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Cisco MDS Series vs Dell PowerVault comparison

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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
58
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 10.6%, up from 5.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 11.6%, down from 27.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerVault11.6%
Cisco MDS Series10.6%
Other77.8%
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

"It enables us to integrate and load balance between multiple layer one fiber vendor links, which is very useful."
"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 stability has been commendable with no major performance issues and the system consistently provides users the ability to access the network without any problems."
"SAN switches in Cisco MDS Series are a valuable feature of the solution for our company."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is its reliability, support, and scalability."
"The product is very stable and performs well."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is security."
"The initial setup was easy and simple."
"Dell PowerVault offers valuable full flash storage."
"Dell PowerVault offers amazing snapshots and uptime; it simply works."
"Dell PowerVault is one of the best affordable data storage solutions directly attached as DAS and SAN solutions where we can integrate easily with small or medium-sized businesses."
"My advice to others who are considering using Dell PowerVault is that it is definitely a reliable, stable platform and an extremely robust player to be considered in any type of project, whether in those where the storage or even performance demand is lower, as well as in projects where the amount of available space is huge and the need for performance is extremely high."
"My advice to others looking into using Dell PowerVault is that it's a very powerful tool and very reliable, and I would recommend it."
"For the video use case where expansion is sometimes required quickly, Dell PowerVault proves to be an excellent solution due to its significant capacity and scalability over time."
"The best features that Dell PowerVault offers is iDRAC, which is very simple to use, easy, and very straightforward."
 

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 could improve by adding more gigahertz. However, they are doing this over time."
"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having SAN Manager with life cycle management features and Integration with 3rd party storage monitoring tools."
"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having API functionality for automation and programming."
"The product is very expensive."
"The licensing model could be less complicated."
"It is quite a stable product. It should be shipped with the latest firmware to avoid download and upload schema at the beginning of the initial setup. There should also be the possibility of downgrading the firmware when required. WebUI needs DCNM instead a web-based GUI should be made available like Brocade san switch."
"The GUI client is Java-based and we know that Java is not secure, so everyone disables it."
"The tool needs to improve its UI."
"The price of the solution could be lower."
"There is another solution called Veeam Backup that I believe is better than Dell PowerVault."
"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."
"Dell PowerVault could be improved if it continues to deliver what it already delivers, as it is already very good, but certainly, having more resources, more availability, and better energy performance to reduce CO2 emissions, and also having lower energy costs would be the best of both worlds."
"I would say better firmware testing could improve Dell PowerVault."
"We've had some control issues."
"If we speak about the negative side of Dell PowerVault, I do see some areas for improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"The price of the Cisco MDS Series is high."
"The cost, compared to other solutions, is on the higher end."
"It is important to remember that the retail price may seem high, but the final price is usually different."
"The product is inexpensive."
"The price is reasonable and we are satisfied with it."
"I rate the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten."
"I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten."
"I rate Dell PowerVault a six or seven out of ten for pricing."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Outsourcing Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise27
 

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 needs improvement with Dell PowerVault?
Dell PowerVault already has all features and performance needed in this spectrum of storages.
What is your primary use case for Dell PowerVault?
Dell PowerVault has many use cases in private projects and auctions. It is an entry storage that anybody knows and wants. I do not have a particular project currently.
 

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: November 2026.
920,574 professionals have used our research since 2012.