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HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 11, 2026

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 ProLiant DL Servers
Ranking in Rack Servers
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
159
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Ser...
Ranking in Rack Servers
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 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 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%
Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers12.2%
Other67.6%
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.
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

"The speed of the backups and having the system be immune to ransomware are the main advantages."
"Stability and a lower failure rate are the most valuable features."
"​It is very stable. I can rate it as a 99.99% stable server from HPE.​ There is zero downtime, especially in the ProLiant 380 series.​"
"The solution's deployment was easy."
"This solution is very scalable; when we bought the DL580, we bought it with full capacity, and it is great for our business."
"It is stable and easy to set up."
"Other than that, I would advise working with HP because they have reliable products that rarely have any issues and, when there are issues, they are easily resolvable by us."
"With the DL380, you can't go wrong."
"Ensures high availability, better hardware management, and support for active features."
"It's very power-efficient and allows you to access the rack server directly without accessing the operating system on that server."
"The pricing is the most valuable aspect of the solution."
"I like everything about this solution. It is a very good server, with excellent availability. The size of the power is adequate and the low heating is beneficial."
"The IMM tool is great because we can upgrade different views and device versions very quickly."
"The most valuable aspect of Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers is the brand name and the service relationship we have with Lenovo."
"We have not experienced any issues with the Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers' performance, as it is stable."
"We appreciate the stability and easy mountings of all the machines."
 

Cons

"They can maybe provide a console to monitor the health of the servers. There should be some kind of console to which you can log in to remotely check on the health of a server, even when the server is off."
"One of the negative things that we find is that the configuration tools are sometimes not easy to use."
"The technical support is pretty good, however, they could be a bit faster and more responsive."
"HPE ProLiant DL Servers are customizable, but when you first deploy them, you basically have to rebuild configurations on them."
"In the HPE ProLiant DL Servers generation nine, there was a problem when the expansion cards were installed on the server."
"We'd like to see better processors, better Intel processors. That's the most important for us at this moment."
"I think that the main area of improvement would be in the price."
"The ProLiant does what it needs to do. It's not entirely perfect. It could run at lower power, for instance, and it could run cooler."
"The RAID Management and the RAID Configuration tools need to be improved."
"The solution's initial setup was complicated."
"It was complex to get this started because the Lenovo and VMware are not very compatible."
"It was complex to get this started because the Lenovo and VMware are not very compatible. We had to get some updates in order for it to be implemented."
"The price of the solution is very expensive when compared to other solution like HP or Dell."
"There are other solutions that are less expensive."
"The power consumption needs to be optimized in Lenovo."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of HPE ProLiant DL Servers is reasonable compared to other solutions."
"The hardware should be cheaper."
"This was a one-time purchase for us because it's hardware that we purchased from HPE. There aren't any licensing costs."
"They need to work with Microsoft to make the licensing costs better and more efficient."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"HPE ProLiant DL Servers are one of the best-selling solutions in this industry. There is not a license required for this solution."
"The solution's pricing is high. It needs to be more flexible. The flexibility would be beneficial for our clients, especially in a competitive market. Adding additional features and addressing complex requirements on top of the price can be challenging for us as a reseller."
"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 price of Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers is highly competitive. Many customers prefer this solution because of the price. However, the price could be reduced."
"It is expensive compared to other vendors."
"It costs around $8,000. There is an additional cost for the support for a year."
"The price of the solution is very expensive when compared to other solution like HP or Dell."
"Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers can be categorized as a product falling under an affordable price range but more expensive than its competitors."
"Other than the standard licensing fees there are no other additional costs. The price of Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers could be better, and the availability of the solution could improve. We have been waiting two months for one server."
"The price of Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers is competitive."
"It is the cheapest solution we have seen on the market."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
9%
University
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business55
Midsize Enterprise28
Large Enterprise98
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 that Lenovo blends outstanding performance, reliability, and manageability. The bi...
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 look at the technical caliber of the server, if a customer invests that additio...
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 components such as vSphere for some small interfaces, and those are the main compone...
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 were the better fit for us. We ultimately decided to go with Dell EMC Poweredge....
 

Also Known As

HP ProLiant DL series, HP ProLiant DL
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
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 HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs. Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,976 professionals have used our research since 2012.