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HPE Alletra dHCI vs StarWind Virtual SAN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 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

HPE Alletra dHCI
Ranking in HCI
10th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
StarWind Virtual SAN
Ranking in HCI
4th
Average Rating
9.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
190
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined Storage (SDS) (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the HCI category, the mindshare of HPE Alletra dHCI is 4.2%, up from 3.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of StarWind Virtual SAN is 2.1%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
HCI
 

Featured Reviews

Antonin Pavlik - PeerSpot reviewer
Effortless upgrades with one-click feature while new server deployment needs a smoother process
I have a data center, and all the servers are connected to HPE Alletra dHCI. I use it for data management with VMware running on the servers The most valuable feature of HPE Alletra dHCI is the one-click upgrade function, which allows all drivers and services to be downloaded to all servers…
WJHG - PeerSpot reviewer
Seamless integrations, high availability, and offers a free version
Although I am generally satisfied with VSAN and its performance, there are some areas that could be improved to enhance its effectiveness even further. One area that could benefit from improvement is scalability. While the tool works well in its current configuration, allowing for greater ease and flexibility in adding new nodes to the cluster without complications would be very beneficial, especially in growing environments. Additionally, I would like to see additional features in the next version, such as better support for automated resource management. This could include proactive suggestions for optimizing storage and memory usage, as well as preventive alerts about the health status of the servers. A more intuitive interface or an improved dashboard for monitoring the cluster would also be helpful, as it would facilitate performance tracking and help identify potential issues before they affect services.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I love InfoSite. That gets you a lot of good detailed information."
"HPE Alletra dHCI was good because we could have the vVols, which we are using for our production server, with the snapshots."
"The solution is easy to use."
"The technical support services are good."
"HPE Nimble Storage dHCI's user interface is very easy to work with."
"We have the ability to increase the storage without any additional costs."
"Nimble Storage is a capable platform with high availability."
"The most valuable feature of HPE Alletra dHCI is the one-click upgrade function, which allows all drivers and services to be downloaded to all servers easily."
"You can turn your local disk storage into high-availability iSCSI storage."
"The fact that I can now count on a true failover solution is what is most appealing."
"A typical system administrator with minimal experience in Hyper-V, VMware, or Windows can do VSAN configuration and maintain VSAN operations."
"The StarWind products have enabled our organization to modernize stations where larger and more expensive equipment was not an option."
"One of the standout features of StarWind.com is its remarkable ability to seamlessly integrate with Dell systems. This integration provides users with an unmatched level of convenience and compatibility, allowing for streamlined operations within a Dell environment. This compatibility factor alone can save significant time and effort for IT professionals, ensuring a smooth integration process and optimized performance."
"It also provides a high degree of mobility, as the virtual SAN can be moved relatively painlessly between on-site devices and the cloud."
"The most useful aspect is the hyper-converged SD SAN and the ease to expand it by just adding cheap SSD or NVME disks."
"With an uptime of 384 days, StarWind has improved overall server reliability."
 

Cons

"The solution must be hypervisor-agnostic."
"The solution could improve by providing better file-level restoration and DVX system options."
"Lacking integration to the cloud."
"I'm not sure if there are features lacking."
"The product is expensive."
"They could expand product support to Microsoft Hyper-V and Red Hat Linux platforms."
"The performance of HPE Nimble Storage dHCI could improve. Other solutions, such as Cisco, are better."
"The deployment of a new server could be improved."
"It is difficult to control all of the hardware components."
"I think the setup could be streamlined a bit."
"Updating the software can be a bit tricky."
"The cluster configuration is time-consuming and tedious."
"The software could benefit from more tooling to help with initial deployment."
"The only thing that I have any difficulty with is that in order to perform upgrades, it is required that the SANs be detached from the Hosts before that can happen."
"When you will cease your contract with StarWind (for support) your product won't be updated and that is a big selling point, especially for us, as we have loads of products from StarWind."
"StarWind doesn't really have any performance reporting, especially compared with other vSAN products we've used."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is costly."
"The customers have found the solution to be expensive. However, when compared to the competition the price is reasonable."
"The product is very affordable."
"With the features that HPE Nimble Storage dHCI provides, I cannot say its pricing is more."
"I think it's priced right and it's extremely intelligent."
"The price of HPE Nimble Storage dHCI is expensive."
"The cost of the licensing is reasonable."
"The product licensing costs vary depending on whether VMware or other solutions are used."
"I think the bang for the buck is much better with StarWind Virtual SAN."
"The StarWind VSAN business model is very cost-effective."
"If you are looking at a traditional SAN for a small cluster, give StarWind vSAN because you will save thousands without any compromise."
"The cost seems a bit steep, and I wish it was less expensive."
"The cost takes into account the number of nodes, so the size of the storage is not important."
"The Price/Performance ratio for this solution is outstanding!"
"I think the cost of this solution is quite fair."
"The cost, including OPEX, is lower compared to other solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Nimble Storage dHCI?
The price of HPE Alletra dHCI is considered expensive for small businesses, however, it is suitable for medium to large companies.
What needs improvement with HPE Nimble Storage dHCI?
The deployment of a new server could be improved. I would like to add servers to the existing stack more easily, and there should be a function to reinstall servers with a one-click installation pr...
What do you like most about StarWind Virtual SAN?
It is easy to use and can monitor system synchronization and check Storage status. StarWind Virtual SAN (VSAN) combines flash and disks of the cluster and forms a virtual shared storage “pool” acce...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for StarWind Virtual SAN?
I can't give a sincere opinion on the installation and licensing costs because, as I have mentioned repeatedly, I am currently using the free version. However, I can say that I have submitted a req...
What needs improvement with StarWind Virtual SAN?
Although I am generally satisfied with VSAN and its performance, there are some areas that could be improved to enhance its effectiveness even further. One area that could benefit from improvement ...
 

Also Known As

HPE Nimble Storage dHCI
StarWind SAN & NAS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Baker Tilly BVI, CMS Internet, Board Harpeth Hall School
Find out what your peers are saying about HPE Alletra dHCI vs. StarWind Virtual SAN and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.