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Cisco MDS Series vs Dell PowerVault comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 29, 2025

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
6.8
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Dell PowerVault
Ranking in Enterprise SAN
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 9.0%, up from 7.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 15.3%, down from 29.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerVault15.3%
Cisco MDS Series9.0%
Other75.7%
Enterprise SAN
 

Featured Reviews

OğuzKalaycı - PeerSpot reviewer
system engineer at Yaşar Holding
Ensures consistent availability during updates and integrates seamlessly
I am using Cisco MDS in SAN environments for storage connections and server connections The product is very stable and performs well. During the update periods, the devices do not need to reload, ensuring constant availability. It is easy to set up and use. I do not have a central management…
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

"It enables us to integrate and load balance between multiple layer one fiber vendor links, which is very useful."
"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."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is its reliability, support, and scalability."
"The issues with these switches are extremely rare, and the whole product line is very predictable and stable."
"The product is very stable and performs well."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is security."
"The product is very stable and performs well."
"This solution is required for any type of IT infrastructure for Storage Networking and provides high availability for storage service."
"The stability is quite good. Once you deploy all the equipment, it's very stable."
"Dell PowerVault has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to scale infrastructure, saving us cloud storage costs by moving them to high availability in physical storage."
"It is an inexpensive storage solution."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"Dell PowerVault is user-friendly and easy to deploy."
"The most valuable features are stability and response time."
"The initial setup was easy and simple."
"The storage has been good."
 

Cons

"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 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."
"Data Center Network Manager is good but it is not free and requires purchasing a separate license."
"The licensing model could be less complicated."
"I do not have a central management software to manage these products due to the licensing cost."
"I find it difficult to operate and troubleshoot."
"Cisco MDS Series could improve by adding more gigahertz. However, they are doing this over time."
"Sometimes integrating into a cluster can be difficult as you have to do it manually."
"For Dell PowerVault, the deduplication and compression features need improvement."
"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."
"Dell PowerVault could improve by having a higher cache and file protocol support added."
"PowerVault could be improved by increasing its memory cache capacity and adding the ability to export data to the cloud."
"No LCD panel for viewing status on-board."
"We need higher performance and more reliable storage."
"The technical support from Dell could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's perpetual licensing and maintenance is a recurrent cost."
"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."
"The price is reasonable and we are satisfied with it."
"The price of Dell PowerVault could be reduced. It is more expensive than some IBM solutions."
"It is important to remember that the retail price may seem high, but the final price is usually different."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high."
"They are offering a wide range of support models for the customers such as basic support that is budget-friendly, but they also provide a professional support solution that is a bit costly"
"The cost, compared to other solutions, is on the higher end."
"I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten."
"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
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Healthcare Company
9%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
16%
Computer Software Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise7
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise14
 

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?
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.
What is your primary use case for Cisco MDS Series?
I am using Cisco MDS in SAN environments for storage connections and server connections.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerVault?
I think the price, implementation cost, and licensing of Dell PowerVault is reasonable. Considering the resources it delivers, the security, and the reliability the platform gives us, all the costs...
What needs improvement with Dell PowerVault?
I do not see the option for scheduled snapshots in Dell PowerVault because I did not find the information. However, I do use the snapshot option on Dell PowerVault to protect against cyber-attacks....
What is your primary use case for Dell PowerVault?
I work with Dell PowerStore, PowerEdge, and PowerVault, but not PowerProtect. I have been dealing with Dell PowerVault for one year. I use Dell PowerVault for backup storage, as this is the major u...
 

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: April 2026.
896,202 professionals have used our research since 2012.