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Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs Dell PowerEdge C- Series comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

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

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Ser...
Ranking in Density Optimized Servers
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
4.3
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
Rack Servers (7th)
Dell PowerEdge C- Series
Ranking in Density Optimized Servers
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
36
Ranking in other categories
Blade Servers (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Density Optimized Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is 14.3%, up from 9.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerEdge C- Series is 20.3%, down from 25.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Density Optimized Servers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerEdge C- Series20.3%
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers14.3%
Other65.4%
Density Optimized Servers
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer1441011 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr, Manager- Network Solution Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Comprehensive support and integration ensure smooth cloud infrastructure operations
I may not be the right person to comment on advanced improvements because we are just using basic functionalities. We are getting all the functionalities which we used to get in other OEM rack servers. Potential areas for improvement may include a more flexible pricing model, better technical support, or tutorials from the vendor for users.
reviewer2845620 - PeerSpot reviewer
Analista de Infraestrutura de TI at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
Hybrid workloads have gained resilience and deliver reliable performance for critical data
The main issues are the acquisition cost, which is really high, and when it is necessary to replace parts, the cost is also a bit high. I think there are points for improvement in support as well. What was missing to reach a perfect rating is exactly the high acquisition and maintenance cost of these servers. Cost is really a sticking point. There is a relatively high cost, both for acquisition and for licensing some Dell software, such as the paid iDRAC licenses. I believe the cost, depending on how I use it and the workload I need, is worth it. However, I cannot forget that it is, in a way, an expensive solution.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The initial setup is straightforward and easy to do."
"The solution is reliable and easy to use."
"I can't think of any features which need to be added to the solution, all of them are good."
"In summary, this is a good product and it's sustainable."
"The intersite options for management make life easier for the operations and management teams because it's a single point of management for the whole server infrastructure."
"The product doesn't take up too much space on the rack and I like that."
"The solution is scalable."
"It is very nice and stable with an easy administration GUI."
"It's a good product. Virtualization on it is good."
"The solution provides good support and service."
"The security of the product is very good."
"I would encourage individuals who are looking for a simple and easily maintained solution to choose PowerEdge C."
"I see it is absolutely beneficial to have a return on investment after implementing Dell PowerEdge C-Series at about 20%."
"The performance is good."
"It is a scalable solution."
"With the tool, we can easily upgrade and ensure compatibility between operating systems, hardwares and drivers. Among other features, the hardware also stands out because it is certified and aligns with the processor manufacturers like Intel. This enables them to offer the latest options which are not available with other suppliers."
 

Cons

"Absolutely we had scalability issues. We tried several times to upgrade, scale up, expand our infrastructure, but Cisco insists to demand excessive amounts of money."
"Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers can improve by providing customization features to allow us to deploy them on the cloud. For example, we need VMware to allow us to accomplish a cloud deployment."
"Technical support could be more responsive."
"The product must add customer-friendly monitoring features."
"There is very little scalability for the cluster. If you need a higher availability, there is a user limitation. So that is the low side."
"The solution can be improved by adjusting the cost."
"I think the pricing is high. Cisco has to look for bundling this solutions with other applications."
"Some customers have complained about delivery time. So, the main weakness is the lead time."
"Its customer service could be better."
"There is some trouble with the stability part of the product, making it an area where improvements are required."
"For improvements, the iDRAC application isn't very intuitive to handle."
"I don't see the possibility of mixing LFF drives with SFF drives in a particular machine."
"For Dell specifically, I would say they are losing a little bit of the edge in consumer relations compared to what I see around the industry."
"They could automate or simplify it more."
"Customer service and support have been generally helpful but can be slow due to the need to navigate different specialists."
"There could be some more ports added in the future."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution requires an annual licensing fee."
"This product is slightly more expensive when compared to others."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis, which is only $2,000 or $3,000."
"My company has an agreement with Cisco to get discounted rates. It is one of the reasons why we chose the product."
"This product is quite expensive and it would be better if it were cheaper."
"The solution could be more cost-effective."
"If they plan to expand their infrastructure in periods, then simply Cisco is not a good choice."
"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is high."
"The product costs can be high, especially for disks and other components."
"Despite the slightly higher price, we prefer Dell due to the high quality of their products."
"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"I don't handle the financial aspects, so I don't know the exact costs, but in terms of the value it brings, it's worth it."
"There is a need to pay towards the annual subscription-based licensing model offered by the solution. The product is moderately priced. Price is a critical issue, and it is always good to have moderately priced solutions."
"The price could be reduced."
"The licensing cost of PowerEdge C is very high."
"When we talk about pricing it is the cheapest on the market that I have found."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
University
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise14
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise14
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?
My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is not troublesome, but it is confusing. It takes a lot of time to navigate licensing and to work through ...
What needs improvement with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?
I think Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could be improved, but I'm not really a forward thinker; everything works pretty well with how we're using it. It's not really an improvement, but the soluti...
What is your primary use case for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?
My main use case for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is hypervisors, using them as a hypervisor.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PowerEdge C?
Using Dell PowerEdge has helped reduce my total cost of ownership because it is an off-the-shelf product, so I would say it has, because it is commoditized. I cannot say by how much, as Dell owns t...
What needs improvement with PowerEdge C?
For Dell specifically, I would say they are losing a little bit of the edge in consumer relations compared to what I see around the industry. I know they are focusing a lot on AI, but we are losing...
What is your primary use case for PowerEdge C?
The main use case is for our entire virtualization stack.
 

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Advanced Medical Transport, Aegean Motorway, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Artoni Transporti, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, City of Mississauga, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Kind en Gezin, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Nationwide, Quest, Talbots, University of St. Gallen
NxtGen Datacenter, Medien-Service Untermain (MSU), Exasol, IndigoVision, Dayco
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. Dell PowerEdge C- Series and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,588 professionals have used our research since 2012.