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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
36
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 8.0%, up from 8.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 17.5%, down from 28.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerVault17.5%
Cisco MDS Series8.0%
Other74.5%
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

"The most valuable features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."
"The product is easy to use."
"The product is very stable and performs well."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is its reliability, support, and scalability."
"The most valuable feature of the Cisco MDS Series is security."
"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 features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."
"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."
"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."
"I like the tool's CloudIQ feature."
"Customer Service: Very good general Dell Storage support is very responsive."
"The most valuable features are stability and response time."
"The Dell warranty is the most valuable feature."
"Dell PowerVault is cheap."
"Dell is a good company to work with."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is that it is easy to manage and easy to use."
 

Cons

"I do not have a central management software to manage these products due to the licensing cost."
"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 licensing model could be less complicated."
"Data Center Network Manager is good but it is not free and requires purchasing a separate license."
"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having API functionality for automation and programming."
"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."
"Sometimes integrating into a cluster can be difficult as you have to do it manually."
"The technical support from Dell could be better."
"I would like to see improvements made to the user interface."
"The MD3220i needs to allow for larger drive sizes."
"The implementation process takes a while."
"In the next release, I would like the deduplication and compression included, as well as the flash technology. It doesn't currently use it."
"If the solution came with a synchronous application, it would be particularly advantageous for small businesses operating across multiple sites."
"PowerVault could be improved by increasing its memory cache capacity and adding the ability to export data to the cloud."
 

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 price of Dell PowerVault could be reduced. It is more expensive than some IBM solutions."
"The solution is more cost-effective than the competitors. It’s an affordable option for small businesses."
"I would rate the pricing model a nine out of ten, with one being expensive and ten being cheap."
"The price is reasonable and we are satisfied with it."
"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 solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten."
"It is important to remember that the retail price may seem high, but the final price is usually different."
"I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten."
report
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892,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
10%
Healthcare Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
16%
Computer Software Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
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 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 usin...
What is your primary use case for Dell PowerVault?
My main use case for Dell PowerVault is primarily for massive storage of the information from our servers. A concrete example of how Dell PowerVault has made large-scale information storage on my s...
 

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.
892,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.