Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs NetApp Private Storage comparison

Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs. NetApp Private Storage

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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 PowerScale (Isilon)

Ranking in NAS

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

File and Object Storage (2nd)

NetApp Private Storage

Ranking in NAS

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the NAS category, the mindshare of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is 14.5%, down from 17.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetApp Private Storage is 2.8%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

NAS Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Dell PowerScale (Isilon)	14.5%
NetApp Private Storage	2.8%
Other	82.7%

NAS

Featured Reviews

Bill Engelmeyer

Systems Engineer at Unisity LLC

Flexibility and reliability have supported seamless data growth

I cannot think of anything to improve about Dell PowerScale (Isilon). The hardest challenge we have is due to how we've bought things over time. The way that we moved to the PowerEdge platform for the newer systems creates a scale problem as I still buy the older style systems, which are more dense storage. They're different chassis, so the problem we run into in the data center is the depth of the actual equipment. The newer equipment, if we buy an FX910 or a 900, it's a lot shorter in scale than if I buy an 83,000, which is much bigger. This makes it more complicated for deployment.

Read full review

Atilla Celiloglu

Broadcast Technology Director at tv8

Has supported continuous broadcasting with reliable performance and consistent operations

They can make more solutions for cloud integration in NetApp Private Storage. It should be easier to use the cloud S3 integration, maybe from a NetApp interface, where users can choose the type of storage before sending to S3. I would like to see more audit and performance logs via cloud integrations and ONTAP. Without the need for separate software.

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

"The recent introduction of inline deduplication and compression has drastically improved our efficiency ratios to make it an economical product. This solution has also had a positive impact on our employees' productivity because it reduces the amount of admin that our staff needs to handle."

"There are also the policies that you set up on replication and purging files, and policies for something called WORM. That's a "write once, read many," where you can't overwrite certain files or certain data. It puts them in a "protected mode" where it becomes very difficult for someone to accidentally delete. We use that for certain files or certain directories, because we're dealing with video and some video has to be protected for chain-of-custody purposes. The WORM feature works great."

"This has really changed the way our company can acquire and process data in the field, allowing us to differentiate ourselves against all our competitors."

"My experience with Dell as a vendor is pretty good; they are probably one of the best in the industry."

"The most valuable feature is its single space of storage."

"The features of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) that I appreciate the most include the scale of architecture and the way it is designed, which benefit my company by providing less downtime and less overhead."

"You plug in a new node and data starts migrating over to it, and IT spreads out the load. We've added multiple nodes to the system since deploying it. The process is pretty seamless, and we are able to do it with no downtime. It's a very easy process to do."

"The most valuable feature we started using, beyond the initial scope for the solution, is the multi-protocol system that allows you to access the same set of files using different network protocols like NFS or SMB. PowerScale’s Unified Permission Model ensures that data security and access permissions are honoured regardless of whether the client is a Windows desktop or a Linux server"

More Dell PowerScale (Isilon) pros

"The most valuable feature of NetApp Private Storage is out-of-the-box integration with the SAN switches. They are much easier compared to Dell solutions. Additionally, the connector that comes with the solution that allows connection back to the Cisco SAN switches is very good. In Dell, I would need to use an FCIP or CIP port that is required."

"It gave us a platform which could clearly arrange all our files and volumes."

"At the moment, we are extensively using SnapMirror."

"The most valuable feature of NetApp Private Storage is out-of-the-box integration with the SAN switches; they are much easier compared to Dell solutions, and the connector that comes with the solution that allows connection back to the Cisco SAN switches is very good."

"If your company has the budget for NetApp Private Storage I would recommend it."

"The solution scales well."

"We get our data faster and it's very reliable; we don't go down."

"The most valuable feature is integration."

More NetApp Private Storage pros

Cons

"Dell PowerScale needs to reduce its price."

"I think Dell PowerScale (Isilon) can be improved, as the cost models are quite expensive for administration."

"The legacy file system for Epsilon didn't scale into the cloud and didn't have a separate OS. It would be key if this was made possible."

"The biggest weakness is small file handling. Small file compression options are not enabled out of the box. It would be good to have this enabled by default."

"The thing that they are working on now, and we are following closely is more native cloud integrations. The way that we envision workloads in the future is around moving compute to data instead of the other way around. So, we would like to have a single pane glass to manage storage across a variety of different platforms, including native cloud. That would be awesome."

"Backward compatibility is something Dell PowerScale (Isilon) could work on."

"Sometimes, it takes too long to set up everything. That's something I would want them to improve."

"The portal is really complicated to figure out features and functions, and it could be easier to navigate."

More Dell PowerScale (Isilon) cons

"The solution could improve by having better support experts. For example, they do not have clear instructions on configuration."

"There is room for improvement in the support. It has been a problem for our team."

"We had to write a number of custom tools or scripts ourselves to use it as a staging area between our on-premises datacenter and our cloud installation."

"If you overthink provisioning, if you over-allocate, if it gets full, or if something crazy happens and you haven't been watching, then you can lose data."

"They can make more solutions for cloud integration in NetApp Private Storage. It should be easier to use the cloud S3 integration, maybe from a NetApp interface, where users can choose the type of storage before sending to S3."

"I think that it should work better with Microsoft solutions, more integrated with Microsoft. We also need integrated NAS and block storage."

"The users find the new version's GUI complicated to use."

"The hardware does not last as long as it could with new software."

More NetApp Private Storage cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We use the TNA approach which is a great opportunity for us to better manage the licenses based on how much consumption is available for the different customers so we can use that approach and scalability."

"The pricing for this solution is reasonable."

"It's a high-cost offering amounting to three or four million Swedish kronor, or about $400,000 or euros, for approximately 480 terabytes of storage."

"We paid an additional fee to have Dell's ProDeploy Plus team implement it."

"The solution's licensing cost varies based on capacity and performance requirements."

"The platform is not cheap. However, on the software side, you can choose what you want license. So, you can start your licensing with the features that you need, then after buying the platform add some other features."

"The general cost for a system like this is expensive. The total cost depends on your use case. You need to pay for every additional feature that you use."

"Dealing with the product costs and licensing areas is getting easier since Dell is simplifying the licensing process and licensing packages offered to users."

More Dell PowerScale (Isilon) pricing and cost advice

"The price of NetApp Private Storage is similar to other solutions. There is typically an annual license required for this solution."

"NetApp Private Storage is cheaper here in India compared to other solutions, such as Dell."

"The price could be lower."

"The product is costly."

"In general, I am pleased with the pricing, though it is a little high."

"We negotiate whatever deal we can get on the type of storage that it is, but it's totally under our control,."

"It is an expensive solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	46

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?

The solution provides massive performance, scalability, efficiency, and ease of management.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?

As I mentioned before, we did not purchase Dell PowerScale (Isilon) directly. Since our organization is a government entity, the country policy does not allow direct purchases; it goes through a fo...

What needs improvement with Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?

I have experienced a RAM failure in some of the nodes of Dell PowerScale (Isilon), and that required hardware replacement. For large file replication from site to site, it takes a long time. This l...

What needs improvement with NetApp Private Storage?

What is your primary use case for NetApp Private Storage?

It consists of a large production company and national television channels broadcasting 24/7. We wanted to choose a stable product with flawless SLA levels for an organization that broadcasts 24/7....

What advice do you have for others considering NetApp Private Storage?

I believe it will deliver the expected performance and stability for television channels and production studios. On a scale of 1-10, I rate NetApp Private Storage an 8.

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Product Reports

Dell PowerScale (Isilon)

Download Dell PowerScale (Isilon) product report

NetApp Private Storage

Download NetApp Private Storage product report

Also Known As

PowerScale, Dell EMC Isilon

NPS

Overview

Dell PowerScale leads in unstructured data management with unified file and object storage, massive scalability, security, and cloud adaptability, enhancing AI, analytics, and enterprise applications with exceptional performance and resilience.

Dell PowerScale Isilon provides a comprehensive platform for unstructured data, excelling in scalability, management, and performance. With features like single-pane management, SyncIQ, and SmartQuotas, it handles large datasets with flexibility and robust security. Its multi-protocol support and seamless expansion improve operational efficiency. While it offers strong data protection, enhancements in cloud integration, cybersecurity, and performance are sought. Users note potential for cost reductions and streamlined configurations and mention desired improvements in object storage handling and NFS support.

What are the key features of Dell PowerScale Isilon?

Single-pane management: Simplifies data control and monitoring through a unified interface.
SyncIQ: Ensures efficient data replication for business continuity.
SmartQuotas: Provides intelligent quota management for optimized storage allocation.
Multi-protocol support: Facilitates cross-platform data access and integration.
Seamless storage expansion: Allows effortless scaling to accommodate growing data needs.

What benefits should users consider when reviewing Dell PowerScale Isilon?

Operational efficiency: Reduces workload with easy management and automation.
Enhanced security: Offers comprehensive data protection and recovery options.
Scalability: Supports large-scale data storage with flexible growth capabilities.
Performance: Delivers high-speed data processing for demanding applications.
Integration flexibility: Adapts to on-prem and hybrid cloud environments for diverse deployment needs.

Organizations across industries utilize Dell PowerScale Isilon for large-scale unstructured storage, supporting applications like video archiving, genomic data storage, and high-resolution imaging. Educational institutions, research centers, and media enterprises rely on its scaled-out storage capabilities, providing centralized, secure storage for diverse applications in hybrid, cloud, and on-prem environments.

Dell Technologies

NetApp Private Storage provides efficient, cost-controlled storage solutions with fast, seamless cloud integration, ensuring robust security and scalability for diverse applications.

NetApp Private Storage integrates smoothly with cloud platforms like Azure or AWS, offering a unified approach to storage through the ONTAP operating system. With SAN integration, disaster recovery, and strong security measures, it supports scalability and diverse use cases. Users appreciate its effective backup solutions and reliability, enhanced by Snapshot functionality. However, enhanced cloud integration tools and user-friendly interface improvements are desired. Users often confront configuration complexity and support access issues, along with costly upgrade cycles due to hardware limitations.

What are the key features of NetApp Private Storage?

ONTAP Operating System: Facilitates unified storage management across platforms.
Integration Capabilities: Ensures seamless connections with cloud providers like AWS and Azure.
Disaster Recovery: Provides robust options to safeguard data.
Security Measures: Offers strong protection against potential threats.
Scalability: Easily adapts to growing storage demands.

What benefits should users consider?

Cost Control: Allows efficient management of storage expenses.
Ease of Use: Simplifies complex storage management tasks.
Speed: Enhances data processing and access times.
Reliability: Ensures consistent performance across applications.
Flexibility: Adapts to a variety of storage environments and needs.

NetApp Private Storage is employed in industries requiring robust storage solutions, supporting OpenStack cloud backends, VMware environments, and media broadcasts. It aids in database server replication and hybrid flash storage, managing marketing data and facilitating ESXi backend solutions through NFS shares, SnapMirror, and file replication. Recognized for simplifying storage management and connectivity, it efficiently supports demanding applications across sectors.

NetApp

Sample Customers

OMRF, University of Utah, Translational Genetics Research Institute, Arcis, Geofizyka Torumn, Cyprus E&P Corporation, Colburn School, Columbia Sportswear, Harvard Medical School, University of Michigan, National Library of France,

ASE IT, Concerto Cloud

Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs. NetApp Private Storage