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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
6.7
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 10.5%, up from 5.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 11.8%, down from 28.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerVault11.8%
Cisco MDS Series10.5%
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

"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is security."
"The features I found most valuable are the ease of deployment, it's easy to upgrade, easy to configure and easy to administer. There is no need for vendor professional services which saves project cost. The usage of WebUI for all primary features like hostname, IP address, SNMP traps, zone sets, addition and deletion of zone members or zone sets, backup of switch DB is very simple."
"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."
"SAN switches in Cisco MDS Series are a valuable feature of the solution for our company."
"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."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is its reliability, support, and scalability."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."
"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 is a good company to work with."
"The solution is easy to configure and reliable; the performance is very good, and storage consolidation is quite easy to configure on it."
"It has established itself well, proven itself well, and continues to be very well received by smaller mid-sized companies."
"The MD3260 is a great unit, inexpensive, hold tons of drives, its expandable, and the cost is low."
"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerVault is its ability to provide small to medium-range storage. It doesn't have any specific standout features, but it's great for applications, such as surveillance where a large number of videos need to be recorded and performance isn't a priority."
"Dell PowerVault offers amazing snapshots and uptime; it simply works."
"It helped us improve our whole VMware infrastructure and improve functions there."
 

Cons

"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."
"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 solution's management interface and GUI need improvement."
"The licensing model could be less complicated."
"Cisco MDS Series could improve by adding more gigahertz. However, they are doing this over time."
"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."
"I find it difficult to operate and troubleshoot."
"Inter-site replication needs enhancement, particularly in Fibre Channel."
"Dell PowerVault does not have an NFS feature. If you want to use it, you need to purchase Unity XT models for unified infrastructure."
"I would like Dell to improve the configuration of the disk groups. Only one group is expandable."
"We've had some control issues."
"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."
"If we speak about the negative side of Dell PowerVault, I do see some areas for improvement."
"I already see disadvantages in Dell PowerVault where if we can work to increase the storage up to 10 tera, for example, this will be better."
"PowerVault doesn't integrate with Active Directory. Other storage solutions offer SAN and NAS unified storage in a single appliance, but PowerVault is only SAN."
 

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 the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten."
"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 price is reasonable and we are satisfied with it."
"It is important to remember that the retail price may seem high, but the final price is usually different."
"I would rate the pricing model a nine out of ten, with one being expensive and ten being cheap."
"I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten."
"The solution is more cost-effective than the competitors. It’s an affordable option for small businesses."
"The cost, compared to other solutions, is on the higher end."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
11%
Healthcare Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
17%
Outsourcing Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise21
 

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 cost for Dell PowerVault is already a good point for us, as it is very cheap for our customers. Regarding our operations with Dell PowerVault, it is very inexpensive.
What needs improvement with Dell PowerVault?
I already see disadvantages in Dell PowerVault where if we can work to increase the storage up to 10 tera, for example, this will be better. However, as you know, we have a limit for the usable cap...
What is your primary use case for Dell PowerVault?
Dell PowerVault acts as an entry storage, and I am proposing it for small businesses regarding its use cases. The customer already needs SAS storage or SAN for Dell PowerVault. If the customer need...
 

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: September 2026.
914,938 professionals have used our research since 2012.