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

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 7, 2025

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
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
4.3
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
Rack Servers (5th)
Dell PowerEdge C- Series
Ranking in Density Optimized Servers
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
Blade Servers (8th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Density Optimized Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is 11.8%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerEdge C- Series is 25.3%, up from 24.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Density Optimized Servers Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell PowerEdge C- Series25.3%
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers11.8%
Other62.9%
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.
Naveen Radhwani - PeerSpot reviewer
Head IT at TO THE NEW Digital
Offers great performance and customization for application servers
There are a few bugs in PowerEdge C that require some configurational settings to be done with the help of a support team when we reconfigure the solution. This is one area where they can improve the performance of the server or implement some application improvements in the solution to make it easier for end users to implement properly.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We have many people in my organization using Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers in the administration."
"It is very stable and easy to use. It integrates easily with Cisco's cloud-based UC solutions. There are tools for management that make the management a bit easier, but we don't use them. We don't use what you would term as power users."
"In terms of the features that I have found most valuable, that is basically the hardware, which is more dynamic."
"The solution is scalable."
"Its hardware is really reliable. We also like Cisco for its support."
"The solution is easily scalable."
"The solution is reliable and easy to use."
"On the Cisco side, there is a benefit in terms of server management. Cisco provides UCS Manager, which is a multi-tenant site manager. We can manage multiple sites while maintaining disaster recovery, a feature not available on other platforms."
"PowerEdge servers have high CPU processing power, and the support is also good."
"The security of the product is very good."
"It is a scalable platform."
"The product has high performance and no downtime."
"One of the main features that attract customers to buy their products is the great management tool and almost zero failure rate, making it easy to use."
"The solution provides good support and service."
"The scalability of the solution met our needs."
"The performance is good."
 

Cons

"The product's stability and delivery time could be better."
"The C-Series is not designed to be as scalable. They are designed to have enough RAM and enough CPU on their own side. If you want scalability, it's better to choose the B-Series— the Blade Servers — because those are much more scalable with Fabric Interconnect."
"The warranty and support periods should be extended."
"Some customers have complained about delivery time. So, the main weakness is the lead time."
"Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could improve by adding a wider portfolio because they only have two main categories, the C-220 and 240. There is no wide range of options as other solutions have, such as Dell. Additionally, if it was more flexible with the configuration it would be good."
"The only thing I would change is to provide more proactive support."
"In the version we need to use, the manager is still reliant on a full Java install on a Windows OS. This is inconvenient and problematic if you have multiple management tools on different versions of Java or if you move to a machine without the appropriate Java environment."
"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."
"HP is a little bit lower in terms of price."
"The solution’s pricing could be cheaper."
"They could automate or simplify it more."
"It would be better if it worked with SMTP servers on the cloud. Right now, it only allows notifications via the SMTP server. In the next release, I would like to have a better processor."
"An area where the product lacks and needs to consider improvement is by allowing it to integrate with some AI tool for monitoring."
"For improvements, the iDRAC application isn't very intuitive to handle."
"There has been an increase in quality issues."
"The current memory could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price for Cisco is a bit higher than its competitors. We paid 40k for one server."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis, which is only $2,000 or $3,000."
"The price of the Cisco UCS C-Series Rack could improve. It's a little more expensive in comparison with Dell or HPE solutions."
"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is approximately 20 percent more than other solutions."
"This product is slightly more expensive when compared to others."
"The pricing is expensive."
"We have to pay for the VMware and Cisco licenses."
"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is high."
"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"PowerEdge C is a product that is priced at a medium range, so it is not too expensive."
"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."
"The product costs can be high, especially for disks and other components."
"We buy licenses for the solution's advanced features."
"PowerEdge C is very expensive, but personally, I think it's worth the price."
"The licensing cost of PowerEdge C is very high."
"The price could be reduced."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Retailer
7%
University
12%
Venture Capital & Private Equity Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise13
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?
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 serv...
What do you like most about PowerEdge C?
The solution provides good support and service.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PowerEdge C?
My experience with the pricing of this tool is that it's in mid-range. They have good competitors in the market who are offering better pricing, so there is scope for improvement in this area.
What needs improvement with PowerEdge C?
There are a few bugs in PowerEdge C that require some configurational settings to be done with the help of a support team when we reconfigure the solution. This is one area where they can improve t...
 

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: December 2025.
879,768 professionals have used our research since 2012.