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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
3rd
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
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 5.5%, down from 20.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 29.7%, up from 9.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell PowerVault29.7%
Cisco MDS Series5.5%
Other64.8%
Enterprise SAN
 

Featured Reviews

OğuzKalaycı - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
RichardLynch - PeerSpot reviewer
Administrative ease and dependable support consistently enhance our operations
I would say my favorite features of Dell PowerVault are that it's pretty easy to use. It has been pretty stable. Firmware updates have been pretty easy to install and updates are pretty easy to do. Replacing a bad drive is fairly simple. It is just fairly easy to administer it.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The issues with these switches are extremely rare, and the whole product line is very predictable and stable."
"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."
"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 features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is security."
"The product is easy to use."
"SAN switches in Cisco MDS Series are a valuable feature of the solution for our company."
"I find this solution to be cost-effective in providing data storage for clients."
"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."
"We've even used PowerVault series that we intended to use for five years for almost eight years, and it was still working fine, providing good ROI compared to any other brand, which are the overall advantages of Dell PowerVault."
"Dell PowerVault is cost-effective as a storage solution, and I see it has competitive pricing with other vendors."
"The Dell warranty is the most valuable feature."
"Dell PowerVault is user-friendly and easy to deploy."
"The stability is quite good. Once you deploy all the equipment, it's very stable."
"The storage has been good."
 

Cons

"The licensing model could be less complicated."
"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having API functionality for automation and programming."
"The GUI client is Java-based and we know that Java is not secure, so everyone disables it."
"Cisco MDS Series could improve by adding more gigahertz. However, they are doing this over time."
"The solution's management interface and GUI need improvement."
"The product is very expensive."
"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."
"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 price of the solution could be lower."
"I would like to see improvements made to the user interface."
"In most instances, clients are using Dell PowerVault with tape drives, but we want to transition them away from tape drives due to the risk of data loss."
"We need higher performance and more reliable storage."
"The product is generally stable, but there have been instances, to my knowledge, where we faced issues in the controller during software upgrades. The availability is not at the desired level during these upgrade processes, as we sometimes need to shut down both controllers. This could be an area for 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."
"The implementation process takes a while."
"Dell PowerVault could improve by having a higher cache and file protocol support added."
 

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."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high."
"The solution is more cost-effective than the competitors. It’s an affordable option for small businesses."
"I rate the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten."
"I would rate the pricing model a nine out of ten, with one being expensive and ten being cheap."
"It is important to remember that the retail price may seem high, but the final price is usually different."
"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"
"I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten."
"The price of Dell PowerVault could be reduced. It is more expensive than some IBM solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
10%
Healthcare Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
9%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise11
 

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 do you like most about Dell PowerVault?
Dell PowerVault offers valuable full flash storage.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerVault?
I don't get involved in the negotiations for price for Dell PowerVault. We get a pretty good discount. I don't think it's terribly priced, but Pure Storage is cheaper.
What needs improvement with Dell PowerVault?
I think expandability could be improved for Dell PowerVault. It should be easier to expand and get expansion on it.
 

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 2025.
870,623 professionals have used our research since 2012.