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IBM ProtectTIER vs NetApp SnapCenter comparison

IBM and NetApp are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. IBM is ranked #86, while NetApp is ranked #50 with an average rating of 7.5. IBM holds a 0.1% mindshare in BRS, compared to NetApp’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 60% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of NetApp users who would recommend it.
IBM ProtectTIER
Read 7 IBM ProtectTIER reviews
  • 219 Views
  • 126 Comparison Views
60% willing to recommend
NetApp SnapCenter
Read 27 NetApp SnapCenter reviews
  • 1,135 Views
  • 627 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

IBM ProtectTIER and NetApp SnapCenter are two robust data protection solutions. Users seem to favor NetApp SnapCenter for its extensive features more than IBM ProtectTIER, even though IBM ProtectTIER is competitively priced.

Features: Users value IBM ProtectTIER for efficient data deduplication, high backup speed, and reliable performance. NetApp SnapCenter is praised for its seamless integration with various environments, centralized management, and broad feature set supporting different storage infrastructures.

Room for Improvement: IBM ProtectTIER could improve scalability, enhance technical documentation, and provide more user-friendly interfaces. NetApp SnapCenter users suggest better stability, simplified configuration processes, and quicker updates to address bugs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM ProtectTIER offers a straightforward deployment process but has mixed feedback on customer service responsiveness. NetApp SnapCenter is more complex to deploy but generally receives better customer service support.

Pricing and ROI: IBM ProtectTIER is seen as cost-effective with satisfactory ROI. NetApp SnapCenter, though more expensive, justifies its cost with advanced features and comprehensive support, giving users a higher perceived ROI.

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To learn more, read our detailed IBM ProtectTIER vs. NetApp SnapCenter Report (Updated: June 2025).
Buyer's Guide
IBM ProtectTIER vs. NetApp SnapCenter
June 2025
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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

IBM ProtectTIER
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
86th
Average Rating
7.2
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
Deduplication Software (13th)
NetApp SnapCenter
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
50th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of IBM ProtectTIER is 0.1%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetApp SnapCenter is 0.7%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

ValereFEUGWANG - PeerSpot reviewer
Protects data in hybrid infrastructures, but it is an expensive product with poor support
The main challenge for our customers is to replicate the virtual environment upon restart, without using any additional solutions such as VMware SLM. I would like the possibility to back up the infrastructure and then replicate it upon on restart, without having to orchestrate the starting of the VM. It would be much better for us. This solution can be made easier to use. Technical support is very frustrating and we are considering other solutions because of it. Stability is something that should be improved. The product is expensive and the licensing should be changed.
Read full review
MervynMorgan - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables us to save data for data projection but could improve its integration with other backup solutions
NetApp SnapCenter is highly efficient because it allows you to automate the creation of snapshots. Instead of manually creating snapshots using IMS or HMS, you can schedule and automate them, specifying the timing and frequency. This eliminates the need for daily manual intervention and streamlines the process. SnapCenter also enables you to assign specific user roles to manage these tasks, enhancing efficiency. SnapCenter ensures that your LPOs and RTOs are extremely quick. Although it may seem expensive initially, after using it for a while, you'll appreciate the efficiencies and gains it provides. I recommend the solution. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
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

"The most valuable features are the Self-Service, and the ability to search the data."
"The cataloging is the best feature. It takes millions of frames for the backup. It's incremental, so it takes less time to complete."
"Overall IBM ProtectTIER is a great solution. It is easy to use."
"The solution is highly stable."
"The command-line interface is good."
"In terms of stability, I've found it to be very stable. I've walked into the server room when it was at 60 degrees Celcius, and it was still running fine."
"It's all together managing both storage and backup, which makes it easier for troubleshooting issues and the automation part of it"
"We have been very satisfied with the technical support's help. Their knowledge level is great. For a noncritical question, they will get back to us within a day."
"The most valuable feature is that it's centralized. In the old SnapManager days, we had software for each server. Now, with a centralized system, we're able to manage all systems remotely, and all agents remotely, and update them remotely. That's a huge benefit for us."
"The backup process finishes very quickly."
"It helps with strategic planning because it is easy to make a strategy when you have visualized the inflow and outflow of the backup and recovery."
"The backup features are the most valuable because they allow the DBAs to replace SnapManager for Oracle (SMO), which is going away, and to do cloning as well. We can also clone to different servers and have the actual backup clone mounted on different servers. And we can split easily too."
"The main advantage is its fast backup and restore."
"It allows us to easily take a Snapshot and use it with any backup tools. We can also take Snapshots on the application side. We can also take Snapshots on the application side. If we want to restore an SAP or an Oracle machine, a normal Snapshot won't do it, but we can do so with SnapCenter."
More NetApp SnapCenter pros
 

Cons

"I would like the possibility to back up the infrastructure and then replicate it upon on restart, without having to orchestrate the starting of the VM."
"The configuration wizards are still complex and hard to navigate. These should be easier to manage."
"IBM ProtectTIER could improve by being more user-friendly."
"Setting up the system to work with legacy equipment is a bit complex at times."
"The backup for a large amount of data is slow."
"The product lags in terms of availability."
"I would like to see replication support between systems. Right now, it's kind of limited. We manage them separately from the storage system interface, not from SnapCenter. It would be nice if it was integrated into SnapCenter."
"If it was possible to create backups on non-NetApp storage, that would be helpful."
"Since the solution's initial setup is complex, it should make training documents available in the public space."
"The Microsoft environment is its biggest disadvantage due to the central management of all the actions. Because the SnapCenter server is where we deploy everything, it also affects the Microsoft environment, which can cause many difficulties when resolving issues like Windows update problems."
"The GUI is still so-so. I' don't use the GUI that often anymore because it's really slow, refreshing disks, refreshing hosts, and you have to click a lot."
"The tool could be faster."
"The replication feature needs improvement in future releases."
More NetApp SnapCenter cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This solution is very expensive."
"The customer can decide how they want to purchase a license. However, the price of the solution is expensive."
"We have a capacity-based license, which is managed centrally for all the sites of my company."
"IBM ProtectTIER is an expensive solution."
"It comes free with the amount of equipment we purchase from NetApp. In terms of pricing, zero is my favorite number."
"The licensing is well-designed because it's already included in some packages with NetApp storage. Therefore, for most customers, it's okay as the SnapCenter license is already included in some NetApp bundles."
"We have a site license, so it comes with the product."
"The product is inexpensive."
"The license for SnapCenter was included with the storage array."
"We see a financial value with SnapCenter because we don't have to license Commvault, which is pretty expensive."
"It's free. The license is included with other NetApp products."
"Pricing is very good because if you already have NepApp controllers, then it's included."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
28%
Computer Software Company
25%
Real Estate/Law Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
18%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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What do you like most about NetApp SnapCenter?
Most banks and financial institutions use the solution.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetApp SnapCenter?
The product should be free because it is just software to administrate systems purchased from NetApp, which are already expensive.
See all answers
What needs improvement with NetApp SnapCenter?
The interface usability needs improvement. It should be more user-friendly and easier for customers to use.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Commvault Cloud vs NetApp SnapCenter Logo
Commvault Cloud vs NetApp SnapCenter
Compared 16% of the time
Veeam Data Platform vs NetApp SnapCenter Logo
Veeam Data Platform vs NetApp SnapCenter
Compared 13% of the time
Veritas NetBackup vs NetApp SnapCenter Logo
Veritas NetBackup vs NetApp SnapCenter
Compared 9% of the time
Rubrik vs NetApp SnapCenter Logo
Rubrik vs NetApp SnapCenter
Compared 9% of the time
More NetApp SnapCenter Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Deduplication Software
June 2025
IBM ProtectTIER reportDownload IBM ProtectTIER product report
Buyer's Guide
NetApp SnapCenter
June 2025
NetApp SnapCenter reportDownload NetApp SnapCenter product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
SnapCenter
 

Overview

IBM TS7650G ProtecTIER Deduplication Gateway is designed to meet the disk-based data protection needs of the enterprise data center while enabling significant infrastructure cost reductions. The solution offers industry-leading inline deduplication performance and scalability up to 1 petabyte (PB) of physical storage capacity per system, and can provide up to 25 PB or more backup storage capacity. Combined with IBM or third-party storage, TS7650G ProtecTIER Deduplication Gateway provides a powerful disk-based repository to improve the performance, retention and availability of backup and archive data in a small footprint for energy and cost efficiency.

IBM

Unified, scalable platform for application-consistent data protection and clone management. This software simplifies backup, restore, and clone lifecycle management with application-integrated workflows.

NetApp
 

Sample Customers

Durham Police Department, Re-Store LLC, CenterGrid, pixx.io GmbH, Australian Government Department of Defence, QD, Refresco Gerber
All for One Steeb AG, Accenture
Buyer's Guide
IBM ProtectTIER vs. NetApp SnapCenter
June 2025
Free Report: IBM ProtectTIER vs. NetApp SnapCenter
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM ProtectTIER vs. NetApp SnapCenter and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
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