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HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs IBM Power Systems vs Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers comparison

 

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:
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is 20.2%, down from 21.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 7.0%, down from 9.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers is 12.2%, down from 16.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
HPE ProLiant DL Servers20.2%
IBM Power Systems7.0%
Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers12.2%
Other60.6%
Rack Servers
 

Featured Reviews

ArifSheikh - PeerSpot reviewer
Director / Chief Business Artchitect at SMARIF
High availability servers have boosted hosted payment services but still need better local support
We are not using PowerVM because of certain limitations; it is on a back-end engine. However, we are using other components such as vSphere for some small interfaces, and those are the main components we are utilizing. Since these servers are fully dedicated to various high-end solutions, they have some embedded features that their kernel and applications are using, which are bound to that functionality. We may not provide an exact assessment on its usage, but we are considering those products for some AI solutions; however, we are currently in the review stage and have not concluded our evaluation on how those are utilized yet. We are aware of the pricing of HPE ProLiant DL servers, but not off the cuff. We have obviously acquired those solutions ex-Pakistan, so they are on the rise, and while we do not remember those prices offhand, they are generally better than the IBM series, although they are becoming slightly pricey in Pakistan due to processor shortages and demand. Improvements could be made in database engine hosting services because, as it stands, the pricing of Oracle is too high from both the service and software solution perspectives. If pricing can be reduced, especially for DB servers, that could have a direct positive impact on the overall solution. Regarding reliability, it has been satisfactory so far, but since the distributors are not physically present in Pakistan, that creates a risk for long-term large customers. They provide import-based services, necessitating us to over-invest in backup stock and offline servers. If there was a market presence from those players in Pakistan, it could benefit both clients and distributors by reducing the need for investment in backup inventory.
Foluso  Jibowo - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd
Has empowered enterprises with secure and cost-effective solutions
When discussing disadvantages, I do not see many areas for improvement because we have received good testimonies from every client. IBM gives customers peace of mind. One challenge, which I would not really call a challenge, is that initially people have the notion that IBM Power Systems is quite expensive. However, IBM does not lose deals based on price. This is a message we need to keep communicating to people who feel that IBM is on the high side in terms of cost. We encourage them to have a discussion with us about their total cost of ownership over three or five years. There is a notion in the market that IBM is expensive, which is false. However, once we engage and show them their return on investments and their total cost of ownership savings, they tend to embrace IBM.
Adalberto Giaretta - PeerSpot reviewer
Technology director at Infodive Representações e Serviços ltda
Reliable with an easy setup and good support
These are rack servers. We use them for applications. It stores everything including VM servers, application servers, Windows, et cetera The reliability is great. The solution is like any other commodity like Dell or HPE. These are all very similar.  Setting up the solution is easy. It is stable.…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"HP Proliant servers are rock solid and when you need technical support HP’s team is there to support you with answers, no matter how long it takes to properly identify the root cause and then propose a solution."
"The stability has been very good, and it is very reliable."
"It has easy manageability, and with iLO we are able to do everything remotely."
"The scalability is very high in 380, so instead of using the high-end servers, you can use multiple servers and segregate the applications between the servers. ​"
"HPE ProLiant DL Servers are easy to use and the GUI is rather simple and intuitive, with a lot of other services and software that HPE provides for the server, and the software can connect all the infrastructure to form a unified management or monitoring system."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is scalability."
"It's reliability, really, it just works, it's one of those we've been using for 10 plus years and I've been in the company for 10 years, we rarely have a failure and it just keeps working."
"In regards to the components that you can put into the servers, I feel that HP provides a wider variety of parts in comparison to Dell. For example, there is the ILO which is a network cable that goes into the server and reports back with an abundance of information about the server, even when it is off."
"We have been seeing a return on investment in the moves from version to version due to better performance and they cut the licensing costs down."
"We value the stability and technology capability of this solution the most. It is very stable, and the processor technology of IBM is very good. When you have a CIO and you are dealing with C-level every day, you can, without any doubt, support the core banking or critical applications with this solution."
"The performance is the solution's most valuable asset, as it has one of the highest levels of performance I have ever seen, which is quite remarkable."
"Primarily the reliability."
"The Power hardware is rock-solid and reliable; you can't really ask for better hardware support, software support and reliability of the equipment."
"Our clients choose Power because they trust the platform; they trust IBM i, they are really comfortable with it, and even new customers that had not previously used Power's servers or IBM i are moving to the platform because of trust in the hardware, in IBM, in their delivery, and in their support."
"The stability and scalability is why you invest in IBM i."
"We go with Power Systems because the reliability and the availability of the systems are key."
"The product is designed to make adding RAM and disk space easier for users."
"The initial setup is easy."
"It is a very good product, it is very easy to implement, and you can scale it easily."
"I like everything about this solution; it is a very good server, with excellent availability, adequate power, and beneficial low heating."
"It is a stable solution."
"They have taken a lot of technology from IBM, and IBM always delivered very powerful hardware to the IT industry compared to Dell EMC or anyone else."
"Technical support was very good. IBM support is very helpful."
"Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers are scalable."
 

Cons

"I would like to see the booting process be a little bit faster."
"It's scalable but we are switching to workstation for some software because the CPU speed isn't fast enough anymore."
"We have been experiencing a problem with the power pack. It gets fried and then we have to do a replacement."
"When it comes to security there can always be room for improvement. If there was an option to build security into the system it would be an advantage."
"The only thing I don't like about them is that if/when you have to restart it, it takes a long time to come back on."
"When it comes to security there can always be room for improvement. If there was an option to build security into the system it would be an advantage."
"The software doesn't allow you to view isolated hardware issues."
"I would like to see better license management with the iLO. It is very difficult to manage the licenses for the hardware, as they can easily be lost."
"IBM systems are old technologies. I couldn't renew and get to use IBM Power Systems, and it offers users very expensive support."
"Price and complexity related to the management of the solution are areas of concern in the solution where improvements are required."
"I think the cost should be cheaper."
"Better manage heterogeneous footprints of all the different operating systems that are out there across one common interface."
"Regarding the OpenPOWER Foundation, at first I was kind of skeptical."
"There is a notion in the market that IBM is expensive, which is false."
"I would rather have gum surgery than get on the phone and talk to somebody to try to put me with a technical consultant."
"I would like to see the scaling model improved so it's not just either tiny or huge."
"From a user's perspective, it not so straightforward if you want to add some features."
"The solution's initial setup was complicated."
"I do not have any notes for improvements."
"It should have tools for integration with the cloud. We should be able to transmit data from our on-premises server to the servers in the cloud."
"It is too expensive. Because we are a university and we have to look for our money, many times we buy some refurbished machines or equipment at reasonable prices from IBM or Lenovo."
"The GUI of the system is really bad. HP has a very good UI for smart memories and everything inside, but in Lenovo, we have a black-and-white UI."
"Its price could be better. Its price is sometimes an issue for our clients. XClarity Controller is a very good feature, and Lenovo should include the XClarity Controller license without any additional cost. It should be integrated within the product."
"I definitely suggest potential users skip Lenovo and go for Dell EMC, which has good hardware, and great internal security components."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"They should reduce the prices as it is a significant concern for developing countries."
"We did not need to pay for a license for the use of HP DL servers, just for normal hardcore support."
"HPE ProLiant DL Servers are one of the best-selling solutions in this industry. There is not a license required for this solution."
"They need to work with Microsoft to make the licensing costs better and more efficient."
"I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"The iLO (integrated lights out) license is very expensive, but the functionality you receive is worth it."
"It's expensive."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"Why should I be charged for that use rather than a single CPU, a single socket?"
"The cost model is great. There is so much built in to the technology, that if you know how to use it you can save yourself a lot of money."
"The price of IBM Power Systems is expensive and could improve."
"The pricing of the solution is very good because we can beat any other competitor with the pricing. Lately, they have offered good pricing for their customer."
"The machine is good and has a comparatively good price."
"When there is an error in the SAS drive of 10,000 RPM, my company buys support for 1,500 USD."
"There is a yearly licensing cost, and it's an expensive solution."
"Power Systems is a bit more costly than other products in the market, but in terms of ROI and the longevity, performance, and reliability that Power Systems provides, it's worth it in the long run."
"The price of Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers is highly competitive. Many customers prefer this solution because of the price. However, the price could be reduced."
"Your budget determines the scalability."
"Its pricing is very competitive."
"The licensing cost is the same as HP. It doesn't have any additional cost. However, the price, for example, for the memory option, does not match other vendors such as HP or Dell. They should work on the pricing of Lenovo. It is a great competitor, and it should compete with the price."
"Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers can be categorized as a product falling under an affordable price range but more expensive than its competitors."
"The price of the solution is very expensive when compared to other solution like HP or Dell."
"It costs around $8,000. There is an additional cost for the support for a year."
"As the costs got high, we had to use the virtualization feature to consolidate the server farm.​"
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Financial Services Firm
14%
University
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
Computer Software Company
9%
University
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business56
Midsize Enterprise28
Large Enterprise98
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise42
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise9
 

Questions from the Community

How do Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers compare with HPE ProLiant DL servers?
Lenovo ThinkSystem rack servers offer flexibility and efficiency in order to meet mission-critical demands. I like th...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE ProLiant DL Servers?
The pricing of HPE ProLiant DL Servers depends purely on the configuration, and it is not affordable. However, if you...
What needs improvement with HPE ProLiant DL Servers?
We are not using PowerVM because of certain limitations; it is on a back-end engine. However, we are using other comp...
What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?
In my opinion, the product can be improved by maintaining it and not sunsetting it; that would be my recommendation f...
What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?
I am an architect and system administrator, and I'm responsible for anything related to IBM Power Systems. In IBM Pow...
What advice do you have for others considering IBM Power Systems?
I would recommend IBM Power Systems to others. I have given this review a rating of ten out of ten.
When shopping for a rack server, would you go with Dell EMC Poweredge or Lenovo Thinksystem?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether the Dell EMC Poweredge or Lenovo Thinksystem rack servers ...
 

Also Known As

HP ProLiant DL series, HP ProLiant DL
IBM OpenPOWER LC
SR Series, Lenovo SR Series, ThinkSystem Rack Servers, IBM Rack Servers, ThinkSystem SR Series, Lenovo Rack Servers,
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

AmeriPride Services, iSource, Bolagsverket, BlueShore Financial, British Columbia Assessment Authority, National Stock Exchange, Cardlytics
Cipher
immixGroup, Komsomolskaya Pravda, SRG Global, Seekr, Infiniti Red Bull Racing, jKool, Tennis Australia, VEKA, Netpoints, Gamma Powersports
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM and others in Rack Servers. Updated: March 2026.
885,789 professionals have used our research since 2012.