Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Dell Avamar vs IBM ProtectTIER comparison

Dell Technologies and IBM are both solutions in the Deduplication Software category. Dell Technologies is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.1, while IBM is ranked #13. Dell Technologies holds a 10.1% mindshare in DS, compared to IBM’s 1.2% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 60% of IBM users who would recommend it.
Dell Avamar
Read 90 Dell Avamar reviews
  • 5,260 Views
  • 1,946 Comparison Views
87% willing to recommend
IBM ProtectTIER
Read 7 IBM ProtectTIER reviews
  • 581 Views
  • 261 Comparison Views
60% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report
Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

IBM ProtectTIER and Dell Avamar compete in the data protection market. Dell Avamar has a slight edge in features due to its versatility and ease of integration.

Features: IBM ProtectTIER offers high deduplication efficiency, strong storage space reduction, and robust data protection. Dell Avamar provides multi-platform support, ease of integration, and efficient performance. Dell Avamar's versatility is a key advantage.

Room For Improvement: IBM ProtectTIER needs enhanced reporting tools, simpler configuration, and improved user interface. Dell Avamar requires better support for newer applications, a more intuitive management console, and enhanced automation features. Each product has areas to refine.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM ProtectTIER deployment is resource-intensive but has positive customer service feedback. Dell Avamar is known for straightforward deployment and comprehensive support from Dell, making it a standout option.

Pricing and ROI: IBM ProtectTIER has higher setup costs but offers significant ROI through storage reduction. Dell Avamar features competitive setup costs and consistent ROI with efficient data protection capabilities. Users feel Dell Avamar provides tangible ROI benefits.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
To learn more, read our detailed Dell Avamar vs. IBM ProtectTIER Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Dell Avamar vs. IBM ProtectTIER
September 2025
Download the complete report
Helped 869,202 peers since 2012

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

Dell Avamar
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
7th
Ranking in Deduplication Software
5th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
90
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM ProtectTIER
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
83rd
Ranking in Deduplication Software
13th
Average Rating
7.2
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Deduplication Software category, the mindshare of Dell Avamar is 10.1%, up from 9.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM ProtectTIER is 1.2%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Deduplication Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell Avamar10.1%
IBM ProtectTIER1.2%
Other88.7%
Deduplication Software
 

Featured Reviews

SamuelThomas - PeerSpot reviewer
Have supported critical environments despite room for improvement in legacy backup options
It is very efficient in cyber resilience. Deduplication, automation, and everything is very efficient. It is multi-cloud enabled and has broad protections. The software delivers flexible and efficient backup and recovery options through its cyber resiliency features. Dell PowerProtect Manager provides insights in managing backup processes. Its encryption mechanisms are very efficient, helping to secure sensitive data. Its integration with Dell EMC Data Domain is very good. It is easy to integrate with Data Domain. Multi-cloud options are enabled, and backup in cloud options exist in Dell Avamar.
Read full review
ValereFEUGWANG - PeerSpot reviewer
Protects data in hybrid infrastructures, but it is an expensive product with poor support
The main challenge for our customers is to replicate the virtual environment upon restart, without using any additional solutions such as VMware SLM. 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. It would be much better for us. This solution can be made easier to use. Technical support is very frustrating and we are considering other solutions because of it. Stability is something that should be improved. The product is expensive and the licensing should be changed.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"They are extremely reliable and scalable — they provide the best de-duplication on the market."
"The stability is okay."
"The deduplication feature is the best aspect of the solution."
"The product has a proven track record of good backups without much of a failure ratio. It also has a good backup in terms of the compression ratio."
"It is a very complete product."
"I have found the product to be scalable."
"Dell EMC Avamar has many valuable features. It's very stable and it's easy to manage."
"The most valuable feature for me in Dell Avamar is the automation, which is good for completion."
More Dell Avamar pros
"Overall IBM ProtectTIER is a great solution. It is easy to use."
"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."
"The most valuable features are the Self-Service, and the ability to search the data."
"The cataloging is the best feature. It takes millions of frames for the backup. It's incremental, so it takes less time to complete."
"The command-line interface is good."
"The solution is highly stable."
 

Cons

"Dell Avamar could improve by adding more backup features."
"If you need to pull data out of it to offload to tapes, that's messy. You have a mechanism for it, but it is painful."
"The solution should improve its tape-connectivity features."
"What would make Dell Avamar better is if it can do faster backups because right now, PowerProtect Data Manager is better in this area with its new UI and a new way to implement backups. Customers nowadays also expect more up-to-date solutions, and this is another area for improvement in Dell Avamar. It's not as up-to-date, so I'm counting on PowerProtect Data Manager, but customers who have Dell Avamar don't want to switch because you don't have as many backup problems in Dell Avamar compared to other solutions. What I'd like to see in the next release of Dell Avamar is an updated UI and a different way to manage backups because currently, backup management is a bit heavy for customers using Dell Avamar."
"It's an expensive solution."
"Dell hasn't done a good job at handling these upgrades, or the way EMC used to handle them."
"Dell EMC Avamar is a very complex product. It took a lot of time for the IT admins to get trained on how to use it. It is not very user-friendly, and we won't be using Avamar anymore. It needs a lot of improvement in terms of how the backups have been configured, and the reporting is too complex."
"Interfaces need to be improved."
More Dell Avamar cons
"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."
"IBM ProtectTIER could improve by being more user-friendly."
"The configuration wizards are still complex and hard to navigate. These should be easier to manage."
"The backup for a large amount of data is slow."
"Setting up the system to work with legacy equipment is a bit complex at times."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing was generally on a per VM or terabyte basis. They changed their licensing model a couple of times and turned it into socket-based licensing, which is an improvement in their licensing model."
"Avamar's pricing is quite competitive compared to other vendors."
"Licensing fees are paid annually."
"Its licensing is weird. It is not just the licenses; we also purchase hardware. With most software products, such as Veeam, Commvault, and Data Protector, there is no hardware purchase at the same time. Because Avamar and Data Domain are tied together, they have an integrated pipe. You can separate them, but basically, they're designed to work as a couple. Because the Data Domain backend is designed to do dedupe and compression, we get 60:1. When you count it, you count it as a straight compression, but of course, that's with dedupe and some other stuff. You have to buy the hardware, the licensing, and the software at the same time. So, it's not just software."
"Dell Avamar is free when we deploy the data protection. When we order data protection, this software is included in the hardware."
"When it comes to competition the price is not what is important, it's not the problem."
"It's a very high-end solution and comparable to Rubrik and Cohesity."
"There are licensing costs for Dell EMC Avamar and it is paid annually."
More Dell Avamar pricing and cost advice
"This solution is very expensive."
"IBM ProtectTIER is an expensive solution."
"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."
report
See which vendors are best for you
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Deduplication Software solutions are best for your needs.
See recommendations
869,202 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business26
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise48
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

What's the difference between Dell EMC Avamar and Dell EMC NetWorker?
From the very beginning, Dell EMC NetWorker considers users and those who might potentially become users. In terms of both pricing and setup, this product offers an experience that is significantly...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell EMC Avamar?
The cost is very significant, and it could be lower.
See all answers
What do you like most about Dell Avamar?
Easy to configure and highly reliable for backup.
See all answers
Ask a question
Earn 20 points
 

Comparisons

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs Dell Avamar Logo
Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs Dell Avamar
Compared 38% of the time
Veeam Data Platform vs Dell Avamar Logo
Veeam Data Platform vs Dell Avamar
Compared 12% of the time
Commvault Cloud vs Dell Avamar Logo
Commvault Cloud vs Dell Avamar
Compared 8% of the time
Rubrik vs Dell Avamar Logo
Rubrik vs Dell Avamar
Compared 7% of the time
Dell NetWorker vs Dell Avamar Logo
Dell NetWorker vs Dell Avamar
Compared 6% of the time
More Dell Avamar Competitors
Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) vs IBM ProtectTIER Logo
Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) vs IBM ProtectTIER
Compared 68% of the time
HPE StoreOnce vs IBM ProtectTIER Logo
HPE StoreOnce vs IBM ProtectTIER
Compared 32% of the time
More IBM ProtectTIER Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Dell Avamar
October 2025
Dell Avamar reportDownload Dell Avamar product report
Buyer's Guide
Deduplication Software
September 2025
IBM ProtectTIER reportDownload IBM ProtectTIER product report
 

Also Known As

Avamar
No data available
 

Overview

Dell Avamar data protection software delivers flexible and efficient backup and recovery operations that can scale from daily backup protection for endpoints to high-performance protection for large enterprises with diverse applications and workloads. With application consistent recovery, automation and fast backup and restores, Avamar can help you meet your SLAs and optimize your backup and recovery processes

If you are deploying all or part of your backup environment to the cloud, Avamar enables you to make the most of your cloud investment, enabling replication, disaster recovery and long-term retention for customers using AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud.

Avamar is available as part of Dell Data Protection Suite, which offers comprehensive data protection software applications and tools. Avamar is delivered as software and as a virtual edition.

Dell Technologies

IBM TS7650G ProtecTIER Deduplication Gateway is designed to meet the disk-based data protection needs of the enterprise data center while enabling significant infrastructure cost reductions. The solution offers industry-leading inline deduplication performance and scalability up to 1 petabyte (PB) of physical storage capacity per system, and can provide up to 25 PB or more backup storage capacity. Combined with IBM or third-party storage, TS7650G ProtecTIER Deduplication Gateway provides a powerful disk-based repository to improve the performance, retention and availability of backup and archive data in a small footprint for energy and cost efficiency.

IBM
 

Sample Customers

Dodge County, St Laurence's College, FieldCore (a GE Company), Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Getronics, Lewisville Independent School District, EnvisionRxOptions, Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions
Durham Police Department, Re-Store LLC, CenterGrid, pixx.io GmbH, Australian Government Department of Defence, QD, Refresco Gerber
Buyer's Guide
Dell Avamar vs. IBM ProtectTIER
September 2025
Free Report: Dell Avamar vs. IBM ProtectTIER
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Avamar vs. IBM ProtectTIER and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
DOWNLOAD NOW
869,202 professionals have used our research since 2012.
See our Dell Avamar vs. IBM ProtectTIER report.
See our list of best Deduplication Software vendors and best Backup and Recovery vendors.

We monitor all Deduplication Software reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.