Dell Data Protection Advisor vs Dell NetWorker vs IBM Spectrum Protect comparison

Dell Data Protection Advisor and Dell NetWorker are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Dell Data Protection Advisor is ranked #25 with an average rating of 9.5, while Dell NetWorker is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.9. Dell Data Protection Advisor holds a 0.4% mindshare in BRS, compared to Dell NetWorker’s 3.0% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Dell Data Protection Advisor users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Dell NetWorker users who would recommend it.

Dell Data Protection Advisor

Read 13 Dell Data Protection Advisor reviews

1,681 Views
582 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Dell NetWorker

Read 84 Dell NetWorker reviews

4,587 Views
3,692 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

IBM Spectrum Protect

Read 149 IBM Spectrum Protect reviews

3,616 Views
2,660 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

Dell Data Protection Advisor

Dell NetWorker

IBM Spectrum Protect

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Dell Data Protection Advisor, Dell NetWorker, and IBM Spectrum Protect based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Veeam Software, Zerto, Commvault and others in Backup and Recovery.

To learn more, read our detailed Backup and Recovery Report (Updated: May 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Backup and Recovery

May 2025

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Helped 855,164 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:

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell Data Protection Advisor is 0.4%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell NetWorker is 3.0%, down from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Spectrum Protect is 2.2%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

AnkurGupta1

Lead Consultan at HCL Technologies

Offers seamless integration with robust data privacy features

I am currently working with other companies on data center solutions. In our data center, we work with HP, Dell, and Nutanix on data center build-up and migrations. I work with Dell Data Protection Advisor for cloud, though not extensively, and we provided that solution to one customer and are awaiting their approval. I am a reseller and service provider. We implemented Dell Data Protection Advisor for data privacy, and another team handles data protection and related issues. I did not work extensively on specific features, so nothing particularly stands out. From my reseller and end customer perspective, I would rate Dell Data Protection Advisor an eight out of ten as it is a good solution.

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ErmiasGirma

System and Cloud Deployment Engineer at Safaricom Ethiopia plc

Offers seamless integration and cost-saving benefits with enhanced recovery capabilities

Currently, in my organization, I am using Dell NetWorker for open-source solutions like PostgreSQL and MySQL databases, and some large VM environments. It also supports the Dell library and is used for the library archiving system Dell NetWorker allows for extensive customization, supporting…

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Syed Habib

Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd

Manageable and comprehensive and integrates robust backup features for core banking

It's adequate for my core banking, however, I am looking for another solution for all systems. It is not compatible with other operating systems like Windows or Linux, and lacks a consolidated dashboard from Browser Spectrum. This is why I am searching for another solution. The product also lacks any centralized graphical user interface (GUI), such as Jarek Pod, and I am limited to using a console-based text user interface, which my local partner handles completely.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This is a stable solution."

"I can increase the tool's licensing as per my requirement with no conditions applied."

"The platform's most valuable features are data protection and retention."

"The product's ability to give predictions and advice on how to protect data is incredible."

"I have never found any glitch in any Dell solution to date."

"The most valuable aspects of the solution are the compression and the duplication."

"The deduplication is probably the most valuable feature of that requirement."

"The reporting feature and the Dell's continuous improvement of the solution are the most valuable features. The solution not only supports Dell Power Products but also other products."

More Dell Data Protection Advisor pros

"Dell EMC NetWorker integrates well with our domain and the performance is quite good on-premise. We receive approximately 1 terabyte within one hour."

"Simple, stable and straightforward."

"The most valuable feature is NetWorker's integration with the data domain that transfers the data directly into the Dell appliance, so the data doesn't need to pass through the network. NetWorker acts like a pipe, allowing the data to flow directly from the database or the VMware environment to the data domain."

"The possibility of recovering up-to-the-moment data is very useful."

"The initial setup is simple."

"The software is quite complicated and useful for large corporations using different information systems."

"NetWorker is easy to install on clients and servers, and making backups from server to storage and backup devices is straightforward."

"It's a good product that can be integrated easily with the Data domain."

More Dell NetWorker pros

"All other products contain the same features, but when I'm backing up an IBM Power server I feel more comfortable with IBM Spectrum Protect because it's the same vendor."

"Data archiving is easier and less time-consuming."

"Incremental forever: This feature helps us reduce backup time and backup storage space."

"It is also a product that has been maturing for a long time. This is good because customers need reliability in their enterprise initiatives."

"Everyone wants a full backup. It gives them safety and peace of mind, like an insurance policy for that rainy day when they may need to restore a system."

"We like IBM Spectrum's versioning capabilities. It lets us specify how many versions of a file we want to keep and for how long. Also, the archive component of the software helps us a lot."

"They have recently added support tickets specifically engineered around performance. This has been very useful for us when we run into issues where customers are looking to try to squeeze a lot more horsepower out of older system."

"It is good in terms of functionality. My clients are very satisfied with this solution."

More IBM Spectrum Protect pros

Cons

"The stability of the solution needs improvement for stand alone users."

"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."

"They should empower their customers with the ability to upgrade this solution as long as it's in the same major release."

"From a service perspective, improvements are needed at Dell because when customers call, it takes a long time to get a response for calls or emails. Response time is the main problem that needs addressing."

"Some minor adjustments could be made regarding the graphical interface and customization options."

"It is difficult to manage the solution with the available tools. You need to know exactly what are you are doing."

"The product could be improved by addressing intermittent collector failures affecting status reports' accuracy."

"It's a bit difficult for first-time users."

More Dell Data Protection Advisor cons

"The user interface has to be improved"

"The implementation process could be improved."

"Since the product is not on the front banner of Dell, the support may not be the best."

"I would like to see better support for the container systems, and we would like to see more support for image backups instead of pure file backups."

"I would like to see encryption included in the next release to encrypt the data that we are backing up."

"I haven't had a good experience with technical support. It takes them a very long time to resolve issues."

"We encountered challenges during the solution's deployment, particularly integrating our database system and Microsoft Exchange. This area needs improvement."

"The UI is not user-friendly."

More Dell NetWorker cons

"The product’s recovery process in terms of agent installation needs improvement"

"Easier configuration of some of the products, e.g., VE comes to mind."

"It is not compatible with other operating systems like Windows or Linux, and lacks a consolidated dashboard from Browser Spectrum."

"I would love to see something which allows us to do an auto restart of backup jobs."

"Ease of use. That has got to be the one thing that I routinely hear from clients and customers, that it's a little bit more difficult than it should be. What I'm finding is that IBM has heard that and they're responding with updated interfaces and things like that."

"We would like to see bare-metal restorers."

"It doesn't integrate with storage pools, with a normal pool. I'd like to see that."

"The user interface needs to be improved."

More IBM Spectrum Protect cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"For pricing, I would rate Dell 2 out of 5. It's affordable."

"The product pricing has been satisfactory, particularly with the economy of scale in our agreement."

"The product is affordable."

"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."

"It's not very expensive — I think the price is fair."

"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."

"If the customer has huge lineup of Dell Products then they receive discount on the pricing."

"Dell NetWorker has two types of licensing models."

"Low cost is key."

"The licensing model can be traditional licensing or capacity-based licensing."

"If you purchase Avamar, NetWorker is free with Avamar, for one terabyte license capacity."

"The tool is pricey."

"The price of the solution could be lower, it is expensive."

"Earlier, users had to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs of the product. The licenses were expensive but users used to get the best device to use."

"Licensing is based on the number of terabytes, so you need to purchase packages."

More Dell NetWorker pricing and cost advice

"For my company, the tool is affordable and reasonable...I don't think most people know that when a company has large systems in place, the TCO is a lot lower."

"That's a hard estimate. It depends on the licensing, the hardware, and other stuff, but it is fairly expensive. It is generally more expensive than other solutions."

"We have found that the pricing is high in our country."

"The solution is expensive."

"There may be an advantage to going with IBM in terms of pricing. They have a pay-as-you-grow policy, so there is no need to take one license for the entire datacenter. You can start with small licenses and then grow, and pay, as you use more."

"The platform is neither highly priced nor inexpensive. I rate the pricing a seven out of ten."

"The product is not cheap."

"The pricing is a little expensive for our current employer, so they want to move to a cheaper solution."

More IBM Spectrum Protect pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell Data Protection Advisor?

The platform's most valuable features are data protection and retention.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell Data Protection Advisor?

The product pricing has been satisfactory, particularly with the economy of scale in our agreement.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell Data Protection Advisor?

The product could be improved by addressing intermittent collector failures affecting status reports' accuracy. Addit...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Dell NetWorker?

The feature that offers the greatest benefits in ensuring data integrity is its backup capability.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell NetWorker?

The licensing cost is somewhat expensive. While we use a traditional license, there is a capacity-based license avail...

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Spectrum Protect?

IBM Spectrum Protect is stable.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Spectrum Protect?

It's expensive. I acknowledge the cost associated with it.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Spectrum Protect?

It's adequate for my core banking, however, I am looking for another solution for all systems. It is not compatible w...

See all answers

Comparisons

Veeam Data Platform vs Dell Data Protection Advisor

Compared 25% of the time

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs Dell Data Protection Advisor

Compared 21% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Dell Data Protection Advisor

Compared 15% of the time

Veritas NetBackup vs Dell Data Protection Advisor

Compared 14% of the time

More Dell Data Protection Advisor Competitors

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 31% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 14% of the time

Dell Avamar vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 10% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 9% of the time

Cohesity DataProtect vs Dell NetWorker

Compared 2% of the time

More Dell NetWorker Competitors

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vs IBM Spectrum Protect

Compared 17% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs IBM Spectrum Protect

Compared 17% of the time

Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) vs IBM Spectrum Protect

Compared 11% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs IBM Spectrum Protect

Compared 10% of the time

Cohesity DataProtect vs IBM Spectrum Protect

Compared 3% of the time

More IBM Spectrum Protect Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell Data Protection Advisor

June 2025

Download Dell Data Protection Advisor product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell NetWorker

June 2025

Download Dell NetWorker product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Spectrum Protect

May 2025

Download IBM Spectrum Protect product report

Also Known As

DPA

NetWorker

IBM TSM, IBM Tivoli Storage Manager

Overview

Effectively managing your data protection environment can be labor intensive and complex. It requires knowledge of backup applications, replication technologies, and the entire supporting infrastructure, yet it is critical in keeping your data secure.

With Dell Data Protection Advisor, you can automate and centralize the collection, monitoring and reporting of this data and get a single, comprehensive view of your environment, no matter where your data resides. This includes monitoring data on AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

With clear visibility, you can gain actionable insight and effectively manage service levels while reducing costs and complexity. You can also collect and report on that data to help other stakeholders make the best decisions for your organization.

Data Protection Advisor is available as part of Dell Data Protection Suite.

Dell Technologies

Built on a reputation of efficiency and reliability, thousands of customers trust Dell NetWorker to protect their data and applications across multiple environments, from core to edge to cloud.

Inherently flexible, NetWorker helps you deploy and leverage the data protection that fits your needs. NetWorker protects both physical and virtual environments, including VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V, as well as cloud workloads on AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

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

Dell Technologies

IBM Spectrum Protect (Tivoli Storage Manager) is a data protection platform that gives enterprises a single point of control and administration for backup and recovery. It is the flagship product in the IBM Spectrum Protect (Tivoli Storage Manager) family. It enables reliable, cost effective backups and fast recovery for virtual, physical and cloud environments of all sizes.

IBM

Sample Customers

Nielsen, Trek Bicycle, Cal-Israel Credit Cards

Republic Bank, Westgate Resorts, Macquire Cloud Services, Shriners, Panatonni, Qatar Islamic Bank, Eurosport

CERN, Einstein Healthcare, Nyherji, Allianz Australia, TZM, ABT Online, NCT, Kindred Healthcare Inc., Cobalt Iron, TransGrid, Baptist Health of Northeast Florida, Cash America, Piedmont Healthcare, RWGV, Arkansas Tech University, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Find out what your peers are saying about Veeam Software, Zerto, Commvault and others in Backup and Recovery. Updated: May 2025.

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