Centralization is Avamar's biggest advantage. It moves data to a central location from various geographical locations.
Product Owner at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
If you can justify the high cost, it's a stable, good product
Pros and Cons
- "Centralization is Avamar's biggest advantage. It moves data to a central location from various geographical locations."
- "Avamar needs a greater emphasis on storage targets. If it's going to keep pace with the times, it needs more ability to leverage cloud storage."
What is most valuable?
What needs improvement?
Avamar needs a greater emphasis on storage targets. If it's going to keep pace with the times, it needs more ability to leverage cloud storage.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using Dell EMC Avamar for 10 years or more.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Avamar is stable.
Buyer's Guide
Dell Avamar
July 2025

Learn what your peers think about Dell Avamar. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2025.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Avamar is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Dell EMC support used to be outstanding, but lately, they seem to have dropped the focus, I've noticed. In the past year, the support hasn't been quite the same. I think they're focusing more on other products. In my opinion, they're not giving the same level of focus in terms of support and development to the Avamar-type products.
How was the initial setup?
Installing Avamar is complex. It is complicated to install, configure, and get it working in a complex network. However, it's the same with most data protection products.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Avamar is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Avamar five out of 10 because it lacks cloud capabilities. Two years ago, I would've rated it nine, but these days, I give it a five. Avamar is a good product with a lot of potential, but if Dell isn't willing to put more effort into developing it, my advice would be to look elsewhere. Look at Veeam, Rubrik, or other products in the industry. There are products more suitable for enterprises, especially if they're migrating to the cloud. If they're traditional and have their own data center, I would recommend Avamar. Avamar is a stable, good product if you can justify the cost. If they need something that integrates with the cloud, they should look elsewhere.
I'd recommend Veeam, which does a better job of integrating cloud assets with native storage. It isn't locked into its own specific storage, like your data domain or that sort of thing. The configuration is more straightforward, and it's more cost-effective. Still, the primary reason is that Veeam is ahead of Dell products in the cloud space. These days, most organizations are moving to the cloud, and Veeam seems to be ahead of the game in that space. Dell EMC needs to lower Avamar's price and add more features to stay competitive.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner

Manager IT at Shriram Pistons
Offers good backups without much of a failure ratio and is very scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The product has a proven track record of good backups without much of a failure ratio. It also has a good backup in terms of the compression ratio."
- "The user interface still needs to have some level of improvement. It could be more user-friendly and intuitive."
What is our primary use case?
I'm using the solution for our entire daily data backup for laptops and desktops. We also use it for some of our virtual machines and some of our databases systems.
What is most valuable?
The product has a proven track record of good backups without much of a failure ratio. It also has a good backup in terms of the compression ratio.
Overall, my experience with Avamar is very good.
Technical support has been helpful.
The performance of the solution is excellent.
The product scales easily.
What needs improvement?
The user interface still needs to have some level of improvement. It could be more user-friendly and intuitive.
The reporting aspect of the product could be better. For example, I'd like to have reports on the daily failure of systems. If I have more than 1000 systems, if I want to know that how many systems failed yesterday, I'd like to be able to pull that information in a single click.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for the past ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I'm very happy with this product and the performance of this product is good. For the purposes of backups and restoring, it is very smooth and proven for the last 10 years. The failure rate is low. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
While, on the admin side, we have two to three people as administrators for Avamar. However, in the case of how many systems are to be backed up through Avamar, it's around 1,000 or more.
Right now, the current product is Dell DP4400 and it's a very scalable product. I have purchased the license for 8 TB only, however, the box itself already comes with a 64 TB hard disk. At any point, we can increase it. We just have to put in a license and we can increase it very easily.
We use the solution on a daily basis.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is good. I get support in a timely manner. Since our last installation, which was in March, we have just logged two calls and both were closed in a very timely manner. We are quite satisfied with the support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In the past, we've used Arcserve and Commvault.
In terms of differences, Arcserve and Commvault, are both Windows-based systems. They do not have their own hardware, which means that they are only software-based backups. It's your own decision in terms of which type of hardware you want.
There is nothing like a complete product with these two options. You are buying software from the vendors, and then you have to buy the hardware from another vendor. The issue is, when you need support, sometimes the software vendors tell you that problem is with hardware and the hardware vendors tell you that problem is with software. That can become an issue.
Also, due to the fact that both are Windows-based systems, there are some performance-based issues. I found that the Avamar system is better than Arcserve and Commvault for these reasons.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is somewhere in between straightforward and difficult.
The deployment takes between four and six hours.
The maintenance required is quite minimal. It's based on a Linux setup, which makes it pretty easy.
What about the implementation team?
I have set up the solution with an expert from Dell. With the help of an expert from Dell, the setup is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of the solution is okay.
What other advice do I have?
We're just a customer and an end-user.
I'm using the latest version of the solution. It's an iteration of version 17.
I'm very happy with this product. I recommend it to everyone who is searching for any complete backup for an entire infrastructure, for example, for a virtual server, a database server, or a laptop or desktop. This is a single product that can handle a complete infrastructure backup.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Dell Avamar
July 2025

Learn what your peers think about Dell Avamar. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2025.
861,170 professionals have used our research since 2012.
VP Global Infrastructure at a media company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Scalable, and integrates well, but support and stability need improvements
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are scalability and integration."
- "Dell hasn't done a good job at handling these upgrades, or the way EMC used to handle them."
What is our primary use case?
We use Avamar for all of our backup and data management solutions in our co-location facility. I have two co-location facilities with one in Carrollton, Texas, and one in Austin.
I have data domains, Avamar platforms, and Avamar software that we use across our enterprise.
I manage a global technology team and a global infrastructure team. We use those platforms across all of our data centers, as well as on our sites where we have on-premises storage for either our Burrtec solutions or Isilon solutions that we have in territories, where we have to have data remain in the country due to the compliance requirements. We use it globally.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are scalability and integration.
What needs improvement?
The problems are, that it has issues with support. Dell has issues in that area.
I think the other problem is, that when we've had to do upgrades, it's a bit problematic. Dell hasn't done a good job at handling these upgrades, or the way EMC used to handle them.
EMC was very thorough and if you got a piece of software that you had to upgrade, you knew that it had been thoroughly tested and it was going to work well.
We have had issues with the consistency and the reliability of the code that is coming out for upgrades and enhancements.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Dell EMC Avamar since 2017.
We are working with the most recent version. We recently updated it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been okay. It hasn't been on par with what we would have expected, based on the fact that this would have been considered an EMC solution.
With Dell purchasing EMC, there has been some degrading in their capabilities in that area.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of this solution is one of the best features.
I manage the global infrastructure team. My team is responsible for all the storage and backup infrastructure globally. It's my team that uses it, all around the world.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support needs improvement.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I last used Commvault in 2017.
Dell EMC solution is much more scalable. It is built for an enterprise environment where you have high-end requirements for the movement of data.
Commvault is not as advanced. It doesn't have all of the features and functionality.
When you talk about data management, storage management, comparably you're talking about companies like Rubrik, Cohesity, and Dell EMC, who are the major players out there.
The Avamar solution has a lot of the same features and functionality that Cohesity and Rubrik have, and is a very high-end enterprise solution for data management, data recovery, and Commvault isn't quite at that level.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. It is a true enterprise solution. It has a lot of configurable options that you may or may not use based on your environment.
I have engineers that are all over the world, and I have those that are global to manage this solution, and a storage and backup team.
We have 10 people globally. There is a director who manages that group as well as a principal storage lead or principal storage engineer who does a lot of design and architectural work.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's a very high-end solution and comparable to Rubrik and Cohesity.
What other advice do I have?
You have to be really concerned about the Dell support model, the quality of their upgrades, and their support team's knowledge because they have issues in that area.
When you consider rating this solution, there are two parts to consider. There is the physical platform, the data domain, and the Avamar software. There is support for both of those.
The physical platform is pretty reliable. I would rate it an eight, and for the support and the software, I would give it a six because of the issues that we've experienced with it.
Overall, I would rate Dell EMC Avamar a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Storage specialist at Vodacom Business
Reliable and scalable backup and recovery solution that stands out for its efficient global deduplication, seamless integration with virtualized environments, and robust technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The entire system operates seamlessly, with minimal hands-on involvement, allowing us to focus on monitoring rather than constant adjustments or deployments, as seen in larger, more dynamic environments."
- "The challenges we do face typically revolve around aligning specific features with our accustomed tool usage."
What is our primary use case?
It specifically caters to the backup needs of our data, ensuring secure and compliant operations.
What is most valuable?
The scale is small, yet it efficiently handles all tasks in a unified manner. The entire system operates seamlessly, with minimal hands-on involvement, allowing us to focus on monitoring rather than constant adjustments or deployments, as seen in larger, more dynamic environments.
What needs improvement?
The challenges we do face typically revolve around aligning specific features with our accustomed tool usage.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate its stability capabilities eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Since it's limited to the PCI pages, it might not necessarily be scalable to serve as our enterprise-wide tool, especially when considering larger-scale environments. Focusing on the requirements outlined in the RFP and the demonstrations conducted as part of the RFP process, I find it satisfactory and that it meets our needs.
How are customer service and support?
Its technical support is excellent. It stands out as a primary factor in our decision to choose Dell. I would rate it nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We transitioned from using Veritas appliances to the Dell solution in the same environment.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
The installation process was smooth as we transitioned from using Veritas appliances to the Dell solution in the same environment. A third-party company, Plus House, subcontracted by Dell, handled the installation remotely, working closely with our junior team members. The initial setup was completed within a day for each site, and an additional day was required to configure the clustering of backups, including SQL backups. This extra day was dedicated to finalizing the clustering and ensuring that all configurations were in place. Maintenance is handled by a team of approximately seven individuals who undergo training and manage regular tasks.
What was our ROI?
They deliver substantial value in return.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am highly satisfied with the pricing structure provided and the discounts we get. The overall cooperation with Dell has been exceptional; they consistently go above and beyond to align with our budgets. The global transition and the impact of exchange rates, particularly the fluctuation between the South African Rand and the U.S. Dollar, have introduced some complexities, but nothing major. The current pricing is generally satisfactory. I would rate it nine out of ten.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Despite falling under Vodafone globally and dealing with VBC, the procurement company, there were instances where Dell offered superior deals in South Africa compared to what VBC could secure with other vendors. This was a key factor in our decision to stick with Dell rather than exploring alternatives like Huawei or HP.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
System Analyst II at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees
A user-friendly solution helpful in backing up various systems but the initial setup was complex
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is very user-friendly."
- "The product could be improved by simplifying the components available."
What is our primary use case?
Our use case for this solution is robust and involves backing up various systems.
What is most valuable?
The solution is very user-friendly.
What needs improvement?
The product could be improved by simplifying the components available. Currently, there are many endpoints and GUIs to run.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for approximately three years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. Currently, only three employees utilize the solution in our organization, and thousands of clients use it.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was complex. It took about a week to complete the deployment, and we required an engineer to assist.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution costs approximately 20,000 annually.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Pre-Sales Manager at ACS
Easy to install with good performance and good backup functionality
Pros and Cons
- "It's stable and offers good performance."
- "Avamar cannot back up Nutanix as a virtual solution."
What is our primary use case?
We're using it in our company. We primarily use the solution as a backup.
What is most valuable?
The backup functionality with Data Domain is good.
Overall, it works quite well.
It's very easy to install the solution.
The product is scalable.
It's stable and offers good performance.
What needs improvement?
It cannot replicate the backup, it can only do the backup. If you want to replicate you need RecoveryPoint.
Avamar cannot back up Nutanix as a virtual solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. The performance is good. It's good for vSAN. We haven't dealt with bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have found the solution can scale well. If you need to expand it, it's not a problem.
All of our production is backed up with Avamar.
After we buy Nutanix and an Azure Stack, since we are a service provider and in the future, we will make our service catalog on the Azure Stack and Nutanix Cloud.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is pretty good. We are pleased with their level of support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also work with Veeam and NetBackup.
With Veeam, the advantage is you can back up and replicate with the same product, and it is compatible with all virtual solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is simple. We buy the service from Dell.
I was not a part of the deployment as I am a pre-sale manager. I do not handle the setup process directly and cannot speak to how long it takes.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost is lower than Veeam, however, how much it actually costs depends on the customer and the use case.
I'm not sure of the exact licensing costs.
What other advice do I have?
We were a partner and resellers. In my last job, I was a preferred partner.
I'm not sure which version we're using. I'm not the backup administrator.
We will stay with Avamar for this platform, however, maybe we will look into Nutanix, and that's why we are searching for another solution. Avamar cannot back up Nutanix as a virtual solution.
I'd warn potential users that it's not the best solution if you have other products other than VMware in your production. If you are just using VMware, it's a very good option.
I'd rate the solution seven out of ten as it doesn't work well with every solution, only VMware.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
MIS Manager at Misr Glass Manufacturing
We don't face any daily issues, and it sends clear notifications directly to your account if anything happens
Pros and Cons
- "So far, Avamar covers everything we want. We are replicating to other sites for disaster recovery, so it's working well for us."
- "Setting up Avamar wasn't so easy, and we had a partner doing the installation for us. Though it was hard at first, it's getting better. The main difficulty was finding plugins for Oracle Database. It took some time to open a ticket with Dell, but everything was fine after that."
What is our primary use case?
We have three sites. We deployed Avamar on one site three years ago then added the same setup for the other sites. Following best practices, we're using Avamar with Dell Data Domain for data compression and deduplication.
What is most valuable?
Avamar is mainly for backing up the machines.
What needs improvement?
Avamar's user interface could use some work. When we open a ticket, they are working with Linux commands. It's not easy to manage everything through the web interface. I would like to do everything through the interface that you can do with Linux commands.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Avamar for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Avamar is stable. We don't face any daily issues, and it sends clear notifications directly to your account if anything happens.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
So far, Avamar covers everything we want. We are replicating to other sites for disaster recovery, so it's working well for us.
How are customer service and support?
We have an annual subscription for support, so we contact them for upgrades and stuff like that. There is some inconsistency. Some of the support engineers are experienced, but others are new. It sometimes takes time at the first level of support, but all our issues get solved in the end.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Avamar wasn't so easy, and we had a partner doing the installation for us. Though it was hard at first, it's getting better. The main difficulty was finding plugins for Oracle Database. It took some time to open a ticket with Dell, but everything was fine after that. I would rate the overall deployment experience eight out of 10. We have two system engineers for deployment and maintenance as needed. They're not managing the solution full time, but they handle new bundles, fixes, etc.
What about the implementation team?
We had a partner, but they weren't so experienced. It seemed like we were the first customer that had implemented Avamar.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It was a package, so I don't know Avamar's exact price. However, it was nearly $200,000 for the VxRail nodes, Data Domain, and Avamar. That includes everything for three years. Then we have to pay annually for support.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We were looking for Veeam at the same time. It's good and has the same features, but we were buying all our solutions from Dell, like VxRail servers, Data Domain, etc. I think it's more complicated but otherwise fine.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Dell EMC Avamar nine out of 10. If you don't have Avamar experience, you need to work with a partner. It's not straightforward, but it's effective. However, Avamar only takes what has been written in a day. It takes a backup of a short time and doesn't do any duplications.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
DGM Data Centre at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Scales according to budget, and is easy to use
Pros and Cons
- "More integration would be helpful, as well as the addition of more applications."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for our desktops and laptops end-users. We have a network in place for server backup and archive.
What is most valuable?
I have not yet explored this solution in its entirety. Maybe six months down the line, I will be able to tell you about this solution with more confidence.
I believe it is a good backup and recovery solution based on our limited experience in the short period we have been using it.
It is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
More integration would be helpful, as well as the addition of more applications.
The technical support should be improved. They could be more responsive in the future.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been working with Dell EMC Avamar for six months.
I assume we're using the most recent version because it was just installed by our implementation team.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In order to make an opinion, we must compare the performance to established benchmarks. We are still working on it, and we're still evolving.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is determined by the number of licenses purchased. Only a few have been accepted.
We have approximately, 100 users, but we have plans to expand very soon.
We may have some remote offices set up, in the near future.
How are customer service and support?
We experienced a problem with the network backup installation, so we called technical support. One of the backups failed continuously.
We were not exactly satisfied with the turnaround time. It was an issue that was unique for them to resolve, but we were not able to assistance instantly.
The support could be better.
How was the initial setup?
When you consider the hardware involved, the initial setup was not straightforward.
In the beginning, there were a lot of trials and errors to suit our exact requirements. Our installation was the standard that most normally have.
What about the implementation team?
This solution was not installed by us. We agreed that the implementation team would complete the installations.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing fees are paid annually.
I am not sure if the fees are comparable; I would like to compare them to other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
We have Data Domain and network backup software.
I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.
I would rate Dell EMC Avamar, an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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Updated: July 2025
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