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Dell PowerProtect Data Domain vs ExaGrid EX comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 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 PowerProtect Data Domain
Ranking in Disk Based Backup Systems
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
93
Ranking in other categories
Deduplication Software (1st)
ExaGrid EX
Ranking in Disk Based Backup Systems
4th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.0
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Disk Based Backup Systems category, the mindshare of Dell PowerProtect Data Domain is 35.1%, down from 40.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ExaGrid EX is 10.5%, down from 10.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Disk Based Backup Systems Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerProtect Data Domain35.1%
ExaGrid EX10.5%
Other54.4%
Disk Based Backup Systems
 

Featured Reviews

Branko Cirovic - PeerSpot reviewer
Storage Engineer at Comtrade Group
Provides seamless backup integration and long-term reliability for enterprise data protection
The price is quite high; this product is not considered cheap. Additionally, if you use higher availability boxes, they also come at a premium price. However, they provide business continuity, which is the main reason why companies invest in this solution. Tape is slow; when restoring several virtual machines or databases amounting to several terabytes, Dell PowerProtect Data Domain represents the fastest and most reliable solution, ensuring great integration with backup software. If a customer has limited budget constraints, they may opt for cheaper external storage comprised of just a bunch of disks and utilize it for backup, as backup is not a business-critical service. However, I see great value in Dell PowerProtect Data Domain because it is fully automated, features great integration with backup software, and provides good value for money. I would rate software support as a ten, while I would give hardware support a seven. I never give any product a perfect score; I think Dell PowerProtect Data Domain deserves a nine. The only minor problems are the certificate issue and the price. These certificate issues are quite rare and mainly arise when we forget to restart and upgrade the box for several years.
AhmedEl-Tayeb - PeerSpot reviewer
Sales Manager at MCS
Has offered a cost-effective option with solid results but requires automation features for better efficiency
For ExaGrid EX, I would appreciate additional features such as backup and restore, automation processes, and automation software for backup and restore processes. I mention that some additional features may be provided by VMware or Dell as support for the hardware they are selling, but ExaGrid EX is more of a budget-friendly solution for customers who are in charge on a daily basis of the solution itself, dealing with manual tasks rather than automated tasks. I am not in a situation to provide an exact answer for what I would specifically improve in this regard.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution has been awesome over the last ten years, offering stability and reliability, which I recommend for stable storage."
"The features that I have found most valuable with Dell EMC PowerProtect DD are its deduplication feature and its DD Boost protocol for fast transfer, which is amazing."
"Dell is more stable than any other device."
"We were able to minimize the service failure to 15 minutes approximately."
"The solution is stable, very reliable, and designed for what they call 99.999% uptime, which is less than an hour a year of downtime."
"Stability of the Data Domain has never been an issue; they have been rock solid since we have used them."
"We haven't had any difficulties with the solution while testing it."
"It is secure, reliable, and has officer support."
"Both the pricing and the performance are excellent."
"Backup and restore processes are much shorter now, and we don't need forklift upgrades every three to four years."
"Both the pricing and the performance are excellent."
"I find ExaGrid EX to be a useful solution for customers looking for a budget-friendly product."
"I find ExaGrid EX to be a useful solution for customers looking for a budget-friendly product."
"The most valuable features of ExaGrid EX are the Veeam features and Landing Zone."
 

Cons

"The price could be improved."
"The only problem is that it's more expensive than any other vendors available in the market."
"I would like to see better integration and support for backing up to cloud providers such as Alibaba Cloud."
"One area for improvement regarding Dell PowerProtect Data Domain is the support. We are in Pakistan and there is no physical support available on the software side."
"From a technical point of view, all EMC products have to improve the troubleshoot feature like, log should be in human readable format."
"The software from Dell that can be used to operate Data Domain needs to have enhancements made to the user interface. It is too complex."
"If I were a manager for this infrastructure, I would look into load balancing for cost, maintenance after sale, and improving Dell PowerProtect DD."
"The pricing could be lower."
"I would like to see free disk space."
"The solution’s web access should be improved."
"ExaGrid EX is more of a budget-friendly solution for customers who are in charge on a daily basis of the solution itself, dealing with manual tasks rather than automated tasks."
"I would like to see free disk space."
"ExaGrid EX is more of a budget-friendly solution for customers who are in charge on a daily basis of the solution itself, dealing with manual tasks rather than automated tasks."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is really high compared to other vendors. The licensing cost is huge. Normal, mid-tier companies or small-scale companies wouldn't be able to afford it easily."
"This is one of the more expensive backup solutions on the market."
"There are many options in the pricing structure which can cause some confusion and necessitate the purchase of additional licensing."
"The price of the solution and support for Dell PowerProtect DD is expensive. We have customers that cannot upgrade to a newer version of the solution because the support is too expensive."
"Pricing for this product could still be improved, though several years ago, its price was very high. When buying an IDPA product such as Dell EMC PowerProtect DD (Data Domain), you don't have to buy anything else, because you'll have an integrated solution: a data domain appliance plus software."
"The solution is expensive. However, if you pay less you receive less, it is cost-effective."
"I can't remember what the license costs are. They might be paid monthly or every two months."
"Dell PowerProtect DD's pricing is expensive, and there is no option for perpetual licensing."
"The renewal fee is approximately $3,500 to $3.750 for a 60 terabyte device."
"I rate ExaGrid EX ten out of ten for pricing."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business37
Midsize Enterprise24
Large Enterprise41
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your primary use case for Dell EMC PowerProtect DD (Data Domain)?
Dell PowerProtect Data Domain is mainly used for backup as a target for backup. Previously, I was working in Veeam, and nowadays, I am working with Commvault. For both backup software options, the ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain)?
This is very good and it can be integrated with any third-party backup solution. I always recommend going with it if the customer is an enterprise customer or it is basically a big SMB. I always re...
What needs improvement with Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain)?
In my opinion, for the version I am using of Dell PowerProtect Data Domain, I am not sure if there is another version that will have the functionality I will discuss. I need them to add the air-gap...
What needs improvement with ExaGrid EX?
For ExaGrid EX, I would appreciate additional features such as backup and restore, automation processes, and automation software for backup and restore processes. I mention that some additional fea...
What is your primary use case for ExaGrid EX?
My role in relation to ExaGrid EX is partner and reseller.
What advice do you have for others considering ExaGrid EX?
I would prefer another way to provide support; sending all the questions in an Excel sheet or a Word file would allow me to answer them in a couple of hours and send them back. I have no problem re...
 

Also Known As

DataDomain, Dell EMC Data Domain, PowerProtect Data Domain
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

The US Army, City of Houston, Lloyds TSB, TiVo, Teck, Ingram Entertainment, The New York Mets
7-Eleven, ABC, ACNB Bank, Admiration Foods, Aeroflex, AGH, Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Alberta Motor Association, Allegro MicroSystems, American Standard, Ameris Bank, Arch Reinsurance Ltd., Arthritis Foundation
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerProtect Data Domain vs. ExaGrid EX and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,244 professionals have used our research since 2012.