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Dell NetWorker vs OpenText Data Protector comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

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
8th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
86
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
OpenText Data Protector
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
22nd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell NetWorker is 1.3%, down from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Data Protector is 1.0%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell NetWorker1.3%
OpenText Data Protector1.0%
Other97.7%
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

RaedHassan - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Specialist Backup/Storage at National Bank of Kuwait
Has supported flexible multi-platform backups and improved over time
Regarding the effectiveness of Dell NetWorker in terms of role-based access controls, I have experience with it, but I find it somewhat lacking in flexibility as it offers limited features, and I would rate it around seven out of ten. It is not that there is something wrong with the role-based access controls in Dell NetWorker, but it lacks many permissions or roles to assign, providing options only for administrator or user. To improve Dell NetWorker for the next release, I recommend enhancing flexibility in the policy, allowing selection of multiple options within the same policy, and addressing issues like the DNS lookup dependency to make it more controllable from Dell NetWorker itself rather than relying on other applications. Looking forward, I would like to see improved policy features and a more enhanced GUI, as it is still slow.
Ahmad-Hassan - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Manager And Technical Consultant at EEMC
Provides effective backup for physical servers and needs improvements for cloud compatibility
We use OpenText Data Protector for Oracle database backup and some applications that run for database security OpenText Data Protector is good for physical backup, specifically for physical servers. It is effective for direct backups to EMC library or storage without using a repository. However,…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The GUI is user-friendly."
"Dell EMC NetWorker is scalable."
"Use EMC Data Domain (DD) system and EMC NetWorker."
"It has lots of great features, and we don't find anything lacking."
"The support for legacy products is very good."
"It is an extremely stable product."
"Customer Service: It is great; EMC support is one of the best."
"This solution is really the best in the market! After evaluating other solutions, we automatically decided to use this one."
"We rely on generating daily reports on our stocks for auditing purposes, and those reports are useful, so I would say they are the most valuable feature."
"Data Protector's granular recovery features make it easy for us to create and restore backups in an understandable and user-friendly manner. With granular recovery, any database or even just a database table can be restored at will."
"Micro Focus Data Protector's most valuable feature is its interaction with the fiber share. It is easy to use, we use it to back up without any problem to VTLs, and can use the Fiber Channel that is still the TCP."
"The most valuable feature is the capability to back up our SQL server."
"The valuable features are the ability to backup data, write to D2Ds, and utilize D2D compression technology, so we can store a heck of a lot more data on less storage, saving us time and money."
"The product scales very well and cost-effectively."
"This solution is quite stable because we have only three users."
"A few of the most valuable features for us are backup and restore, the SQL databases, and the exchange and VM's on tape libraries and disks."
 

Cons

"The front end of the solution could improve. The user-friendliness is lacking."
"It could be more user-friendly."
"The initial implementation is not straightforward. It's a bit complex."
"Sometimes just re-installing a client can be a nightmare."
"NetWorker sometimes has issues with the backup not starting and with connecting to the Oracle servers."
"It is not easy to understand and deploy. It is complex in nature. Simplicity is not there. When we deploy it, the customer always needs some training from us. To make it user friendly, there should be one agent that can be used to back up every product. Dell EMC NetWorker uses so many user agents. In PowerProtect Data Manager, you can just install its VM, import that VM into vCenter, and you can start to do backups directly from vCenter. However, in Dell EMC NetWorker, you always need one server, and from that server, you need to initiate all backups. You must know the interface and the CLI. It is not user friendly. It would be a great feature if we can deploy Dell EMC NetWorker on a virtual machine, like Avamar. The additional features that are required in Dell EMC NetWorker are already available in PowerProtect Data Manager and Avamar. Therefore, there is no need to enhance Dell EMC NetWorker. It would be better if they can just rename it to PowerProtect Data Manager or Avamar."
"I would like to see the user interface improved, more documentation, faster support, and it could be easier to configure."
"There should be total integration of the replication and cloud logistic back up on cloud."
"There are lots of bugs around; inability to downgrade version, issues with version upgrades, etc."
"Be ready for an exercise in frustration, but once all the problems are resolved, then you’re OK."
"Microfocus needs to build a partnership with other vendors in addition to HPE as far as cloud consolidation of backups."
"We would like to have a direct plugin to VMware. It could also be simplified, made more usable and manageable."
"When it comes to hardware support, HPE will help you in a minimal amount time. When in comes to software problems, you do not know when they will close your issues."
"OpenText Data Protector is not user-friendly, especially for cloud backup."
"We think troubleshooting is one of the most difficult parts in this product. It is hard to find any signs for job errors and why a job did not run successfully."
"For me, the main weakness of Data Protector now is the Granular Recovery integrations, as they just don’t work as smoothly as they could."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Dell NetWorker has two types of licensing models."
"The solution follows a subscription model for licensing. We pay annually to use the solution and the price is high."
"Dell EMC NetWorker is very expensive."
"Earlier, users had to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs of the product. The licenses were expensive but users used to get the best device to use."
"Dell NetWorker is an expensive solution. None of the backup products are cheap. The licensing model offered is usually a five-year one."
"Low cost is key."
"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."
"The license for the solution is very expensive compared to the other products in the market."
"The solution requires paying for a license."
"The product is cheaper than Commvault."
"The licensing cost is too high."
"Pricing for Micro Focus Data Protector is reasonable."
"It is more affordable compared to other vendors."
"There is a perpetual license involved in addition to support which needs to be renewed annually."
"The pricing is neither too expensive nor very cheap."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
21%
Marketing Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
7%
 

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 Business28
Midsize Enterprise22
Large Enterprise61
 

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell NetWorker?
Regarding the pricing of Dell NetWorker, it depends on the deal or negotiation we have with the vendor, making it reasonable, although I cannot make a definitive decision without knowing the specif...
What needs improvement with Dell NetWorker?
Regarding the effectiveness of Dell NetWorker in terms of role-based access controls, I have experience with it, but I find it somewhat lacking in flexibility as it offers limited features, and I w...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Micro Focus Data Protector?
The solution is expensive as it requires purchasing all features without the option to negotiate based on client numbers, unlike Veeam which offers flexibility in pricing.
What needs improvement with Micro Focus Data Protector?
OpenText Data Protector is not user-friendly, especially for cloud backup. It lacks functions and facilities compared to Veeam, which offers more user-friendliness for virtual machine backups. Ther...
What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Data Protector?
We use OpenText Data Protector ( /products/opentext-data-protector-reviews ) for Oracle database backup and some applications that run for database security.
 

Also Known As

NetWorker
Micro Focus Data Protector, Data Protector, OmniBack, HPE Data Protector
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Republic Bank, Westgate Resorts, Macquire Cloud Services, Shriners, Panatonni, Qatar Islamic Bank, Eurosport
GSK Vaccines, Repsol, Vodafone Group, Siemens AG, Medium Enterprise Transportation Services Company
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell NetWorker vs. OpenText Data Protector and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
886,858 professionals have used our research since 2012.