo Systems is that support is good and quality is good. In general, HPE Apollo Systems appears to be for rack servers with some optimization capabilities.

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Foluso Jibowo

Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd

Has empowered enterprises with secure and cost-effective solutions

When discussing disadvantages, I do not see many areas for improvement because we have received good testimonies from every client. IBM gives customers peace of mind. One challenge, which I would not really call a challenge, is that initially people have the notion that IBM Power Systems is quite expensive. However, IBM does not lose deals based on price. This is a message we need to keep communicating to people who feel that IBM is on the high side in terms of cost. We encourage them to have a discussion with us about their total cost of ownership over three or five years. There is a notion in the market that IBM is expensive, which is false. However, once we engage and show them their return on investments and their total cost of ownership savings, they tend to embrace IBM.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is a stable product; very reliable."

"It's pretty flexible."

"It's pretty flexible. You can choose how much storage you put on the server. You can have one to three nodes, depending on whether you want more CPU or storage."

"For us, the most valuable features are the price and density."

"It's very hard for a professor to amass the supercomputing resources, so I've been very fortunate to have that level of supercomputing at our disposal and that has really enabled us to do the world's leading superhuman AI research."

"The cost benefit of this solution is most valuable."

"My advice for someone considering HPE Apollo Systems is that if they are looking for consolidation and their workload involves high availability requirements, or if they want to utilize GPUs, then this is a machine that should be considered instead of deploying multiple machines and multiple systems."

"The solution is well documented in a data sheet."

More HPE Apollo Systems pros

"I think the Power system uniquely positions our company with the speed it has, and the processing power."

"In terms of the upgrades from previous versions, we definitely see a return on investment, as we get more processor, more CPW, and it's basically the same price."

"I can have what they call multi-tenancy, meaning that I can have multiple tenants within the same server."

"BM Power Systems get updated every two years and are scalable and stable."

"Power Systems is a bit more costly than other products in the market, but in terms of ROI and the longevity, performance, and reliability that Power Systems provides, it's worth it in the long run."

"The installation is easy."

"It is a very scalable solution."

"Some of the most valuable features are the processing power, stability, and security."

More IBM Power Systems pros

Cons

"If there's anything that hasn't been that stable, then it is the Lustre file system."

"We are struggling a little bit with some of the configuration we need to do, particularly with write capability to drives."

"Connectivity to the outside of the server needs to be improved at the same time the network is improving."

"There is a shared battery for all cache controllers in the node. When you have to replace that element, you have to take down all three nodes and not just one."

"The solution could improve the hardware, such as the motherboard or servers. We have had hardware faults in the past."

"If there could be some training for our team, we would be better equipped to promote and support HPE Apollo."

"Big stability issues with the CPU on the first generation which made them virtually unusable."

"The technical support for HPE Apollo Systems could be improved."

More HPE Apollo Systems cons

"Its management can be made easier because it is not easy to manage. They should also find a new way for migrating from an old Power Systems to a new one. The migration process is currently very complicated. It should be made easier to scale. Currently, its scalability depends on the initial sizing, whereas in Nutanix HCI, you can add whatever you need and whenever you need it."

"The solution is quite expensive, and deploying it was also expensive."

"The number of times IBM refreshes its operating system appears to be very slow."

"Licensing is always going to be a problem, because it used to be based on, "This is a CPU, this is the memory, this is your footprint." Now, with virtualization, that one CPU can be carved up 100 different ways, so why should I be charged for that use rather than a single CPU, a single socket?"

"It would be an improvement if the cost went down, as well."

"I think the cost should be cheaper."

"The pricing of the product could always be lowered."

"Overall, IBM actually does restrict us, the sellers, at a limited percentage of margin when you're selling the product. We cannot go above 8%."

More IBM Power Systems cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Obviously I would like to see the cost go down. That speaks for itself."

"There is an annual license required to use HPE Apollo."

"Compared to other products, HPE Apollo is not an expensive solution."

"It is an expensive solution but it is worth the money. The standard licensing cost is for the GPU and the features that someone is using. There are additional charges but they depend on the solution."

"The price of the solution is more expensive than Dell which is their main competitor. However, there are times we have managed to receive a comparable price."

"It is designed for a large workload, as opposed to a small workload. For our circumstances, and even as an independent, I can't buy a Power system to experiment on. It can't happen. You cannot buy them."

"The solution's pricing is very, very high compared to other platforms."

"The price of the solution could be somewhat better and this is what lowers my rating of it to a seven or eight out of ten."

"IBM Power is more expensive than other rack-mount servers, and you have to have a license for everything, including cores and memory."

"The additional software costs are high."

"Power Systems is a bit more costly than other products in the market, but in terms of ROI and the longevity, performance, and reliability that Power Systems provides, it's worth it in the long run."

"The cost model is great. There is so much built in to the technology, that if you know how to use it you can save yourself a lot of money."

"Its price is too high."

More IBM Power Systems pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

University

Financial Services Firm

16%

Manufacturing Company

University

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	15

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	17
Midsize Enterprise	19
Large Enterprise	42

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with HPE Apollo?

It is too early to say what improvements HPE Apollo Systems could implement because the report still needs to come out and the customer needs to properly evaluate the solution.

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What is your primary use case for HPE Apollo?

My main use case for HPE Apollo Systems is replacing many of the servers and storage boxes at one of the customer's sites to achieve workload optimization and optimized solutions. Additionally, whe...

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What advice do you have for others considering HPE Apollo?

My advice for someone considering HPE Apollo Systems is that if they are looking for consolidation and their workload involves high availability requirements, or if they want to utilize GPUs, then ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?

In my opinion, the product can be improved by maintaining it and not sunsetting it; that would be my recommendation for IBM. I used to work for IBM for nineteen years, and I know, unfortunately, I ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?

I am an architect and system administrator, and I'm responsible for anything related to IBM Power Systems. In IBM Power Systems, I have found a lot of valuable features such as LVM, TCP, ODM, RSCT,...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering IBM Power Systems?

I would recommend IBM Power Systems to others. I have given this review a rating of ten out of ten.

See all answers

Comparisons

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs HPE Apollo Systems

Compared 14% of the time

Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs HPE Apollo Systems

Compared 13% of the time

HPE Moonshot vs HPE Apollo Systems

Compared 8% of the time

Dell PowerEdge XE-Series vs HPE Apollo Systems

Compared 7% of the time

HPE ProLiant Compute vs HPE Apollo Systems

Compared 5% of the time

More HPE Apollo Systems Competitors

Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 20% of the time

Intel Server System vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 15% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 13% of the time

Oracle SPARC Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 11% of the time

Huawei KunLun Mission Critical Server vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM Power Systems Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HPE Apollo Systems

June 2026

Download HPE Apollo Systems product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems

June 2026

Download IBM Power Systems product report

Also Known As

HP Apollo Systems, HP ProLiant SL, HP Apollo

IBM OpenPOWER LC

Overview

HPE Apollo Systems deliver high compute and storage density, scalability, and environmental efficiency with exceptional performance for AI initiatives and data capturing across diverse applications.

HPE Apollo Systems are characterized by their dense compute and storage capabilities, offering flexibility in configurations to meet the demands of AI, deep learning, and high-performance computing. Their management software simplifies deployment, ensuring effective performance across tasks that require significant storage. While Apollo Systems are designed for efficiency and scalability, improvements can be made in security, tech support, and integration with hypervisors and backup solutions. Enhancing cooling and licensing processes, connectivity, and faster drive writing capabilities are also areas for growth.

What are the key features of HPE Apollo Systems?

High Compute Density: Supports intense processing needs efficiently.
Scalability: Easily adaptable to growing data demands.
Environmental Efficiency: Minimizes energy consumption, enhancing sustainability.
Flexible Configurations: Caters to a range of applications from AI to data storage.
Reliable Performance: Consistently delivers under various workloads.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

Cost Effectiveness: Reduces expenditure with its efficient design.
Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly fits into diverse IT environments.
Performance Enhancement: Boosts operational efficiency and output.
Easy Deployment: Streamlines the setup process for quick operation.

HPE Apollo Systems find extensive use in sectors such as telecom, supporting high-performance computing and AI workloads. They optimize Linux servers, replace legacy systems, and serve as storage solutions across industries. Their applications span from big data management in Splunk clusters to backup solutions in medical faculties, enhancing compute power and storage within compact racks.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

IBM Power Systems offers robust performance, reliability, and scalability, ideal for high-demand virtualization tasks, handling significant workloads without downtime. This platform’s advanced AI integration and flexible resource management enhance its value proposition.

Designed for financial, government, and telecom sectors, IBM Power Systems stands out for its exceptional security, Linux and AIX compatibility, and consistent uptime, making it suitable for critical enterprise applications like Oracle Databases and core banking. Its hardware backbone, coupled with efficient processing power, underpins its reputation for high availability and economic advantages. While praised for virtualization capabilities with PowerVM and Live Partition Mobility, areas like cost, licensing clarity, and cloud integration need refinement. Enhanced migration processes and intuitive administrative tools are also desirable for users engaging in AI and machine learning ventures.

What are IBM Power Systems' key features?

Performance: Handles high workloads efficiently with robust hardware and processing power.
Reliability: Ensures superior uptime and resilience for critical applications.
Scalability: Adapts easily to increasing demand without sacrificing performance.
Virtualization: Features PowerVM and Live Partition Mobility for optimized resource use.
Security: Incorporates exceptional security features for data protection.

What benefits and ROI should be evaluated?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers economic advantages for large-scale deployments.
AI Integration: Supports advanced AI and machine learning workflows.
Resource Management: Provides flexible management options to maximize efficiency.
Compatibility: Supports Linux and AIX, expanding application possibilities.
High Availability: Critical for sectors demanding consistent uptime and reliability.

IBM Power Systems are integral in sectors requiring high availability, such as finance and telecom, where they support key applications like Oracle Databases and maximize infrastructure sizing. Institutions rely on its reliability, security, and performance for high-demand scenarios, including OLTP and data warehousing.

IBM

Sample Customers

Weta Digital

Cipher

Buyer's Guide

HPE Apollo Systems vs. IBM Power Systems

June 2026

Free Report: HPE Apollo Systems vs. IBM Power Systems

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