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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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA)
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
22nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
46th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) is 0.6%, down from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is 0.9%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It backs up our Windows systems and our Linux systems and everything."
"It is very simple to perform an upgrade of the system and the environment."
"IDPA's best feature is Turbo Boost Technology. The compression and duplication features are excellent, too."
"The solution is strong."
"What I find valuable about Dell PowerProtect IDPA is its stability and strong performance."
"Instead of four or five tools, consisting of backup software, storage where the backup resides, and a separate system for reporting and central monitoring, they all now come in the virtual edition for IDP."
"The product is easy to troubleshoot and store data."
"The most valuable feature is the deduplication rate."
"The most valuable feature is how we can easily power speed up the VM even though the VM resides in remote storage."
"We used to use the solution with tapes a few years ago. We've switched to discs, and it has gotten much faster."
"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."
"Large-scale recoveries are very straightforward."
"The solution's stability is high because it is derived from Spectrum Protect."
"The most valuable features are the API features because it allows you to integrate with your Microsoft SQL, your Oracle, and your IBM Db2."
"The feature I find most valuable is the offload to Spectrum Protect for long-term retention. I think the deduplication and replication are quite nice on Plus."
"With this product, we now have a reliable backup solution."
 

Cons

"Managing the product is a little bit complicated."
"I would like to see integration with Dell EMC's Cloud Tier."
"Dell PowerProtect DP needs to include more features and improve backup for a continual base."
"After resizing and compression, the system continuously runs out of space. Dell EMC doesn't do automatic cleanup or other things, so we constantly have to manually go in there or work with Dell support on this. The solution has not been working as advertised."
"The solution's implementation was very complicated and could be improved."
"We cannot add IDPA to DPC, and each IP has a DP Central, which cannot monitor other IDPAs."
"There is room for improvement in terms of network connectivity."
"The only thing that could be improved would be the complexity of the initial setup."
"IBM Spectrum Protect Plus could improve by adding SAP Rena."
"In the future, I would like to see support for global deduplication."
"IBM Spectrum Protect Plus could improve the IBM Spectrum Protect environment. It can be difficult to administer. The initial configuration can be difficult for entry-level teams or deployment teams, and it might be difficult to integrate. There's just too much content involved in the solution. The documentation is way too large."
"You end up needing to do a lot of troubleshooting to get things to work effectively."
"The user experience is very bad and the interface needs to be improved."
"IBM Spectrum Protect Plus could improve security."
"The Gui interface and usability are not so friendly and easy."
"I would like integration into where the VMware guys can do their own restores."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten."
"It is a cost-effective solution."
"The licensing is billed on a monthly basis. Dell is bundled so that when you order IDPA, you get everything together with the license."
"We have a perpetual license. It is a capacity-based license."
"Dell PowerProtect DP (IDPA) has a yearly subscription fee."
"The solution is too expensive."
"IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is a little expensive."
"Clients prefer to buy a perpetual license, but the majority opt for a yearly subscription."
"If you need to extend it, it can be extended acting like a normal Spectrum Protect with a long archive."
"Depends on the licensing options that you choose."
"The price offering from IBM is coming down because it is based on number of VM machines. So, IBM is coming to the market to show the added value of the product."
"There is an annual license required to use IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. The cost of the license could improve, it is expensive."
"There are a few options available for purchasing the solutions. Overall, the price of the is high."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
University
19%
Government
12%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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?
It is probably based on the number of CPUs. They are fairly expensive.
What needs improvement with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus?
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.
 

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: July 2025.
865,384 professionals have used our research since 2012.