Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
Dell PowerVault Logo

Dell PowerVault Reviews

Vendor: Dell Technologies
4.2 out of 5
Badge Ranked 1
Leave a review

What is Dell PowerVault?

PowerVault MD3 storage arrays help you cost-effectively address the challenges of data growth with versatile solutions that are optimized for smaller-scale storage consolidation, flexible virtualization projects and high business continuity.
Get the Dell PowerVault Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Dell PowerVault, Dell PowerStore, NetApp ASA and more!
Dell PowerVault is the #1 ranked solution in top Fibre Channel solutions and #2 ranked solution in top Enterprise SAN solutions. PeerSpot users give Dell PowerVault an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Dell PowerVault is most commonly compared to Dell PowerStore: Dell PowerVault vs Dell PowerStore. Dell PowerVault is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 47% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a manufacturing company, accounting for 14% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerVault
December 2025
Get the report
Helped 879,259 peers since 2012

Featured Dell PowerVault reviews

Read more reviews

Dell PowerVault mindshare

Product category:
Enterprise SAN
As of December 2025, the mindshare of Dell PowerVault in the Enterprise SAN category stands at 27.0%, up from 19.0% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Dell PowerVault27.0%
Dell PowerStore27.7%
Cisco MDS Series6.0%
Other39.3%
Enterprise SAN

PeerResearch reports based on Dell PowerVault reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryEnterprise SANDec 29, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersDec 29, 2025Download
ComparisonDell PowerVault vs Dell PowerStoreDec 29, 2025Download
ComparisonDell PowerVault vs HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000Dec 29, 2025Download
ComparisonDell PowerVault vs Cisco MDS SeriesDec 29, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Dell PowerStore4.427.7%96%154 interviewsAdd to research
NetApp ASA4.55.3%100%3 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers
Last updated Dec 28, 2025

Valuable Features

Dell PowerVault offers significant expandability, stability, and ease of use. Users appreciate features such as RAID reliability, data deduplication, cloud integration, cost-effectiveness, and robust support. It's well-suited for various storage needs, including video surveillance, due to its performance and scalability. PowerVault is user-friendly, easily configurable, and reliable, with efficient firmware updates and storage consolidation options. It also provides a cost-efficient storage solution with high data stability and security, meeting bandwidth consumption needs effectively.
  • "For the video use case where expansion is sometimes required quickly, Dell PowerVault proves to be an excellent solution due to its significant capacity and scalability over time."
  • "It has established itself well, proven itself well, and continues to be very well received by smaller mid-sized companies."
  • "The solution is easy to configure and reliable; the performance is very good, and storage consolidation is quite easy to configure on it."

Room for Improvement

Dell PowerVault lacks an LCD panel, and needs larger drive support, better monitoring, and improved deduplication and compression. The user interface requires enhancements. The cost is high, especially in some regions. PowerVault's configuration process limits scalability. A higher memory cache, cloud data export, unified storage, and better integration with other hardware are needed. Replication and NAS support are insufficient. Its software lacks centralized management and struggles with complex environments. Integration with Active Directory is necessary.
  • "Inter-site replication needs enhancement, particularly in Fibre Channel."
  • "Areas where I feel Dell PowerVault could be improved include especially the enterprise area and multiple interfaces in other areas, for example, backup software solutions and their integration."
  • "The scalability is present but it is a bit complex to scale to the desired level. When we needed to increase the performance, we faced some issues."

ROI

Customers experienced significant cost savings with Dell PowerVault, reducing storage costs from 0.81 to 0.18 cents per GB. They use PowerVault for disaster recovery, allowing them to lower prices yet increase profits. An ROI was observed, rated four out of five for value. It meets performance requirements and reduces total cost of ownership and price per terabyte over time. Dell PowerVault has provided favorable financial returns and cost-efficiency compared to other market options.

Pricing

Dell PowerVault pricing is generally considered reasonable, with setup costs around £30k. Users find it affordable, rating it 8 to 9 out of 10. Average costs start at $15,000, commonly reaching $25,000, plus an annual 10% based on storage size. Licensing fees can be high, yet the solution is seen as cost-effective compared to competitors. Additional costs may include operating system licenses, depending on user needs. Discounts may be available with deal registration.
  • "I rate the solution's pricing a seven to eight out of ten."
  • "The product is inexpensive."
  • "I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high."

Popular Use Cases

Dell PowerVault is widely utilized for various purposes including virtualization, data storage, and backup. Entities use it for their ERP systems, high-availability solutions, and video surveillance. It serves as a tier-two storage array for VMware and accommodates workload storage. PowerVault is favored for its cost-effectiveness, reliability, scalability, and ease of implementation, making it suitable for small and medium-sized businesses needing virtualization and data protection.

Service and Support

Dell PowerVault customer service and support are consistently praised. Many express satisfaction with prompt, knowledgeable assistance, rating it highly, often nine or ten out of ten. While some regions face challenges with contact methods and slower spare part deliveries, responses are generally timely. Users appreciate Dell’s proactive approach and extensive support models, though complex scenarios with other vendors may pose occasional difficulties. In non-EU regions, customs issues can delay parts arrival.

Deployment

Many users found Dell PowerVault's initial setup easy and straightforward, rating it highly in terms of simplicity. While some encountered challenges with SAN switches or when implementing for the first time, they believed it would become simpler with more experience. Deployment can often be completed in a day, requiring minimal personnel. Various setups depend on communication methods, yet most appreciate its intuitive nature and efficiency in minimizing setup time and costs.

Scalability

Dell PowerVault receives mixed assessments regarding its scalability. It's suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and can be extended, but limitations exist. Users face challenges expanding disk groups and report complexity in scaling processes. Some appreciate its ability to grow with organizational needs and note it handles moderate storage expansion well. However, others mention it struggles under larger loads due to inherent configurational constraints. It often meets small business requirements satisfactorily.

Stability

Dell PowerVault demonstrates solid stability according to users. Instances of minor issues have occurred, but users consistently rate its stability highly, often between eight and ten out of ten. Some users report the need for active-active controller configurations to enhance reliability further, though they commend its deployment ease for stability. It effectively supports small enterprises and maintains reliability in larger setups, although adjustments may be necessary for specific stability requirements.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our Dell PowerVault Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise10
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business164
Midsize Enterprise90
Large Enterprise221
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Outsourcing Company
5%
Educational Organization
4%
Hospitality Company
4%
Energy/Utilities Company
4%
Media Company
3%
Financial Services Firm
3%
Retailer
3%
Construction Company
3%
Healthcare Company
3%
University
3%
Wholesaler/Distributor
3%
Performing Arts
2%
Real Estate/Law Firm
2%
Aerospace/Defense Firm
2%
Non Profit
2%
Legal Firm
1%
Transportation Company
1%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
1%
Marketing Services Firm
1%
Insurance Company
1%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Logistics Company
1%

Compare Dell PowerVault with alternative products

Go!

Learn more about Dell PowerVault

Dell PowerVault was previously known as PowerVault.

Dell PowerVault customers

Dayco, FAW Foundry, University of Cambridge, Finder, Stadtwerke Pforzheim GmbH & Co.

Related questions

  • 28
What is the difference between NAS and SAN storage?
  • 6
When evaluating Enterprise SAN, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
  • 9
Why is Enterprise SAN important for companies?

Product Categories

Product Categories
Enterprise SAN
Fibre Channel

Popular Comparisons

Popular Comparisons
Dell PowerStore vs Dell PowerVault Logo
Dell PowerStore vs Dell PowerVault
NetApp ASA vs Dell PowerVault Logo
NetApp ASA vs Dell PowerVault
Cisco MDS Series vs Dell PowerVault Logo
Cisco MDS Series vs Dell PowerVault
Dell Connectrix vs Dell PowerVault Logo
Dell Connectrix vs Dell PowerVault
HPE B-series SN6000B Fibre Channel Switch vs Dell PowerVault Logo
HPE B-series SN6000B Fibre Channel Switch vs Dell PowerVault
Lenovo Storage V Series vs Dell PowerVault Logo
Lenovo Storage V Series vs Dell PowerVault
Huawei OceanStor SNS vs Dell PowerVault Logo
Huawei OceanStor SNS vs Dell PowerVault
See all alternatives
 
Dell PowerVault Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Sr. Sales Consultant at Teccle Group3.5I've used Dell PowerVault for ten years, mainly for midmarket disaster recovery and backups; it's reliable and well-priced, though enterprise features, GUI management, and integration flexibility still need improvement despite good customer support and overall performance.
Associate Vice President - Technical Services Group (TSG) at HGS4.5I've used Dell PowerVault for over a decade to store critical data on our on-prem infrastructure; it's reliable, easy to deploy, and offers good ROI, though initial costs are high without existing Dell relationships.
Moe Infrastructure Data Center at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees4.0I've used Dell PowerVault for video surveillance storage due to its strong performance, scalability, and ease of use. It's reliable, affordable, and offers good support, but inter-site replication and expansion granularity need improvement.
Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees4.0I've used Dell PowerVault for about five years as tier-two VMware storage and a Veeam backup target; it's stable, easy to manage, scales well, and support is responsive, though dedupe and compression fell short initially.
Senior Presales Solutions Engineer ( DELL EMC & VMware) at NTT DATA4.5I've used Dell PowerVault for 10 years as a cost-effective, reliable storage solution for small organizations. It's easy to deploy, supports SAN and iSCSI, but lacks AI capabilities and broader hardware integration needed for larger or enterprise environments.
Head IT at TO THE NEW Digital4.0I've used Dell PowerVault for over seven years; it's reliable, easy to configure, and performs well. While initial setup and scaling can be complex, overall stability, support, and competitive pricing make it a solid, cost-effective storage solution.
Senior Business Development Manager at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees4.0I use Dell PowerVault for storage consolidation in SMBs, appreciating its full flash storage. However, during software upgrades, we occasionally face controller issues that affect availability, indicating room for improvement in this area.
Owner at Arsium5.0I appreciate Dell PowerVault for its simplicity and platform stability, though improvements are needed in the web server's responsiveness and task feedback. Duplication also requires enhancement. Overall, it's suited for basic storage directly attached to servers.