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Hitachi ShadowImage vs NetApp SnapMirror comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 1, 2025

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

Hitachi ShadowImage
Ranking in Data Replication
8th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NetApp SnapMirror
Ranking in Data Replication
1st
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Data Replication category, the mindshare of Hitachi ShadowImage is 5.6%, down from 5.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetApp SnapMirror is 15.8%, down from 21.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Replication
 

Featured Reviews

Bratislav Petkovic - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient replication and helpful for improving data processing and management
The technology behind Hitachi ShadowImage has been around for a long time, and while it works correctly, it does have some issues. We have experienced problems with it, even though Hitachi provides good hardware. Technical support could also be improved, as it sometimes takes a few days to resolve issues.
Christopher Cagayan - PeerSpot reviewer
Protects our data during any emergency or disaster
If they can make the application free like other vendors or include it in all the packages, it would be great. Once we bought a license for NetApp AFF A250, but the company didn’t include SnapMirror, which lead to issues while transferring data. We had to reach out to the vendor again which lead to logistical issues. It was quite frustrating as we had already incorporated the product cost into the budget, and it is quite difficult to include it again. That was a bad experience.

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 Hitachi ShadowImage is high-speed data transfer from one server to another. Other solutions would have problems with transferring 50 TB of data. I also like that Hitachi ShadowImage is easy to use."
"The most valuable features are its ability to handle large databases efficiently and the asynchronous replication capability."
"The user interface is very easy to manage. The replication is also very easy to set up."
"NetApp SnapMirror's ease of use and reliability are valuable features."
"This solution is easy to implement and easy to use."
"The tool seamlessly moves data over the network without putting pressure on the network."
"The most valuable feature is the data replication tool. There is also a lot of ability for data migration."
"Data protection is a valuable feature."
"NetApp is one of the best products in this field of storage solutions."
"The technology enables us to have a safe backup."
 

Cons

"We have experienced problems with it, even though Hitachi provides good hardware."
"API and script configuration in Hitachi ShadowImage is sometimes complicated, so this is an area for improvement. Another area for improvement is that the Hitachi ShadowImage interface isn't as user-friendly."
"In the next release, I would like to see Data reduction included and WAN optimization."
"The tool should also work on third-party solutions."
"If they can make the application free like other vendors or include it in all the packages, it would be great."
"We have different families of storage, such as the E-Series and Flash systems, but NetApp cannot be set up between them."
"The price could be cheaper."
"We must be able to integrate Flash Pool with SnapMirror."
"Compression and deduplication could be improved."
"The user interface could be simplified. They might want to have fewer options on it, to make it less complicated. There are a lot of options we never use ourselves. They're often very specialized and don't apply to us."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I don't have pricing information for Hitachi ShadowImage because my manager handled it."
"It's part of the NetApp Firewall, so it's free."
"The product price is reasonable."
"The cost is low compared to different vendors."
"The pricing can be improved."
"The solution has monthly and yearly licensing options."
"It's a highly cost-effective solution"
"The pricing could be improved."
"SnapMirror is extremely expensive. We had a hard time adjusting to our budget. If rated on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most expensive, I would definitely rate it ten out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
26%
Educational Organization
6%
Insurance Company
6%
Logistics Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
18%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Hitachi ShadowImage?
The pricing of Hitachi ShadowImage is reasonable, especially when you purchase Hitachi storage, as ShadowImage and Thin Image are part of the protector. The protector includes several components li...
What needs improvement with Hitachi ShadowImage?
The technology behind Hitachi ShadowImage has been around for a long time, and while it works correctly, it does have some issues. We have experienced problems with it, even though Hitachi provides...
What is your primary use case for Hitachi ShadowImage?
We use Hitachi ShadowImage for data replication processes. It is a practical tool for copying data from one LUN disk to another within the same storage. In our bank, we utilize it for making tests ...
What do you like most about NetApp SnapMirror?
The performance and stability are valuable features. It seems to fulfill all the requirements.
What needs improvement with NetApp SnapMirror?
They could make continued enhancements in integration with diverse platforms for the product.
 

Also Known As

No data available
SnapMirror
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

K&H, NCF, Aokang Group
University at Albany, City of Houston, Yahoo Japan, Washington Employment Security Department, DG Khan Cement Co. Ltd., AmTrust Financial Services, Sheridan College
Find out what your peers are saying about Hitachi ShadowImage vs. NetApp SnapMirror and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.