HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs IBM Power Systems comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and IBM are both solutions in the Rack Servers category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #2 with an average rating of 9.3, while IBM is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.7. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 21.5% mindshare in Rack Servers, compared to IBM’s 9.1% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of IBM users who would recommend it.

HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Read 156 HPE ProLiant DL Servers reviews

10,569 Views
8,632 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

IBM Power Systems

Read 69 IBM Power Systems reviews

4,877 Views
3,452 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

HPE ProLiant DL Servers

IBM Power Systems

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 23, 2025

HPE ProLiant DL Servers and IBM Power Systems are both targeted at enterprise-level computing. HPE ProLiant DL Servers hold an advantage in cost-effectiveness and support, while IBM Power Systems lead in advanced features and reliability, often justifying their higher cost.

Features: HPE ProLiant DL Servers offer reliability, scalability, and flexibility with comprehensive management capabilities like iLO. Competitive pricing and lifecycle performance make them versatile. IBM Power Systems stand out with reliability, superior processing power, and security features, ideal for high-demand environments.

Room for Improvement: HPE ProLiant DL Servers could improve iLO features, manageability, and boot times, while addressing licensing and configuration challenges. IBM Power Systems need better pricing, simpler management tools, and more frequent update cycles, along with scalable solutions and cloud licensing improvements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both HPE ProLiant DL Servers and IBM Power Systems are primarily on-premises, with some hybrid deployments. HPE provides excellent support with knowledgeable engineers, though some report slow responses. IBM support is considered responsive but could improve problem resolution speed in specific regions.

Pricing and ROI: HPE ProLiant DL Servers are known for cost-efficiency and quick ROI, aligning with various budgets. They are more affordable compared to competitors. IBM Power Systems have a higher price, justified by advanced capabilities, offering long-term value but can be costly for smaller organizations despite a worthwhile return over time.

To learn more, read our detailed HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs. IBM Power Systems Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs. IBM Power Systems

March 2025

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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 ProLiant DL Servers

Ranking in Rack Servers

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

156

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Power Systems

Ranking in Rack Servers

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

8.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is 21.5%, down from 21.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 9.1%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rack Servers

Featured Reviews

SHIVAKUMAR A P

Country Manager - Emerging Business at Orbit Techsol

With an easy setup phase in place, it is suitable for small and large-sized businesses

When you speak of any enhancements in the product, you need to shift to the tool's commercial mode. You get more features in the solution if you pour in more money. If a customer needs some features in the solution, they will have to buy it since certain features are not loaded by default in the server. With entry-level licenses, servers are shipped to customers free of cost. Customers need to pay if they want more and more features in the solution. Every OEM solution in the market, including HPE ProLiant DL, operates similarly. The overall cost of the product needs to be lower, as it is one of the areas of concern in the product.

Read full review

Omobolaji Olaloku

Senior Enterprise System Engineer at Zenith-bank

Extremely stable, good ROI, and scalable

The most valuable feature of our machines is their ability to replace faulty parts without causing any downtime. Our servers are equipped with advanced technology, making it possible to replace defective parts without having to bring down the servers. This is crucial, as any disruption to our services would result in inconvenience to our customers. Therefore, being able to service the machines and replace parts without causing any downtime is highly beneficial.

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

"We get good performance with HPE ProLiant DL Servers. They are really stable. We run all our applications smoothly. We have no problem at all."

"Stability is where HPE dominates competitors like Dell and Cisco. The servers are highly reliable, and we are impressed with the technology HPE offers."

"Our monitoring tool has a database, so we need a server with a fast IO."

"The product is scalable and stable."

"The feature that I find the most valuable is that all alerts are integrated with HPE InfoSight. Any problem related to an HPE server can be solved remotely at L1, L2 level."

"HPE ProLiant DL Servers are a great product. We don't have many complaints."

"The initial setup for HPE ProLiant DL Servers is easy."

"When we need to, we can get through to technical support and get the right person."

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers pros

"We value the stability and technology capability of this solution the most. It is very stable, and the processor technology of IBM is very good. When you have a CIO and you are dealing with C-level every day, you can, without any doubt, support the core banking or critical applications with this solution."

"We have had a good experience with the technical support team at IBM."

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

"Power Systems' best features include its user-friendliness and self-checking/self-healing abilities."

"The most valuable features of the solution are disaster recovery, replication, and the ability to migrate to another location."

"The performance and stability are great."

"I use the hypervisor of IBM Power Systems a lot."

"The virtualization and the quality you get from it is one reason we like the solution."

More IBM Power Systems pros

Cons

"The price of HPE ProLiant DL Servers could improve."

"They can increase the controller cache. Currently, it has a controller cache of up to 4 GB. The RAID controller card comes with a maximum of 4 GB cache in HPE servers, whereas it comes with a maximum of 8 GB cache in Dell servers. They can also improve the port size. HP provides a 25 GB port on the server, whereas both Dell and Cisco provide a 100 GB port."

"It would be great if HP could use a ProLiant Server to run HP-UX, the Unix build from HPE. Right now, HP-UX cannot run on the ProLiant architecture."

"In Qatar, HPE doesn't have as much support as Dell. I would recommend Dell if given the option because it has a solid local presence."

"The technical support could be a little faster."

"The overall cost of the product needs to be lower, as it is one of the areas of concern in the product."

"The solution is a little bit expensive."

"The initial configuration process could be simpler."

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers cons

"One of the main challenges with IBM Power Systems is the functionality of live partnership mobility."

"In the next release, I would like to see additional graphical dashboards to help the administrators access information more easily."

"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."

"IBM systems are old technologies. I couldn't renew and get to use IBM Power Systems, and it offers users very expensive support."

"The price is a bit high and could be improved."

"I would like to see IBM Power Systems integrate with all cloud types."

"If you asked me what I'd like added, I'd say that it'd be nice if they ran GPUs, however, I know that's not the direction they're going. That said, I would appreciate it if they offered GPU support."

"The price has room for improvement."

More IBM Power Systems cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have ILO licenses. We use this feature."

"They need to work with Microsoft to make the licensing costs better and more efficient."

"HPE ProLiant DL Servers are one of the best-selling solutions in this industry. There is not a license required for this solution."

"We have to pay for an annual license which is expensive."

"HPE ProLiant DL Servers have a higher price than Dell servers. However, the Japanese counterpart has the lowerest priced servers. The price of the HPE ProLiant DL Servers could improve, it could be less expensive."

"We did not need to pay for a license for the use of HP DL servers, just for normal hardcore support."

"It's expensive."

"The price of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is reasonable, but because of covid and other factors, the price could be reduced. The license is paid annually."

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers pricing and cost advice

"I give the cost a one out of ten."

"Price-wise, I rate the solution a five out of ten."

"It's more about the value you get for the price. Considering its stability and performance, the pricing is good."

"The machine is good and has a comparatively good price."

"Its price is too high."

"The price of IBM Power Systems is expensive and could improve."

"IBM Power Systems is a really expensive product."

"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."

More IBM Power Systems pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

How do Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers compare with HPE ProLiant DL servers?

Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers offer flexibility and efficiency in order to meet mission-critical demands. I like that Lenovo blends outstanding performance, reliability, and manageability. The bi...

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What do you like most about HPE ProLiant DL Servers?

The most valuable feature of the solution is HPE Integrated Lights-Out (iLO)...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE ProLiant DL Servers?

The product is expensive. I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price. On the needs of the customers, the product offers a lot of suppor...

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Power Systems?

IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?

IBM should provide a platform where users can learn about the storage and security of IBM Power Systems.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?

In my company, we use the system for the data center and our IBM Cloud Pak System.

See all answers

Comparisons

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Compared 48% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Compared 22% of the time

HPE Synergy vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Compared 9% of the time

HPE Apollo Systems vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers

Compared 5% of the time

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers Competitors

Intel Server System vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 45% of the time

Oracle SPARC Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 17% of the time

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 16% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 5% of the time

HPE Apollo Systems vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM Power Systems Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HPE ProLiant DL Servers

March 2025

Download HPE ProLiant DL Servers product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems

March 2025

Download IBM Power Systems product report

Also Known As

HP ProLiant DL series, HP ProLiant DL

IBM OpenPOWER LC

Overview

HPE ProLiant DL Servers are utilized by organizations for tasks like virtualization, database hosting, and application hosting, deployed both on-premises and in private clouds for diverse needs.

Organizations depend on HPE ProLiant DL Servers for stability, performance, and reliability. They are essential for running active directories, enterprise applications, and handling high-performance computing. These servers are known for their easy setup, scalability, and extensive management capabilities like iLO. Offering compatibility with many components and energy efficiency, they provide reliable hardware and good performance under demanding conditions. However, there is a need for improved price, stability, scalability, airflow, and power consumption. Enhancements in controller cache, port sizes, SAN connectivity, support availability, and management interface are also required. Faster technical support, better documentation, simplified configurations, and enhanced monitoring features and security integration would benefit users.

What are the key features?

Easy Setup: Quick and straightforward deployment.
Scalability: Adaptable to growing business needs.
Extensive Management: Features like iLO for advanced control.
Energy Efficiency: Optimized for lower power consumption.
Compatibility: Works well with various components.
Reliable Hardware: Robust and dependable technology.
Redundancy: Ensures high availability and minimal downtime.

What are the benefits and ROI?

High Performance: Excellent for demanding computing tasks.
User-Friendly: Easy to maintain and operate.
Flexibility: Versatile for different applications.
Good Technical Support: Access to professional assistance.

HPE ProLiant DL Servers are implemented across industries like finance for active directories and payment solutions, education for virtual desktops, healthcare for database synchronization, and IT firms for high-performance computing and application hosting.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

IBM Power Systems are built to crush the most advanced data applications - from the mission-critical workloads you run today to the next generation of AI.

IBM

Sample Customers

AmeriPride Services, iSource, Bolagsverket, BlueShore Financial, British Columbia Assessment Authority, National Stock Exchange, Cardlytics

Cipher

Buyer's Guide

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs. IBM Power Systems

March 2025

Free Report: HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs. IBM Power Systems

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