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DD Boost vs IBM ProtectTIER 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

DD Boost
Ranking in Deduplication Software
6th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM ProtectTIER
Ranking in Deduplication Software
12th
Average Rating
7.2
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
Backup and Recovery (65th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Deduplication Software category, the mindshare of DD Boost is 3.8%, down from 4.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM ProtectTIER is 2.6%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Deduplication Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
DD Boost3.8%
IBM ProtectTIER2.6%
Other93.6%
Deduplication Software
 

Featured Reviews

Daniel Dumitru - PeerSpot reviewer
Inginer de system IT Senior at ENGIE
Speedy data backup with significant space savings and efficient deduplication
DD Boost has been very beneficial in enhancing our data backup processes. We perform backups with less time, and it allows for efficient on-premises recovery and restoration. We use it in conjunction with the Veeam suite. Overall, it has helped us make a big impact by allowing us to have more restore points and optimizing our storage efficiency with faster backups compared to tape backups.
AG
Technical Lead at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Provides a short-term backup, archive, and cataloging for 20,000 people in our organization
The backup for a large amount of data is slow. When there's a large amount of data, sometimes the backup isn't completed in time. I have a 24 hour cycle, so it doesn't get completed in 24 hours with the large amount of data. With Veritas NetBackup, I can take 20 terabytes of backup in a day.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It saves money because I don't need as much storage."
"Overall, I would recommend DD Boost as it is reliable, stable, and offers financial benefits through data deduplication and performance improvements in backups."
"Overall, scalability is great."
"What I found most useful in Dell EMC Data Domain Boost is the encryption it provides; it exceeds 40x, and it can convert my data, which is a huge conversion."
"DD Boost serves as a backup appliance providing data deduplication and synchronization, which accelerates processes."
"DD Boost's best features are deduplication and compression."
"This product's unique protocol make it superior to competing products and alternate solutions."
"All of my clients are satisfied and have not asked for any additional features."
"The most valuable features are the self-service features and the ability to search the data."
"In terms of stability, I've found it to be very stable. I've walked into the server room when it was at 60 degrees Celcius, and it was still running fine."
"In terms of stability, I've found it to be very stable."
"The command-line interface is good."
"The most valuable feature is the incremental backup."
"I will highly recommend this product for excellent and quick backup solution in small and large IBM I Series environment."
"Overall IBM ProtectTIER is a great solution. It is easy to use."
"If you are looking for a reliable and scalable enterprise-class solution, you should consider this solution."
 

Cons

"The solution must provide better deduplication."
"This product is expensive compared to other storage so the price can be improved."
"The solution needs a better gateway between the on-premises and cloud deployment models. We have to work around it or find a third party to assist."
"There are some limitations where you cannot use it as a shared server or as a file server, it is limited for the only backup."
"Connectivity with the cloud and on-premises needs improved gateways."
"Lack of this functionality is, in my opinion, big limitation."
"The deduplication is very bad on this solution."
"As far as improvement, the stability of the connection could be improved. The tool itself is okay, but not the gateway between the on-prem Data Domain and the cloud."
"My advice to anybody who is considering this solution is to conduct a proof of concept first because everybody's needs are different, and this product is not suitable for every kind of backup."
"The backup for a large amount of data is slow. When there's a large amount of data, sometimes the backup isn't completed in time."
"These days, we are thinking about pushing another solution because of the poor support from IBM."
"Setting up the system to work with legacy equipment is a bit complex at times."
"It is unmanageable. Support would be good."
"IBM ProtectTIER could improve by being more user-friendly."
"I would like the possibility to back up the infrastructure and then replicate it upon on restart, without having to orchestrate the starting of the VM."
"The configuration wizards are still complex and hard to navigate. These should be easier to manage."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The hardware platform is cost intense, so for small and mid-range, this product is not the best choice."
"My company must pay approximately 10,000 USD annually, making it an expensive product."
"The solution comes with a capacity license and it is a one-time purchase. There are additional costs, such as support."
"You don't have to pay additional costs."
"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the licensing charges attached to the product. The price of the product is on a higher scale, meaning not everybody can afford it."
"We scale this product by adding licenses, which are related to capacity."
"The pricing is definitely competitive and unmatchable. The price of Data Domain is very attractive compared to HPE, StoreOnce, or its current alternative, which is probably more expensive."
"Dell EMC Data Domain Boost is an expensive product. There are extra costs for support because every year, you have to renew your SLA for support, and the cost is always increasing."
"IBM ProtectTIER is an expensive solution."
"This solution is very expensive."
"We have a capacity-based license, which is managed centrally for all the sites of my company."
"The customer can decide how they want to purchase a license. However, the price of the solution is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Construction Company
22%
Manufacturing Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for DD Boost?
It's complicated for me because when we buy, we buy a package, so I don't have the DD price. Every Data Domain we buy comes with Boost technology, with the DDoS feature. I don't know the price of D...
What needs improvement with DD Boost?
DD Boost can improve by providing some sort of API to track the progress or the number of remaining data transfers. For instance, in other Dell products such as storage, SRDF replication protocol i...
What is your primary use case for DD Boost?
I am handling the storage part, not the compute part. Through storage, I have Dell PowerMax 2000, Dell Unity, Data Domain, and Dell SAN switches. Additionally, I have two boxes from IBM FlashSystem...
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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Durham Police Department, Re-Store LLC, CenterGrid, pixx.io GmbH, Australian Government Department of Defence, QD, Refresco Gerber
Find out what your peers are saying about DD Boost vs. IBM ProtectTIER and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,877 professionals have used our research since 2012.