HPE Zerto Software vs IBM ProtectTIER comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and IBM are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #2 with an average rating of 9.0, while IBM is ranked #65. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 1.8% mindshare in BRS, compared to IBM’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 60% of IBM users who would recommend it.

HPE Zerto Software

Read 359 HPE Zerto Software reviews

24,233 Views
13,813 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

IBM ProtectTIER

Read 7 IBM ProtectTIER reviews

2,465 Views
1,947 Comparison Views

60% willing to recommend

HPE Zerto Software

IBM ProtectTIER

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

IBM ProtectTIER and HPE Zerto Software compete in data protection and recovery. IBM ProtectTIER leads with cost-effective pricing and support, while HPE Zerto is noted for its feature-rich offering, justifying its price premium.

Features: IBM ProtectTIER is known for its data deduplication, offering storage efficiency, seamless integration, and automation for tiered storage management. HPE Zerto Software excels in disaster recovery with continuous data protection, easy migrations, and analytics that provide essential insights.

Room for Improvement: IBM ProtectTIER could enhance its disaster recovery features and user interface intuitiveness. The setup process and scalability options also need refinement. HPE Zerto Software may benefit from improving price competitiveness, enhanced data deduplication like ProtectTIER, and further simplifying setup procedures to reduce complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM ProtectTIER is appreciated for its ease of deployment and robust customer support. HPE Zerto Software provides rapid recovery but could improve deployment simplicity. Customer service for Zerto is comprehensive, focusing on advanced recovery solutions but may lack the straightforward support provided by IBM.

Pricing and ROI: IBM ProtectTIER generally offers a cost-effective solution with strong ROI due to lower initial costs and storage savings. HPE Zerto Software, while carrying a higher price tag, delivers value through its advanced features, appealing to businesses that prioritize operational continuity over budget constraints.

To learn more, read our detailed HPE Zerto Software vs. IBM ProtectTIER Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

HPE Zerto Software vs. IBM ProtectTIER

August 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 Zerto Software

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

2nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

359

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Migration (1st), Cloud Backup (2nd), Disaster Recovery (DR) Software (1st), Autonomous Operational Resilience (1st)

IBM ProtectTIER

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

65th

Average Rating

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Deduplication Software (12th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of HPE Zerto Software is 1.8%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM ProtectTIER is 0.7%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
HPE Zerto Software	1.8%
IBM ProtectTIER	0.7%
Other	97.5%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

reviewer2802231

Dev Ops Engineer at a media company with 201-500 employees

Near-zero downtime has protected critical workloads and now simplifies hybrid cloud recovery

The best features of HPE Zerto Software are mainly very sophisticated and relevant to the current market. The data protection CDP part has real-time replication, unlike other solutions that have snapshot backups. We can set it up hourly, making it ideal for use with workloads. Another attraction is the near-zero RTO, with automated failover within minutes and one-click failover and failback. Currently, we are using a hybrid cloud solution, and HPE Zerto Software supports multi-cloud environments, making it easy to migrate between on-premises and cloud. Regarding the impact of HPE Zerto Software on our RTOs, we have near-zero RTO, meaning the system must be back online within thirty minutes if we measure the time. It is very quick to recover services. With HPE Zerto Software's near-synchronous replication, we have some CDP protection, so we typically write interceptions along with some asynchronous replication. There is almost real-time replication available.

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Avdhesh Garg

Technical Lead at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Provides a short-term backup, archive, and cataloging for 20,000 people in our organization

The backup for a large amount of data is slow. When there's a large amount of data, sometimes the backup isn't completed in time. I have a 24 hour cycle, so it doesn't get completed in 24 hours with the large amount of data. With Veritas NetBackup, I can take 20 terabytes of backup in a day.

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

"Zerto is an excellent solution for cloud-based environments, but for DIY clients who have another site to recover their systems it also works well."

"Zerto is scalable."

"The Move feature is the most valuable feature because it allows us to move the VM from our old environment to our new environment with minimal disruption."

"The features I have found most valuable in HPE Zerto Software are the replication using the virtual VPGs."

"Using Zerto for the migration was incredibly valuable, enabling us to save tremendous amounts of time."

"Continuous protection is Zerto's most valuable aspect."

"I love the seamless data integration between on-premises and cloud environments. Fast disaster recovery is also valuable."

"Zerto also improves application availability as our business continues to increase our lifespan."

More HPE Zerto Software pros

"The most valuable feature is the incremental backup."

"The cataloging is the best feature, as it takes millions of frames for the backup and, because it's incremental, it takes less time to complete."

"Overall IBM ProtectTIER is a great solution. It is easy to use."

"In terms of stability, I've found it to be very stable. I've walked into the server room when it was at 60 degrees Celcius, and it was still running fine."

"The solution is highly stable."

"In terms of stability, I've found it to be very stable."

"The most valuable features are the self-service features and the ability to search the data."

"The command-line interface is good."

More IBM ProtectTIER pros

Cons

"We would love to have a native management pack for vROps and to be able to view a dashboard and metrics for BPGs within vROps. We would like to have a single view for monitoring and provide customers with dashboards so they can see their own BPGs."

"I don't like the evacuation process. The host evacuation process could be a little simpler too. It takes our maintenance a bit longer, when we are doing host maintenance, because we still need to evacuate the vRAs manually. I know they tried to make it more automatic, but it is not quite there yet."

"When we migrated to new virtual infrastructure, we had to set up Zerto all over again. And that took a long time. It would be nice if Zerto had some sort of migration tool where you could migrate all of your virtual machines to a new infrastructure without having to set up Zerto all over again."

"My only business complaint is the cost of the solution. I feel like the cost could be a tad lower, but we are willing to pay extra to get the Premium service."

"I don't feel like we're a big enough customer to warrant being called every week or every month but it would be good to get a little bit more contact with a salesperson or engineer group."

"I don't have any input for improvement or a critical feature request at this moment. If anything, a lower price is always better."

"Analytics has a 90-day window, where it keeps data. It would be nice to have on-prem storage instead of cloud storage for that so we can keep the data for longer. Unless you discover the problem within three months, you don't know that you need the data. Then, it is gone by the time you realize there is an issue."

"Zerto could improve its pricing and customer care. I've never used customer care, but I talked to someone who had, and they weren't given the information they needed."

More HPE Zerto Software cons

"Setting up the system to work with legacy equipment is a bit complex at times."

"The configuration wizards are still complex and hard to navigate. These should be easier to manage."

"These days, we are thinking about pushing another solution because of the poor support from IBM."

"I would like the possibility to back up the infrastructure and then replicate it upon on restart, without having to orchestrate the starting of the VM."

"It is unmanageable. Support would be good."

"The backup for a large amount of data is slow. When there's a large amount of data, sometimes the backup isn't completed in time."

"My advice to anybody who is considering this solution is to conduct a proof of concept first because everybody's needs are different, and this product is not suitable for every kind of backup."

"IBM ProtectTIER could improve by being more user-friendly."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We believe the pricing, setup costs, and licensing are easy to understand. The pricing seems very reasonable."

"It was a little higher. We were in a corporate agreement, and we had a software package that included RP for VM. It is easy to compare pricing when you are already in a corporate agreement. Zerto lost on the pricing scorecard."

"If it were easier to license, and to scale it out a little bit more economically, that'd be a godsend. At the end of the day, my druthers would be to have all 200 of our servers protected by this platform. But for a company our size, that stretches our IT budget and it just doesn't make economic sense."

"We have always been able to get the pricing worked out. At this new company I am right now, we are doing well. We sometimes go through a third party to help us with pricing, but Zerto is fairly decently priced, especially when you consider some of the other solutions that are out there which could be very expensive."

"We're getting our money's worth with Zerto."

"The pricing is good. It's affordable."

"Zerto previously had a perplexing licensing structure, but they have since resolved it by implementing a unified license."

"Zerto's price seems fair. It's competitive."

More HPE Zerto Software pricing and cost advice

"IBM ProtectTIER is an expensive solution."

"This solution is very expensive."

"The customer can decide how they want to purchase a license. However, the price of the solution is expensive."

"We have a capacity-based license, which is managed centrally for all the sites of my company."

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Comparison Review

it_user159711

Architect at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Nov 9, 2014

VMware SRM vs. Veeam vs. Zerto

Disaster recovery planning is something that seems challenging for all businesses. Virtualization in addition to its operational flexibility, and cost reduction benefits, has helped companies improve their DR posture. Virtualization has made it easier to move machines from production to…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Construction Company

Healthcare Company

Construction Company

22%

Manufacturing Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	94
Midsize Enterprise	93
Large Enterprise	206

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What advice do you have for others considering Oracle Data Guard?

Ik fluister:VM Host Oracle en DataGuard hebben we per toeval vervangen door Zerto :-) tijdens de Zerto implementatie en VPG werden de Host Data in write-ack Block-Level gerepliceerd. Qua licentie 1...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zerto?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is good.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Zerto?

HPE Zerto Software's GUI needs modernization to match the flexibility and user experience of other HPE software solutions, as there is still room for improvement in software-level flexibility and t...

See all answers

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Comparisons

Veeam Data Platform vs HPE Zerto Software

Compared 9% of the time

Rubrik vs HPE Zerto Software

Compared 4% of the time

VMware Live Recovery vs HPE Zerto Software

Compared 4% of the time

Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines vs HPE Zerto Software

Compared 3% of the time

BDRShield vs HPE Zerto Software

Compared 3% of the time

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Dell PowerProtect Data Domain vs IBM ProtectTIER

Compared 10% of the time

HPE StoreOnce vs IBM ProtectTIER

Compared 8% of the time

Rubrik vs IBM ProtectTIER

Compared 7% of the time

CMIT Data Backup vs IBM ProtectTIER

Compared 7% of the time

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vs IBM ProtectTIER

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM ProtectTIER Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HPE Zerto Software

July 2026

Download HPE Zerto Software product report

Buyer's Guide

Deduplication Software

August 2026

Download IBM ProtectTIER product report

Also Known As

Zerto Virtual Replication

No data available

Overview

Zerto is used for disaster recovery, business continuity, data migration, and ransomware recovery, providing continuous data protection and near real-time replication. Valued for ease of use, efficient failover processes, and versatile integration, it enhances organizational efficiency, reduces errors, and boosts productivity.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

IBM ProtectTIER is designed for backup and recovery, providing efficient data management for IBM I Series environments. It offers valuable features like self-service, high adaptability, and data search capabilities.

IBM ProtectTIER stands out in environments requiring robust backup and recovery solutions, particularly suited for IBM I Series. Known for its efficiency in managing large volumes of data, it integrates a command-line interface, automatic workload distribution, and a virtual tape library. While highly functional, improvements in redundancy management, interface complexity, and user-friendliness are needed. It also faces challenges in integrating with legacy systems and ensuring fast backup speeds for substantial data loads.

What are the key features of IBM ProtectTIER?

Self-service: Empowers users to manage backups with ease.
Data Search: Facilitates quick retrieval of required data.
High Adaptability: Adjusts efficiently to data shrinkage needs.
Command-line Interface: Provides effective control over operations.
Incremental Backup: Ensures efficient data storage and saving resources.
Workload Movement: Automatically distributes tasks across storage tiers.
Virtual Tape Library: Configurable for multiple drives, enhancing capacity.

What benefits should users look for?

High Efficiency: Processes and catalogs millions of frames quickly.
Risk Reduction: Uses impressive raw capacity ratios to minimize risk.
Ease of Use: Offers capabilities that simplify backup and recovery tasks.

Organizations use IBM ProtectTIER to manage backup and recovery successfully, deploying it in physical and hybrid infrastructures. It supports short-term backup and archiving for internal IT within diverse deployment methods, accommodating thousands of users and multiple clients while securing database backups effectively.

IBM

Sample Customers

United Airlines, HCA, XPO Logistics, TaxSlayer, McKesson, Insight Global, American Airlines, Tencate, Aaron’s, Grey’s County, Kingston Technologies

Durham Police Department, Re-Store LLC, CenterGrid, pixx.io GmbH, Australian Government Department of Defence, QD, Refresco Gerber

Buyer's Guide

HPE Zerto Software vs. IBM ProtectTIER

August 2026

Free Report: HPE Zerto Software vs. IBM ProtectTIER

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