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Dell NetWorker vs IBM Storage Protect comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 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

Dell NetWorker
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
10th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
86
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM Storage Protect
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
13th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell NetWorker is 2.3%, down from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Storage Protect is 2.1%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell NetWorker2.3%
IBM Storage Protect2.1%
Other95.6%
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

ErmiasGirma - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers seamless integration and cost-saving benefits with enhanced recovery capabilities
Currently, in my organization, I am using Dell NetWorker for open-source solutions like PostgreSQL and MySQL databases, and some large VM environments. It also supports the Dell library and is used for the library archiving system Dell NetWorker allows for extensive customization, supporting…
Syed Habib - PeerSpot reviewer
Manageable and comprehensive and integrates robust backup features for core banking
It's adequate for my core banking, however, I am looking for another solution for all systems. It is not compatible with other operating systems like Windows or Linux, and lacks a consolidated dashboard from Browser Spectrum. This is why I am searching for another solution. The product also lacks any centralized graphical user interface (GUI), such as Jarek Pod, and I am limited to using a console-based text user interface, which my local partner handles completely.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Dell NetWorker's valuable feature is its ability to configure the network for immutability, specifically for backups."
"When it was required that data had to be restored for our customer, it was accomplished successfully and this has kept our end users satisfied."
"Dell NetWorker's user interface is quite simple and very interactive."
"The solution offers compatibility with many types of database systems. It is one of the largest backup solutions. Additionally, it gives important information about data domain systems with deduplication."
"The initial setup is simple."
"The software is quite complicated and useful for large corporations using different information systems."
"The interface is user-friendly and can be used by the end-users."
"The solution is very stable, especially if you are using a RAC environment."
"Overall, my experience with the solution is very positive, and I rate it a 9 out of 10."
"It is a very stable product. The cost is similar to that of other enterprise solutions."
"It is also a product that has been maturing for a long time. This is good because customers need reliability in their enterprise initiatives."
"Every time we go and try to get a file, we can get it. Restores are quick and the data is always there."
"A robust tool which allows us to backup pretty much any environment, virtual or physical."
"We apply the new dedupe and compression technology, using maintenance and time to give more time for the backup window and less time for the overhead related to the daily housekeeping."
"The most valuable features are the stability and also how it's seamlessly integrated with other IBM offerings."
"Scalability is pretty much unlimited."
 

Cons

"The graphical user interface (GUI) of NetWorker needs improvement."
"The data storage capabilities should be improved."
"I would like to see the user interface improved, more documentation, faster support, and it could be easier to configure."
"NetWorker sometimes has issues with the backup not starting and with connecting to the Oracle servers."
"The solution could improve by having more integration."
"When it comes to the stability of the product, some of the stores that have bad connectivity have some challenges backing them up because they operate remotely, the connection is slow, and it takes longer to manage the backup stuff."
"he API side of the solution has certain shortcomings."
"I am not very satisfied with the support."
"It would be helpful if the solution included some sort of ransomware protection."
"I need to have more than two instances working together. I need a worldwide grid able to have replication between three, four, or five instances."
"It is not compatible with other operating systems like Windows or Linux, and lacks a consolidated dashboard from Browser Spectrum."
"Restoring massive files is a very time-consuming process."
"I think Spectrum Protect's interface is not so user-friendly, but the interface is not so friendly. Some of the functions are too complicated. I prefer a simpler solution."
"Perhaps some better documentation, which I believe was better in the past."
"The product’s recovery process in terms of agent installation needs improvement"
"Sometimes we experience trouble with the backup transfer of the control files."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing model can be traditional licensing or capacity-based licensing."
"We use a license without a time term. We just need to buy additional support when needed."
"Pricing is cheaper for this product, compared to its competitors."
"Dell NetWorker is an expensive solution. None of the backup products are cheap. The licensing model offered is usually a five-year one."
"The pricing for the telecom, government, and banking sectors is relatively affordable."
"It is not very expensive and not very cheap."
"I have a capacity-based license, but I don't know the exact cost of that license."
"If you purchase Avamar, NetWorker is free with Avamar, for one terabyte license capacity."
"The product is low cost. It is very cool when we design it to using licensing based on post capacity."
"The solution is not cheap."
"The pricing model of this solution is another difficult area, it's very sophisticated in the way they charge. It's based on PBU, which is a type of processor, how, many processors, and you need to put everything into an equation. However, they have different ways of charging or licensing. One way is a back-end volume or front-end volume, which is quite complicated."
"We have spec'd out our build, and the cost of it can work quite easily today for our future needs."
"The licensing fees are on a yearly basis, which for us it is about R400,000 (approximately $27,000 USD)."
"The platform is neither highly priced nor inexpensive. I rate the pricing a seven out of ten."
"Some of the new advanced features are definitely more into cost savings, e.g., dedupe compression, so doing more with less."
"The product is not cheap."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business24
Midsize Enterprise33
Large Enterprise38
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business53
Midsize Enterprise25
Large Enterprise94
 

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 NetWorker?
The feature that offers the greatest benefits in ensuring data integrity is its backup capability.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell NetWorker?
The licensing cost is somewhat expensive. While we use a traditional license, there is a capacity-based license available, but our customer is not comfortable switching to it. A five to seven perce...
What do you like most about IBM Storage Protect?
The best point about IBM Storage Protect is that it can use IBM tape environments, which we still use and will continue to use in the future.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Storage Protect?
IBM Storage Protect is generally an expensive tool. However, with good contracts with IBM or its partners, the cost might not be so high. New customers can expect very high prices.
What needs improvement with IBM Storage Protect?
One point for improvement for IBM Spectrum Protect is security, as IBM has not been investing as much as in the past. There is a need for additional layers of security to fill the gaps, which is wh...
 

Also Known As

NetWorker
IBM Spectrum Discover
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Republic Bank, Westgate Resorts, Macquire Cloud Services, Shriners, Panatonni, Qatar Islamic Bank, Eurosport
CEMEX
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell NetWorker vs. IBM Storage Protect and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
872,778 professionals have used our research since 2012.