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Dell Avamar vs Synology DSM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Dell Avamar
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
12th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
87
Ranking in other categories
Deduplication Software (3rd)
Synology DSM
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
20th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell Avamar is 3.6%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.7%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

Sebastien Chene - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable, integrates well with other solutions, and has a good price, but its UI needs a refresh
What would make Dell Avamar better is if it can do faster backups because right now, PowerProtect Data Manager is better in this area with its new UI and a new way to implement backups. Customers nowadays also expect more up-to-date solutions, and this is another area for improvement in Dell Avamar. It's not as up-to-date, so I'm counting on PowerProtect Data Manager, but customers who have Dell Avamar don't want to switch because you don't have as many backup problems in Dell Avamar compared to other solutions. What I'd like to see in the next release of Dell Avamar is an updated UI and a different way to manage backups because currently, backup management is a bit heavy for customers using Dell Avamar.
Michael Adejoh - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable and cost-effective
One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication. Currently, it lacks the capability to automatically stop backups if it detects a virus or suspicious network activity, as some third-party solutions can. Having AI-driven analytics to identify anomalies and halt backups during potential attacks, along with notifications to administrators, would be valuable. Additionally, providing a dashboard for monitoring the backup environment's security would be a beneficial feature. These improvements would help address security concerns and make Synology more competitive in this aspect.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Stable and scalable backup and recovery software, with good technical support."
"The most valuable features are image backups and file backups."
"For the on-prem backup, it has all the necessary features that we require. They keep coming up with new scripts and new updates."
"The solution is very user-friendly."
"Dell EMC Avamar is very good with endpoint backups."
"The solution is very stable."
"Its deduplication technologies are the best in the market, currently."
"Duplication and the speed of backup are great."
"The solution's most valuable feature stems from its ease of use, making it the tool's most interesting part."
"The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity."
"The most valuable features are the basic storage, file management, Btrfs file system, and built-in backups that come with the solution."
"Because of its simplicity and the wide array of features it offers, I would recommend DSM for both tech-savvy individuals and those who prefer a straightforward file-serving solution."
"The most valuable aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it serves as a backup for our company's virtual machine."
"It offers a variety of software options through its package center, allowing users to customize their NAS device to serve multiple purposes."
"Synology DSM is very easy to work and operate."
 

Cons

"The UI is quite old. We've been using this UI since last year, and they haven't changed it. It would be better to update the UI periodically and create attractive dashboards from an administrative point of view."
"The client caches and deduplication system have a few problems."
"We don't trust the product 100 percent. Kaspersky has many features Dell Avamar doesn't support, such as granular backup and history."
"The UI is not easy to use. There are other products such as Veeam that are easy to use for the end-user which is why they are moving away from Avamar or Networker."
"Its ability to back up very large objects can be improved. In terms of new features, they can include the ability to use cloud services, like S3, more natively."
"EMC has discontinued their Avamar hardware version. They only advertise the Avamar virtual edition."
"What would make Dell Avamar better is if it can do faster backups because right now, PowerProtect Data Manager is better in this area with its new UI and a new way to implement backups. Customers nowadays also expect more up-to-date solutions, and this is another area for improvement in Dell Avamar. It's not as up-to-date, so I'm counting on PowerProtect Data Manager, but customers who have Dell Avamar don't want to switch because you don't have as many backup problems in Dell Avamar compared to other solutions. What I'd like to see in the next release of Dell Avamar is an updated UI and a different way to manage backups because currently, backup management is a bit heavy for customers using Dell Avamar."
"Avamar cannot back up Nutanix as a virtual solution."
"Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly."
"One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication."
"Synology DSM's user interface is not quite intuitive."
"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."
"The platform could be much more cost-effective and flexible for integrating third-party products."
"There's a surveillance application that allows you to connect IP cameras and stream footage to Synology and it is a great feature, but it's not always clear that adding more cameras may require purchasing additional licenses."
"The product's only shortcoming is pricing, as it is an expensive solution."
"Synology DSM is a good enough solution for small and medium companies, but I have not seen a big configuration of the solution for a big organization."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"On a scale of one to five, I would rate the pricing policy of Dell Avamar as five. The solution has a very good price, and a lot of improvements were done to it."
"There are licensing costs for Dell EMC Avamar and it is paid annually."
"The cost is high."
"Its price should be reduced. It would be good if you could pay as per usage, and there is a subscription model like VMware. There should be some flexibility because sometimes, the customer only uses the backup for one month or three months. Currently, I have to pay whether I use it or not. Its licensing should be flexible and based on consumption."
"Regarding pricing, I would say Avamar is slightly expensive compared to its functionalities. It's not high-priced or low-priced but somewhere in between."
"Dell Avamar is expensive."
"Dell Avamar is a moderately priced solution."
"This is a fairly expensive solution. It cost approximately 21,000 each year."
"The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."
"It is quite an affordable solution."
"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."
"The price of the solution is very good."
"Synology DSM is a free tool."
"The licensing part of the solution is free. The hardware is more expensive than the other solutions in the market, but it's okay in the long run."
"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
10%
Retailer
7%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What's the difference between Dell EMC Avamar and Dell EMC NetWorker?
From the very beginning, Dell EMC NetWorker considers users and those who might potentially become users. In terms of both pricing and setup, this product offers an experience that is significantly...
What do you like most about Dell Avamar?
Easy to configure and highly reliable for backup.
What do you like most about Synology DSM?
The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Synology DSM?
The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive.
What needs improvement with Synology DSM?
Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly.
 

Also Known As

Avamar
Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)
 

Learn More

Video not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Dodge County, St Laurence's College, FieldCore (a GE Company), Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Getronics, Lewisville Independent School District, EnvisionRxOptions, Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Avamar vs. Synology DSM and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.