Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs Pure Storage FlashBlade comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Dell PowerScale (Isilon)
Ranking in File and Object Storage
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Number of Reviews
52
Ranking in other categories
NAS (1st)
Pure Storage FlashBlade
Ranking in File and Object Storage
7th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.9
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
All-Flash Storage (23rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2024, in the File and Object Storage category, the mindshare of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is 8.2%, down from 8.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Pure Storage FlashBlade is 6.4%, up from 5.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
File and Object Storage
 

Featured Reviews

Jack Vo - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 7, 2024
Ensures that data is safely stored and easily accessible, providing peace of mind with robust security measures
Dell has the AI to protect the EMA We must write a script tailored to our specific use case whenever we upload an item, such as a file or an application, due to the demand for storing data for longer periods in cases of broken or corrupted files. With Dell PowerScale, data storage is reliable and…
Dale Sides - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 8, 2023
A high-performing and scalable solution that improves data performance for S3 workloads
We use the solution for S3 storage and Kubernetes backup FlashBlade is so much easier to use than the previous solution; it reduced the time to market to serve our customers. I like the way it streams data performance for S3 workloads and object workloads. FlashBlade could improve its…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the unlimited scalability. The tool has high availability and high storage capacity."
"Dell PowerScale is a scalable solution. It allows non-disruptive upgrades and maintenance of the system."
"Since it can scale so easily, as long as I have money to buy more nodes, I can grow it as big as I need to. That is important in our business. As sequencing technologies continue to evolve, and as those technologies evolve, the amount of data generation never gets smaller. It just always seems to get bigger. This is one of the absolute key aspects: We can grow on demand without having to forklift stuff."
"Our users are able to easily roll back snapshots without going through IT."
"Dell has the AI to protect the EMA."
"The solution has simplified management by consolidating our workloads. Rather than managing all the different workloads on different storage arrays, Windows Servers, etc., we just have one place per data centre where we manage all their unstructured data, saving us time."
"The guaranteed performance, combined with the scalability through its scale-out capability, makes it an excellent choice."
"This has been a valuable solution for our business overall. It offers business continuity and replication features."
"What I like best about Pure Storage FlashBlade is its object storage functionality, plus it has fast underlying hardware. Pure Storage FlashBlade is also very stable. I find its stability one of its valuable features."
"We have integrated it with VMware. The integration process is pretty good. Especially with VMware, it helps with the capacity of it."
"It has also helped to simplify storage for us in the way that it's easy to manage. Their automatic monitoring really helps when things break or are about to break. They see a problem coming and alert us even before our own system does."
"It has absolutely simplified our storage because the dashboards on the consoles show a clear understanding of where you are, and it is also very easy to provision. This been a big help for our teams."
"I would rate this solution an eight plus. It has has good flexibility and stability, it's easy to manage and the response time is good."
"Pure Storage FlashBlade is user-friendly. It's replication feature is great because it has active replication and active DR. That's the beauty of the product. It's a perfect solution for block storage."
"The most valuable feature is Safe Mode."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the rewrite speed and the nonstop services."
 

Cons

"The solution isn't suitable for small environments or small customers."
"That said, for the other security features, it would be helpful if Tenable - and I know it's outside the scope of this question itself - had Isilon-specific plugins."
"There is room for improvement in its handling of object storage."
"The solution can be a bit complex for those not well versed in the technology."
"The improvement should be in AI. Everything is going towards AI."
"The product needs to improve CLI since commands are complex. The search option is also difficult since you must give the full path."
"The price of the solution could be reduced."
"The solution can be integrated with an automation system. Dell uses another framework developed in-house. They can integrate it with machines."
"In terms of scalability, it doesn't expand out quite as robustly as some of the others, but it covers 90% of the market in what it does."
"It would be nice if you could store file-based in the same box with the same technology."
"Pure Storage FlashBlade should improve on more cloud integration."
"There could be improvements in public cloud integration."
"I would like to have Snapshots and Snapmail in the next release. People who came from a NetApp background, especially expect these features."
"The documentational aspect of FlashBlade needs improvement."
"I would like to see more VM-Aware features in the next release of this solution."
"File storage needs a lot of improvement. Mainframe connectivity also needs improvement because it requires additional components to be integrated with Pure Storage FlashBlade. If you want to keep your backup data, then this becomes an even more expensive solution because Pure Storage FlashBlade will not be able to meet your backup needs."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This solution is priced slightly higher than others on the market but does offer good quality. With this solution's data reduction and compression, we were able to purchase less. Costs have dropped because of the data rate of compression and deduplication."
"The pricing is expensive, but I think it's a fair value because it does manage itself. It definitely is much simpler than any of the other scale-out storage platforms that we've looked at in the past."
"The pricing for this solution is reasonable."
"It is a really expensive solution."
"Dealing with the product costs and licensing areas is getting easier since Dell is simplifying the licensing process and licensing packages offered to users."
"The price of Dell PowerScale (Isilon) is reasonable."
"Dell PowerScale is expensive on the start-up side but we can recoup those costs quickly by not having to reapply the savings to other equipment."
"The only drawback for us is that it's a large upfront investment. This was a huge decision for a startup company to make. It took a bit for us to get over the line on it, but we have not regretted it."
"Support is a separate line item. Support is a different cost, but whatever your support is now, that's what you're going to pay forever. If your support's $100 today, six years from now it's $100. It doesn't fluctuate unless you upgrade it, or change it, etc."
"Pure Storage FlashBlade is a hardware appliance, and it's very expensive if you compare its price with other solutions. You can get the same features and benefits from its competitor, VAST Data, but for half the price of Pure Storage FlashBlade."
"I have seen ROI. It has allowed me to increase the density of my VMs without having to purchase anything additional."
"The price is a little high."
"Our customers have seen a reduction in TCO."
"We used a reseller for the purchase."
"The price could be cheaper."
"Our licensing is renewed annually."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which File and Object Storage solutions are best for your needs.
813,418 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
24%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Educational Organization
37%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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)?
The pricing of Dell PowerScale is reasonable. However, it is on the pricier side. There are no additional costs beyond the standard licensing fees.
What do you like most about Pure Storage FlashBlade?
The tool's most valuable feature is its fast performance, especially in handling snapshots. It helps during power outages when we need to quickly move data between different data centers. It ensure...
What needs improvement with Pure Storage FlashBlade?
Commvault has mainly driven the Analytics, providing data and reports. However, the product has room for improvement, especially regarding storage analytics. Upgrading firmware has caused issues, r...
 

Also Known As

PowerScale, Dell EMC Isilon
No data available
 

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,
ServiceNow, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, Dominos, Man AHL
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs. Pure Storage FlashBlade and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
813,418 professionals have used our research since 2012.