Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform vs IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe comparison

Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform vs. IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe

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Review summaries and opinions

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

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Everpure FlashArray

Featured Reviews

Cristian Ion

Senior Information Technology Engineer at Eta2u

All-flash storage has unified my clients’ workloads and has reduced TCO through efficient data services

The pricing and licensing of Everpure FlashArray is a problem because Everpure is considered more expensive than competitors. IBM, Lenovo, and Dell are more aggressive on prices. It is a very complicated market, especially now, and I understand the prices are higher at Everpure because of the software and all the enhancements it has. However, in this competitive market, we have a big problem selling to customers that are on a tight budget. A product with better pricing would be a win in the end. The RC or C20, for example, was a very good product that I could sell more easily than other options. Everpure FlashArray//C is sufficient for most workloads and virtualization workloads if you do not have very large databases. A product like that helps, and perhaps a new product in the future that is a little cheaper than the current options would be a possibility to gain more market share. I see the return on investment clearly from using Everpure FlashArray, but the challenge is selling it to customers for the first time. There are many customers who fall in the sweet spot where they are too small for an X or even a C model. They need something a little cheaper, they have the money for a cheaper version, and they need the performance of a Pure system. These customers could be more easily approached if Everpure offers a version of a local device in the future that is even cheaper than the C-class. I am trying now to help customers understand the concept behind AG1. I know that AG1 is not profitable if capacity is less than 50 terabytes. However, some customers would be very willing to pay for 25 terabytes in a cloud operated by Pure and to have it accessible with very good speed. We will see what the future brings.

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ANAND V

Associate Vice President at Federal Bank Ltd

Reliable and secure storage solution supports core banking operations effectively

The replication technology that Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform uses is quite older, and the replication methodology they employ for data between the data center and the production and standby database shows no significant improvement in that particular field. With respect to storage administration, I'd like to see more clarity on the encryption side; data being stored in an encrypted manner is essential, but the customer or end-user doesn't understand which encryption is being used and doesn't have a direct view stating that their data is encrypted using AES 256 or DES, or whatever standard they follow. This lack of transparency may not be acceptable during audits.

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Yacine Bouakttaya

Chief Technology Officer North Africa at Huawei

High-speed data processing has improved billing cycles but performance headroom still needs growth

In terms of improvement regarding IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe, I can compare with other competitors, especially regarding solution architecture. Data resiliency can be a concern because IBM can reach up to only four controllers, while others like Dell EMC can support up to eight controllers with better resiliency without service staff. Additionally, the SBC one benchmark is a storage performance console that stresses different storage solutions like Dell EMC and NetApp. It generates metrics of IOPS and latency, showing that the competition can have two million IOPS, significantly outperforming IBM's capabilities. As for the capability of scaling, we can see the limitations in reaching such high-performance levels.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The experience has been very good so far for the company."

"FlashArray has many valuable features. It's very user-friendly and it has high availability, so there is comparatively less downtime. During maintenance, there is no shutdown procedure, so you can directly power off the Array and manage the shutdown process without any data loss, which is a unique feature. Managing replication and data migration is also very easy."

"Their evergreen solution is probably the most needed in any industry, especially today in unprecedented times and supply chain issues, their evergreen solution is amazing."

"It has made working with storage as easy and simple as it should be."

"With Pure Storage FlashArray we have been able to deploy several thousand VDI servers, virtual machines, very quickly and efficiently."

"For VMware, it has been a humongous savings."

"The dashboard is nice. It is easy to manage compared to other storage solutions such as Dell EMC."

"I cannot imagine my workflow without Everpure FlashArray because I do not have any other type of storage in use."

More Everpure FlashArray pros

"Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform 5000 Series exhibits good performance and has good IOPS: 300 IOPS. The technical support for this product is also good."

"Data optimization, compression, and deduplication are the most important features for us."

"Hitachi's technical support is perfect."

"The valuable features for data management include deduplication and compression without performance impact, and the ability to virtualize old storage, making migration seamless."

"The feature I like best is the stability of the hardware."

"The product offers high stability."

"The customer service and support are reasonably good. The environment I work in, there always remains an element of surprise, and there are restrictions. But Hitachi has good technical people."

"The performance was decent."

More Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform pros

"The features I find most valuable include its use for storage and performance."

"Good performance with a user-friendly UI."

"The product is a game-changer; IBM changed the game architecturally by moving computational resources into the flash media."

"IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe is a stable solution."

"A key feature is that compared to storage systems that we've been familiar with over decades, IBM simply does not fail. The reason is that IBM is the only manufacturer that engineers its own flash module, and there is a key architectural difference from everything else that we have seen in the market. The difference is that the flash module has the computational capability, which allows reliability and capacity enhancements to be uploaded from the main controllers and run in each module. So, each of the flash drives becomes its own little storage system, and that is extremely effective architecture. In this field, with this type of system, IBM has made a statement. They've never had one of these modules cause an outage. So, the failure rates on these things are just in a whole different universe from what we were accustomed to."

"IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe is easy to use and comes with good performance."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its upgrades, as we don't have to do much homework because of its different controllers."

"What I like about the product are its high availability, maximum efficiency in performance, and its ability to handle a high level of I/O operations."

More IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe pros

Cons

"Everything has been good, but we faced one issue last year while migrating volumes from one Pure Storage to another. The snapshots were not visible in the Veeam backup portal."

"The primary drawback is the cost, which can be prohibitive for small configurations."

"We do have an issue with the vCenter integration. Pure Storage says it has a lot of free space, but vCenter says its completely full. This is because their dedupes are saved as space, but Vcenter still detects the disk as completely full. So, we do have an issue with that."

"For scalability, I rate it a six out of ten. We reach a limit. We never reached this limit, however, the architecture allows you to go until a certain size, and after that, you have to buy another array."

"I would like to see more cloud integration."

"There are scenarios with very specific functionality around VMware integration particularly to do with the way we'd like to manage LUNs in VMware. The tools are pretty good but there's room for improvement there."

"It is a bit expensive."

"A noticeable area for improvement is the support for object storage. The FlashArray does not natively support object storage like S3 or Swift, which pushes customers needing these features towards the more expensive FlashBlade."

More Everpure FlashArray cons

"With Hitachi, everything that regards the user experience has a big room for improvement. The user experience is pretty bad in Hitachi."

"Hitachi should offer a distinct overview of the various storage choices."

"The replication technology that Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform uses is quite older, and the replication methodology they employ for data between the data center and the production and standby database shows no significant improvement in that particular field."

"For the support windows to work, maybe they have to upgrade the firmware of the VSP. They changed the hardware or the disk. I don't know if it was the port blade they changed or a VM for a memory cache. Also, replacing the old target with the processor target would be fine. The old equipment is very easy to manage, and I don't have any bad commentary."

"The controllers in the product do not provide options for scalability."

"n future releases, I would like to see enhancements in the web GUI capabilities for direct management without additional PCM."

"The snapshot and clone operation functions can be made easier."

"I don't like Hitachi's technical support. They are there but it is not perfect and they are not very much help."

More Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform cons

"In terms of improvement regarding IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe, I can compare with other competitors, especially regarding solution architecture."

"IBM's support is not good. I experienced a big problem where I opened the console IBM Storage and would see that something was broken. I called the call centers, and I said, "I have a problem. My drive is not working." They want me to give them the serial number, I gave it to them and they told me "I cannot find your product. Your product is not here.""

"The pricing should be more competitive."

"IBM is currently not offering volume-based encryption or compression, while other brands or IBM's competitors are doing it."

"We're not satisfied with the deduplication and compression for our volumes."

"The support could be better."

"There is a tool provided by IBM for repairing batteries which can only be utilized by those who have an IBM technical advisor under service contract. However, for individuals who do not have such a contract, the tool can be difficult to use and requires a zip file copy. I believe that it would be greatly beneficial if the tool were made more user-friendly and accessible for all individuals who need to repair batteries."

"I would like to see IBM products become more affordable because they can be quite expensive, which limits their accessibility to a broader customer base."

More IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We would like them to improve the pricing, so we could put them to use some more product, like backup or long-term storage. In the future, if the price goes down, then we could buy different types of products."

"When we bought the unit, we bought per capacity. So, the licensing is per capacity, and the only thing that we have to buy every year or every three years is maintenance. Included in that maintenance is the upgrade of the controllers every three years at no cost to us."

"Pure Storage has not helped us to reduce our licensing costs."

"When you are paying more than you were paying for the storage space, you'd like the cost to be less. If they could get into the spinning disk kind of cost, that would be it."

"I would rate the pricing of Pure Storage FlashArray a five out of ten. It is expensive but not too much."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"There should be quite a bit of reduction of TCO with just licensing (and stuff) because we run the VM environment off it."

"Pricing is moderate. It is neither cheap nor expensive."

More Everpure FlashArray pricing and cost advice

"The price is good enough considering the performance, and we are satisfied."

"It is a little expensive."

"The product is reasonably priced."

"It is cheap. It is not very expensive. If you decide to expand the system, the cost is pretty low as compared to other vendors, such as Dell."

"This is an expensive solution."

"This solution is cheaper than Dell EMC VMAX. When you are looking for a high-end solution, price matters, but availability and stability are more important than the price."

"The pricing is very competitive compared to other vendors. It really depends on the type of media we're using, like SaaS, SSP, or NVMe."

"Considering the solution's price, it is very competitive compared to the other competitors in the market. I rate the product price a nine out of ten."

More Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform pricing and cost advice

"The tool's pricing is competitive."

"The product has an average cost."

"The price of the FlashSystem 9100 NVMe is reasonable."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price and ten is a high price, I rate the pricing an eight."

"The solution is priced well."

"Compared to its competitors, IBM's offering is the most cost-effective."

"The price of IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMele can be considered affordable when taking into account the operating system that is required for it to function properly. This operating system, which is licensed by IBM, may carry a higher cost, but it is worth the investment for larger corporate entities, such as insurance companies, Fortune Five companies, and banks, who make up a significant portion of their target market. The FlashSystems are designed for larger corporations and multinational enterprises, and may not be the most cost-effective solution for smaller businesses."

"Compared to other solutions, the cost of IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe is reasonable, with a one-time payment of around $70,000. However, additional support is available for $25,000 for three years. The overall maintenance cost is steep."

More IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Outsourcing Company

Financial Services Firm

16%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Government

Outsourcing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	74
Midsize Enterprise	38
Large Enterprise	161

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	30

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	6

Questions from the Community

Which should I choose: HPE 3PAR StoreServ or Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform F Series?

Both are great platforms, but if you are considering all flash solutions, I would recommend you to consider Pure Stor...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pure Storage FlashArray?

When comparing cost, I find that the cost is either the same or slightly higher, but that is returned by the ease of ...

What needs improvement with Pure Storage FlashArray?

The only thing I think could be improved is price. The price is the main concern for our customers.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform?

The cost of Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform is reasonable compared to competitors, but it is dependent on the custom...

What needs improvement with Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform E990?

The centralized management console in Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform is not very comfortable and user-friendly. How...

What is your primary use case for Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform E990?

I work in the financial sector with Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform, specifically VSP. We did not need tiering in Hi...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe?

The licensing cost for IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe can be seen as a bit expensive compared to competitors. You can eith...

What needs improvement with IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe?

In terms of improvement regarding IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe, I can compare with other competitors, especially regardi...

What is your primary use case for IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe?

There are many advantages that we have with IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe against, for example, IBM full flash systems an...

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Product Reports

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Everpure FlashArray

November 2026

Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform

Download Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform product report

IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe

Download IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe product report

Also Known As

Pure Storage FlashArray

Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform F Series, 5000 Series, E Series, N Series, G Series

IBM FlashSystem 9100, FlashSystem 9100

Overview

The FlashArray family delivers consistent, high-performance data services across block, file, and object workloads. As part of the Everpure Platform, it provides the foundation for a unified data plane, enabling applications to reliably access, protect, and manage data across environments with simplicity and predictability. With built-in capabilities such as inline data reduction, snapshots, replication, and ransomware resilience, FlashArray ensures efficient operations, protected data, and consistent application uptime.

As the foundation of the (unified) data plane, FlashArray enables policy-driven automation, monitoring, and centralized management while integrating across cloud and on-premises environments. Built on an Evergreen architecture, it supports non-disruptive upgrades and continuous performance improvements over time while simplifying operations at scale.

What Key Features Does FlashArray Offer?

Simplicity and Speed: Easy management and rapid performance enhancements.
Data Reduction: Effective deduplication and compression.
Flash Architecture: Seamless upgrades and outstanding resilience.
VMware Integration: Excellent compatibility with virtualization platforms.
Predictive Analytics: Strong insights for proactive management.

What Benefits Should Users Consider?

Reliability: Proactive support with minimal downtime.
Efficiency: Reduced storage footprint and enhanced data management.
Performance: Faster processing speeds and low latency.
User Experience: Simplified management with Evergreen model.

In industries like finance, banking, and healthcare, FlashArray supports high-performance storage needs focusing on virtualization and database environments. Employed for VMware workloads, disaster recovery, and storage provisioning, it ensures application performance in private or hybrid cloud setups while enhancing management of virtualized environments.

Everpure (formerly Pure Storage)

Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform offers robust performance and scalability with features like high availability and secure access, ensuring it meets enterprise storage needs effectively.

Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform is designed for enterprise-scale data storage with high availability, global storage virtualization, and effective data mobility. Users benefit from non-disruptive migration, reliable redundancy, and enhanced multi-site synchronization with Global Active Device. The platform delivers high IOPS and efficient data optimization with compression and deduplication, while management ensures significant agility and reliability.

What features does Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform offer?

High Availability: Ensures continuous operation even during maintenance.
Global Storage Virtualization: Enhances flexibility across storage landscapes.
Data Optimization: Provides compression and deduplication for storage efficiency.
Non-Disruptive Migration: Allows seamless data migration without downtime.
Secure Access: Guarantees data security and 100 percent availability.

What benefits should users consider when evaluating Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform?

Agility and Reliability: Offers user-friendly management and robust performance.
Performance: Provides high IOPS for demanding applications.
Scalability: Supports growth with strong scaling capabilities.
Cost Efficiency: Ensures value through data deduplication and storage savings.
Multi-Site Synchronization: Facilitates global operations with synchronization features.

Organizations in banking, automotive, healthcare, and insurance use Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform for enterprise-scale data storage and replication. It supports hybrid cloud infrastructures and large-scale applications needing high IOPS, making it ideal for secure multi-tenanting, SAN storage, and disaster recovery. Companies leverage its functionalities for virtualization, data management, and mission-critical applications with configurations ranging from traditional hard disks to all-flash systems.

Hitachi Vantara

IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe is recognized for its speed, reliability, and performance, offering a high-speed enterprise storage solution. It supports various high-demand applications and environments with superior data processing and ease of use.

IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe is known for its exceptional high-performance storage facilitated by FlashCore modules and unique architecture. It efficiently handles high I/O operations and supports hybrid cloud environments, including integration with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and IBM Cloud. While users appreciate features like HyperSwap and efficient data tiering, there are challenges with scalability, management complexity, and cost-effectiveness. Reports highlight limited security against ransomware, inadequate compression and deduplication, as well as insufficient technical support for battery repair and backup connectivity.

What Are the Key Features of IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe?

FlashCore Modules: Deliver high-speed storage performance.
HyperSwap: Enhances data availability and reliability.
Hybrid Cloud Support: Seamless integration with major cloud providers.
Data Tiering: Efficiently manages data with advanced tiering capabilities.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies management and monitoring tasks.

What Benefits Should You Expect from IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe?

High I/O Performance: Efficiently supports intensive workloads.
Reliable High Availability: Maintains continuous operation with minimal downtime.
Strong Technical Support: Provides comprehensive assistance to users.
User-Friendly Operation: Facilitates ease of use and management for IT teams.

IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe is implemented across industries like finance and manufacturing for enterprise storage, supporting applications such as VMware clusters, core ERP databases like SAP HANA, and banking operations. It serves as primary storage for databases, web applications, and virtual infrastructures, supporting on-premise, public, or hybrid cloud environments.

IBM

Sample Customers

Nielsen, Lamar Advertising, LinkedIn, Betfair, UT-Dallas

Turkcell, Owens Corning, Region Nord, Net Credit Financial Group (NFC Group), Russian Railways

Information Not Available

Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform vs. IBM FlashSystem 9100 NVMe