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Dell PowerEdge XE-Series vs HPE ProLiant DL Servers comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 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

Dell PowerEdge XE-Series
Ranking in Rack Servers
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
HPE ProLiant DL Servers
Ranking in Rack Servers
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
160
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Dell PowerEdge XE-Series is 2.3%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is 20.2%, down from 21.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
HPE ProLiant DL Servers20.2%
Dell PowerEdge XE-Series2.3%
Other77.5%
Rack Servers
 

Featured Reviews

Palatla Srikanth - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead Solution Architect at Avineon India Private Limited
Infrastructure has delivered reliable control for diverse heavy imagery and application workloads
I think most of them are in Dell PowerEdge XE-Series. What I found in Dell PowerEdge XE-Series servers is the disk reading; sometimes with heavy imagery, we find it to be slow. Some of our workloads utilize heavy imagery, which could be several terabytes or gigabytes in size, so when accessing imagery, we find disk read to be a bit slow. I need to check with my team, but I recently noticed some compatibility issues with disk upgrades and RAM upgrades in Dell PowerEdge XE-Series, and limitations were there. In the upcoming series, I hope to see flexibility in adding GPUs and similar features. I would rate this review an overall eight out of ten.
ArifSheikh - PeerSpot reviewer
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
High availability servers have boosted hosted payment services but still need better local support
We are not using PowerVM because of certain limitations; it is on a back-end engine. However, we are using other components such as vSphere for some small interfaces, and those are the main components we are utilizing. Since these servers are fully dedicated to various high-end solutions, they have some embedded features that their kernel and applications are using, which are bound to that functionality. We may not provide an exact assessment on its usage, but we are considering those products for some AI solutions; however, we are currently in the review stage and have not concluded our evaluation on how those are utilized yet. We are aware of the pricing of HPE ProLiant DL servers, but not off the cuff. We have obviously acquired those solutions ex-Pakistan, so they are on the rise, and while we do not remember those prices offhand, they are generally better than the IBM series, although they are becoming slightly pricey in Pakistan due to processor shortages and demand. Improvements could be made in database engine hosting services because, as it stands, the pricing of Oracle is too high from both the service and software solution perspectives. If pricing can be reduced, especially for DB servers, that could have a direct positive impact on the overall solution. Regarding reliability, it has been satisfactory so far, but since the distributors are not physically present in Pakistan, that creates a risk for long-term large customers. They provide import-based services, necessitating us to over-invest in backup stock and offline servers. If there was a market presence from those players in Pakistan, it could benefit both clients and distributors by reducing the need for investment in backup inventory.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is working fine; it is stable and reliable, has been stable for a long time, and there are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze."
"The strong point of this solution is its compatibility with VMware and its resilience."
"In Dell PowerEdge XE-Series servers, the control is good, and they are very adaptable, affordable, and easy to learn."
"This solution has brought us a return on investment. It can store a lot of hard disks, which helps users to have a lot of capacity in smaller rack space."
"The solution has almost everything."
"The most valuable feature is the trusted platform module."
"The solution is flexible in my experience."
"The resource management features are valuable."
"It's easy to set up for the whole firm."
"Its reliability and after-sales support are very good."
"​We use HPE Datacenter support, and it is good support. It is automatic support. When I have a problem, the question is written automatically.​"
"You would be foolish not to be looking into HPE."
"Support is the most valuable feature of the solution."
"We use this solution for everything; we use it for payment solutions and for the switch."
"Performance and reliability are the most valuable features."
"HPE service in Taiwan is quick and professional, and ProLiant is cost-effective compared to Dell. Dell is good for one or two servers, but HPE is cheaper than Dell for a large deployment. Cost is the most important thing in the market."
 

Cons

"We use OpenManager a lot, and that can be a bit clunky at times. They can make that better."
"What I found in Dell PowerEdge XE-Series servers is the disk reading; sometimes with heavy imagery, we find it to be slow."
"The support team must improve the speed of response."
"I would like to have support for performing a detailed analysis of the server from a mobile device."
"In future releases, there should be more support options for the latest processor."
"In future releases, there should be more support options for the latest processor."
"It is mostly stable, but the usual problem would be, for example, upgrading to a newer version of VMware or dealing with compatibility issues during the process."
"Dell PowerEdge XE Servers can improve by adapting HCI technology."
"I would like to see additional work on making the intelligent provisioning work with VMware."
"There are concerns about the HPE team in the Southeast Asia region, suggesting a need for improvements in terms of responsiveness. There have been instances where the response time was slow, causing challenges during urgent situations. Its stability also needs to improve."
"ProLiant servers could be more scalable. For example, some models can only contain four hard drives, but many of our customers expect six. If they were to add another extendable hard drive slot, it would be easier to sell the servers to our customers."
"At this point in time, I would not say that it is a very stable product, because of the bad experience that we had."
"Serial number tracking and trying to get that tied to my account. I have a terrible time with that with HP."
"We'd like to see better processors, better Intel processors."
"Not all of the hardware is completely up-to-date."
"I would like it if there's a possibility, even if you have to pay an additional license, to enable that technology on the DL360s."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"You always want slightly cheaper, but overall, they are quite comparable and quite neutral."
"The pricing model is quite competitive."
"This solution is priced very reasonably."
"Dell has competitive pricing."
"If you want an SLA for parts and equipment then you need to purchase a support agreement."
"There are different types of licensing available, that works well for customers. The product is not very much to purchase."
"The price is a little too high; it could be reduced."
"We have ILO licenses. We use this feature."
"It's expensive."
"The price of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is reasonable, but because of covid and other factors, the price could be reduced. The license is paid annually."
"The solution comes with a one time perpetual license which is included with the server."
"​An investment in DL380 is worth it."
"Proliant DL Servers have a reasonable cost. They are not as expensive as the Cisco servers. Everything is included when you purchase a server. You just have to install and configure it."
"I give the pricing a six out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Retailer
9%
University
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business56
Midsize Enterprise28
Large Enterprise98
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Dell PowerEdge XE Servers?
What I found in Dell PowerEdge XE-Series servers is the disk reading; sometimes with heavy imagery, we find it to be slow. Some of our workloads utilize heavy imagery, which could be several teraby...
What is your primary use case for Dell PowerEdge XE Servers?
I deal mostly with Dell PowerEdge XE-Series, specifically the XE-Series. My team uses Dell EMC OpenManage Enterprise with Dell PowerEdge XE-Series servers, but I have not used it much myself. We ha...
What advice do you have for others considering Dell PowerEdge XE Servers?
I think most of them are in Dell PowerEdge XE-Series. What I found in Dell PowerEdge XE-Series servers is the disk reading; sometimes with heavy imagery, we find it to be slow. Some of our workload...
How do Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers compare with HPE ProLiant DL servers?
Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers offer flexibility and efficiency in order to meet mission-critical demands. I like that Lenovo blends outstanding performance, reliability, and manageability. The bi...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE ProLiant DL Servers?
The pricing of HPE ProLiant DL Servers depends purely on the configuration, and it is not affordable. However, if you look at the technical caliber of the server, if a customer invests that additio...
What needs improvement with HPE ProLiant DL Servers?
We are not using PowerVM because of certain limitations; it is on a back-end engine. However, we are using other components such as vSphere for some small interfaces, and those are the main compone...
 

Also Known As

PowerEdge XE Servers
HP ProLiant DL series, HP ProLiant DL
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Epsilon, ROZETTA CORP, JIGUANG, RACKSPACE, NEW BELGIUM BREWING
AmeriPride Services, iSource, Bolagsverket, BlueShore Financial, British Columbia Assessment Authority, National Stock Exchange, Cardlytics
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerEdge XE-Series vs. HPE ProLiant DL Servers and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
885,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.