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HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Oracle SPARC 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 19.1%, down from 21.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers is 11.0%, down from 16.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle SPARC Servers is 3.7%, down from 3.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
HPE ProLiant DL Servers19.1%
Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers11.0%
Oracle SPARC Servers3.7%
Other66.19999999999999%
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.…
Marcel Hofstetter - PeerSpot reviewer
Oracle ACE Director "Solaris " / CEO / Enterprise Consultant at JomaSoft
Stability has reduced hardware refresh needs and supports high-performance workloads
The best features Oracle SPARC Servers offer are that they are very stable and with high performance. Regarding the high performance aspect, I can say that they are great for databases and Java applications. Oracle SPARC Servers have positively impacted our organization because it's very good for our budget since we can use the system for so many years and don't have to buy new systems.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"They are good because we can isolate the customer's various stuff onto machines that have everything dedicated, rather than being a blade, where I share stuff with others and they do something dumb."
"When compared to other servers and even other HP products, the most valuable feature we saw is that the performance is definitely better and it's easier to manage."
"It is stable and easy to set up."
"It's reliable and stable."
"We have a good relationship with HPE, they offer the products we need."
"​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.​"
"Its management, IOs, and stability are the most valuable features. It works fine. It has all the features of a typical server. All that can be done has already been done."
"The best feature in the product is that it's expandable, which is why I appreciate this product."
"The product is designed to make adding RAM and disk space easier for users."
"Ensures high availability, better hardware management, and support for active features."
"We have not experienced any issues with the Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers' performance, as it is stable."
"It performs really well, and the price is cheaper than other solutions."
"The reliability is extremely good, it is very stable, it can run forever."
"We appreciate the stability and easy mountings of all the machines."
"The most valuable aspect of Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers is the brand name and the service relationship we have with Lenovo."
"The solution is very simple to install."
"The performance is the best feature."
"The processor is very helpful and the licensing is very flexible."
"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that Oracle Database functions very well with Oracle SPARC Servers."
"Our customers are happy with many features in Oracle SPARC Servers, like the automatic ASR feature."
"Oracle SPARC Servers are definitely stable."
"The operating system is rock solid and the best I have ever used."
"The Oracle server is very powerful. They are more powerful and durable compared to Intel hardware. Which has been a benefit to our organization."
"The Oracle server is very powerful; they are more powerful and durable compared to Intel hardware, which has been a benefit to our organization."
 

Cons

"The biggest thing I don't like about ProLiant, and this will be very trivial, is the rails."
"For companies like us, we want more than a server. When we buy servers then we want some level of software orchestration on top of it to help us deploy OS or hypervisor plus some form of high-level capacity/environment review."
"What is missing for me is more of the administration site."
"The price of this solution should be lowered to make it more competitive."
"Configurations could be simplified."
"The overall cost of the product needs to be lower, as it is one of the areas of concern in the product."
"We've had issues where some components fail, but overall the system runs well."
"I'm not a fan of their rails. I hate how those things rack, as they're just not nice."
"Its price could be better. Its price is sometimes an issue for our clients."
"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."
"Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers could improve the availability of their solution. The supply chain is severely broken, we've had to wait many months for component parts to a system time after time. The availability of discs and raid controllers has been difficult lately."
"To be frank, the technical support from Lenovo's team needs improvement. There seems to be a lack of support, and it is important for Lenovo to address this issue."
"It is quite an expensive product. Its price can be improved."
"IBM hardware takes time for building/assembling."
"Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers does a very good job. However, what could be improved can be their Configurator because it's very bulky and it sometimes gives logical errors."
"There are other solutions that are less expensive."
"The solution could improve by giving a clear roadmap about the future. I'm not seeing a lot of improvements on the OS side of the software. They need to work more on the operating system."
"They have declared the end of life of the hardware."
"Oracle SPARC Servers are expensive to manage, this is because after five years Oracle will increase the support charges for the hardware."
"Oracle doesn't have a good roadmap for the solution because they are moving to the x86 platform."
"They need some sort of modeling because IBM has different types of models."
"They need some sort of modeling because IBM has different types of models."
"Like IBM, Oracle SPARC Servers should be able to run other open operating systems like Linux."
"I would like to see a reduced price point."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have ILO licenses. We use this feature."
"I give the cost a ten out of ten."
"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."
"HPE ProLiant DL Servers have a higher price than Dell servers. However, the Japanese counterpart has the lowerest priced servers. The price of the HPE ProLiant DL Servers could improve, it could be less expensive."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The hardware should be cheaper."
"They should reduce the prices as it is a significant concern for developing countries."
"The price of Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers is competitive."
"Your budget determines the scalability."
"The price of the solution is very expensive when compared to other solution like HP or Dell."
"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 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 cost of the solution depends entirely on the client. There are not any additional costs other than the standard licensing fee."
"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."
"The hardware is expensive but it has very rich virtualization features that make it economical."
"My company makes yearly payments toward the licensing costs attached to the solution."
"The application running on it is very important to us and this makes the price worth it."
"The licensing is flexible."
"Oracle SPARC Servers are expensive to manage, this is because after five years Oracle will increase the support charges for the hardware. The licensing policy for Oracle is different for Intel and Sparc. It will cost you less if you use your Oracle hardware with Oracle SPARC Servers."
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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%
University
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Financial Services Firm
18%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
Energy/Utilities Company
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 Business18
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise9
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise1
 

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...
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 ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle SPARC Servers?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that it's all okay.
What needs improvement with Oracle SPARC Servers?
Oracle SPARC Servers are fine as they are. There are no additional improvements needed for Oracle SPARC Servers that ...
What is your primary use case for Oracle SPARC Servers?
My main use case for Oracle SPARC Servers is that they are very stable and excellent to virtualize and to consolidate...
 

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,
No data available
 

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
University Hospitals Leuven, B&H Photo, Tuscon Electric Power, IS Nordic, Siemens
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM and others in Rack Servers. Updated: March 2026.
886,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.