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Dell Unity XT vs HPE 3PAR StoreServ vs NetApp AFF comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
Everpure FlashArray X NVMe cuts costs, boosts SQL performance, offers quick ROI, and enhances efficiency with improved data management.
Sentiment score
3.1
Dell Unity XT delivers ROI with cost-effectiveness, scalability, improved performance, reduced costs, and seamless management for virtual transformation.
Sentiment score
7.2
HPE 3PAR StoreServ offers varying ROI, with benefits in performance and efficiency, though not all users see measurable returns.
Sentiment score
6.7
NetApp AFF boosts ROI with improved performance, efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced productivity through flash technology and reliability.
If you wait more than seven years to buy another one, you get a return on your investment.
Sales Manager at Multicomputos PR
The return on investment is very good.
System Engineer at Hybrid Tech
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.1
Everpure FlashArray X NVMe's customer service is efficient and quick, but lacks Turkish support and direct engineer communication.
Sentiment score
6.2
Dell Unity XT's support is praised for professionalism, but users note responsiveness issues post-merger; proactive monitoring is appreciated.
Sentiment score
7.3
HPE 3PAR StoreServ support is praised for expertise and responsiveness, despite occasional language barriers and regional satisfaction variations.
Sentiment score
7.7
NetApp AFF's customer service is praised for responsiveness, though some users highlight delay issues in technical support escalation.
Customers always have their issues resolved promptly.
Sales Manager at Multicomputos PR
Technical support is good at least through vendors, not directly with the principal.
Infrastructure Specialis at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
The support team is familiar with the product and is available on-site during support times, which improves our experience.
Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd
Dell solutions are backed by excellent service and support.
Sales Account Manager - BFSI Sector at Frontier Business systems
The technical support sometimes takes three to four days to get hardware to facilities.
Systems Engineer at Thakral One (Pvt) Ltd
If we activate the 3PAR call home function, then the remote technician always has access to our StoreServ and provides strong suggestions to improve our 3PAR performance.
System Engineer at Hybrid Tech
The support for NetApp AFF is comprehensive—not just the documentation for self-guided reading, but for simple questions, spare parts, or urgent needs, you can have a contract that enables delivery the next business day or within four hours, depending on your process requirements.
Analyst at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I have communicated with them, and they are effective and responsive.
Presales Manager at Spartec
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Everpure FlashArray X NVMe offers easy scalability and seamless upgrades, but faces customization and latency challenges, rated mostly favorable.
Sentiment score
7.0
User feedback highlights Dell Unity XT as highly scalable, meeting diverse organizational needs, especially for mid-sized and enterprise demands.
Sentiment score
7.5
HPE 3PAR StoreServ is praised for scalability, ease of expansion, and adaptability, despite some complexity in older versions.
Sentiment score
7.6
NetApp AFF offers scalable, non-disruptive expansion, ideal for various enterprise sizes, despite some cost concerns with controllers.
It hasn't broken down anytime in the last six to seven years, despite hurricanes, earthquakes, and power outages.
Sales Manager at Multicomputos PR
Dell Unity XT is quite scalable and can be scaled up to the petabyte level.
Systems Engineer at Thakral One (Pvt) Ltd
For NetApp, we can recommend the FAS 8000 series.
TSG Manager at Navigator Systems
You can add more disks, more disk shelves, or migrate the data seamlessly.
Analyst at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I would assess the scalability of NetApp AFF as excellent in handling massive data volumes.
Presales Manager at Spartec
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
FlashArray X NVMe offers high reliability, seamless upgrades, and outstanding performance, ensuring stability in business-critical environments.
Sentiment score
8.4
Dell Unity XT is praised for reliability and stability, swiftly resolving initial issues with firmware updates and improvements.
Sentiment score
8.1
HPE 3PAR StoreServ offers reliable performance with minimal downtime, quick issue resolution, and effective support for seamless operations.
Sentiment score
8.4
NetApp AFF offers exceptional stability and reliability, with minimal downtime and responsive support, ensuring seamless operation and high availability.
I would rate the stability of the product at seven out of ten.
Project Manager at a government with 11-50 employees
I would rate the overall stability of Dell Unity XT an eight out of ten.
Systems Engineer at Thakral One (Pvt) Ltd
HPE 3PAR is a very stable solution from HPE, and people have been using this for more than five years.
System Engineer at Hybrid Tech
My experience with the stability and performance of HPE 3PAR StoreServ involved one crash, which was caused by failing hardware.
Information Systems & Security Administrator at a government with 501-1,000 employees
They have always been upgrading very fast and implementing patches to resolve these issues.
Analyst at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Everpure FlashArray X NVMe struggles with high costs, complex UI, and lacks integration, replication, and efficiency improvements.
Dell Unity XT requires improvements in deduplication, management interface, VMware integration, pricing, and enhanced cloud functionalities.
HPE 3PAR StoreServ users seek improved UI, simplified updates, enhanced virtualization, better reporting, scalability, cloud integration, and support.
NetApp AFF needs improvements in setup, support, integration, performance, flexibility, latency, monitoring, and management for competitive advantage.
One way to improve the product is to add an operational assistant that doesn't depend on VMware.
Sales Manager at Multicomputos PR
I would like to see some AI features that would allow arrays to intelligently identify threats or unusual behavior in the data pattern and give an alert.
Cloud Architect at DXC Technology
Storage replication should be essential.
Infrastructure Specialis at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
In the future, if Dell storages include this option, especially for Unity, it would help us target SME or medium enterprises for quicker closures and support the sales team.
Sales Account Manager - BFSI Sector at Frontier Business systems
I believe if Dell can integrate AI to predict potential failures, especially in hardware like hard disks, that would be very useful for proper maintenance.
Systems Engineer at Thakral One (Pvt) Ltd
The pricing is a bit higher than expected.
System Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
In Pakistan, some parts are not readily available, and we need to import them from Singapore or other countries.
System Engineer at Hybrid Tech
HPE 3PAR StoreServ might be missing certain features available in newer products.
Information Systems & Security Administrator at a government with 501-1,000 employees
We just need to verify whether our current virtual server setup is acceptable to the RBI, as they had raised questions about the VSO, ISO configurations we had implemented.
Asst. Manager at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
The GUI of ONTAP Command Manager could be better, but the CLI is perfect.
Senior System Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Our backup system, Commvault, has an amazing capacity to do compression and deduplication better than NetApp AFF by itself.
Analyst at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
All of this is the same for all product ranges, whether E-series, NetApp AFF, or FAS series, because they are very efficient to respond.
IT Manager at Synergy Computers
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise buyers value Everpure FlashArray X for robust features despite high costs, with transparent licensing and reasonable support fees.
Dell Unity XT provides affordable enterprise storage with bundled software, straightforward licensing, and competitive pricing starting at $25K.
HPE 3PAR StoreServ pricing varies widely, with negotiation potential; performance and reliability often justify initial and ongoing costs.
NetApp AFF offers competitive value with features included, often more cost-effective than Oracle and EMC for comparable performance.
While the prices may be higher than those of other vendors, we see it as a market leader with benefits.
Manager, System Infrastructure & Security at Organik Kimya San. ve Tic. A.S.
The support can be a bit pricey, but the solution is more cost-effective than anything else out there.
Sales Manager at Multicomputos PR
It is priced at around or under $50,000.
System Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
The cost is not cheap nor expensive.
Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd
Commercially, Dell Unity XT is viable and competitively priced.
Sales Account Manager - BFSI Sector at Frontier Business systems
It is expensive, however, when we compare it to the features provided by HPE, the price-to-performance ratio is very good.
System Engineer at Hybrid Tech
Any customer will always ask for the cheaper price.
Asst. Manager at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
NetApp support is cheaper than Dell support.
Senior System Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
While it is not cheap, they have introduced a new series of AFF that are more affordable.
Analyst at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The licensing cost of the product is expensive, and when combined with support, it becomes quite costly.
Presales Manager at Spartec
 

Valuable Features

The Everpure FlashArray X NVMe offers high performance, scalability, and reliability with excellent integration and robust features.
Dell Unity XT excels in performance, ease of use, and scalability, featuring intuitive management and seamless integration for diverse environments.
HPE 3PAR StoreServ is ideal for enterprises, offering easy management, high performance, scalability, reliability, and seamless system integration.
NetApp AFF excels in speed, low latency, and integration, offering efficient storage, high reliability, and scalability for varied needs.
Its data compression feature is the best that we have ever seen.
Sales Manager at Multicomputos PR
Pure FlashArray X NVMe helps to improve our processing speed.
Manager, System Infrastructure & Security at Organik Kimya San. ve Tic. A.S.
We are satisfied with the performance as it is significantly faster compared to traditional storage options.
Project Manager at a government with 11-50 employees
Dell Unity XT integration with VMware helps scalability and availability through seamless operations and enhanced performance.
Assistant Manager, Technology Support & Services at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
It helps with data cost management and is seen as a mid-range product with good performance.
System Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
We installed the Flash, which makes our IO operations fast and efficient.
Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd
There is no downtime when we upgrade our 3PAR systems.
System Engineer at Hybrid Tech
We are expecting on-site support, which is the main benefit we are getting with HP.
Asst. Manager at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
I find the HPE 3PAR StoreServ valuable for its ease of use and resilience, which is beneficial.
Information Systems & Security Administrator at a government with 501-1,000 employees
You can even download the ONTAP simulator and deploy it on your virtualization platform and test almost all features.
Senior System Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Data reduction capabilities such as deduplication, compression, and compaction are standard features included with the license in NetApp AFF.
Presales Manager at Spartec
They have 4:1 data reduction techniques, which is really very high. If you have a size of 100 terabytes, you will get 400 terabytes of usable capacity when applying compression, deduplication, or other data reduction technologies.
IT Manager at Synergy Computers
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the All-Flash Storage category, the mindshare of Everpure FlashArray X NVMe is 1.6%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell Unity XT is 5.9%, down from 8.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE 3PAR StoreServ is 2.9%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetApp AFF is 8.7%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
All-Flash Storage Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
NetApp AFF8.7%
Dell Unity XT5.9%
HPE 3PAR StoreServ2.9%
Pure FlashArray X NVMe1.6%
Other80.9%
All-Flash Storage
 

Featured Reviews

Jaehoon Oh - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Technology Officer at Lambda256
Supports efficient storage management through volume snapshots and offers reliable non-disruptive upgrades
I have no specific improvements to suggest for Pure FlashArray X NVMe at this time. The performance statistics could be enhanced. I can see the performance statistics in the Pure Storage console, but it does not show the performance by 4K byte unit. It displays IOPS and bandwidth, but IOPS is about real use, and I want to know how many IOPS are currently running in 4K byte units. I cannot see that IOPS because most storage systems report their performance by 4K byte unit. I want to see Pure Storage performance by 4K byte unit to compare with other storage or other internal NVMe SSD.
DK
Sales Account Manager - BFSI Sector at Frontier Business systems
Customer needs are addressed effectively with collaborative sales and service support
Recently, customers have been asking for a cloud tiering option in storages. Some Dell storages do not have cloud tiering, which is an optional commercial feature. NetApp's FSA model 2750 comes with an inbuilt cloud tiering option. In the future, if Dell storages include this option, especially for Unity, it would help us target SME or medium enterprises for quicker closures and support the sales team.
CO
Information Systems & Security Administrator at a government with 501-1,000 employees
Ease of use in data center boosts resilience and infrastructure efficiency
I find the HPE 3PAR StoreServ valuable for its ease of use and resilience, which is beneficial. The main benefits I have seen from having HPE 3PAR StoreServ include its use at a small branch I managed for about three years with around 60 users. It operates effectively because it is an HPE product we use there. I have not experienced any significant issues besides occasional IT-related ones, such as local database problems. Since handing over the administration of the system to someone else and moving to another department, there have not been any issues. There are many features that exist but I haven't needed to try. Before moving out of that role in my organization, I knew it was a product I enjoyed working with for infrastructure purposes. After completing my new role, I intend to return to infrastructure.
KennethEtsula - PeerSpot reviewer
Presales Manager at Spartec
Offers seamless installation and efficient data handling with robust support
NetApp AFF provides an all-flash storage solution for unified SAN solutions, supporting both SAN and NAS functionalities. Data reduction capabilities such as deduplication, compression, and compaction are standard features included with the license in NetApp AFF. With the storage efficiency from a NetApp AFF installation, users can manage substantial data running on all-flash. The features such as compaction and compression provide storage efficiency guarantees in an all-flash environment.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
9%
Construction Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Marketing Services Firm
9%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business62
Midsize Enterprise49
Large Enterprise94
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business73
Midsize Enterprise74
Large Enterprise170
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business45
Midsize Enterprise47
Large Enterprise242
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Pure FlashArray X NVMe?
Pure FlashArray X NVMe helps to improve our processing speed. It is user-friendly and easy to use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pure FlashArray X NVMe?
The price of Pure FlashArray X NVMe is very expensive, though I do not know the actual price because I am using the E...
What needs improvement with Pure FlashArray X NVMe?
I have no specific improvements to suggest for Pure FlashArray X NVMe at this time. The performance statistics could ...
What is the Biggest Difference Between Dell EMC Unity and NetApp AFF?
I saw that you have doubts about what you chose. I have a lot of experience with the constructor, honestly I can reco...
What is the Biggest Difference Between Dell EMC Unity and NetApp AFF?
They’re both great solutions and I’ve used both. EMC is being VERY aggressive on pricing which may be the undoing of...
What is the Biggest Difference Between Dell EMC Unity and NetApp AFF?
First of all the decision should be taken looking at similar products in terms of capacity and performance. I will sh...
What's the difference between HPE 3PAR StoreServ and HPE Primera?
HPE Primera has many great features but one of the best is that it is very easy to deploy. From an overall perspectiv...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE 3PAR StoreServ?
As a customer, I always prefer to have a lower price. Any customer will always ask for the cheaper price.
What is the Biggest Difference Between Dell EMC Unity and NetApp AFF?
Well, Is one thing NetApp Storage has vs other brand is the mix of protocol CIFS with NFS booth working together in t...
What is the Biggest Difference Between Dell EMC Unity and NetApp AFF?
This question is very dependent on your requirements. Both are among the best in the field. Of course, the intended c...
What is the Biggest Difference Between Dell EMC Unity and NetApp AFF?
The answer depends on your needs and budget. If you want high performance (who doesn't) or let's say the latency matt...
 

Also Known As

Pure FlashArray//X NVMe, Pure FlashArray//X, FlashArray//X, Pure FlashArray X NVMe
EMC Unity, Dell EMC Unity
HPE 3PAR Flash Storage, InServ, Storeserv, 3PAR Flash Storage, HP Enterprise Storage, 3PAR Flash Array, HP 3PAR Flash Storage
NetApp All Flash FAS, NetApp AFF, NetApp Flash FAS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Fremont Bank, Judson ISD, The Nielsen Company
Draper, Rio Grande Pacific, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
Just Energy, Latisys, team AG, DreamWorks, BlueShore Financial, Erasmus MC
DreamWorks Animation, FICO, Yahoo! Japan
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, NetApp and others in All-Flash Storage. Updated: March 2026.
885,444 professionals have used our research since 2012.