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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
46
Ranking in other categories
Fibre Channel (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 10.0%, up from 5.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerVault is 11.9%, down from 28.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerVault11.9%
Cisco MDS Series10.0%
Other78.1%
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

"SAN switches in Cisco MDS Series are a valuable feature of the solution for our company."
"The product is very stable and performs well."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the devices, databases, and zoning."
"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 security."
"The product is easy to use."
"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."
"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."
"It has established itself well, proven itself well, and continues to be very well received by smaller mid-sized companies."
"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerVault is its performance."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The storage has been good."
"The most valuable features in Dell PowerVault are a hybrid of SSD and HDD, the FC connection to the servers, the ease of updating firmware, and its overall stability and resilience."
"The most valuable features are that it's easy to set up and I also like the provisioning of storage because it's very easy."
"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 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."
 

Cons

"Data Center Network Manager is good but it is not free and requires purchasing a separate license."
"Cisco MDS Series could improve by adding more gigahertz. However, they are doing this over time."
"I find it difficult to operate and troubleshoot."
"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 GUI client is Java-based and we know that Java is not secure, so everyone disables it."
"The licensing model could be less complicated."
"Cisco MDS Series can improve by having SAN Manager with life cycle management features and Integration with 3rd party storage monitoring tools."
"The solution's management interface and GUI need improvement."
"Only once when the storage array seem to be very slow and caused VMware Hosts to not see the volumes."
"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."
"In the next release, I would like the deduplication and compression included, as well as the flash technology. It doesn't currently use it."
"I would like Dell to improve the configuration of the disk groups. Only one group is expandable."
"Sometimes integrating into a cluster can be difficult as you have to do it manually."
"No LCD panel for viewing status on-board."
"Dell PowerVault interfaces sometimes work slowly, and Dell should focus on improving the interfaces."
"The price of the solution could be lower."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's perpetual licensing and maintenance is a recurrent cost."
"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."
"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."
"The cost, compared to other solutions, is on the higher end."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high."
"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."
"I rate Dell PowerVault a six or seven out of ten for pricing."
"Dell PowerVault's price is the tool's main attraction."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Healthcare Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
17%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
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 Business20
Midsize Enterprise14
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.
911,839 professionals have used our research since 2012.