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reviewer1951002 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sysadmin with 11-50 employees
Real User
Has good documentation, is easy to use, and is stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability is great; there's very little downtime. I don't have to worry that there will be a surprise update to one of the ZVRAs or the host that I have to contend with. We're given plenty of notice to plan ahead for an update. As far as losing service and downtime, we haven't had that happen."
  • "For special situations, there are options within advanced settings. You don't have to dig too far for them, but they're not quite as straightforward."

What is our primary use case?

We use Zerto for offsite replication.

What is most valuable?

I like how easy it is to run our DR tests with it.

In terms of ease of use, in the user interface it's very easy to tell the different virtual protection groups apart. It's easy to figure out where your virtual machines are and set different recovery IPs. It is a lot easier with Zerto than it was previously.

When you compare Zerto's ease of use versus that of the previous solution we used, Zerto has good documentation. That's probably what made it the easiest to install and configure, and have peace of mind that it's going to do what I expect it to do.

Every six months when I go through my audit, I don't have any stress about whether I'm going to pass any of my audit logs or any of the questions the auditors ask me. That is, I know I'm going to pass.

Zerto helped us reduce downtime.

Our disaster recovery test used to take quite a long time before we started to use Zerto. After we started using Zerto, the speed of the virtual machines' backup when they are going into test mode, is just so much quicker and so much more consistent. When we previously performed tests, we would need a block of about a week. Now, it's two days. The actual recovery portion is just a small part of that, but Zerto cut it in half easily.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with Zerto since 2019.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is great; there's very little downtime. I don't have to worry that there will be a surprise update to one of the ZVRAs or the host that I have to contend with. We're given plenty of notice to plan ahead for an update. As far as losing service and downtime, we haven't had that happen.

Buyer's Guide
Zerto
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Zerto. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We're a very small shop, but when we did expand to another group of servers that we were going to replicate, it was very easy to go in and just add another virtual protection group, add my virtual machines to it, and set my settings up and go.

We have less than a hundred virtual machines that we replicate.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support staff I've had to interact with have certainly been some of the better ones. I feel that their turnaround time is always pretty fast and that you get reasonable support right off the bat. If my problem is a little more technical, then I may be transferred, but I don't find that to be an issue. I would rate technical support at nine on a scale from one to ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was pretty straightforward for the site-to-site recovery or for setting up the VPGs. If you just want to do basic replication and you don't have a lot of special situations to account for, you could have it up and running very quickly.

For special situations, there are options within advanced settings. You don't have to dig too far for them, but they're not quite as straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented it ourselves after reading through Zerto's best practices, etc.

What other advice do I have?

If you want something that you can set and forget, Zerto is a solution you should look into. If I were to rate Zerto on a scale from one to ten, I'd give it a nine.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
System Analyst at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Helps predict future storage needs by tracking trends in space, journal size, and I/O rate
Pros and Cons
  • "The mobile application is very useful as a real-time monitoring, reporting tool. When asked the status of our machine backup and recovery ability, an easy answer is to display the status on the real-time application or browser. The Zerto Analytics tool helps predict future storage needs by tracking trends in space, journal size, and I/O rate. These are reportable statistics making quantifiable tracking easy and accurate. Having a web interface simplifies access by other system administrators."
  • "Certain areas were designed and work fine for VMware but are under development for Hyper-V. Eventually, all features will work for both platforms."

What is our primary use case?

We use Zerto for replication to a DR site of Windows and Unix machines. We like having a testable solution which does not interfere with the performance on our production machines. It has an included feature allowing assignment of a specific LAN or IP address to segregate the machine while testing. We are replicating 56 machines, totaling more than 30 TB, but compressing at 70 percent for space savings. We use the email alerts as a way to monitor replication status. This helps in off hours alerting for potential problems.

How has it helped my organization?

Testing and auditing are required at our organization. Zerto has saved a tremendous amount of time in performing these tasks. I am alerted every six months to retest each protection group. This setting is customizable. All past testing reports are retained and available upon demand. It has also added assurance in recovering servers and/or files. Being able to run tests on a working machine is beneficial. Being able to group virtual machines in order to recover all of them to an exact point in time is a definite benefit.

What is most valuable?

The mobile application is very useful as a real-time monitoring and reporting tool. When management asks the status of our VM backup and recovery, an easy way to answer is to display the status on the real-time Zerto application on a mobile phone or on a local computer browser.

The Zerto Analytics tool helps predict future storage needs by tracking trends in space, journal size, and I/O rate. These are reportable statistics making quantifiable tracking easy and accurate. It is nice the see developing trends. 

Having a web interface simplifies access by other system administrators.

What needs improvement?

Certain areas were designed and work fine for VMware but are under development for Hyper-V. Eventually, all features will work for both platforms. Zerto support is very responsive when those questions arise. 

There is a comprehensive online training program which is a good start to using the application. But nothing can take the place of actually using the product in your own environment. 

The online search for solutions is very large. This is good, but also bad, as there are solutions present but you have to be diligent to find the answer you need.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for more than three years. My organization utilizes Hyper-V instead of VMware. One big advantage of Zerto is its hardware agnostic. I have used various models of arrays and servers from Dell EMC and HPE with no issues from Zerto.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It picks up nicely where it leaves off (in the case of a reboot).

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It easily grows at whatever pace is needed.

How are customer service and technical support?

In the few cases that I have had, every one was dealt with quickly and by support staff who knew what they were doing.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We still use our previous solution because it creates a backup of both physical and virtual machines. However, there was an impact on performance running a backup on a running machine.

How was the initial setup?

There is a slight learning curve when setting up, but nothing overwhelming for a good administrator.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Work with your local representative on running a live test to see if the solution fulfills your needs.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Rodney Carlson - PeerSpot reviewer
Rodney CarlsonSystem Analyst at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Real User

Zerto is not the least expensive alternative to software replication, but it is reliable and easy to use.

Buyer's Guide
Zerto
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Zerto. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
849,190 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PeerSpot user
Senior Vmware administrator at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor
The top dog of DR IMO.

What is most valuable?

The ease of daily operations. This program takes almost no interaction on a daily basis.

How has it helped my organization?

Zerto has given us a sense of security. To know that we can move our production data to our DR site in minutes lets me sleep much better at night.

What needs improvement?

Support for Hyper-V which is on the way.

For how long have I used the solution?

In production for almost 1 year now.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

Absolutely none. I was replicating my first VPG in less than an hour.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Only things that I have caused myself.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Started with 50 vms today protecting almost 300 and I have had no issues.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

I would give it an 8/10. Alot of customer service is handled through back and forth emails but once you get someone on a phone call and screen sharing the level goes to a 10/10.

Technical Support:

9/10

Alot of customer service is handled through back and forth emails but once you get someone on a phone call and screen sharing the level goes to a 10/10.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We tried out SRM but chose Zerto because of the ease of use.

How was the initial setup?

Very straightforward and I had a tech with me the whole way.

What about the implementation team?

Implemented in-house and once again it was a PAINLESS process.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

SRM and went with Zerto so we would not have to use SAN-to-SAN replication.

What other advice do I have?

The best thing is that all you need is storage and vcenter in two locations and you have met all requirements to install and protect your vm's.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Real User
Reduces our DR testing, and fast and simple to use
Pros and Cons
  • "Some of the most valuable features are the synchronous replication and migration with RDMs. I really like the conversion of RDM VMs for migration."
  • "If we have multiple VMs in a VPG (Virtual Protected Group) and one VM is hung for DR, it holds things up. The only alternative is to create multiple VPGs. It would be nice to have one VPG where, if one VM is failing, it does not impact the overall process."

What is our primary use case?

We are mainly using it for DR and, in a few use cases, we leverage it for migration as well. It really fits our use cases.

How has it helped my organization?

The experience has been smooth when it comes to DR testing, as it has reduced the testing we need to do. 

What is most valuable?

Some of the most valuable features are the synchronous replication and migration with RDMs. I really like the conversion of RDM VMs for migration. It is very simple to use and fast. We haven't run into any issues.

What needs improvement?

If we have multiple VMs in a VPG (Virtual Protected Group) and one VM is hung for DR, it holds things up. The only alternative is to create multiple VPGs. It would be nice to have one VPG where, if one VM is failing, it does not impact the overall process.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Zerto for close to a year.

Our experience with Zerto has been good, but I don't know if we have actually saved a ton of time with it. There have been no issues or real challenges so far. We just recently adopted and started using it, so in terms of implementation of real use cases, it has barely been a couple of months. We haven't even done a single upgrade of it yet.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We right-sized initially and we have not had to scale up yet.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't had to engage support. One of my colleagues handles that. But I have heard no complaints about support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have a VMware product, SRM, and we use it in a few data centers around the globe. We started using Zerto in a few locations and, in other locations, we still have other products being used.

We were using SRM in our data centers and what happened was that we had a merger. In that process, the other party already owned some Zerto licenses. That's when we got our hands on it and started looking at it. We figured Zerto would be a better fit for our European data centers. We ended up using Zerto there and then got more licenses so that we could use Zerto more.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have one other solution that we use for live migrations, VMware HCX, rather than Zerto. But we were not always able to use that. That's where the delta for those VMs is, and why we use Zerto for migrations.

The speed of recovery of Zerto is right up there compared with other solutions. It's good, no complaints in that respect.

Compared to other solutions, Zerto is very straightforward and simple to use. The preparation for DR is fairly straightforward, and the deployment is not very complicated.

What other advice do I have?

Zerto hasn't cut the number of staff involved in data recovery, for us. We had one engineer doing it before and he continues to do it. He wears multiple hats. You cannot go down to less than one engineer.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1565844 - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Architect at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Quick and helpful support, straightforward to set up, saves us time and resources
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature for us is accelerating cloud adoption, as it helps provide greater speed for disaster recovery. Ultimately, this saves us time, as well as resources."
  • "It took some time to get to know the solution in general, and exactly what functions each of the features is used for."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Zerto to facilitate cloud adoption in the organization. Our product teams are migrating their VMware workloads to the cloud, and Zerto is helping with that task.

How has it helped my organization?

Zerto provides us with continuous data protection and it is working well for us so far. It has matched our requirements, especially in terms of compliance and security considerations. The solutions in our environment are working together to make everything achievable in terms of different certifications.

We have only been using Zerto for less than a year, and have not had much time to consider long-term data retention. However, it is our intention to use this capability in the future.

Using this product has enabled our leaders to guide the business through our transition to the cloud. It has allowed us to implement a cloud-based disaster recovery solution.

Having a cloud-based disaster recovery solution, rather than a physical one, saves us in terms of resources. I don't have exact numbers in terms of money, but I can say that in the short time that we have been using Zerto, it has saved us between 10% and 20% resource-wise, including time.

We do not have any real use cases so far, but our model shows that we will need fewer people involved when we failback or move workloads. I expect that we will require 10% to 20% fewer resources in these situations.

So far, we have not had a use case where we had less downtime because of Zerto.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature for us is accelerating cloud adoption, as it helps provide greater speed for disaster recovery. Ultimately, this saves us time, as well as resources.

This product is easy to use. Initially, we had some issues and hiccups but we worked with the solution engineers and were able to rectify the problems and move forward.

What needs improvement?

When we initially set up the product, we didn't know about the exact features. Some of them were discussed in different wording. It took some time to get to know the solution in general, and exactly what functions each of the features is used for. They seemed more like hidden features to us.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Zerto for close to one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The availability of Zerto has been good for us, so far. We have not experienced any issues with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Being a cloud-based solution, it can be scaled as per our requirements. I don't see any issues with it. We have three people who work with it, although not on a daily basis. They are technical analysts and product engineers.

They were more hands-on during the PoC and deploying it, and they will be involved if we have any issues.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support from Zerto is good and they help us all the time.

The turnaround time is good, as well as the help that they give us in understanding and resolving problems.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We are still using our previous solution for backups. We are switching away from it because we will be able to take advantage of automation and use fewer resources.

In terms of cost, using Zerto saves us approximately 15% over our previous solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. It was easy to set up the PoC and the results were good. Setting it up took a few hours and when it came time to move to production, it was in terms of days.

What about the implementation team?

My team was responsible for deployment.

What was our ROI?

We have seen a return on our investment in terms of time and resources.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated several other solutions prior to selecting Zerto.

We chose Zero because it is more user-friendly, and better overall.

What other advice do I have?

My advice for anybody who is considering Zerto is that it's user-friendly, easy to use, and easy to deploy. So far, Zerto has been working fine for us and my team has not had any complaints.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Manager - IT Infrastructure and Resiliency at Asian Paints
Real User
A lightweight solution that is easy to configure and has intuitive dashboards
Pros and Cons
  • "It has enabled DR protection for virtual appliances with minimal administrator time."
  • "It would be helpful if the reports can be generated periodically, on a schedule."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for Zerto was to enable replication at our DR site for virtual appliances and automation of the failover - failback process. This also gets utilized for recovery at our DR site at different timestamps using the journal history.

This solution is very light, with zero-touch deployment and very enhanced dashboards. 

How has it helped my organization?

It has enabled DR protection for virtual appliances with minimal administrator time. This solution also provides a backup option at the DR site without any additional cost of licenses. The Dashboards are very intuitive and can be published to the CIO and CTO. 

What is most valuable?

We loved the orchestrator, which allows us to specify IPs for our DR site in advance. It also allowed us to pre-configure the boot sequence for a failover test or actual recovery. Backup at the DR site is the icing on the cake. The concept of a journal history and keeping snapshots at intervals of seconds are quite good.

What needs improvement?

Mobile features are there only for visibility and not to take action. We would love to see the ability to perform actions through mobile apps.

It would be helpful if the reports can be generated periodically, on a schedule.

For how long have I used the solution?

Four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable solution that also supports multiple clouds.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Our earlier solution doesn't have a detailed orchestrator and didn't support appliances.

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy to set-up this solution.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented this solution in-house, without the need for any partner to assist with the set-up.

What was our ROI?

There is no need to think of ROI as this is a DC-DR solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is very cost-effective and very easy to set-up but does not compromise on features. The features are much enhanced compared to any other DC-DR solution.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing this solution we evaluated VMware Replication & Sanovi.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, this solution is quite enhanced compared to other, similar solutions in the market.

I recommend trying this solution.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Head of IT at TWM SOLICITORS LLP
Real User
Top 5
Helpful mobile monitoring app compliments the powerful DR testing capability
Pros and Cons
  • "The ability to fully test your entire environment without actually performing a failover is invaluable."
  • "There needs to be more flexibility in the licensing."

What is our primary use case?

Real-time replication for our Disaster Recovery site, which is currently hosted in another on-premise site but will shortly be moving to a Data Center in the Cloud.

I have also used this solution to do point-in-time restores of Exchange mailbox items and to check updates from Microsoft.

How has it helped my organization?

This solution has given us the confidence to know that our complex systems are being backed up off-site in real-time and are testable on demand. This gives me a real sense of ease when speaking to Management about our resilience, and being able to demonstrate it includes everyone in the processes to confirm that.

What is most valuable?

The ability to fully test your entire environment without actually performing a failover is invaluable.

I really appreciate the Mobile app that allows me to monitor, at any time of the day or night, whether the replications are up and running.

Creating Virtual Protection Groups allows us to treat business services as one.

What needs improvement?

There needs to be more flexibility in the licensing. I've mentioned to Zerto Management that I find the licensing at twenty-five VMs to be very restricting to an SME business, and could there be some flexibility here? Businesses like ours constantly change their IT due to the flexibility of Virtualisation and it would be great to get Zerto on board with that same flexibility.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It has been very stable and gives me minimal problems, especially when compared to other parts of the business network.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would imagine that the product would not have an upper limit due to its architecture. It seems to cope easily with our own environment of approximately forty VMs.

How are customer service and technical support?

The person I worked with was very friendly and had excellent knowledge of the product and understood the wider implications of the installation.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not use another solution prior to this one.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of this solution is very straightforward. The installation and configuration are incredibly easy for someone who is reasonably familiar with IT Management.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented this solution in-house.

What was our ROI?

We do not consider an ROI analysis to be relevant in this area.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

While we find the twenty-five VM license somewhat inflexible, the actual setup costs are minimal as the product is so easy to install.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing this solution we extensively tested the built-in functionality of our EMC VNX SANs but they didn't function to an acceptable standard so we looked to third parties.

After researching the market thoroughly we decided that this was the one to go for.

What other advice do I have?

I'd strongly suggest carrying out a proof of concept if you're looking at this part of your IT solution.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior information system analyst at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Is easy to setup and use, but technical support and customer service need improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "I like that Zerto is easy to move and that there is no effect on the user. That is, the user doesn't even know it. We're in the healthcare industry and work for a hospital. We can set up a server in no time whatsoever. It's easy for us to schedule the time because it takes only about one minute."
  • "Customer service and technical support need improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We use it mainly to move the server alarm between vCenter and the physical center.

What is most valuable?

I like that Zerto is easy to move and that there is no effect on the user. That is, the user doesn't even know it. We're in the healthcare industry and work for a hospital. We can set up a server in no time whatsoever. It's easy for us to schedule the time because it takes only about one minute.

In terms of ease of use, Zerto is a lot easier to use in comparison to similar solutions.

We have had no downtime with Zerto.

The speed of our upgrade is a lot easier because, for example, when I put the move fail and there's a pullout from the destination, I can cover with something from the source and pick it up from the source in person. I can copy the tag from the server very fast.

What needs improvement?

Customer service and technical support need improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using it for about five years.

How are customer service and support?

Customer service and technical support need improvement, and I would rate technical support a seven out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We switched to Zerto because it is easier to use, and the users did not complain.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. You open the firewall, install it, connect to vCenter, and then do all the steps to install the software.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale from one to ten, I would rate Zerto a seven because of the bad experience I had with technical support.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Zerto Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Zerto Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.