Dell Avamar vs Synology DSM comparison

Dell Technologies and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Dell Technologies is ranked #22 with an average rating of 7.0, while Synology is ranked #52. Dell Technologies holds a 1.9% mindshare in BRS, compared to Synology’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Synology users who would recommend it.

Dell Avamar

Read 90 Dell Avamar reviews

9,828 Views
8,943 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

4,495 Views
4,450 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Dell Avamar

Synology DSM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

Dell Avamar and Synology DSM are both prominent data protection solutions. Dell Avamar seems to have the upper hand due to its superior data deduplication capability and cost-efficiency, despite Synology DSM's robust integration and customization flexibilities.

Features: Users value Dell Avamar's efficient data deduplication, ease of data retrieval, and reasonable setup costs. Synology DSM is favored for its integration with various cloud services, extensive customization options, and long-term value through extensive features.

Room for Improvement: Dell Avamar reviews suggest improvements in performance speed, user learning curve, and initial setup. Synology DSM users point out the need for enhanced customer service, backup reliability, and easier deployment.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Dell Avamar is praised for its straightforward deployment but criticized for slow initial setup. Synology DSM has mixed reviews on deployment, with some users finding it complicated. Customer service is seen as adequate for Dell Avamar, whereas Synology DSM users express the need for improvement.

Pricing and ROI: Dell Avamar users typically report reasonable setup costs and quick ROI due to its effective deduplication. Synology DSM might have higher initial costs but is seen as providing good long-term value through its extensive features.

To learn more, read our detailed Dell Avamar vs. Synology DSM Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Dell Avamar vs. Synology DSM

August 2026

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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

22nd

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Deduplication Software (7th)

Synology DSM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

52nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell Avamar is 1.9%, down from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.3%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Dell Avamar	1.9%
Synology DSM	1.3%
Other	96.8%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

SamuelThomas

Consultant at Key Information Technology L.L.C.

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

Michael Adejoh

Solutions Manager at Excel Connect Ventures

Reliable and cost-effective

One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication. Currently, it lacks the capability to automatically stop backups if it detects a virus or suspicious network activity, as some third-party solutions can. Having AI-driven analytics to identify anomalies and halt backups during potential attacks, along with notifications to administrators, would be valuable. Additionally, providing a dashboard for monitoring the backup environment's security would be a beneficial feature. These improvements would help address security concerns and make Synology more competitive in this aspect.

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

"Its stability and deduplication capabilities are most valuable."

"It's simple to configure."

"So far, Avamar covers everything we want, and we are replicating to other sites for disaster recovery, so it's working well for us."

"The solution is very user-friendly."

"Dell Avamar has a push upgrade feature that lets you simultaneously push updates to thousands of clients. I also found the self-service part of Dell Avamar helpful."

"With Dell, everything has been done for you; out of the box, it's ready to go, and it's very, very fast."

"The solution is easy to use and has high performance."

"The entire system operates seamlessly, with minimal hands-on involvement, allowing us to focus on monitoring rather than constant adjustments or deployments, as seen in larger, more dynamic environments."

More Dell Avamar pros

"The most valuable aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."

"The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity."

"The product performs well. It is easy to use and implement."

"The solution's most valuable feature stems from its ease of use, making it the tool's most interesting part."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it serves as a backup for our company's virtual machine."

"Because of its simplicity and the wide array of features it offers, I would recommend DSM for both tech-savvy individuals and those who prefer a straightforward file-serving solution."

"It offers a variety of software options through its package center, allowing users to customize their NAS device to serve multiple purposes."

"Synology DSM is very easy to work and operate."

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"If you want to set up integration with a cloud environment, for example, it's very difficult to do that. Avamar doesn't work very well in the cloud environment."

"Reporting in Dell Avamar needs improvement. The current reporting tool is very basic, and you have to dig deep into each function to get the information you need. For example, getting the status of failed and succeeded backups is very difficult in Avamar compared to Veeam. As for additional functionality, I would suggest improving WAN optimization. It's very important for getting offline or off-site backups. It should also include a tool to check for ransomware which would be beneficial. If a backup is vulnerable to ransomware, there should be a way to detect it, like using ARR rules to ensure your backup is ransomware-free. I haven't had any experience integrating Dell Avamar with AI solutions. It’s also a good point that Avamar doesn't offer such integrations, which is an area where Dell could improve."

"The challenges we do face typically revolve around aligning specific features with our accustomed tool usage."

"EMC has discontinued their Avamar hardware version. They only advertise the Avamar virtual edition."

"It is integrated with the databases but it's not the best solution for big databases."

"There are two areas for improvement I would suggest. First, some integrations are not in place, such as the email alerts, which are not compatible with Office 365 SMTP gateway."

"Dell Avamar could improve by adding more backup features."

"The newest version is not very stable, which is something that should be improved."

More Dell Avamar cons

"Synology DSM's user interface is not quite intuitive."

"The only bothersome aspect is that the device is aging."

"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."

"There's a surveillance application that allows you to connect IP cameras and stream footage to Synology and it is a great feature, but it's not always clear that adding more cameras may require purchasing additional licenses."

"The product's only shortcoming is pricing, as it is an expensive solution."

"Synology DSM is a good enough solution for small and medium companies, but I have not seen a big configuration of the solution for a big organization."

"Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly."

"One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication."

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There are licensing costs for Dell EMC Avamar and it is paid annually."

"Licensing fees are paid annually."

"It might not be beneficial to smaller businesses due to its high cost."

"It was approximately $70-80,000 when it was under support, but right now EMC has not been supporting this product for two years."

"Its price should be reduced. It would be good if you could pay as per usage, and there is a subscription model like VMware. There should be some flexibility because sometimes, the customer only uses the backup for one month or three months. Currently, I have to pay whether I use it or not. Its licensing should be flexible and based on consumption."

"The cost is high."

"It is expensive. Its cost is the main thing."

"I rate the pricing a seven out of ten because it is expensive."

More Dell Avamar pricing and cost advice

"The price of the solution is very good."

"The licensing part of the solution is free. The hardware is more expensive than the other solutions in the market, but it's okay in the long run."

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"It is quite an affordable solution."

"The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."

"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

12%

Construction Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	27
Midsize Enterprise	18
Large Enterprise	47

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	1

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 needs improvement with Dell Avamar?

It is a very good product. My only concern is that there is no tape backup. For tape backup, we have to use Dell NetWorker. They could add more features for cyber resilience and multi-cloud options...

See all answers

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Comparisons

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs Dell Avamar

Compared 29% of the time

Rubrik vs Dell Avamar

Compared 5% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs Dell Avamar

Compared 4% of the time

Dell PowerProtect Data Domain vs Dell Avamar

Compared 3% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Dell Avamar

Compared 3% of the time

More Dell Avamar Competitors

Veeam Data Platform vs Synology DSM

Compared 5% of the time

UrBackup vs Synology DSM

Compared 4% of the time

SyncBack Pro vs Synology DSM

Compared 4% of the time

HPE StoreEver Tape vs Synology DSM

Compared 3% of the time

Datto Endpoint Backup vs Synology DSM

Compared 3% of the time

More Synology DSM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell Avamar

August 2026

Download Dell Avamar product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

July 2026

Download Synology DSM product report

Also Known As

Avamar

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Overview

Dell Avamar offers advanced deduplication, efficient data compression, and high backup and recovery speed, enhancing backup management and operations optimization for virtual environments and data protection needs.

Known for its seamless integration with VMware, Dell Avamar provides a user-friendly interface and robust performance. Its centralized data handling and minimal bandwidth requirements make it effective for different backup scenarios. While Avamar efficiently supports virtual environments and provides broad protection capabilities, users often report challenges with the interface and backup speed. There can be complexities in training and management, and integration with cloud and external platforms can be troublesome. Additional complaints include high pricing, scalability issues, and challenging transitions that complicate data migration.

What are the standout features of Dell Avamar?

Advanced Deduplication: Significantly reduces data size.
Efficient Data Compression: Optimizes storage use.
High Backup and Recovery Speed: Enhances operational efficiency.
VMware Integration: Facilitates smooth virtual environment operations.
Centralized Data Management: Simplifies data handling.

What benefits and ROI should users seek?

Improved Backup Management: Streamlines processes and enhances efficiency.
Optimal Storage Usage: Through data deduplication and compression.
Reliable Disaster Recovery: Ensures business continuity and data security.
Enhanced Cyber Resilience: Protects against data loss and security threats.
Scalable Operations: Grows with business needs while reducing overhead.

In industries focusing on virtual machine protections, Dell Avamar is widely used for VMware environments, endpoint, server, and database backups. Often integrated with Dell Data Domain for storage efficiency, it supports diverse environments, including remote office backups. Companies also leverage Avamar for compliance with geographical data retention regulations, adapting for on-premises and cloud deployments.

Dell Technologies

Synology DSM offers a comprehensive disk management and virtualization backup solution, known for its seamless connectivity across Mac, Windows, and Linux systems, enabling both novice and expert users to efficiently organize and secure their digital data.

Synology DSM integrates intuitive features like the Btrfs file system, built-in backups, and Active Backup for Business, streamlining application installations such as Plex Media Server and Docker. It provides robust security and versatility, supporting VPNs, web servers, and virtualization. Synology DSM is utilized for data backup in virtual machines, local user management, file-sharing networks, and remote file accessibility. It assists organizations in centralized data replication and protection, managing multiple terabytes across locations while serving as a firewall and file management system.

What features does Synology DSM offer?

Disk Management: Efficiently manages storage across multiple platforms.
Seamless Connectivity: Supports Mac, Windows, and Linux for a unified experience.
Btrfs File System: Offers advanced data protection and recovery options.
Active Backup for Business: Provides comprehensive backup solutions for critical data.
Versatility: Supports VPN, web servers, and virtualization for expanded utility.

What benefits should users consider?

Security: Maintains data integrity and protection across networks.
Stability: Ensures consistent operation for essential applications.
Ease of Use: Facilitates straightforward installation and management of applications.
Scalability: Handles large-scale data replication and protection efficiently.

In industries like IT and media, Synology DSM is an effective tool for centralized data management and security. Businesses rely on its extensive backup capabilities to manage and protect large datasets, enabling effective collaboration and remote access solutions across locations. Users incorporate its add-ons to enhance network deployment and connectivity, optimizing data flow and operational efficiency.

Synology

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

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Buyer's Guide

Dell Avamar vs. Synology DSM

August 2026

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