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Hitachi ShadowImage vs NetApp Snapshot 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 Snapshot
Ranking in Data Replication
2nd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
24
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 Snapshot is 19.2%, down from 24.2% 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.
AjayKumar13 - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficiently complete large database snapshots quickly for reliable backup
The most valuable feature of NetApp Snapshot ( /products/netapp-snapshot-reviews ) is its ability to complete a sixty-terabyte database snapshot in less than three minutes. This efficiency means we do not have to manage tape backups, which are time-consuming, and it uses less storage as snapshots are compressed. NetApp Snapshot is also easy to restore or copy to another location for disaster recovery. Overall, it has helped us meet our service level agreements due to its performance.

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 features are its ability to handle large databases efficiently and the asynchronous replication capability."
"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."
"It centralizes your data."
"It has a user-friendly interface."
"The most valuable features of the solution are the repurposing and backup features."
"It doesn't occupy a lot of space and is very easy to use once you schedule the snapshots."
"NetApp Snapshot's most valuable features are the snapshot capabilities, you can take snaps of shared directories, files, and VMs."
"You never have to worry about protecting your virtual machines."
"From a functional standpoint, it's been, pretty much bulletproof. I have never gone to a snapshot and not been able to do what I needed to do."
"The most valuable features of NetApp Snapshot are the integration with other vendors and customization."
 

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."
"The initial setup of NetApp Snapshot is not straightforward. It's not something that you can do just by clicking on the next step button. It has to be designed and it has to be implemented according to your network capabilities and the use case scenario."
"The next release should include developments on the step center for purpose or bandwidth."
"I would like some sort of notification that lets me know when a snapshot is done or not done."
"Although support is good, the global support is lacking depending on location."
"The solution should have a snapshot mode using AI to decide when to create the snapshot, depending on the workload."
"The licensing cost could be improved."
"If your data is more dynamic and changes frequently, you need more granular retention levels and need to save it for a longer duration, then this becomes a real challenge."
"The initial setup process of NetApp Snapshot is not easy and needs improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I don't have pricing information for Hitachi ShadowImage because my manager handled it."
"Snapshot is free and comes with the NetApp storage software. It's purely free of cost."
"NetApp Snapshot is expensive since you need to buy an additional premium license for it which is an extra cost over the payments made for NetApp...The license works during the entire life cycle of NetApp Snapshot."
"It's not too expensive."
"The price of NetApp Snapshot depends on the use case. They charge by how much data you need, the capability, and for snap licenses."
"As far as their licensing costs, the licensing is paid on a yearly basis. The organization pays for the licensing based on the software and the capacity that they choose."
"The price of this solution is fair."
"The price of the solution is reasonable but could improve. However, if you are in a country that has a poor currency then the price will be considered expensive."
"If there is a way to save more on the number of snapshots, it should be included in the next release."
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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
23%
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 method of data replication does NetApp Snapshot use?
Here's a breakdown of how the data replication by NetApp Snapshot works: it's through the snapshot replication method. What does that mean? Well, in simple words, the software creates copies of dat...
What is the storage scale of NetApp Snapshot?
Last time I checked, the NetApp Snapshot data replication software could go up to 255 snapshot copies. I'm not sure how familiar you are with similar software, but that's a pretty good number. It g...
Will NetApp Snapshot recover data in an emergency?
Well yes, the snapshots that NetApp Snapshot creates are your backup. But then there's also their feature for advanced backup. This allows you to copy backups to offline locations and also make arc...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

K&H, NCF, Aokang Group
Mazda
Find out what your peers are saying about Hitachi ShadowImage vs. NetApp Snapshot and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.