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 8.6. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 21.6% mindshare in Rack Servers, compared to IBM’s 9.2% 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

10,086 Views
8,321 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

IBM Power Systems

Read 69 IBM Power Systems reviews

4,711 Views
3,344 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: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs. IBM Power Systems

April 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 May 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is 21.6%, up from 21.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 9.2%, up from 8.4% 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

"The most valuable features of HPE ProLiant DL Servers are convenience and the interface is good."

"It's very easy to set up."

"The speed of the backups and having the system be immune to ransomware are the main advantages."

"HP ProLiant servers provide redundant solutions for almost everything. You can set up multiple power supplies, with a primary power source and a secondary power supply connected on UPS. If the power goes out in the building, the UPS will supply power to the host at all times. The solution can run on batteries for many hours, depending on your battery and UPS capacity."

"The product is scalable and stable."

"It is a stable solution."

"The solution is stable."

"The most valuable features are the value and the scalability."

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers pros

"Power Systems' best features are that it's reliable, stable, and easily available. It's also really scalable and can be virtualized without third-party software support."

"Power Systems is like a dream solution for every IT person because it has redundancy, and it doesn't stop. It doesn't get affected easily. I don't see any weaknesses in this solution. At the moment, we have Power8. It is stable and runs smoothly. We have a big load, and it is working very well. It can be customized based on our needs. Flash copy is helping us amazingly. We have virtualization for vDisks, which is again very helpful. We are working on this virtualization technology, and we have a team that is working on redundancy and architecture."

"It scales a lot, you can just keep on adding frames, you can add on CPUs, you get capacity on demand, you can tune the machine very easily to handle different workloads."

"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."

"From a software developer standpoint, virtualization is really the key, as we can more easily spin up a new partition, virtual instance of IBM i."

"What we like the most is the ability to upgrade the scaling of the system itself. Whenever we need extra storage, we can do that. Whenever we need extra memory, we can do that as well. It's fast and it's available."

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

"The uptime feature is great."

More IBM Power Systems pros

Cons

"Not all of the hardware is completely up-to-date."

"In DL 500 systems, the flow of air is not good enough, and some components get overheated. IBM systems have better airflow and scalability. We have a data center that has limited physical space. Therefore, we need to maximize the processing or compute systems that we use. In HP servers, such as DL 500, there are only four processors, whereas IBM servers, such as SR 916, have eight processors. We don't get any support from HP because of our geographical location. We solve all problems ourselves by doing research on the internet. It would be good to get HP support."

"In the HPE ProLiant DL Servers generation nine, there was a problem when the expansion cards were installed on the server. There was only a small amount of room for the top expansion cards that hand could insert or remove the cables inside."

"ProLiant servers could be more scalable. For example, some models can only contain four hard drives, but many of our customers expect six. If they were to add another extendable hard drive slot, it would be easier to sell the servers to our customers."

"The speed of the solution could be increased."

"The technical support has room for improvement."

"It's scalable but we are switching to workstation for some software because the CPU speed isn't fast enough anymore."

"The cost of the solution is high and has room for improvement."

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers cons

"In my country, there are power supply interruptions. IBM could find ways to make the product stable through these interruptions."

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

"The solution is quite expensive."

"Sometimes, the availability of additional services can be a challenge. Certain IBM software takes time to deliver to the client. It can be slow."

"I would like to see the scaling model improved so it's not just either tiny or huge."

"IBM should be more flexible with marketing or offer marketing events themselves and invite the partners to attend. That might be far more productive."

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

"I know lab services does a lot of work but systems, if they could include some kind of lab services and bundling of services to get you to the greatest and latest feature at the already included cost"

More IBM Power Systems cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The hardware should be cheaper."

"This was a one-time purchase for us because it's hardware that we purchased from HPE. There aren't any licensing costs."

"The solution's pricing is high. It needs to be more flexible. The flexibility would be beneficial for our clients, especially in a competitive market. Adding additional features and addressing complex requirements on top of the price can be challenging for us as a reseller."

"The price is a little too high; it could be reduced."

"I give the pricing a six out of ten."

"It is expensive. Its price should be better."

"The price of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is reasonable compared to other solutions."

"The pricing of these servers is fair. It is in the mid-range."

More HPE ProLiant DL Servers pricing and cost advice

"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."

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

"Why should I be charged for that use rather than a single CPU, a single socket?"

"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."

"Its price is too high."

"The additional software costs are high."

"There is a yearly licensing cost, and it's an expensive solution."

"IBM Power Systems is a really expensive product."

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

13%

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...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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 47% 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 41% of the time

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 17% of the time

Oracle SPARC Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 17% 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

May 2025

Download HPE ProLiant DL Servers product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems

May 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

April 2025

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

Find out what your peers are saying about HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs. IBM Power Systems and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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