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HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs IBM Power Systems comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 11, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
3.8
HPE ProLiant DL Servers show mixed ROI, with quick returns from reliability but unrealized potential due to partial utilization or costs.
Sentiment score
5.0
IBM Power Systems delivered high ROI through improved performance, cost efficiency, scalability, and enhanced processing capabilities with POWER8 upgrades.
In terms of percentage, I am saving from 5 to 10%.
IT Consultant at SPE
The return on investment is very high.
Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
HPE ProLiant DL Servers' support is praised for responsiveness but can improve documentation and initial response times.
Sentiment score
1.0
IBM Power Systems support is valued for expertise and efficiency, with preference for higher-level assistance and effective local teams.
We do not communicate directly with HPE's technical support because our local support company is primarily responsible.
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
Technical support from IBM is excellent.
Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd
I try to get my support calls pre-routed to the US; I'd rather wait a couple of hours for support becoming available there than going to support somewhere in the Philippines or Indonesia.
Principal Architect IBM Systems, Storage & AI at TD SYNNEX
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
5.7
HPE ProLiant DL Servers offer strong scalability and adaptability, supporting seamless expansion and modular upgrades for growing businesses.
Sentiment score
6.0
IBM Power Systems offers scalable solutions praised for flexibility, supporting all business sizes with seamless transitions and dynamic resource allocation.
From our usage point of view, we rely less on onboard storage, depending instead on SANs and NAS, and the fiber connections and throughput are satisfactory.
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
IBM Power Systems is a completely scalable solution.
Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
4.9
HPE ProLiant DL Servers are praised for their reliability, stable performance, and minimal hardware issues compared to competitors.
Sentiment score
3.5
IBM Power Systems are highly reliable and stable, with minimal downtime, excellent performance, security, and strong support.
Since the distributors are not physically present in Pakistan, that creates a risk for long-term large customers.
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
IBM just released IBM Power11 last month with significant improvements, eliminating the need for downtime in your environment.
Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd
 

Room For Improvement

HPE ProLiant DL Servers need better boot times, power monitoring, software integration, scalability, cost-efficiency, and global support enhancements.
Suggestions for IBM Power Systems include clearer licensing, faster processing, better cloud integration, improved interfaces, scalability, and enhanced marketing efforts.
Improvements could be made in database engine hosting services because, as it stands, the pricing of Oracle is too high from both the service and software solution perspectives.
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
IBM gives customers peace of mind.
Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd
 

Setup Cost

HPE ProLiant DL Servers are often seen as expensive, but valued for remote management and competitive overall cost-benefit.
IBM Power Systems are costly but offer high performance and reliability, appealing to larger organizations despite complex configurations.
Initially when sizing it, people perceive IBM Power Systems as quite expensive.
Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd
 

Valuable Features

HPE ProLiant DL Servers are praised for reliability, scalability, remote management, performance, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and broad compatibility.
IBM Power Systems offer robust performance, scalability, and security, supporting extensive workloads and reducing ownership costs efficiently.
The price-performance ratio is better than IBM counterparts, which is why we have opted for these solutions.
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
Another advantage is that it helps customers save money because they do not need to purchase separate AI systems such as GPU systems or inferencing systems, as everything is already embedded in the IBM Power Processor.
Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd
 

Categories and Ranking

HPE ProLiant DL Servers
Ranking in Rack Servers
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
159
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM Power Systems
Ranking in Rack Servers
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
4.8
Number of Reviews
72
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is 20.9%, up from 20.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 7.5%, down from 9.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
HPE ProLiant DL Servers20.9%
IBM Power Systems7.5%
Other71.6%
Rack Servers
 

Featured Reviews

ArifSheikh - PeerSpot reviewer
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
High availability servers have boosted hosted payment services but still need better local support
We are not using PowerVM because of certain limitations; it is on a back-end engine. However, we are using other components such as vSphere for some small interfaces, and those are the main components we are utilizing. Since these servers are fully dedicated to various high-end solutions, they have some embedded features that their kernel and applications are using, which are bound to that functionality. We may not provide an exact assessment on its usage, but we are considering those products for some AI solutions; however, we are currently in the review stage and have not concluded our evaluation on how those are utilized yet. We are aware of the pricing of HPE ProLiant DL servers, but not off the cuff. We have obviously acquired those solutions ex-Pakistan, so they are on the rise, and while we do not remember those prices offhand, they are generally better than the IBM series, although they are becoming slightly pricey in Pakistan due to processor shortages and demand. Improvements could be made in database engine hosting services because, as it stands, the pricing of Oracle is too high from both the service and software solution perspectives. If pricing can be reduced, especially for DB servers, that could have a direct positive impact on the overall solution. Regarding reliability, it has been satisfactory so far, but since the distributors are not physically present in Pakistan, that creates a risk for long-term large customers. They provide import-based services, necessitating us to over-invest in backup stock and offline servers. If there was a market presence from those players in Pakistan, it could benefit both clients and distributors by reducing the need for investment in backup inventory.
Foluso  Jibowo - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd
Has empowered enterprises with secure and cost-effective solutions
When discussing disadvantages, I do not see many areas for improvement because we have received good testimonies from every client. IBM gives customers peace of mind. One challenge, which I would not really call a challenge, is that initially people have the notion that IBM Power Systems is quite expensive. However, IBM does not lose deals based on price. This is a message we need to keep communicating to people who feel that IBM is on the high side in terms of cost. We encourage them to have a discussion with us about their total cost of ownership over three or five years. There is a notion in the market that IBM is expensive, which is false. However, once we engage and show them their return on investments and their total cost of ownership savings, they tend to embrace IBM.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business55
Midsize Enterprise28
Large Enterprise98
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise42
 

Questions from the Community

How do Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers compare with HPE ProLiant DL servers?
Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers offer flexibility and efficiency in order to meet mission-critical demands. I like that Lenovo blends outstanding performance, reliability, and manageability. The bi...
What do you like most about HPE ProLiant DL Servers?
The most valuable feature of the solution is HPE Integrated Lights-Out (iLO)...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE ProLiant DL Servers?
The pricing of HPE ProLiant DL Servers depends purely on the configuration, and it is not affordable. However, if you look at the technical caliber of the server, if a customer invests that additio...
What do you like most about IBM Power Systems?
IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.
What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?
When discussing disadvantages, I do not see many areas for improvement because we have received good testimonies from every client. IBM gives customers peace of mind. One challenge, which I would n...
What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?
IBM Power Systems are used mainly in large organizations, generally in the financial industry, government, telecommunications, oil and gas sectors for their high availability environment. These sys...
 

Also Known As

HP ProLiant DL series, HP ProLiant DL
IBM OpenPOWER LC
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

AmeriPride Services, iSource, Bolagsverket, BlueShore Financial, British Columbia Assessment Authority, National Stock Exchange, Cardlytics
Cipher
Find out what your peers are saying about HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs. IBM Power Systems and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,899 professionals have used our research since 2012.