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Cisco MDS Series vs Dell PowerVault comparison

 

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
41
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 9.5%, up from 6.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 13.5%, down from 30.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerVault13.5%
Cisco MDS Series9.5%
Other77.0%
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 its reliability, support, and scalability."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."
"The product is very stable and performs well."
"The product is easy to use."
"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 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 security."
"This solution is required for any type of IT infrastructure for Storage Networking and provides high availability for storage service."
"I find this solution to be cost-effective in providing data storage for clients."
"The MD3260 is a great unit, inexpensive, hold tons of drives, its expandable, and the cost is low."
"It is an inexpensive storage solution."
"Dell PowerVault is user-friendly and easy to deploy."
"The storage has been good."
"The security of the backup and the overall system that Dell PowerVault brings to the table is definitely the most valuable feature."
"The stability is quite good. Once you deploy all the equipment, it's very stable."
"For us, the initial setup was easy."
 

Cons

"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."
"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."
"The product is very expensive."
"The solution's management interface and GUI need improvement."
"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."
"I find it difficult to operate and troubleshoot."
"The implementation process takes a while."
"I could not recommend this solution to others, because the technology is old."
"We need higher performance and more reliable storage."
"We've had some control issues."
"If you do not have an existing relationship with Dell or are exploring the market for the first time, the initial acquisition cost of Dell PowerVault is high compared to competitors such as Hitachi or IBM, which often undercut prices."
"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."
"Dell PowerVault interfaces sometimes work slowly, and Dell should focus on improving the interfaces."
"No LCD panel for viewing status on-board."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's perpetual licensing and maintenance is a recurrent cost."
"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."
"I rate the price of Dell PowerVault a nine out of ten."
"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 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."
"The price of Dell PowerVault could be reduced. It is more expensive than some IBM solutions."
"I rate Dell PowerVault a six or seven out of ten for pricing."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
9%
Healthcare Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
17%
Computer Software Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
8%
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 Business18
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise16
 

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?
Budget is one concept I am not aware of because I am not really involved in it, so I cannot comment on whether Dell PowerVault has contributed to staying within budget for operations.
What needs improvement with Dell PowerVault?
I had one issue with managing comprehensive storage data management features such as snapshot, replication, and provisioning with Dell PowerVault. Once you create the LUNs, you can always expand th...
What is your primary use case for Dell PowerVault?
Someone approached me to get a review of my experience with Dell PowerVault. I have used Dell PowerVault servers on multiple sites, and recently, those were customer sites. I work for one organizat...
 

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: June 2026.
899,917 professionals have used our research since 2012.