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Dell EMC Unity XT reviews

Vendor: Dell Technologies
4.2 out of 5
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What is Dell Unity XT?

Dell EMC Unity XT is one of the best all-flash storage arrays on the market today. Dell EMC Unity XT arrays are designed for performance, optimized for efficiency, and built for a multi-cloud world. In addition, they support digital transformation, enabling businesses to reach the full potential of their data capital quickly and easily. Dell EMC Unity’s All-Flash and Hybrid Flash storage platforms provide the performance, efficiency, enterprise-class software, and virtualization integrations required for running a wide range of virtualized applications.

Get the Dell Unity XT Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Dell Unity XT, Dell PowerStore, Pure Storage FlashArray and more!
Dell Unity XT is the #6 ranked solution in best All-Flash Storage Arrays. PeerSpot users give Dell Unity XT an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Dell Unity XT is most commonly compared to Dell PowerStore: Dell Unity XT vs Dell PowerStore. Dell Unity XT is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 52% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 17% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
Dell Unity XT
July 2025
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Dell Unity XT mindshare

As of August 2025, the mindshare of Dell Unity XT in the All-Flash Storage category stands at 6.5%, down from 10.1% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
All-Flash Storage Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell Unity XT6.5%
Dell PowerStore16.5%
HPE Alletra Storage9.9%
Other67.1%
All-Flash Storage

PeerResearch reports based on Dell Unity XT reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryAll-Flash StorageAug 25, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersAug 25, 2025Download
ComparisonDell Unity XT vs Dell PowerStoreAug 25, 2025Download
ComparisonDell Unity XT vs NetApp AFFAug 25, 2025Download
ComparisonDell Unity XT vs HPE Alletra StorageAug 25, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Dell PowerStore4.316.5%96%120 interviewsAdd to research
Pure Storage FlashArray4.66.6%99%199 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

Dell Unity XT's most valuable features include high performance, ease of use, and seamless integration. Its unified storage supports both block and file functions, reducing complexity. Users appreciate the simple management interface, scalability, and robust support. Its data reduction capabilities, including compression and deduplication, maximize efficiency. The platform's integration with VMware is notable, with features like easy replication and remote support, enhancing reliability and performance for varied workloads.
  • "Dell Unity XT is quite scalable and can be scaled up to the petabyte level."
  • "Dell excels in service and support."
  • "Snapshots provide a unique feature for testing and make management more comfortable and easy."

Room for Improvement

Dell Unity XT needs enhanced deduplication and compression capabilities, improved management interface flexibility, and better VMware integration. Users seek increased capacity and connectivity options, with frustrations about limited scalability and storage group functionality. There are requests for more proactive support and timely updates, along with demands for cost reduction. They desire better replication features, seamless cloud integration, and enhanced reporting tools. Some express challenges with service and hardware availability in certain regions.
  • "The technical support sometimes takes three to four days to get hardware to facilities. I would rate customer service four out of ten."
  • "Recently, customers have been asking for a cloud tiering option in storages. Some Dell storages do not have cloud tiering, which is an optional commercial feature."
  • "Sometimes the response time is higher than expected due to a lack of issues."

ROI

Dell Unity XT offers impressive returns by improving ease of management and scaling without adding headcount. Users experience savings through reduced downtime and power consumption, deduplication, and faster server setups. It supports virtualization and simplifies data management for critical applications. Customers notice benefits in performance, less intervention needed, and decreased costs for vSphere integration. Many have observed significant value within a two to three-year time frame due to these efficiencies and cost reductions.

Pricing

Dell Unity XT is priced competitively for enterprise storage, offering cost-effective solutions with bundled licensing. Users appreciate its pricing against competitors like HP and NetApp, especially for all-flash arrays starting around $25,000. While some note slight pricing hikes and complex licensing at times, Unity XT remains a good value with no hidden costs, often benefiting from bulk purchase discounts. Its balance of cost and features suits both small businesses and larger enterprises.
  • "It is priced at around or under $50,000."
  • "The solution’s pricing is competitive."
  • "The product’s pricing should be improved."

Popular Use Cases

Dell Unity XT is primarily used for block storage and virtualization platforms, particularly VMware environments. Users utilize it for applications like SQL Server, Exchange, and Oracle databases, offering ample storage in various sectors, including healthcare, finance, and government. It supports both unstructured file and block storage, known for its reliable performance, scalability, and integration with VMware environments. Unity XT is frequently chosen for its speed, all-flash capabilities, and efficient storage management.

Service and Support

Many users praise Dell Unity XT's customer support for its responsiveness and knowledge, often rating it highly. While some reported challenges following Dell's merger with EMC, such as slower response times and difficulties reaching higher-tier support, improvements have been noted. Customers appreciate proactive monitoring features like ESRS and CloudIQ. Technical staff are often commended for their expertise and helpfulness, though occasional issues with support ticket management and initial contacts have been mentioned.

Deployment

Dell Unity XT's initial setup is generally straightforward and user-friendly, with a wizard-guided process and an intuitive interface. Many configurations are simple and require no extra utilities or professional services. Some users find slight complexities in aspects like licensing or specific network connections, but most report a seamless experience, achieving setup within hours or days. Training or experienced personnel might occasionally be involved for more advanced requirements, ensuring efficient deployment.

Scalability

Users report that Dell Unity XT is highly scalable, capable of handling expanding needs without disruption. Many have upgraded storage or enhanced configurations with ease. While some models have specific scalability limits, users praise the architecture for its flexibility. The ability to add storage resources or devices has been frequently noted as a benefit. The scalability of Dell Unity XT meets satisfactory levels, with users successfully managing storage demands efficiently.

Stability

Many users report Dell Unity XT as reliable with no stability issues. While early versions had some challenges, updates have improved performance and resolved bugs. Users appreciate its reliability and consistent uptime. Some encountered occasional glitches, typically resolved swiftly through updates. Most agree Dell Unity XT handles workloads smoothly and is less problematic compared to earlier storage systems, earning high satisfaction and stability ratings from various users and organizations.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our Dell Unity XT Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business58
Midsize Enterprise47
Large Enterprise85
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business447
Midsize Enterprise299
Large Enterprise794
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
University
5%
Educational Organization
4%
Comms Service Provider
4%
Healthcare Company
4%
Retailer
4%
Construction Company
4%
Real Estate/Law Firm
3%
Wholesaler/Distributor
2%
Non Profit
2%
Energy/Utilities Company
2%
Performing Arts
2%
Outsourcing Company
2%
Hospitality Company
2%
Insurance Company
2%
Media Company
2%
Transportation Company
2%
Legal Firm
2%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
1%
Aerospace/Defense Firm
1%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Pharma/Biotech Company
1%
Photography Company
1%
Marketing Services Firm
1%
Logistics Company
1%

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Dell EMC Unity XT Features

Dell EMC Unity XT has many valuable key features, including:

  • Unified storage flexibility: With Dell EMC Unity XT you can consolidate separate storage platforms into a single Unity XT unified storage system via a simple and intuitive (HTML5) management GUI that also connects you to CloudIQ.

  • All-inclusive data protection: Dell EMC Unity XT offers a reliable way to protect application data with all-inclusive data protection services, including snapshots, data-at-rest drive encryption, replication, thin clones, and dynamic pools.

  • Software-defined solutions: Dell EMC Unity XT provides software-defined storage and HA for on-prem and in the cloud solutions.

  • Multi-cloud alignment: With Dell EMC Unity XT you have the ability to build and manage an effective data-first multi-cloud strategy. It allows you to consolidate public and private cloud resources that align with your business goals.

  • Metro node: This feature enables automated business continuity with zero RPO and RTO. It also provides greater flexibility through multi-platform support and replication to any array and has zero performance impact on the storage array.

  • Scalable file system: Dell EMC Unity XT is built with a robust 256TBu file system. The UFS64 file system includes up to 256 independent VMDK clones, 16 thin clones, space efficient snapshots with a simple space reclaim and low IO impact, file system shrink that can reclaim free blocks, simplified Quotas for User, and much more.

  • DevOps integrations: Dell EMC Unity XT supports the Container Storage Interface (CSI) plugin to run Kubernetes workloads.

Dell EMC Unity XT Benefits

Some of the benefits of using Dell EMC Unity XT include:

  • High-speed data access
  • Low latency
  • Dual-active controller architecture
  • Multi-cloud
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Cost efficient
  • Solid performance

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by Dell EMC Unity XT users.

A Systems Engineering Manager at a manufacturing company says, "It is definitely one of the most robust, solid, well-performing products that I have dealt with. It is set it and forget it, which is pretty amazing." He also mentions, “We can do both block and file storage on one unit without purchasing a separate device.”

Peter S., Senior Technical Specialist at a healthcare company, states, “The most valuable feature is reliability. At the end of the day, it just runs. This solution is easy to work with and easy to maintain.”

PeerSpot user Melvin T., Senior Systems Engineer at Prosperity Bank, explains that the solution is “easy to use and we can add LUNs or space without interruption to end-users. We're able to access it from just about anywhere, as long as we have access to a browser. That feature is really neat because sometimes we will go to a different data center or a different site, and if we need to access it to see a LUN or to see any type of storage, we can do that. That's one of the big takeaways with Unity."

Dell Unity XT was previously known as EMC Unity, Dell EMC Unity.

Dell Unity XT customers

Draper, Rio Grande Pacific, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre

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  • 47
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  • 7
Dell EMC Unity vs NetApp All Flash FAS, which do you recommend?
  • 101
What is the Biggest Difference Between Dell EMC Unity and NetApp AFF?
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Any advice re Dell PowerMax? We are looking at Unity and PowerMax, and also HPE.
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How does Dell's EMC PowerStore compare with its EMC Unity XT?
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What do you think about Dell EMC PowerStore? Is it actually a new product?
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How would you compare All-Flash Storage Arrays: Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform F vs HPE Nimble Storage vs Dell EMC Unity XT?
  • 12
Dell EMC XtremIO Flash Storage OR Hitachi Virtual Storage F Series

Product Categories

Product Categories
All-Flash Storage

Popular Comparisons

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Dell Unity XT Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
TSG Manager at Navigator Systems5.0I provide technical support for various storage solutions, primarily Dell Unity XT, which I find user-friendly and suitable for large organizations. I’ve encountered no major issues and rate the system a 10 out of 10.
Sales Account Manager - BFSI Sector at Frontier Business systems4.0We engage with enterprise clients to define storage solutions and often recommend Dell Unity XT. While valuable, its lack of inbuilt cloud tiering is a limitation. Adding this feature could enhance sales, especially to small and medium enterprises.
Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd4.5We use our Dell Unity XT system as a database managed by the DPA team, leveraging Oracle and MySQL. Its all-flash technology ensures fast IOPS and efficient data replication. Management is easy, though response times occasionally exceed expectations.
System Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees3.5I use Dell Unity XT for configuring storage solutions based on customer needs. It offers excellent data integration and cost management, though the pricing could be better. If budget is an issue, we consider alternatives like HP MSE products.
Systems Engineer at Thakral One (Pvt) Ltd4.0I manage the maintenance of Dell Unity XT for a leading telecom company, benefiting from its stable storage solutions like Unity 400. While reliable, integrating AI to predict hardware failures would significantly enhance maintenance efforts.
Senior Manager ICT & at Bangalore International Airport Limited4.5We use Dell Unity XT to manage CCTV camera files, appreciating its user-friendly interface, excellent performance, and data reliability. Improvements needed include reducing data duplication on flash memory. It delivers good ROI and supports effective data replication for our needs.
Co-Founder at Tech RIdge Solutions4.0I reviewed Dell Unity XT, a flash-based solution offering excellent performance due to its SSD drives. Key merits include simplicity in configuration and data replication with RPA RecoverPoint. However, data replication could improve as future RecoverPoint development is lacking.
National Manager - Hybrid IT Solutions at NTT Security4.5We use Dell Unity XT for creating our own cloud as network service providers, valuing its integration with VVOL, but face challenges with spare part availability in some African countries. Despite these issues, we achieve ROI in about two years.