HPE Hyper Converged vs SteelFusion comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Riverbed are both solutions in the HCI category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.3, while Riverbed is ranked #29. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 2.5% mindshare in HCI, compared to Riverbed’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Riverbed users who would recommend it.

HPE Hyper Converged

Read 37 HPE Hyper Converged reviews

4,193 Views
4,025 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

SteelFusion

Read 2 SteelFusion reviews

1,305 Views
1,175 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

HPE Hyper Converged

SteelFusion

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

SteelFusion and HPE Hyper Converged are competing in the hyper-convergence and data center space, with HPE Hyper Converged perceived as superior due to its robust features, suggesting a justifiable cost.

Features: SteelFusion is known for edge data center consolidation, advanced data security, and efficient IT infrastructure enhancement. HPE Hyper Converged offers advanced virtualization capabilities, seamless integration with existing systems, and extensive scalability, making it attractive for organizations prioritizing comprehensive feature sets.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HPE Hyper Converged features a streamlined deployment model and excellent customer service, facilitating easier integration and support. SteelFusion provides a straightforward setup, requiring more effort for complex configurations.

Pricing and ROI: SteelFusion has lower setup costs, presenting a strong value proposition for budget-conscious organizations aiming for quick ROI. HPE Hyper Converged requires a higher initial investment, delivering substantial long-term ROI through its advanced features and scalability.

To learn more, read our detailed HCI Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

HCI

August 2026

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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:

Categories and Ranking

HPE Hyper Converged

Ranking in HCI

12th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SteelFusion

Ranking in HCI

29th

Average Rating

9.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the HCI category, the mindshare of HPE Hyper Converged is 2.5%, down from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SteelFusion is 1.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

HCI Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
HPE Hyper Converged	2.5%
SteelFusion	1.4%
Other	96.1%

HCI

Featured Reviews

PAOLO DESPERATI

IT Project Manager at Intesa Sanpaolo

Has enabled me to simplify complex infrastructures and support virtualization projects with efficiency

In HP, I have been on board on a project study until 2018 and we studied the server rack model that supports HPE Hyper Converged board and Windows configuration. HPE Hyper Converged is excellent because it can avoid the usage of storage area network. For example, if you have three servers in parallel in a battery, a cluster, you can share the local storage for each server in a hyper-converged virtual storage without the storage area network. The architecture here has a simple physical structure. The logical configuration is complex, but the physical infrastructure is simpler than the old legacy cluster with the storage area network. The possibility of issues is minor. There is a very high level of redundancy and very high level of performance distribution and parallel usage of resources. It functions as a grid configuration. HPE Hyper Converged can be improved by replacing the old infrastructure based on legacy clusters and old servers. It can replace and dispose of legacy storage that is very expensive to maintain and has great dimensions to manage. You can dispose of big storage to have a battery of local servers with local storage in a hyper-converged architecture. This is not the future, it is the new technology. It is probably the best solution for cloud service and also for companies that require several virtualized environments. The foundation for using the hyper-converged solution is virtualization. First, every company must switch from physical setup to virtual configuration. Second, HPE Hyper Converged is a technology upgraded to avoid local big storage, storage area network, and complex fiber cabling from server to storage. You can eliminate everything and just manage the battery of servers in hyper-converged configuration as they share and are able to share the local storage as main big storage area network.

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it_user866178

Chief Technology Officer at MAZZETTI+GBA

Sync to Central and edge protection mitigate my risk in our branch offices

The level of tech support depends on who you get. There are some techs that just read the script and ask you if you’ve rebooted, but once you get past that - or if you have a very technical issue - the support is great. They really know the product and get you up and running again ASAP.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the solution's strong points is the deduplication capabilities of SimpliVity."

"The solution has good backup resolution updates."

"I like the fact that it's taken us from approximately 23 servers down to three ProLiant servers running the StoreVirtual VSA, with a big reduction in our electricity consumption, dramatically lower cooling requirements in our server room, and fantastic reliability."

"Hyper Converged is highly stable because it's installed on our VMware platform."

"It provides unmatched performance, productivity and reliability, and its HPC technologies and workflow provide downtime and increase the technology."

"For HPE Hyper Converged 380, the added value is not having to buy multiple elements – servers, hard disks, memories, CPU, cables, and software – because you have to unpack it, install it, and update the firmware."

"The solution has many good features."

"Hyper Converge is easier to manage and performs better than traditional infrastructure."

More HPE Hyper Converged pros

"That is why Riverbed SteelFusion has delivered a masterclass technology that not only abstracted and virtualized the storage vendors’ unique logical storage structures, it has made it logically closer and seamless to the branch applications from a performance and experience perspective."

"Sync to Central and edge protection mitigate my risk in our branch offices. All services that need to be local to the user exist on local servers. Users run applications and access data locally while the data is constantly being synced to Central, and protected. If an edge device fails, we can recover quickly."

Cons

"One of the things that can be improved is that today, is supporting VMware, maybe as a hypervisor. But it would be good to have an open kind of platform for other hypervisors, maybe. Like Nutanix is doing, it's very open."

"The solution is not very stable."

"Installation and setup could be easier."

"The solution would be better served if it integrated with other solutions better."

"Some improvement is required in the availability of the data and performance. The solution is too expensive for our customers. The pricing should be lower."

"Currently, the HPE HCI is based on the VMware solution, and many clients are skipping VMware due to its changed licensing method."

"Scalability is an issue because it becomes very expensive. When you need to upgrade memory, you have to upgrade memory across the nodes. Suppose a customer has gone with a three-node HCI solution, then to increase the memory, you have to do it across the three nodes."

"The initial setup of HPE Hyper Converged requires study and a comprehensive understanding of virtualization."

More HPE Hyper Converged cons

"Setting up disks for use is a multi-step process that could use some refinement. Setting up a core-to-core replication or DR strategy is also cumbersome."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is too expensive for our customers. The pricing should be lower."

"The entire solution is packaged with all licenses and support."

"I would rate the price at seven out of ten. There are no additional licensing fees, but it would be cheaper to go with a dHCI solution."

"The solutions cost us a lot."

"HPE Hyper Converged is an affordable solution."

"There are costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."

"It could be cheaper, everything could be cheaper."

"The price per value compared to other solutions, like Nutanix and SimpliVity. (We made the deal before approval of HPE SimpliVity deal)."

More HPE Hyper Converged pricing and cost advice

"Price is an issue – this is expensive stuff. My advice is to beat up Riverbed as much as possible on price. These things are expensive and there is room for negotiation."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	17
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	19

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Hyper Converged?

The product is intermediate in price, neither expensive nor cheap. We are talking about an on-premises solution without licensing for years. Currently, licensing is required for VMs and CPU cores. ...

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What needs improvement with HPE Hyper Converged?

The initial setup of HPE Hyper Converged requires study and a comprehensive understanding of virtualization. The second step is to follow instructions step by step, as it can be complex to understa...

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What is your primary use case for HPE Hyper Converged?

I have several years of experience in storage area network and IT infrastructure, working with Pure Secure, Pure Secure Storage, EMC Square, HP, and Lenovo storage and other brands, several other b...

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Comparisons

VMware vSAN vs HPE Hyper Converged

Compared 15% of the time

VxRail vs HPE Hyper Converged

Compared 14% of the time

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs HPE Hyper Converged

Compared 13% of the time

HPE SimpliVity vs HPE Hyper Converged

Compared 6% of the time

Dell PowerFlex vs HPE Hyper Converged

Compared 6% of the time

More HPE Hyper Converged Competitors

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs SteelFusion

Compared 15% of the time

HPE SimpliVity vs SteelFusion

Compared 11% of the time

Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure vs SteelFusion

Compared 8% of the time

Pivot3 vs SteelFusion

Compared 6% of the time

VMware vSAN vs SteelFusion

Compared 2% of the time

More SteelFusion Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HPE Hyper Converged

September 2026

Download HPE Hyper Converged product report

Buyer's Guide

HCI

August 2026

Download SteelFusion product report

Also Known As

HPE Hyper Converged 380, HPE Hyper Converged 250, HPE Hyper Converged 250 for Microsoft CPS

No data available

Overview

HPE Hyper Converged is a flexible, scalable, and user-friendly infrastructure solution that reduces server count and energy consumption while providing enhanced reliability and security for data center management.

HPE Hyper Converged is renowned for its seamless integration with infrastructure management tools and supports rapid scaling and efficient backup systems. Its AI-driven capabilities simplify infrastructure administration, making it an ideal choice for data center consolidation and hybrid cloud environments. Users gain from its cost efficiencies and comprehensive toolsets, which facilitate deployment and management. Although beneficial, users identify room for improvement, particularly in cost reduction, enhanced integration with hypervisors, and interface simplicity. The management interface and upgrade processes require more clarity and ease, and better documentation and pricing would appeal to a broader audience.

What are the key features of HPE Hyper Converged?

Flexibility and Scalability: Easily adapts to growing infrastructure needs.
Integrated Storage Management: Simplifies data handling and enhances speed.
Security Features: Offers deduplication and compression for secure data protection.
AI-Driven Capabilities: Enhances efficiency in infrastructure management.
Rapid Deployment: Facilitates quick setup for faster operation.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

Energy Savings: Reduction in server count lowers energy consumption.
Cost Efficiency: Comprehensive tools offer competitive advantages.
Ease of Use: Simplified updates and management streamline operations.
Improved Reliability: Enhanced architecture boosts performance dependability.
Enhanced Backup System: Ensures data safety and recovery solutions.

HPE Hyper Converged is widely implemented across industries for data center consolidation and infrastructure management. Companies, particularly in banking, employ it for core banking solutions and VDI environments, benefiting from its seamless compatibility with Hyper-V and Windows Server configurations. Its performance and sustainability make it a preferred choice for settings with limited data center space.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

SteelFusion is a high-performance converged infrastructure solution designed to streamline and secure data management in branch office environments, combining server, storage, and network functionalities in a single platform.

SteelFusion enhances efficiency in remote IT operations by integrating with existing IT systems to deliver seamless data centralization and protection. Its architecture supports diverse applications without compromising on performance, making it essential for enterprises looking to optimize their remote branch office operations. Organizations can reduce data footprint, improve resiliency, and ensure data compliance across dispersed locations.

What are the key features of SteelFusion?

Edge Servers: Deliver high-speed performance with robust compute capabilities.
FusionSync: Offers real-time data replication to maintain data consistency.
Virtual Services Platform: Simplifies branch IT with centralized management.
Branch Recovery: Minimizes downtime with rapid recovery options.
Hybrid Cloud Support: Integrates seamlessly with cloud services for extended scalability.

What benefits can users expect in reviews?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces overall IT costs by consolidating infrastructure.
Data Security: Enhances data protection through centralized monitoring.
Operational Simplicity: Lowers complexity in management and deployment.
Performance Optimization: Ensures consistent application delivery across branches.
Risk Mitigation: Decreases risk with improved disaster recovery processes.

SteelFusion is prominently implemented in industries such as finance, healthcare, and retail, where secure data access and rapid recovery are critical. These environments benefit from its robust data management capabilities, enabling them to maintain continuous operations while reducing operational burdens. Its deployment allows businesses to adapt quickly and remain competitive in fast-paced markets.

Riverbed

Sample Customers

North Lindsey College, FireWhat?, HudsonAlpha

Roxtec, Engen, Bobst, CBP, IUCN, Mahoning County, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Nutanix, Broadcom and others in HCI. Updated: August 2026.

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