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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
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

"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."
"SAN switches in Cisco MDS Series are a valuable feature of the solution for our company."
"The product is easy to use."
"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 product is very stable and performs well."
"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 stability has been commendable with no major performance issues and the system consistently provides users the ability to access the network without any problems."
"Customer Service: Very good general Dell Storage support is very responsive."
"PowerVault comes with free software that performs functions like data deduplication and replication, which is cost-effective and delivers added value to the product."
"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerVault is its performance."
"The initial setup was easy and simple."
"The security of the backup and the overall system that Dell PowerVault brings to the table is definitely the most valuable feature."
"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 biggest advantage of the product that really stands out for me is its price and the comparison of price with performance; its price is very good, and the performance according to this price is sufficient based on backup requirements, so it is perfect."
"It is an inexpensive storage solution."
 

Cons

"The product is very expensive."
"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."
"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 licensing model could be less complicated."
"The solution's management interface and GUI need improvement."
"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."
"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."
"Sometimes integrating into a cluster can be difficult as you have to do it manually."
"Something that could be improved or enhanced by Dell is more exchange of new information about the technology itself, a broader exchange of suggestions, new contributions, and new insights that we could be implementing in our environment."
"If we speak about the negative side of Dell PowerVault, I do see some areas for improvement."
"There is room for improvement with Dell PowerVault as we did have some promises about dedupe and compression that did not turn out as promised, but Dell trued up and gave us more storage for no cost."
"The technical support from Dell could be better."
"No LCD panel for viewing status on-board."
"Dell PowerVault interfaces sometimes work slowly, and Dell should focus on improving the interfaces."
"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."
 

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."
"The price of the Cisco MDS Series is high."
"It's perpetual licensing and maintenance is a recurrent cost."
"The price of Dell PowerVault could be reduced. It is more expensive than some IBM solutions."
"I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten."
"The price is reasonable and we are satisfied with it."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high."
"The product is inexpensive."
"The cost, compared to other solutions, is on the higher end."
"Dell PowerVault's price is the tool's main attraction."
"I rate the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten."
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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 Business20
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.
911,039 professionals have used our research since 2012.