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Cisco MDS Series vs Dell PowerVault comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

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

Cisco MDS Series
Ranking in Enterprise SAN
4th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Dell PowerVault
Ranking in Enterprise SAN
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
44
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 10.0%, up from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 12.3%, down from 30.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerVault12.3%
Cisco MDS Series10.0%
Other77.7%
Enterprise SAN
 

Featured Reviews

VK
Product Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Reliable storage networking has ensured seamless multi-protocol access and continuous redundancy
Currently, I do not have any major suggestions for improvement as everything is working well without issues. If additional functions could be introduced to simplify usage, I would suggest that AI functionality or better integration capabilities would be advantageous for Cisco MDS Series. Any new AI-related features or functionality added to Cisco MDS Series would represent a positive advancement.
Storage has supported long-term CCTV archiving and improves on-premises application performance
I think it would be good regarding how Dell PowerVault could improve to have, in addition to the excellent support service that exists, some training courses, forums, and a training school for using these tools. Many people specialize only in this kind of equipment, and others have no idea how to configure them or how they work and always end up depending on people who have spent a long time working with these systems and know how to handle them more because of experience than because of information that can be easily obtained about using this equipment. Everything regarding additional aspects that could be improved in Dell PowerVault has already been mentioned.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"SAN switches in Cisco MDS Series are a valuable feature of the solution for our company."
"MDS's reliability is at a high level, the issues with these switches are extremely rare, and the whole product line is very predictable and stable."
"Cisco MDS 9148 SAN switch model is the best product, highly reliable and low cost, easy to deploy, easy to upgrade, easy to configure, easy to administer, and it gives effective performance when used for SAN switch connectivity between hosts and storage boxes."
"The product is easy to use."
"It enables us to integrate and load balance between multiple layer one fiber vendor links, which is very useful."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is its reliability, support, and scalability."
"The product is very stable and performs well."
"The stability has been commendable with no major performance issues and the system consistently provides users the ability to access the network without any problems."
"For us, the initial setup was easy."
"For customers who require entry-level storage, Dell PowerVault is an excellent choice."
"It helped us improve our whole VMware infrastructure and improve functions there."
"I find this solution to be cost-effective in providing data storage for clients."
"I believe Dell PowerVault is the best option on the market at the moment, especially for entry-level and budget solutions."
"The most valuable features are that it's easy to set up and I also like the provisioning of storage because it's very easy."
"Dell PowerVault is cheap."
"Dell's technical support is excellent."
 

Cons

"The GUI client is Java-based and we know that Java is not secure, so everyone disables it."
"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having API functionality for automation and programming."
"Webui needs Data Center Network Management tool licensed copy for accessing Cisco Switches instead a web-based GUI should be made easily available the way Brocade san switch is managed."
"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having SAN Manager with life cycle management features and Integration with 3rd party storage monitoring tools."
"I find it difficult to operate and troubleshoot."
"I do not have a central management software to manage these products due to the licensing cost. It would be beneficial to have central management software for easier handling."
"The product is very expensive."
"The solution's management interface and GUI need improvement."
"For Dell PowerVault, the deduplication and compression features need improvement."
"I have experienced issues with the stability and reliability as more known features concerning controller management and controller management ports mostly stuck, and I have to reboot the management controller."
"We've had some control issues."
"Regarding Dell PowerVault, the reliability of the drives is an area for improvement, and I would appreciate a little more silent cooling because with the platform, if it is open, the noise levels are quite high."
"We could set up the installation through a web server, but it's not very reactive on the web server. For example, when you launch a task, and you don't know exactly if the task has begun or if the task is in progress, or if it's finished. You have to wait for three to five to ten minutes to be sure that the task is running or in progress or finished. So at that point, it's not very good."
"The scalability is present but it is a bit complex to scale to the desired level. When we needed to increase the performance, we faced some issues."
"Areas where I feel Dell PowerVault could be improved include especially the enterprise area and multiple interfaces in other areas, for example, backup software solutions and their integration."
"In the next release, I would like the deduplication and compression included, as well as the flash technology. It doesn't currently use it."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the Cisco MDS Series is high."
"Pricing cannot be considered an advantageous trait of the solution since it is expensive. I rate the solution's pricing a three out of ten."
"It's perpetual licensing and maintenance is a recurrent cost."
"I rate Dell PowerVault a six or seven out of ten for pricing."
"It is important to remember that the retail price may seem high, but the final price is usually different."
"The cost, compared to other solutions, is on the higher end."
"I rate the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten."
"Dell PowerVault's price is the tool's main attraction."
"The price of Dell PowerVault could be reduced. It is more expensive than some IBM solutions."
"The price is reasonable and we are satisfied with it."
"I would rate the pricing model a nine out of ten, with one being expensive and ten being cheap."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Healthcare Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
17%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise19
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco MDS Series?
The pricing could be improved as the solution is very expensive. I am on a yearly payment basis.
What needs improvement with Cisco MDS Series?
Currently, I do not have any major suggestions for improvement as everything is working well without issues. If additional functions could be introduced to simplify usage, I would suggest that AI f...
What is your primary use case for Cisco MDS Series?
Cisco MDS Series is primarily used for connecting storage arrays. The multi-protocol feature supports all protocols and functionality working seamlessly. Virtual SANs operate without any issues. Pe...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerVault?
The pricing for Dell PowerVault is reasonable, and so are the replacement drives. Even if the machine is out of warranty, you can always extend the warranty. It has contributed to staying within bu...
What needs improvement with Dell PowerVault?
Regarding Dell PowerVault, the reliability of the drives is an area for improvement, and I would appreciate a little more silent cooling because with the platform, if it is open, the noise levels a...
What is your primary use case for Dell PowerVault?
I usually recommend Dell PowerVault to banking companies that had large databases. Their database server was connected directly to Dell PowerVault to expand the database storage on the database ser...
 

Also Known As

Cisco MDS 9100, Cisco MDS 9222i, Cisco MDS 9700
PowerVault
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

National Rugby League
Dayco, FAW Foundry, University of Cambridge, Finder, Stadtwerke Pforzheim GmbH & Co.
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco MDS Series vs. Dell PowerVault and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
910,350 professionals have used our research since 2012.