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IBM FlashSystem vs Pure Storage FlashBlade comparison

IBM and Pure Storage are both solutions in the All-Flash Storage category. IBM is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.2, while Pure Storage is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.8. IBM holds a 6.4% mindshare in AFS, compared to Pure Storage’s 2.0% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Pure Storage users who would recommend it.
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Pure FlashArray X NVMe
Read 36 Pure FlashArray X NVMe reviews
  • 1,805 Views
  • 1,480 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
IBM FlashSystem
Read 112 IBM FlashSystem reviews
  • 7,637 Views
  • 6,339 Comparison Views
91% willing to recommend
Pure Storage FlashBlade
Read 39 Pure Storage FlashBlade reviews
  • 4,959 Views
  • 1,884 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 18, 2024

IBM FlashSystem and Pure Storage FlashBlade are high-performance storage solutions aimed at enterprise use. Pure Storage FlashBlade seems to have superior features but IBM FlashSystem offers better support and pricing.

Features: IBM FlashSystem is known for robust performance, reliability, scalability, and integration capabilities. Pure Storage FlashBlade is noted for speed, simplicity, and advanced analytics, emphasizing innovative features and a forward-thinking approach.

Room for Improvement: IBM FlashSystem users suggest improvements in user documentation, easier software updates, and better accessibility. Pure Storage FlashBlade users look for better multi-tenancy support, compatibility with legacy systems, and enhancements in general compatibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM FlashSystem receives positive feedback for straightforward deployment and excellent customer service, ensuring a seamless setup experience. Pure Storage FlashBlade also gains commendations for easy deployment but mixed reviews for customer service responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI: IBM FlashSystem is commended for cost-effectiveness and solid ROI, making it preferred for budget-conscious buyers. Pure Storage FlashBlade is more expensive but perceived as offering greater value, justifying the additional investment with its advanced capabilities.

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To learn more, read our detailed IBM FlashSystem vs. Pure Storage FlashBlade Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
IBM FlashSystem vs. Pure Storage FlashBlade
September 2025
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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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
1.0
Organizations reduced costs and improved performance with Pure FlashArray X NVMe, achieving quick ROI and efficient resource management.
Sentiment score
6.7
IBM FlashSystem offers easy migration, improved performance, seamless integration, cost efficiency, and quick ROI, enhancing user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
6.6
Pure Storage FlashBlade reduces total cost of ownership by enhancing efficiency, enabling fast restorations, and supporting diverse use cases.
By opting for the gold subscription every three years, you get a free upgrade to the latest controller release.
If you wait more than seven years to buy another one, you get a return on your investment.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure FlashArray X NVMe report
The solution can comfortably be stretched from five to seven years without any failures, ensuring a long-lasting return.
We have seen return on investment compared to other OEMs, which took approximately three years after implementing IBM FlashSystem.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM FlashSystem report
It does not require much management once you set up correctly, so it saves time, allowing an admin to focus on other work.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
SajithEruvangai - PeerSpot reviewerEugene Hemphill - PeerSpot reviewerOmarIsmail1 - PeerSpot reviewer
RB
Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.1
Pure FlashArray X NVMe's technical support is praised for responsiveness, despite occasional follow-up issues, earning high customer satisfaction.
Sentiment score
7.0
IBM FlashSystem support reviews are mixed, with praise for response speed but criticism for regional expertise and complex escalations.
Sentiment score
7.6
Pure Storage FlashBlade's support is generally praised for responsiveness, despite occasional delays and communication issues, maintaining a favorable reputation.
We also had one outage where a controller of one of the products had failed and had to be replaced on-site.
Customers always have their issues resolved promptly.
Pure has good storage.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure FlashArray X NVMe report
Customers of alternatives like Dell and Hitachi enjoy more reliable and comprehensive support services directly from vendors rather than third-party subsidiaries.
I rate the technical support from IBM as a ten.
IBM customer support is responsible, efficient, and responsive, though it is expensive.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM FlashSystem report
I would rate them an eight out of ten.
The support is done through email and is not that great, making it a very problematic area I've been dealing with for over four years.
Their technical support has been perfect lately, so I would give it a 10.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
reviewer943512 - PeerSpot reviewerEugene Hemphill - PeerSpot reviewerGokhan Dikmen - PeerSpot reviewerRaanan Sitton - PeerSpot reviewerOmarIsmail1 - PeerSpot reviewerMD.Faisal Alam - PeerSpot reviewer
RE
Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewerMikaelHellström - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Pure FlashArray X NVMe offers scalable storage with low latency, easy upgrades, though capacity customization and high costs are noted.
Sentiment score
7.3
IBM FlashSystem is praised for its scalable, flexible expansion, suiting diverse enterprises and integrating well with current systems.
Sentiment score
8.6
Pure Storage FlashBlade excels in scalability, with seamless expansion, downtime-free growth, and praised support across various sectors.
It is highly scalable.
It is suitable for both medium-sized and enterprise businesses.
It hasn't broken down anytime in the last six to seven years, despite hurricanes, earthquakes, and power outages.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure FlashArray X NVMe report
For larger enterprises, scalability is an issue as the price becomes prohibitive.
The problem arises when migrating data to a later IBM FlashSystem version due to issues with firmware compatibility.
The scalability of IBM FlashSystem is exceptional, and I rate it as a nine.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM FlashSystem report
Pure Storage FlashBlade is scalable.
There are between 5 and 10,000 people using it in our organization.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
Joerg Utesch - PeerSpot reviewerJaka Demšar - PeerSpot reviewerEugene Hemphill - PeerSpot reviewerRaanan Sitton - PeerSpot reviewerMD.Faisal Alam - PeerSpot reviewerOmarIsmail1 - PeerSpot reviewerParul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewerMikaelHellström - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Pure Storage offers exceptional stability and reliability with outstanding support, consistently achieving high user ratings for performance and service.
Sentiment score
7.6
IBM FlashSystem is generally stable and reliable; however, some users experience issues due to specific configurations or hardware conditions.
Sentiment score
8.1
Pure Storage FlashBlade offers exceptional reliability and impressive stability, featuring 99.999% uptime, seamless upgrades, and high performance.
During the eight years, there have been no problems such as hardware failure or stopping.
I would rate the stability of the solution as a ten out of ten.
I would rate the stability of the product at seven out of ten.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure FlashArray X NVMe report
Customers have infrastructure that is 100% stable.
The firmware and software engine have fewer bugs, which enhances operational efficiency.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM FlashSystem report
In case there is any issue with any blade, the data is moved to another.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
Gokhan Dikmen - PeerSpot reviewerSajithEruvangai - PeerSpot reviewer
GC
MD.Faisal Alam - PeerSpot reviewerOmarIsmail1 - PeerSpot reviewer
RE
 

Room For Improvement

Pure FlashArray X requires cost-effective improvements in UI, integration, cloud features, multitenancy, analytics, backup, AI, and scalability.
IBM FlashSystem needs improvements in capacity, GUI, support, data reduction, cloud integration, and stability for better competitiveness.
Users recommend better pricing, cloud integration, support, documentation, and analytics for Pure Storage FlashBlade, improving efficiency and compatibility.
We would appreciate a built-in transparent failover in the next release to eliminate the need for a separate metro cluster.
I'm eagerly anticipating the roadmap's promise of introducing multiple controllers, which could significantly boost scalability and resilience.
We mostly rely on long-term releases. We don't need the most up-to-date features, but we need a reliable environment.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure FlashArray X NVMe report
Despite marketing promises, these features do not function effectively and can impact performance.
There is room for improvement in the troubleshooting part, specifically related to IBM Spectrum for Insight.
An additional function that could be helpful is reducing the time it takes to delete volumes, especially if they are compressed or deduplicated.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM FlashSystem report
Technical support definitely needs significant improvement.
Its configuration should be easier.
One way Pure Storage FlashBlade can be improved is by having more compatibility between the FlashArray and FlashBlade.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
Joerg Utesch - PeerSpot reviewerSajithEruvangai - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer943512 - PeerSpot reviewerRaanan Sitton - PeerSpot reviewerMD.Faisal Alam - PeerSpot reviewer
SJ
Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
RE
MikaelHellström - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise buyers see Pure FlashArray X NVMe as a justified premium investment due to performance and comprehensive licensing.
IBM FlashSystem pricing is competitive but can be higher; users stress evaluating total costs, including software and support.
Pure Storage FlashBlade is costly but valued for performance, reliability, and reduced administrative overhead, justifying its premium price.
While the prices may be higher than those of other vendors, we see it as a market leader with benefits.
The support can be a bit pricey, but the solution is more cost-effective than anything else out there.
I would give it a nine out of ten in terms of costliness.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure FlashArray X NVMe report
To install or upgrade any software features, the cost is high, which makes it challenging for smaller companies who do not require advanced features like deduplication or compression typically needed by larger organizations.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM FlashSystem report
The pricing of Pure Storage FlashBlade is expensive compared to other products I used from other companies in the past, but one benefit is that they have built-in ransomware protection.
Regarding pricing, it is okay; we needed exactly this in size, and the price was a lot lower than competitors, making it good for us.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
Enes SUZER - PeerSpot reviewerEugene Hemphill - PeerSpot reviewerSajithEruvangai - PeerSpot reviewerRaanan Sitton - PeerSpot reviewerParul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewerMikaelHellström - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Valuable Features

Pure FlashArray X NVMe offers exceptional performance, reliability, scalability, and seamless VMware integration, enhancing workload efficiency and user experience.
IBM FlashSystem, known for high performance and reliability, excels in storage virtualization and advanced features, enhancing data efficiency.
Pure Storage FlashBlade excels with ease of use, fast performance, scalability, seamless integration, and efficient storage features.
Pure Storage has signature security technology, which cannot be deleted, even if you are an administrator.
The platform's robust features include excellent sustainability tracking, and a comprehensive dashboard offering insights into IOPS, bandwidth, performance, and virtual activities.
Its data compression feature is the best that we have ever seen.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure FlashArray X NVMe report
There is a significant amount of data reduction, achieving a ratio of one to three.
There is built-in compression, a data reduction feature, and artificial intelligence-driven insights that calculate warnings and errors to redirect to customers automatically.
When integrated properly into the environment and configured according to the guidelines, it provides a very solid infrastructure that does the job on demand.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM FlashSystem report
We can plug in many blades, and we can have data up to one terabyte.
The best features of Pure Storage FlashBlade include better throughput and better performance.
Pure Storage FlashBlade's scalability is one of the most valuable features, and importantly, it always works, allowing for seamless upgrades.
For more quotes and insights, download the Pure Storage FlashBlade report
Gokhan Dikmen - PeerSpot reviewerSajithEruvangai - PeerSpot reviewerEugene Hemphill - PeerSpot reviewer
SJ
MD.Faisal Alam - PeerSpot reviewerOmarIsmail1 - PeerSpot reviewer
RE
Parul-Patel - PeerSpot reviewerMikaelHellström - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Categories and Ranking

Pure FlashArray X NVMe
Sponsored
Ranking in All-Flash Storage
14th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
36
Ranking in other categories
NVMe All-Flash Storage Arrays (6th)
IBM FlashSystem
Ranking in All-Flash Storage
13th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
112
Ranking in other categories
NAS (6th), Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) (2nd)
Pure Storage FlashBlade
Ranking in All-Flash Storage
15th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined Storage (SDS) (8th), File and Object Storage (8th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the All-Flash Storage category, the mindshare of Pure FlashArray X NVMe is 1.0%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM FlashSystem is 6.4%, down from 6.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Pure Storage FlashBlade is 2.0%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
All-Flash Storage Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM FlashSystem6.4%
Pure FlashArray X NVMe1.0%
Pure Storage FlashBlade2.0%
Other90.6%
All-Flash Storage
 

Featured Reviews

Jaehoon Oh - PeerSpot reviewer
Supports efficient storage management through volume snapshots and offers reliable non-disruptive upgrades
I have no specific improvements to suggest for Pure FlashArray X NVMe at this time. The performance statistics could be enhanced. I can see the performance statistics in the Pure Storage console, but it does not show the performance by 4K byte unit. It displays IOPS and bandwidth, but IOPS is about real use, and I want to know how many IOPS are currently running in 4K byte units. I cannot see that IOPS because most storage systems report their performance by 4K byte unit. I want to see Pure Storage performance by 4K byte unit to compare with other storage or other internal NVMe SSD.
Read full review
OmarIsmail1 - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers high performance and dependable support for fast storage needs
The most valuable feature of IBM FlashSystem is its robust back code. When integrated properly into the environment and configured according to the guidelines, it provides a very solid infrastructure that does the job on demand. Additionally, IBM FlashSystem offers competitive pricing and reliable performance. The hardware is dependable, ensuring that it functions effectively when the setup is done correctly.
Read full review
MikaelHellström - PeerSpot reviewer
Has handled backup storage needs reliably and supports seamless upgrades
In environments requiring high throughput and low latency, Pure Storage FlashBlade provides high throughput and normal latency, but we do not have any application that requires low latency right now, so the latency of three to five milliseconds is considered kind of high. Pure Storage FlashBlade's ability to integrate with enterprise applications is not important for us, as we only want to present an S3 bucket for our backup, which we have done, and it works very fast. We use the Purity software's data reduction techniques; we have a backup software that compresses everything before sending it to the S3 bucket, achieving a data reduction of 1.1 to one. I would recommend Pure Storage FlashBlade to other companies because it's a very fast and scalable solution for anyone who needs it. On a scale of 1-10, I rate this solution an 8.
Read full review
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business47
Midsize Enterprise22
Large Enterprise57
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise21
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Pure FlashArray X NVMe?
Pure FlashArray X NVMe helps to improve our processing speed. It is user-friendly and easy to use.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pure FlashArray X NVMe?
The price of Pure FlashArray X NVMe is very expensive, though I do not know the actual price because I am using the E...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Pure FlashArray X NVMe?
I have no specific improvements to suggest for Pure FlashArray X NVMe at this time. The performance statistics could ...
See all answers
What do you like most about IBM FlashSystem?
It is simple to make an update.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM FlashSystem?
The pricing is reasonable for IBM FlashSystem.
See all answers
What needs improvement with IBM FlashSystem?
Some improvements are required in IBM regarding response time and resolution time, though not about competence. Produ...
See all answers
What do you like most about Pure Storage FlashBlade?
The tool's most valuable feature is its fast performance, especially in handling snapshots. It helps during power out...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pure Storage FlashBlade?
The pricing of Pure Storage FlashBlade is expensive compared to other products I used from other companies in the pas...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Pure Storage FlashBlade?
I believe there is not much improvement needed because they have everything we need, but the interface is a little bi...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Dell PowerStore vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe Logo
Dell PowerStore vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe
Compared 22% of the time
TrueNAS R-Series vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe Logo
TrueNAS R-Series vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe
Compared 15% of the time
Dell PowerMax vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe Logo
Dell PowerMax vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe
Compared 13% of the time
HPE Alletra Storage vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe Logo
HPE Alletra Storage vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe
Compared 11% of the time
HPE Nimble Storage vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe Logo
HPE Nimble Storage vs Pure FlashArray X NVMe
Compared 5% of the time
More Pure FlashArray X NVMe Competitors
Dell PowerStore vs IBM FlashSystem Logo
Dell PowerStore vs IBM FlashSystem
Compared 21% of the time
HPE Alletra Storage vs IBM FlashSystem Logo
HPE Alletra Storage vs IBM FlashSystem
Compared 9% of the time
Pure Storage FlashArray vs IBM FlashSystem Logo
Pure Storage FlashArray vs IBM FlashSystem
Compared 8% of the time
Huawei OceanStor Dorado vs IBM FlashSystem Logo
Huawei OceanStor Dorado vs IBM FlashSystem
Compared 8% of the time
NetApp AFF vs IBM FlashSystem Logo
NetApp AFF vs IBM FlashSystem
Compared 7% of the time
More IBM FlashSystem Competitors
Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs Pure Storage FlashBlade Logo
Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs Pure Storage FlashBlade
Compared 19% of the time
Pure Storage FlashArray vs Pure Storage FlashBlade Logo
Pure Storage FlashArray vs Pure Storage FlashBlade
Compared 11% of the time
MinIO vs Pure Storage FlashBlade Logo
MinIO vs Pure Storage FlashBlade
Compared 11% of the time
Red Hat Ceph Storage vs Pure Storage FlashBlade Logo
Red Hat Ceph Storage vs Pure Storage FlashBlade
Compared 9% of the time
Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) vs Pure Storage FlashBlade Logo
Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) vs Pure Storage FlashBlade
Compared 3% of the time
More Pure Storage FlashBlade Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Pure FlashArray X NVMe
October 2025
Pure FlashArray X NVMe reportDownload Pure FlashArray X NVMe product report
Buyer's Guide
IBM FlashSystem
October 2025
IBM FlashSystem reportDownload IBM FlashSystem product report
Buyer's Guide
Pure Storage FlashBlade
October 2025
Pure Storage FlashBlade reportDownload Pure Storage FlashBlade product report
 

Also Known As

Pure FlashArray//X NVMe, Pure FlashArray//X, FlashArray//X
IBM Storwize
No data available
 

Overview

Pure Storage FlashArray//X is the world’s first enterprise-class, all-NVMe flash storage array. It represents a new class of storage – shared accelerated storage, which is a term coined by Gartner – that delivers major breakthroughs in performance, simplicity, and consolidation.

Pure Storage

IBM FlashSystem products are enterprise computer data storage systems that store data on flash memory chips. Unlike storage systems that use standard solid-state drives, IBM FlashSystem products incorporate custom hardware based on technology from the 2012 acquisition of Texas Memory Systems. This hardware provides performance, reliability, and efficiency benefits versus competitive offerings.

IBM

FlashBlade is the industry’s most advanced scale-out storage for unstructured data, powered by a modern, massively parallel architecture to consolidate complex data silos (like backup appliances and data lakes) and accelerate tomorrow’s discoveries and insights.

Pure Storage
 

Sample Customers

Fremont Bank, Judson ISD, The Nielsen Company
Celero, Friedhelm Loh Group, Clarks, Mingkang Natregro Health Food Group, Sofia, Etisalat Fights Fraud, UF Health Shands Hospital, Generali, Elecon Engineering Company Limited, Ventiv , Technology, CPFL Energia, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., SciQuest, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Paddy Power, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Interconnect Services, Severstal IP-Only AB, PVU Group GmbH
ServiceNow, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, Dominos, Man AHL
Buyer's Guide
IBM FlashSystem vs. Pure Storage FlashBlade
September 2025
Free Report: IBM FlashSystem vs. Pure Storage FlashBlade
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM FlashSystem vs. Pure Storage FlashBlade and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
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