Review, checked October 2026
Datasite review
The large-deal incumbent used by many investment banks, with AI tools, SSO, redaction and a mobile app. Quote only, no free trial.
Key points
- Score 8.7/10 (excellent), rank 3 of the 16 data rooms we review.
- Price: Quote on request; demo on request.
- Investor controls: 6 of 6 (viewer watermarks, view and download rights, activity log, 2-step login, q&a module, redaction in the room).
- Security: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR.
- Best for: bank-led auctions and large m&a.
What Datasite is
Datasite, founded in 1999 in the United States, runs data rooms for many of the largest sell-side processes. It lists ISO 27001 and SOC 2, Q&A, redaction, SSO, AI tools and a native mobile app.
There is no published price and no free trial; contracts are scoped per project with the vendor.
If your bank adviser runs the sale, there is a good chance the room is on Datasite. For self-run raises it is a heavier purchase.
How Datasite scores
Datasite scores 8.7 out of 10 overall. It is above the field average on investor access control, diligence workflow, security and compliance, speed to launch. The chart shows each criterion against the average of all 16.
Datasite: score by criterion
Each criterion out of 10. The red tick is the average of all 16 data rooms.
Strengths and what is missing
- Broad feature set including AI tools and a mobile app
- ISO 27001, SOC 2 and SSO
- Familiar to bankers and PE deal teams
- Quote only, no free trial
- No public API listed
- Lower cost clarity score than published-price rooms
Where Datasite fits best
Its strongest positions across our seven investor use-case rankings:
Private equity
5 of the 5 must-have features for this use case: q&a module, redaction in the room, view and download rights, activity log, bulk upload.
#2 of 16, 9.1/10Mergers and acquisitions
5 of the 5 must-have features for this use case: q&a module, redaction in the room, view and download rights, activity log, viewer watermarks.
#2 of 16, 8.9/10IPO readiness
5 of the 5 must-have features for this use case: activity log, q&a module, redaction in the room, view and download rights, single sign-on.
Features
| Feature | Datasite | What it does for investors |
|---|---|---|
| Q&A module | Listed | Investors ask questions inside the room; your team assigns, answers and publishes them, with a record of every reply. |
| Activity log | Listed | A log of which investor opened, downloaded or printed each file and for how long, ready to export. |
| Viewer watermarks | Listed | Each page shows the viewer's name or email and the time, so a leaked copy traces back to one person. |
| Redaction in the room | Listed | Black out salaries, customer names or personal data inside the room instead of uploading edited copies. |
| Built-in e-signature | Not listed | Investors sign the NDA or the subscription documents without leaving the platform. |
| Mobile app | Listed | A native iOS or Android app, on top of the mobile browser view most rooms offer. |
| Public API | Not listed | A documented interface to create rooms, sync users and pull activity into a CRM or a fund system. |
| Single sign-on | Listed | Your team signs in with company credentials through an identity provider such as Okta or Entra ID. |
| 2-step login | Listed | A second login step (a code or an app) for admins and investors. |
| Bulk upload | Listed | Drag a whole folder tree into the room and keep its structure and numbering. |
| View and download rights | Listed | Per-file rules for view, print and download, including view-only access that can be withdrawn. |
| AI help | Listed | Machine help listed by the vendor, such as auto-indexing, document summaries, search or drafting Q&A answers. |
Datasite against the field
Number of reviewed data rooms that list the feature. Yellow bars: features Datasite lists.
Datasite pricing
Datasite does not publish a price and quotes per project, usually on the number of users, the data volume and how long the room stays open. Ask for the full price in writing, including overage and archive fees. Demo on request.
Estimate the cost of Datasite for your deal
Pick your project, team size and how long the room stays open.
| Data room | Pricing | Total for the period |
|---|---|---|
 Citrix ShareFile | Flat | $165 |
 Digify | Flat | $360 |
 Ellty | Flat | $447 |
 DocSend | Per user | $675 |
 SecureDocs | Flat | $750 |
 CapLinked | Flat | $897 |
 iDeals | Estimate | ~$2,700 to $7,500 |
| Datasite | Estimate | ~$2,700 to $7,500 |
 Ansarada | Estimate | ~$2,700 to $7,500 |
 Firmex | Estimate | ~$2,700 to $7,500 |
 Drooms | Estimate | ~$2,700 to $7,500 |
 Intralinks | Estimate | ~$2,700 to $7,500 |
 SmartRoom | Estimate | ~$2,700 to $7,500 |
 DealRoom | Estimate | ~$2,700 to $7,500 |
 ShareVault | Estimate | ~$2,700 to $7,500 |
 Venue by DFIN | Estimate | ~$2,700 to $7,500 |
Flat and per-user totals use each vendor's published entry price. "Estimate" rows do not publish a price; the range is our market band for the project you picked, not a quote from that vendor. All prices in USD, indicative, before tax.
Security and compliance
Datasite lists SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR. Admins and investors can be required to use 2-step login. Single sign-on is available for your own team. Files can be watermarked with the viewer's details and set to view-only.
Setup and support
Project managers support large deals; procurement typically takes longer than self-serve rooms. Speed-to-launch score: 8.2/10 (average 8.1).
Check during your trial or demo
- Invite a colleague as an investor and confirm they cannot download a view-only file.
- Open a document as that investor and check the watermark shows their name and the time.
- Export the activity log and see if it shows page-level views.
- Post a question as an investor and route it to an expert on your side.
- Ask for the price of your exact project in writing, including what happens after the term.
Datasite alternatives
Head-to-head: Ellty vs Datasite, iDeals vs Datasite.
Datasite FAQ
How much does Datasite cost?
Datasite does not publish a price; it quotes per project. As a guide, quote-only rooms usually cost $900 to $2,500 a month for a Series A round and more for a buyout or auction.
Does Datasite have a free trial?
No free trial is listed; Datasite offers a demo on request.
Is Datasite secure enough for institutional investors?
Datasite lists SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR and 2-step login. ISO 27001 covers most institutional security questionnaires.
Does Datasite have a Q&A module?
Yes. Investors can ask questions inside the room, and your team can assign, answer and publish them with a full record.
What are the best Datasite alternatives?
The closest alternatives by use and score are iDeals, Intralinks, Ansarada. See the full ranking for all 16.