# Isilon vs. Netapp [Comparing 21 Technical Capabilities]

**Topic:** Storage Architecture / Competitive

**Reading time:** 1 min

**Published:** August 11, 2021

**Updated:** October 6, 2026

Compare Isilon and NetApp across 21 critical storage capabilities—from deployment and cloud extensibility to security and scaling—to see where legacy platforms meet modern data demands and where they fall short.

_This is a comparison snapshot from [A Buyer’s Guide to Modern Storage,](/lp/the-buyers-guide-to-modern-storage/) by WEKA._

_Download the full guide [here](/lp/the-buyers-guide-to-modern-storage/) and learn about, why legacy storage vendors are ineffective for modern data storage requirements, key Considerations for choosing modern storage, and comparison of NetApp, Isilon, Vast Data, DDN Lustre, and WEKA_



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        "DATA TYPES",
        "File, Object",
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        "MIXED WORKLOADS",
        "Efficiently perform large and small IOPS on the same filesystem*",
        "No",
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        "CLOUD BURSTING",
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        "Ability to extend namespaces to Object Storage",
        "No",
        "No"
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        "Yes",
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        "End-to-end encryption (in-flight and at rest)",
        "No",
        "No"
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        "Multi-tenancy (Ability to create multiple and separate namespaces withseparated management capabilities)",
        "Yes",
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        "Support for ACLs",
        "Yes",
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        "HARDWARE",
        "Running on off the shelf servers",
        "No",
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        "Agnostic (Not tied to a specific hardware vendor)",
        "No",
        "No"
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      "cells": [
        "SCALING LIMITS",
        "1000’s of storage servers",
        "No",
        "No"
      ]
    },
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        "1000’s of compute servers",
        "Yes",
        "Yes"
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        "Scale capacity and performance independently",
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        "Integrate different tiers such as flash and HDD",
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```

*Same file system can accommodate maximum throughput and IOPS without a configuration requirement  
**Ability to move data between different on-premises and public cloud environments without the need of 3rd party data mover applications or back-up applications.

Learn how [NeuralMesh](/product/neuralmesh) platform eliminates GPU bottlenecks and delivers maximum performance for data-intensive workloads.

## Related Content

- [What is Data Reduction & What Are the Benefits?](/learn/data-reduction)
- [Software-Defined Storage: How It Works & Its Benefits](/learn/software-defined-storage)
- [What is Unstructured Data? Why Does It Matter?](/learn/unstructured-data)