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Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) vs IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
1.0
Dell PowerProtect DP offers cost savings, improved data protection, faster backups, reduced downtime, simplified management, and higher productivity.
Sentiment score
7.7
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus offers competitive pricing and integration benefits, achieving mixed ROI within two to three years.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
9.0
Dell EMC's support is accessible and satisfactory overall, but faces issues with delays, communication, and Linux scenario handling.
Sentiment score
4.4
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus support is mostly praised for efficiency, though complex cases sometimes encounter delays and challenges.
Challenges exist in certain Linux-based cases.
On the one or two occasions where we needed to engage with Dell support, they've been most helpful.
Their documentation, runbooks, troubleshooting articles, and support people are good.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
4.8
Dell PowerProtect DP offers scalable, efficient data storage with easy upgrades, despite occasional need for new models for increased capacity.
Sentiment score
6.3
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus offers scalability for enterprises, supporting storage expansion and workload adjustments despite some infrastructure challenges.
The product offers flexibility for scalability, making it user-friendly and adaptable to different performance requirements.
The solution does not provide horizontal and vertical scaling.
IBM Data Protect is the scalable solution, not IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Dell PowerProtect DP impresses customers with its reliable, seamless stability, despite minor network issues, often rated 8-10 out of 10.
Sentiment score
7.0
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is stable and reliable, handling heavy loads well, but may occasionally require repeated backup restorations.
Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) is a stable solution because it's a mature product.
 

Room For Improvement

Dell PowerProtect DP needs improvements in SSO integration, backup features, and usability to address user challenges effectively.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus needs integration, interface, automation, and security improvements, alongside enhanced installation, support, and data protection features.
Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) requires more updates and innovations in AI-powered cyber resilience.
One area of Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) that can be improved is probably more integrations with third-party software, particularly third-party backup software.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus could be made more lightweight and user-friendly in terms of GUI features to make it closer to a perfect score.
It does not offer horizontal and vertical scaling.
I used IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, but IBM is now replacing it with IBM Data Protect, which is a giant product now in common development with a well-known company in backup solutions.
 

Setup Cost

Dell PowerProtect DP pricing is competitive with bundled licenses, offering discounts and features like network and VMware integration.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus offers strong value with scalable pricing, though some find it expensive for corporate use.
Pricing is competitive with other software vendors.
The pricing of Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) is competitive compared to its peers in the market.
Pricing is good; it is reasonable and more reasonable than any other vendors.
They are fairly expensive.
 

Valuable Features

The system offers high deduplication, integrated setup, fast recovery, AI security, centralized management, and extensive scalability for users.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is praised for its integration, ease of use, scalability, and robust disaster recovery features.
AI integration enhances backup operations by analyzing data and ensuring malware protection.
Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) has a scalable architecture, offering flexibility, so you can always scale the capacity to meet any increased demands.
The biggest benefit of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is that it's an agentless backup product which is very easy to configure and use.
 

Categories and Ranking

Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA)
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
20th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
49th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) is 0.7%, down from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is 1.0%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA)0.7%
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus1.0%
Other98.3%
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

SamuelThomas - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures data safety and effective cloud integration with AI-powered protection
Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) offers a backup, recovery, and management tool that is very easy to use. It provides a flexible protection suite that accommodates scalability and performance needs. Integration with VMware and multi-cloud protection is effective. AI integration enhances backup operations by analyzing data and ensuring malware protection. Customers also benefit from hybrid cloud options and tiers of backup.
Atif Najam - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables organizations to make large-scale recoveries easily, but the security must be improved
The security must be improved. We face a lot of cyber threats like ransomware. It impacts data availability and protection. The tool must provide a mechanism to make resilient backups. The tool must ensure that the recent backups have no ransomware. The backup must be immutable. They must be cyber-resilient backups. Finding a good resource person for IBM Spectrum in Pakistan is difficult. We have to rely on the support team. Resource availability is a challenge.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
University
20%
Government
11%
Computer Software Company
8%
Construction Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise17
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA)?
What I find valuable about Dell PowerProtect IDPA is its stability and strong performance.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA)?
Pricing is competitive with other software vendors. The product's features, network, and VMware integration contribute to its value. There are different licensing options available, such as applian...
What needs improvement with Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA)?
Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) requires more updates and innovations in AI-powered cyber resilience. While technical support is generally not poor, there are challenges with expertise in Linux-based c...
What do you like most about IBM Spectrum Protect Plus?
The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that the product works and helps with restoration areas whenever there is a need to restore something.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus?
Pricing is good; it is reasonable and more reasonable than any other vendors.
What needs improvement with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus?
Technical support could be improved significantly. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus could be made more lightweight and user-friendly in terms of GUI features to make it closer to a perfect score.
 

Also Known As

Dell EMC IDPA, Dell IDPA, EMC IDPA
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Under Armour, Christian Brothers University, Presidio
PT Wings Surya, Tectrade, State of Ohio
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) vs. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,566 professionals have used our research since 2012.