Dell EqualLogic PS series vs IBM FlashSystem comparison

Dell Technologies and IBM are both solutions in the Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) category. Dell Technologies is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.0, while IBM is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4. Dell Technologies holds a 2.3% mindshare in MS, compared to IBM’s 19.2% mindshare. Additionally, 78% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Dell EqualLogic PS series

Read 19 Dell EqualLogic PS series reviews

337 Views
337 Comparison Views

78% willing to recommend

IBM FlashSystem

Read 111 IBM FlashSystem reviews

8,245 Views
1,319 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Dell EqualLogic PS series

IBM FlashSystem

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 2, 2025

Dell EqualLogic PS series and IBM FlashSystem are competing products in data storage solutions. IBM FlashSystem has the upper hand in terms of advanced features and performance, while Dell EqualLogic PS series appeals with pricing and support.

Features: Dell EqualLogic PS series offers seamless scalability, automated load balancing, and excellent reliability. IBM FlashSystem provides low latency, advanced data reduction capabilities, and superior virtualization features.

Room for Improvement: Dell EqualLogic PS series could improve with more advanced data reduction and virtualization features, higher processing speed, and enhanced interface complexity handling. IBM FlashSystem may face challenges with better integration support, simpler deployment steps, and more budget-friendly options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Dell EqualLogic PS series is known for its easy deployment process and reliable customer support, attracting organizations that prioritize user-friendly solutions. IBM FlashSystem requires a steeper learning curve but offers comprehensive resources and support for complex environments.

Pricing and ROI: Dell EqualLogic PS series is cost-effective and delivers a satisfactory ROI, making it an appealing choice for budget-conscious users. IBM FlashSystem, although more expensive initially, offers significant ROI through its advanced features and improved performance, making it valuable for long-term investments.

To learn more, read our detailed Dell EqualLogic PS series vs. IBM FlashSystem Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Dell EqualLogic PS series vs. IBM FlashSystem

July 2025

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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

Dell EqualLogic PS series

Ranking in Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

7th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM FlashSystem

Ranking in Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

111

Ranking in other categories

NAS (5th), All-Flash Storage (13th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) category, the mindshare of Dell EqualLogic PS series is 2.3%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM FlashSystem is 19.2%, up from 16.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

Featured Reviews

Abdul Rehman Abid

Manager Enterprise Solutions at Megaplus

Useful auto tiering, excellent support, and highly reliable

The initial setup of the Dell EqualLogic PS series is simple. The physical connectivity and rack mounting time depend on the size of the deployment. For example, if we have five of the Dell EqualLogic PS series we can mount and do the cabling within two hours. The initial configuration can be done within an hour. The estimated time to deploy from start to finish in this scenario is four to five hours maximum. One person can do most of the deployment, such as configuration, but a helper is needed to do the mounting of the cables.

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OmarIsmail1

Infrastructure Technical Specialist II at Clicks Group

Offers high performance and dependable support for fast storage needs

The most valuable feature of IBM FlashSystem ( /products/ibm-flashsystem-reviews ) is its robust back code. When integrated properly into the environment and configured according to the guidelines, it provides a very solid infrastructure that does the job on demand. Additionally, IBM FlashSystem offers competitive pricing and reliable performance. The hardware is dependable, ensuring that it functions effectively when the setup is done correctly.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"Technical support, when we had access to it, was very good."

"The technical support for EqualLogic has been universally outstanding."

"The most valuable feature of Dell EqualLogic PS series auto tiering by using this feature, the customer can get higher performance on a valuable budget."

"It is extremely reliable."

"It is stable and scalable."

"The technical support for the solution was really good."

"The technical support is very good."

More Dell EqualLogic PS series pros

"This solution is convenient, user-friendly, convenient and reliable."

"We are a 100% satisfied with the stability of the solution."

"The solution is very easy to configure and use."

"The solution is scalable and has varying degrees of scalability."

"IBM FlashSystem has an easy to use GUI, similar to the IBM Storewize family, which make it one of the best flash storage systems in the market."

"The storage system is one of the best in the world."

"The performance of the solution is noteworthy."

"IBM FlashSystem 5300 is offered at a very low cost in Israel, which is advantageous for small companies."

More IBM FlashSystem pros

Cons

"The performance isn't as good as, for example, Nimble."

"The only challenging part in the tool was related to some site recovery area. In order to exploit the site recovery area, my company had to purchase additional VMware products."

"If I need to have more space or more capacity, I need to replace the product. It would be ideal if we could scale without replacing the box itself."

"There is no option for mixing RAID types in one device."

"It is at the end of support and no longer supported. We have to move our VMware to another storage platform, and we have decided to use Dell PowerStore. We like Dell's products, and it is a new platform with a lot of features."

"Why is it not possible for both controllers to be simultaneously active (load balancing)?"

"Dell EqualLogic PS series could improve the performance because in our hybrid configuration the read speed is faster than the write speed."

"Synchronous replication uses space inefficiently."

More Dell EqualLogic PS series cons

"The deduplication and compression ratio is not very good. It's not reaching a very high ratio."

"The solution is quite expensive. That's one of the downsides to using it."

"The security features can be improved such that the encryption does not affect performance in any way."

"The interface could improve in IBM FlashSystem."

"In IBM FlashSystem, data reduction is an area with shortcomings where improvements can be made in the future."

"Additional licenses might be added for the fundamental licenses, such as those for copying and flash copies."

"In the next release having the next level of high-speed performance would be great."

"The product needs to improve their scalability."

More IBM FlashSystem cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It seemed expensive at first, but the durability lowered the cost of ownership dramatically over time."

"It is a fair price."

"Dell EqualLogic PS series can improve its scale-out feature. Sometimes the customer has a limited budget for storage expansion. When they want to expand their capacity, they need to buy a complete controller plus storage capacity, which sometimes is out of their budget. If Dell EqualLogic PS series support could scale up the environment in which only hard drive extension controllers should be supported, then customers can expand within a lower budget."

"I don't think I would say that the product is less expensive...The product's price is not an issue for our company, considering the relationship we have with Dell and the customer support we receive."

"Licensing is pretty straightforward."

"There are annual maintenance costs beyond the original licensing period."

"I didn't buy it. It was another person seven years ago. So, I don't really know, but all storage platforms cost a lot of money. It is probably in the mid-range, but you get what you pay for."

"Initial packages include all upgrades and services."

More Dell EqualLogic PS series pricing and cost advice

"My customers got the IBM FlashSystem bundle offer. It was a one-time purchase for three years of service. The price would depend on the storage size and could reach between $25,000 to $55,000."

"The cost is pretty high in terms of licensing. We pay at least $100,000 USD in licensing fees for the storage."

"The price of IBM FlashSystem is reasonable."

"The solution requires a license and could be less expensive."

"The pricing is competitive in our country."

"It pays to go back and get the best price you can from your supplier. The first offer is not always at the best discount."

"This is an expensive product and if the price were reduced it would be better."

"The total storage capacity vs price is still quite high for the IBM Flash Array."

More IBM FlashSystem pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell EqualLogic PS series?

The technical support for the solution was really good.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell EqualLogic PS series?

The main issue was that when there were new storage solutions technologies available on the market, Dell EqualLogic PS Series was not compatible with the latest products. Right now, we have a stora...

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What is your primary use case for Dell EqualLogic PS series?

I used the solution in my company since we had a virtual infrastructure, which served as our storage array with ESXi connections, which are also integrated with VMware solutions.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM FlashSystem?

It is simple to make an update.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM FlashSystem?

Many factors affect purchasing directly from IBM, often involving a multi-step process. Customers, especially in banking, often use the latest devices as they are upgrading, indicating they do not ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM FlashSystem?

The deduplication technology in IBM FlashSystem needs significant improvement. Other vendors like NetApp ( /products/netapp-41749-reviews ) offer better deduplication technology, which is noticeabl...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 100% of the time

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Compared 22% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

Pure Storage FlashArray vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

Huawei OceanStor Dorado vs IBM FlashSystem

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NetApp AFF vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell EqualLogic PS series

July 2025

Download Dell EqualLogic PS series product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem

July 2025

Download IBM FlashSystem product report

Also Known As

EqualLogic PS series

IBM Storwize

Overview

EqualLogic PS Series arrays bring a new level of performance to service more of your most demanding applications and virtualization requirements, while delivering the simplicity of the EqualLogic management experience. Featuring six array configurations, including 2U/2.5" drive options with All Flash and Hybrid Arrays, it is ideal for companies and organizations with growing data and performance needs.

Dell Technologies

IBM FlashSystem products are enterprise computer data storage systems that store data on flash memory chips. Unlike storage systems that use standard solid-state drives, IBM FlashSystem products incorporate custom hardware based on technology from the 2012 acquisition of Texas Memory Systems. This hardware provides performance, reliability, and efficiency benefits versus competitive offerings.

IBM

Sample Customers

FAW Foundry, AW Engineering, Unimat, eLongNet Information Technology, BDO Brasil, Odyssey Space Research

Celero, Friedhelm Loh Group, Clarks, Mingkang Natregro Health Food Group, Sofia, Etisalat Fights Fraud, UF Health Shands Hospital, Generali, Elecon Engineering Company Limited, Ventiv , Technology, CPFL Energia, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., SciQuest, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Paddy Power, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Interconnect Services, Severstal IP-Only AB, PVU Group GmbH

Buyer's Guide

Dell EqualLogic PS series vs. IBM FlashSystem

July 2025

Free Report: Dell EqualLogic PS series vs. IBM FlashSystem

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