Dell SC Series vs IBM System Storage DS8000 Series comparison

Dell Technologies and IBM are both solutions in the Frame-Based Disk Arrays category. Dell Technologies is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8, while IBM is ranked #3. Dell Technologies holds a 11.5% mindshare in FBDA, compared to IBM’s 27.0% mindshare. Additionally, 94% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Dell SC Series

Read 55 Dell SC Series reviews

1,135 Views
68 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

IBM System Storage DS8000 S...

Read 6 IBM System Storage DS8000 Series reviews

284 Views
264 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Dell SC Series

IBM System Storage DS8000 S...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Dell SC Series and IBM System Storage DS8000 Series based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Frame-Based Disk Arrays solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Dell SC Series vs. IBM System Storage DS8000 Series Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Dell SC Series vs. IBM System Storage DS8000 Series

September 2025

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Helped 872,778 peers since 2012

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 SC Series

Ranking in Frame-Based Disk Arrays

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

All-Flash Storage (17th)

IBM System Storage DS8000 S...

Ranking in Frame-Based Disk Arrays

3rd

Average Rating

9.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Frame-Based Disk Arrays category, the mindshare of Dell SC Series is 11.5%, down from 13.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM System Storage DS8000 Series is 27.0%, down from 30.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Frame-Based Disk Arrays Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Dell SC Series	11.5%
IBM System Storage DS8000 Series	27.0%
Other	61.5%

Frame-Based Disk Arrays

Featured Reviews

RafaelGamaluis

Architect Engineer, IT INFRASTRUCTURES Project Manager at Vilavi

User interface offers clarity and detailed information while technical support consistently delivers

The best features of Dell SC Series are stability and replication. The replication solution is excellent, and they have a solution named Live Migration. It is a robust platform. The interface and the GUI (graphical user interface) for administrating the Compellent are exceptional, with abundant information that is very clear. The management capabilities are excellent, and the stability of our storage hardware is remarkable.

Read full review

reviewer1392684

Solution Architect; Senior Manager Mainframe Technical Service at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Great Global Copy and Global Mirror features with an easy initial setup

We're just a customer. We don't have a business relationship with the company. I'm an outsourcing service provider and I've had a lot of experience using the solution. We have everything from DS8100 disc storage, all the way up to 8990s. I'd advise new users to read the implementation installation guide. Most of the questions are answered in there. People just tend to skim over it and don't get into the details. However, it's important in making everything run smoothly and understanding the solution. That's probably the best advice I've actually heard from anybody. At the end of the day, don't be someone who skips the instructions, and all of a sudden you have a pile of parts. I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

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

"We replicate between SAN to SAN for a lot of features and supportability. It also helps us when we want to upgrade to a newer SC Series or move the data from one data center to another."

"It is easy to use, expand the hard drives, add storage, and set up replication."

"The solution is stable; we've had no problems at all."

"The most valuable feature is the speed for the end-user."

"The setup is straightforward."

"Easy management of volumes: You can create volumes and easily assign them to VMware clusters, increasing their size."

"Its leading feature is the price-performance ratio, which is very good."

"The product offers good performance and is quite powerful."

More Dell SC Series pros

"The Global Copy and Global Mirror features are the solution's most valuable aspects."

"The high throughput feature is the most powerful thing in this product."

Cons

"I would like to improve the processing ability."

"Technical support should respond more quickly because the turnaround time is very high."

"It's not very efficient anymore. There are better products out there."

"There's always room for improvement in the operating code."

"We can definitely see a need for it being a multi-controller system for customers who want to scale beyond the current capability. That's always a downside. A lot of the new systems are scaling vertically, they scale out, and the Compellent, of course, is controllers with shelves under it, so you don't scale out with it, unless you add another one. But if you do, they don't talk to each other, like some of the other solutions that we sell."

"We have seen some degraded throughput with mixed workloads. We have been working with Dell EMC to correct some of these latency issues."

"The configuration could be easier in Dell EMC SC Series."

"An issue we had was that the controller went down during an upgrade because of their upgrading the code. One side of the switch was down."

More Dell SC Series cons

"The GUI isn't as user-friendly as other options."

"The solution should embedded replication switches into the hardware instead of using them externally."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Support typically depends on the array. It can range anywhere from $7,000 to a couple of hundred thousand dollars."

"Pricing depends on varying life cycles."

"Always keep in mind, this is not just a enclosure with disks is a complete SAN as a service. There is software, license, and storage in one single solution."

"It has a good price point and offers some value-added enterprise features."

"It is one of the most cost effective systems for us. We have been able to run it longer than most, getting the most benefit and money out of it."

"The pricing of Dell EMC Compellent is competitive."

"This solution could be better priced in comparison with other vendors."

"The pricing of this solution is competitive."

More Dell SC Series pricing and cost advice

"The license is very expensive."

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872,778 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

20%

University

10%

Performing Arts

Educational Organization

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	27
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	19

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell SC Series?

In our case, we received favorable pricing with Dell because of our strong partnership. While I acknowledge that Dell SC Series can be expensive for many companies, we received good discounts. The ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell SC Series?

For us, it is a great product. The deduplication and compression could potentially be improved, though they are already good. We cannot identify any significant areas that need improvement.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Dell SC Series?

We use Dell SC Series in a VMware environment.

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell SC Series

October 2025

Download Dell SC Series product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM System Storage DS8000 Series

October 2025

Download IBM System Storage DS8000 Series product report

Also Known As

SC Series Storage, Compellent

System Storage DS8000

Overview

Dell EMC SC Series arrays provide a unified platform for the ultimate in performance, adaptability and machine-driven efficiency. SC Series software delivers modern features that help you meet aggressive workload demands using the fewest drives necessary. With an open, future-ready design, SC Series storage integrates seamlessly with applications and infrastructure, enabling you to scale on a single platform and add capabilities without forklift upgrades.

Dell Technologies

IBMÂ System StorageÂ DS8000Â series is a high-performance, high-capacity series of disk storage that supports continuous operations. The DS8000 series includes theÂ DS8800 (Models 951 and 95E) and theÂ DS8700 (Models 941 and 94E).

IBM

Sample Customers

TGen, Frost Science, Gerrie Electric

Renfe, Park Nicollet Health Services, Ricoh Americas Corporation, SK Energy, SWK STADTWERKE KREFELD AG

Buyer's Guide

Dell SC Series vs. IBM System Storage DS8000 Series

September 2025

Free Report: Dell SC Series vs. IBM System Storage DS8000 Series

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