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Dell Data Protection Advisor vs Synology DSM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

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 Data Protection Advisor
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
39th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Synology DSM
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
52nd
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
10
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 Data Protection Advisor is 0.8%, up from 0.4% 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
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell Data Protection Advisor0.8%
Synology DSM1.3%
Other97.9%
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

CB
Solution architect at GlassHouse
Has provided centralized monitoring for backup operations and reduced deployment times
The benefits of Dell Data Protection Advisor are that deployment and enablement are very easy. You can see everything in the backup infrastructure centrally. The real-time data gathering and monitoring process is robust. The predictive analytics feature in Dell Data Protection Advisor provides predictions about backup size and capacity for future periods.
Michael Adejoh - PeerSpot reviewer
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It generates very detailed reports, which makes things easier when it comes to IT auditing."
"The platform's most valuable features are data protection and retention."
"The predictive analytics feature in Dell Data Protection Advisor provides predictions about backup size and capacity for future periods."
"The initial setup is very straightforward. Deployment typically takes about one hour. You just need one person to handle the deployment process."
"The deduplication is probably the most valuable feature of that requirement."
"I can increase the tool's licensing as per my requirement with no conditions applied."
"This solution is great for IT auditing."
"I have never found any glitch in any Dell solution to date."
"The solution's most valuable feature stems from its ease of use, making it the tool's most interesting part."
"The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity."
"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."
"The most valuable features are the basic storage, file management, Btrfs file system, and built-in backups that come with the solution."
"The product performs well. It is easy to use and implement."
"The most valuable aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."
"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."
 

Cons

"There is a steep learning curve to use the interface and to create new reports, this could be made easier. If the solution could provide more drag and drop functionality to build more advanced reports that would be very helpful."
"Dell Data Protection Advisor is somewhat complicated, but this depends on the software limitations."
"The stability of the solution needs improvement for stand alone users."
"Some minor adjustments could be made regarding the graphical interface and customization options."
"The functionality of the Data Protection Advisor is limited and is something that is lacking in this solution. Other solutions like CloudIQ and DDMC provide a much better outlook on how data protection should be done."
"It's a bit difficult for first-time users."
"Customization of reports or creating new reports can be difficult. Users need to have a deep knowledge of SQL. 70-80% of customers can't seem to understand how to do it. They don't know how to address reporting. If Dell EMC could simplify it, it would benefit the end-user."
"The solution requires more integration with our other solutions. I know that they have full integration with VMware because it is also from EMC. However, we have to have better integration with Microsoft and Nutanix as well."
"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."
"The only bothersome aspect is that the device is aging."
"Synology DSM's user interface is not quite intuitive."
"The product's only shortcoming is pricing, as it is an expensive solution."
"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."
"Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly."
"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 platform could be much more cost-effective and flexible for integrating third-party products."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is affordable."
"For pricing, I would rate Dell 2 out of 5. It's affordable."
"You need to make an upfront payment for three, five, or seven years and renew the licenses for support. We can do an annual maintenance contract with Dell. I would rate the product's pricing a six out of ten."
"You have to procure the license when you are ordering or quoting for Dell Data Protection Suite (DPS). DPS is bundled with the suite and comes with a license. However, if you purchase NetWorker separately then you will have to procure the license for DPS separately."
"If the customer has huge lineup of Dell Products then they receive discount on the pricing."
"It's not very expensive — I think the price is fair."
"The product pricing has been satisfactory, particularly with the economy of scale in our agreement."
"It is quite an affordable solution."
"Synology DSM is a free tool."
"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."
"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."
"The price of the solution is very good."
"The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Performing Arts
13%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Construction Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise9
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell Data Protection Advisor?
The pricing of Dell Data Protection Advisor is very competitive among other vendors, and the license model is more economical than other vendor products.
What needs improvement with Dell Data Protection Advisor?
Dell Data Protection Advisor is somewhat complicated, but this depends on the software limitations. However, you can scale it if you work on the virtualization platform. There are no limitations re...
What is your primary use case for Dell Data Protection Advisor?
We use Dell Data Protection Advisor for backup operations. Dell Data Protection Advisor is very useful for the central view of the whole backup process, monitoring success and failed backups, and t...
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Also Known As

DPA
Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Nielsen, Trek Bicycle, Cal-Israel Credit Cards
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Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Data Protection Advisor vs. Synology DSM and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.