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Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs IBM FlashSystem comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 7, 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
7.0
Dell PowerScale offers efficient scaling, central management, and cost-effective performance, enhancing workload handling and energy savings for businesses.
Sentiment score
6.3
IBM FlashSystem offers high ROI with efficient migration, scalability, and performance, despite post-acquisition price increases; valued for reliability.
Despite being more expensive than Huawei, it is stable and most enterprises accept the price due to its stability.
Senior System Engineer at Atlas Security
In terms of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) specifically, we have seen a return on investment due to faster performance than our last few storage arrays, and the general usability is a lot better.
Storage & Data Protection Specialist at General Dynamics Land Systems
The second cluster of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) gives us flexibility for small things like code upgrades, all the way to scenarios where we have lost this data center or data, allowing us to check if data is still intact on the other side.
Senior System Engineer at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
The solution can comfortably be stretched from five to seven years without any failures, ensuring a long-lasting return.
Infrastructure Technical Specialist II at Clicks Group
We have seen return on investment compared to other OEMs, which took approximately three years after implementing IBM FlashSystem.
Technical Lead at Tomia
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.2
Dell PowerScale support receives mixed reviews, with notable praise for technical expertise but issues with initial interactions and language barriers.
Sentiment score
6.9
IBM FlashSystem's customer service is responsive, yet technical expertise and support vary by region, with contract complexities noted.
Support online is definitely a ten out of ten.
Pre-Sale Engineer at Arab Operators
Dell provides support within four hours, and they always fulfill their promises.
Senior System Engineer at Atlas Security
They have managed previous issues well.
IT Manager at Regional Health Services
Customers of alternatives like Dell and Hitachi enjoy more reliable and comprehensive support services directly from vendors rather than third-party subsidiaries.
Vice President Sales at BELOCAL LTD
I rate the technical support from IBM as a ten.
Infrastructure Technical Specialist II at Clicks Group
IBM customer support is responsible, efficient, and responsive, though it is expensive.
Manager, Technical Services, IBM Storage & Backup Solutions. at Thakral
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Dell PowerScale (Isilon) offers scalable, efficient storage with easy expansion and integration, ideal for enterprise data needs and future growth.
Sentiment score
7.3
IBM FlashSystem offers scalable storage solutions with dynamic upgrades and flexibility for medium to large enterprises despite some hardware limitations.
We started on PowerScale with around about 300 terabytes and are now two and a half petabytes, still on the same file system.
Storage Architect at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees
That's really saved us in certain areas as we didn't have funding to expand Dell PowerScale (Isilon) until next year, which is why we utilized the cloud pools functionality to offload.
Senior Infrastructure Specialist at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Dell PowerScale is highly scalable, as evidenced by the reduced physical hardware and the efficient use of rack space.
Senior Engineer at Continental Tire
For larger enterprises, scalability is an issue as the price becomes prohibitive.
Vice President Sales at BELOCAL LTD
The problem arises when migrating data to a later IBM FlashSystem version due to issues with firmware compatibility.
Manager, Technical Services, IBM Storage & Backup Solutions. at Thakral
The scalability of IBM FlashSystem is exceptional, and I rate it as a nine.
Infrastructure Technical Specialist II at Clicks Group
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Dell PowerScale impresses with high uptime, reliability, and adaptability, making it ideal for stable business operations and data integrity.
Sentiment score
7.6
IBM FlashSystem is praised for stability and resilience, with minor issues resolved quickly, earning high feedback for reliability.
Since we have good protection levels, the data is secured and replicated across the disks.
Pre-Sale Engineer at Arab Operators
I assess the stability and reliability of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) as perfect.
Storage & Data Protection Specialist at General Dynamics Land Systems
I find the product to be resilient and stable. There's no downtime and no crashes.
Senior Infrastructure Specialist at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Customers have infrastructure that is 100% stable.
Manager, Technical Services, IBM Storage & Backup Solutions. at Thakral
The firmware and software engine have fewer bugs, which enhances operational efficiency.
Infrastructure Technical Specialist II at Clicks Group
 

Room For Improvement

Dell PowerScale (Isilon) needs cost reduction, simpler configuration, better scalability, improved interface, and enhanced cloud integration.
IBM FlashSystem requires enhancements in scalability, integration, user interface, and support, with better deduplication, monitoring, and streamlined processes.
Hardware failures under warranty should be addressed within the promised timeline.
Senior Engineer at Continental Tire
I would want to see more AI features with Dell PowerScale (Isilon).
Storage & Data Protection Specialist at General Dynamics Land Systems
If I could improve one thing on Dell PowerScale (Isilon), it would be better object storage as it recently breached into S3, and that capability could be broadened.
Senior System Engineer at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Despite marketing promises, these features do not function effectively and can impact performance.
Vice President Sales at BELOCAL LTD
There is room for improvement in the troubleshooting part, specifically related to IBM Spectrum for Insight.
Manager, Technical Services, IBM Storage & Backup Solutions. at Thakral
An additional function that could be helpful is reducing the time it takes to delete volumes, especially if they are compressed or deduplicated.
Storage Specialist at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Setup Cost

Dell PowerScale's cost is justified by its features, scalability, and flexible licensing, catering to diverse performance needs.
IBM FlashSystem offers competitive pricing, but evaluating long-term needs and negotiating discounts is crucial to manage costs effectively.
It's quite expensive for the amount of storage we have.
Senior Infrastructure Specialist at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Dell PowerScale (Isilon) shows it's a premium platform, so it's a big amount of money.
Storage Architect at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees
The pricing is excellent.
Director, Information & Communication Technology & Digital Transformation at a educational organization with 201-500 employees
To install or upgrade any software features, the cost is high, which makes it challenging for smaller companies who do not require advanced features like deduplication or compression typically needed by larger organizations.
Vice President Sales at BELOCAL LTD
The pricing is high; storage solutions are always expensive.
Freelancer at a logistics company with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

Dell PowerScale provides scalable, efficient management, robust security, and seamless integration, enhancing data storage and protection across platforms.
IBM FlashSystem delivers high performance, user-friendly management, and scalable efficiency with robust features like deduplication and virtualization.
Dell PowerScale offers high scalability and stability as well, making it a valuable solution for enterprises.
Senior System Engineer at Atlas Security
In our AI initiatives, Dell PowerScale (Isilon) plays a significant role in data analysis, data fusion; principally, it is involved in data analysis, data extraction, and statistical analysis.
Senior Technologist at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Single files are limited to four terabytes in our configuration, however, the system can support up to 16 terabytes, so we can scale based on that too.
Systems Engineer at Unisity LLC
There is a significant amount of data reduction, achieving a ratio of one to three.
Storage Specialist at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The most valuable features are performance and reliability.
Freelancer at a logistics company with 10,001+ employees
There is built-in compression, a data reduction feature, and artificial intelligence-driven insights that calculate warnings and errors to redirect to customers automatically.
Manager, Technical Services, IBM Storage & Backup Solutions. at Thakral
 

Categories and Ranking

Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
Ranking in NAS
2nd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
72
Ranking in other categories
File and Object Storage (2nd)
IBM FlashSystem
Ranking in NAS
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
113
Ranking in other categories
Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) (2nd), All-Flash Storage (10th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the NAS category, the mindshare of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is 15.7%, down from 17.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM FlashSystem is 9.5%, down from 13.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
NAS Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell PowerScale (Isilon)15.7%
IBM FlashSystem9.5%
Other74.8%
NAS
 

Featured Reviews

BE
Systems Engineer at Unisity LLC
Flexibility and reliability have supported seamless data growth
I cannot think of anything to improve about Dell PowerScale (Isilon). The hardest challenge we have is due to how we've bought things over time. The way that we moved to the PowerEdge platform for the newer systems creates a scale problem as I still buy the older style systems, which are more dense storage. They're different chassis, so the problem we run into in the data center is the depth of the actual equipment. The newer equipment, if we buy an FX910 or a 900, it's a lot shorter in scale than if I buy an 83,000, which is much bigger. This makes it more complicated for deployment.
OmarIsmail1 - PeerSpot reviewer
Infrastructure Technical Specialist II at Clicks Group
Offers high performance and dependable support for fast storage needs
The most valuable feature of IBM FlashSystem is its robust back code. When integrated properly into the environment and configured according to the guidelines, it provides a very solid infrastructure that does the job on demand. Additionally, IBM FlashSystem offers competitive pricing and reliable performance. The hardware is dependable, ensuring that it functions effectively when the setup is done correctly.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise39
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business47
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise59
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?
The solution provides massive performance, scalability, efficiency, and ease of management.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?
As for my experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing, we have had Dell PowerScale (Isilon) for a while now, so we are basically on the renewal track all the time. We did not find it to ...
What needs improvement with Dell EMC PowerScale (Isilon)?
Dell PowerScale (Isilon) can be improved by enhancing the ability for more native data mover technologies that offer security and resiliency features.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM FlashSystem?
The pricing is high; storage solutions are always expensive. I do not know if the price needs to be reviewed, but it is worth considering.
What needs improvement with IBM FlashSystem?
As far as I know, IBM FlashSystem has already improved, but I do not see room for improvement. It is simple to use and manage via SVC, simple to configure, and even for the zoning, I do not see imp...
 

Also Known As

PowerScale, Dell EMC Isilon
IBM Storwize
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

OMRF, University of Utah, Translational Genetics Research Institute, Arcis, Geofizyka Torumn, Cyprus E&P Corporation, Colburn School, Columbia Sportswear, Harvard Medical School, University of Michigan, National Library of France,
Celero, Friedhelm Loh Group, Clarks, Mingkang Natregro Health Food Group, Sofia, Etisalat Fights Fraud, UF Health Shands Hospital, Generali, Elecon Engineering Company Limited, Ventiv , Technology, CPFL Energia, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., SciQuest, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Paddy Power, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Interconnect Services, Severstal IP-Only AB, PVU Group GmbH
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs. IBM FlashSystem and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.