IBM FlashSystem vs Panzura CloudFS comparison

IBM and Panzura are both solutions in the NAS category. IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4, while Panzura is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.4. IBM holds a 12.6% mindshare in N, compared to Panzura’s 3.1% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Panzura users who would recommend it.

IBM FlashSystem

Read 111 IBM FlashSystem reviews

3,216 Views
750 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Panzura CloudFS

Read 8 Panzura CloudFS reviews

929 Views
65 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

IBM FlashSystem

Panzura CloudFS

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 18, 2025

Panzura CloudFS and IBM FlashSystem are competing products in data storage solutions. IBM FlashSystem seems to have the upper hand due to its advanced features and comprehensive storage capabilities.

Features: Panzura CloudFS offers seamless cloud integration with collaboration, global file locking, and de-duplication, ideal for centralizing data in the cloud. IBM FlashSystem provides high performance, low latency, and resilience, suitable for environments requiring speed and reliability. Key features include Easy Tier, virtualization for streamlined management, and flash storage for enhanced performance.

Room for Improvement: Panzura CloudFS could enhance its on-premises integration, increase its feature set for enterprise use beyond cloud environments, and improve performance during high-demand access. IBM FlashSystem may refine its initial setup efficiency, expand its cloud integration features, and improve user training programs for better customer onboarding.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Panzura CloudFS is known for quick deployment leveraging cloud infrastructure, simplifying the process. IBM FlashSystem requires more configuration but benefits from excellent technical support and comprehensive documentation, which enhances the deployment experience.

Pricing and ROI: Panzura CloudFS has a lower initial setup cost, appealing for businesses seeking quick cloud solutions. In contrast, IBM FlashSystem requires a higher upfront investment but offers substantial long-term ROI through superior performance and features that add long-term value.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS

June 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 860,168 peers since 2012

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

IBM FlashSystem

Ranking in NAS

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

111

Ranking in other categories

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) (2nd), All-Flash Storage (13th)

Panzura CloudFS

Ranking in NAS

10th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

File System Software (3rd), Cloud Storage (12th), Cloud Storage Gateways (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the NAS category, the mindshare of IBM FlashSystem is 12.6%, down from 13.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Panzura CloudFS is 3.1%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

NAS

Featured Reviews

OmarIsmail1

Infrastructure Technical Specialist II at Clicks Group

Offers high performance and dependable support for fast storage needs

The most valuable feature of IBM FlashSystem ( /products/ibm-flashsystem-reviews ) is its robust back code. When integrated properly into the environment and configured according to the guidelines, it provides a very solid infrastructure that does the job on demand. Additionally, IBM FlashSystem offers competitive pricing and reliable performance. The hardware is dependable, ensuring that it functions effectively when the setup is done correctly.

Read full review

Roger Clark

I.T. Infrastructure Manager at Thompson Engineering

Handles file locks effectively enabling seamless remote collaboration in global teams

It has not reduced the data storage cost. We have been trying to come up with a plan internally to archive project data at a certain time frame. However, our data continues to grow, so at the point of 25 terabytes, we had to buy another 25 terabytes license to exceed that threshold. It would have been nice if they had offered them in increments, of 5, 10, 15, or 20 terabytes than having to get a whole chunk of 25 terabytes again for licensing purposes, which is a little costly. It would be nice if Panzura offered data in increments instead of 25 terabytes per license. They have done a pretty good job of development from the point of offering new products. Pricing seems to be high for certain things, such as the audit feature of Panzura Data Services. It would be nice to see who deleted that 100 gig of data out there. They should make the pricing plan more attractive for a company of our size. We have almost 700 employees over the southeast from Texas to Florida and up to Tennessee, so we are a pretty big region.

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

"IBM FlashSystem is a powerful effective storage solution. Additionally, it is user-friendly, anyone can use it."

"This solution is convenient, user-friendly, convenient and reliable."

"The storage system is one of the best in the world."

"The most valuable feature is reliability."

"The solution is very easy to configure and use."

"The most valuable features of IBM FlashSystem are performance and security."

"This solution is really user friendly. It also offers good performance and is highly reliable."

"When it comes to the interface of the solution we did not encounter any challenges. Additionally, the solution has good documentation."

More IBM FlashSystem pros

"What I appreciate most about Panzura CloudFS is that it really solves the problem we had when we moved all our server workloads to Azure, reducing our on-prem data center footprint sizably."

"The best features of the Panzura CloudFS solution include collaboration, which is my top priority and top feature. No one else provides this as effectively."

"Panzura has not increased its data storage costs."

"The core function of Panzura CloudFS, with its synchronizing of files across multiple servers, provides us with a much more efficient workflow for our production staff."

"Panzura is a hundred percent better than what we had before."

"The main thing in Panzura is that there are three key components: PanFS, NAS, and collaboration. These are strong features, and a big benefit is that you can access everything from anywhere."

"For instance, if I'm in India but need to access data in China or Spain, it simplifies the process and enhances collaboration."

"Panzura CloudFS has helped to increase the network resilience by 100%."

More Panzura CloudFS pros

Cons

"I think the only thing the developers can look at, is that it is limited to 25 gigabytes currently. In the next release they might want to increase that."

"The storage capacity of this solution could be improved."

"The solution's infrastructure technology level could be PCI Express 5 instead of PCI Express 4 for the next version."

"A big area for improvement is that the data reduction pool feature is not recommended for use in a production environment because it has stability and performance issues."

"This product lacks some of the options we wanted. For example, expansion was difficult and it required a lot of patching to be done."

"The interface could improve in IBM FlashSystem."

"I know they have a flashcopy manager, but it is extra software, an additional license, and some customers don't like to add addition costs to their infrastructure. If IBM could create, or include snapshot management within the GUI, that would really be helpful."

"The installation is not easy. You need to have extensive knowledge to handle it."

More IBM FlashSystem cons

"One area for improvement regarding Panzura CloudFS is moving away from on-prem or local Active Directory. We're exploring a transition to Azure AD or Entra ID, aiming to keep the product functional without heavy reliance on the local Active Directory."

"There are a few file types that do not work well with Panzura CloudFS. Specifically, the GIS data formats, such as a geo database, have been found better kept outside of Panzura CloudFS."

"There are a few file types that do not work well with Panzura CloudFS."

"I would like to see that Edge feature because I think the Edge solution is not the working solution for engineering firms, but I would love for that feature to be usable for our company and our employees."

"It is a little costly. The NFS service needs development. While Windows and SMB are effective, the NFS service shows some lag, making it a pain point for our many clients who use Linux devices."

"It has not reduced the data storage cost."

"There could be a slightly better dashboard or a better pane of glass. When something goes wrong somewhere, there should be a little bit better alerting with issues before they become a big problem."

"In terms of improvements for Panzura CloudFS, I would like to see the Edge feature."

More Panzura CloudFS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It pays to go back and get the best price you can from your supplier. The first offer is not always at the best discount."

"I price of IBM FlashSystem is reasonable and competitive."

"The solution has good pricing, but it is not cheaper."

"The integration is already included in the license cost of IBM FlashSystem. The integration is very easy. You get the IBM storage core with all software, firmware, and upgrades. EMC provides the features in the box, but they are not free for customers. There is a licensing cost for features. We have yearly licensing, but IBM has also provided a new option where you pay as you go. They provide a big box, and I pay, for example, for 10 terabytes. If I exceed 10 terabytes, IBM will charge for the new storage after 10 terabytes. It is a good opportunity in the market for using the storage as a cloud and paying as you go."

"I would rate the pricing of this solution a four out of five."

"Our customers would like IMB FlashSystem to be less expensive."

"The price of IBM FlashSystem is a little high because you pay a premium because the solution is from IBM. We had paid for the SLA prior to using the solution."

"The pricing is competitive in our country."

More IBM FlashSystem pricing and cost advice

"Overall, it is quite costly compared to NetApp and similar solutions."

"The solution's pricing is on the expensive side."

"It is not bad. It is like everything else. Pricing has gone up quite over the last couple of years, but everybody's pricing has gone up. For what they deliver, it is right in line with what everybody else has."

"It's competitive. I don't know what competitors are charging, but they have been very transparent, which is nice, and we've negotiated to avoid percentage increases."

"The pricing seems high on certain products and features, such as the audit feature of Panzura Data Services. They should consider more attractive pricing for companies of our size. The renewals are yearly, but the pricing is a little high for us."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which NAS solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

15%

Construction Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM FlashSystem?

It is simple to make an update.

See all answers

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

Many factors affect purchasing directly from IBM, often involving a multi-step process. Customers, especially in banking, often use the latest devices as they are upgrading, indicating they do not ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM FlashSystem?

The deduplication technology in IBM FlashSystem needs significant improvement. Other vendors like NetApp ( /products/netapp-41749-reviews ) offer better deduplication technology, which is noticeabl...

See all answers

What are the products that Panzura provides?

Panzura offers four main products: CloudFS, data services, smart apps, and global services. They call this "all-in-one solution" and it's for end-to-end cloud data management. Why is it called that...

See all answers

What kind of industries does Panzura serve?

Hello, I think businesses from all industries that have their data on a cloud can benefit from Panzura. Especially if you have offices in various locations or your employees are working from home a...

See all answers

Why was Panzura acquired? Is the acquisition going to cause a change?

I think Panzura may change in a positive direction now that it's been bought by Profile Capital. That's a very big investment company for technology businesses and I think it's an opportunity for ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Dell PowerStore vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 22% of the time

HPE Alletra Storage vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

Huawei OceanStor Dorado vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

Pure Storage FlashArray vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

NetApp AFF vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 7% of the time

More IBM FlashSystem Competitors

Nasuni vs Panzura CloudFS

Compared 75% of the time

CTERA Enterprise File Services Platform vs Panzura CloudFS

Compared 10% of the time

Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs Panzura CloudFS

Compared 10% of the time

AWS Storage Gateway vs Panzura CloudFS

Compared 5% of the time

More Panzura CloudFS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem

June 2025

Download IBM FlashSystem product report

Buyer's Guide

Panzura CloudFS

June 2025

Download Panzura CloudFS product report

Also Known As

IBM Storwize

Panzura Freedom

Overview

IBM FlashSystem products are enterprise computer data storage systems that store data on flash memory chips. Unlike storage systems that use standard solid-state drives, IBM FlashSystem products incorporate custom hardware based on technology from the 2012 acquisition of Texas Memory Systems. This hardware provides performance, reliability, and efficiency benefits versus competitive offerings.

IBM

Panzura CloudFS connects data across a distributed network, offering an efficient solution for file storage and management in a cloud environment.

Designed for businesses needing robust data management, Panzura CloudFS enables seamless access and high availability by providing advanced capabilities for distributed file systems. This technology ensures collaboration and data consistency across multiple locations, optimizing enterprise storage strategies and enhancing data governance and compliance. Effective in reducing latency and operational complexity, it addresses the demands of global enterprises seeking scalable and reliable cloud file services.

What are the key features of Panzura CloudFS?

Global File System: Offers a unified view of file storage across multiple sites.
Data Consolidation: Merges various data silos into a single, cohesive storage network.
Security and Compliance: Ensures data protection with built-in encryption and compliance features.
High Availability: Provides continuous access to data with fault-tolerant architecture.
Quick Deployment: Enables rapid integration into existing infrastructure with minimal downtime.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Cost Reduction: Minimizes data storage costs through efficient use of cloud storage.
Improved Collaboration: Facilitates real-time file access and sharing across geographies.
Scalability: Supports growing data needs without significant infrastructure investment.
Enhanced Productivity: Reduces operational inefficiencies with streamlined data management.
Security Enhancements: Protects critical data assets with advanced security measures.

Panzura CloudFS finds applications in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and media, where data integrity and accessibility are critical. Financial institutions benefit from secure and synchronized data access, while healthcare providers utilize it for managing patient data across locations. The media industry leverages its capabilities for collaboration and efficient media file handling worldwide.

Panzura

Sample Customers

Celero, Friedhelm Loh Group, Clarks, Mingkang Natregro Health Food Group, Sofia, Etisalat Fights Fraud, UF Health Shands Hospital, Generali, Elecon Engineering Company Limited, Ventiv , Technology, CPFL Energia, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., SciQuest, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Paddy Power, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Interconnect Services, Severstal IP-Only AB, PVU Group GmbH

Petrofac, Komatsu, HCA Healthcare, Vanguard, Disney, Pokemon, US Department of Justice, Gensler, Fluor, AFRY, Milwaukee Tool, Navy Federal Credit Union, TechTarget

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS

June 2025

Free Report: IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS report.

See our list of best NAS vendors.

We monitor all NAS reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.