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Dell PowerProtect Data Domain vs Quantum DXi Series 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 Deduplication Software
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
98
Ranking in other categories
Disk Based Backup Systems (1st)
Quantum DXi Series
Ranking in Deduplication Software
12th
Average Rating
9.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Backup and Recovery (61st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Deduplication Software category, the mindshare of Dell PowerProtect Data Domain is 20.9%, down from 28.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Quantum DXi Series is 4.8%, up from 3.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Deduplication Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Dell PowerProtect Data Domain20.9%
Quantum DXi Series4.8%
Other74.3%
Deduplication Software
 

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.
reviewer2301564 - PeerSpot reviewer
Expert Backup at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
A virtual deduplication backup appliance that protects physical and virtual data across remote sites, the datacenter and cloud deployments
Given its ease of use and management, I believe there are no specific caveats that users need to be aware of during the setup of DXRIS for backups. The process was straightforward, and I did not encounter any challenges or issues. As for a rating on a scale of one to ten, with one being the worst and ten being the best, I would rate the Quantum DXI Series a nine. My deduction is primarily influenced by personal preferences, particularly regarding the user interface and it is a highly commendable system, I would rate it a solid nine out of ten.

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 stable, very reliable, and designed for what they call 99.999% uptime, which is less than an hour a year of downtime."
"The data application compression is great."
"In all these years, I never had a client who was unsatisfied with Data Domain."
"The EMC Data Domain product is a real success and customers which have never bought EMC products are now buying Data Domain..."
"Dell PowerProtect DD’s most valuable feature is data deduplication."
"Data Domain is an excellent repository that's compatible with a lot of different solutions. Even Veeam Backup recommends sending backup to Data Domain. Space optimization is great. Currently, it guarantees 50-to-1 compression of the application in the same device. In all these years, I never had a client who was unsatisfied with Data Domain. It is a solid appliance with VMware integration, instant access to restore and search, and analytics."
"I find the data to be most valuable."
"Short backup window has made a difference in the way my organization functions."
"While the challenges posed by the difficulties were significant, they prompted the replacement of problematic components, resulting in the resolution of issues. Importantly, there were no substantial ongoing concerns. Regarding the overall performance, it has been consistently excellent."
"I am impressed with the tool's technical alliance with Veeam and Veritas."
 

Cons

"Dell EMC PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) is not a product that's easy to install by customers."
"I need them to add the air-gapped technology to Dell PowerProtect Data Domain, as some other vendors have."
"DD Boost."
"When you use Data Domain, you have to have at least 20% free space so it can work properly. Sometimes we struggle with that, because we wanted to use all the free space, but then Data Domain becomes really slow. I understand that 20% is needed to process all the data, and doing the duplication and compression and all that, but it would be a big improvement if they did not require that 20%, because it is just too much to have available."
"Dell PowerProtect DD should come out with its own system so we do not have to use Data Domain. For example, something similar to what Symantec has done."
"The Data Domain solution appliance is quite expensive. It is on the higher side, but technically or functionally, there is no issue."
"Each solution has its pros and cons regarding Dell PowerProtect Data Domain. Regarding the cons, it has high licensing and expansion costs."
"I would not recommend this solution to others."
"The product needs to improve performance while scaling out. It also needs to improve stability."
"Perhaps the most notable area for enhancement lies in the web interface for management. The current limitations in LDAP editing capabilities are not addressed in the UI, and I haven't observed any recent updates. It's possible that the new version of the DXI service incorporates improvements in the GUI, but I cannot confirm. While there is room for improvement in the current GUI, it remains a relatively minor issue. Overall, the system is comprehensive, covering aspects such as reports on latency and networking, leaving little room for additional enhancements in those areas."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is on the high side."
"We usually buy products at the end year, and the license is included."
"The cost is expensive."
"Dell PowerProtect DD's pricing is expensive, and there is no option for perpetual licensing."
"The yearly subscription is very affordable for our customers, but the price could be a little cheaper overall."
"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."
"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."
"It could be more competitively priced. Its licensing was for five years. Obviously, the support will get renewed at some stage, but that's it."
"I do not oversee this aspect, as pricing is contingent on factors such as volume, technical specifications, and the desired features. Consequently, I lack information on the pricing details and structure."
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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
18%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business39
Midsize Enterprise25
Large Enterprise44
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your primary use case for Dell EMC PowerProtect DD (Data Domain)?
I use Dell PowerProtect Data Domain to take backups in the Data Domain.
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 terms of areas for improvement, I have not observed any significant issues with the product. The product is very good, and there are multiple options that I can use to utilize it in a perfect ma...
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Also Known As

DataDomain, Dell EMC Data Domain, PowerProtect Data Domain
DXi Series, Quantum DX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

The US Army, City of Houston, Lloyds TSB, TiVo, Teck, Ingram Entertainment, The New York Mets
Nihon Unisys, Nikoyo China
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerProtect Data Domain vs. Quantum DXi Series and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
896,563 professionals have used our research since 2012.