Data Room Comparisons
When a shortlist is down to two names, a ranking stops being useful. Each page below puts one pair side by side: the five checks behind our scores, the features only one of them has, what the same deal would cost in each, and the scenarios where we would open one rather than the other.
On this page: All comparisons How to compare two rooms FAQ
Every head-to-head at a glance
Scores out of 100, the gap between them, how many of the five checks each side leads, entry prices and the number of feature differences. Tap a pair for the full comparison.
Ellty vs iDeals 95 vs 92 (+3) 2 to 2, 1 level $149/mo / Quote only 5 of 12 Two complete M&A rooms; Ellty is faster to stand up and priced in public, iDeals adds ISO 27001, SSO, an API and redaction. 
Ellty vs Datasite 95 vs 90 (+5) 2 to 2, 1 level $149/mo / Quote only 4 of 12 Both bring AI to the room; Ellty wins on setup speed, public pricing and a free trial, Datasite on mobile, SSO and redaction. 
Ellty vs Firmex 95 vs 87 (+8) 4 to 0, 1 level $149/mo / Quote only 3 of 12 Familiar mid-market workhorse against a modern AI-equipped room; Firmex brings ISO 27001 and redaction, Ellty leads on deal features and price clarity. 
Ellty vs DocSend 95 vs 70 (+25) 5 to 0 $149/mo / $45/user/mo 5 of 12 Different jobs: DocSend tracks how investors read a deck, Ellty runs the diligence that follows, with Q&A, rights control and AI. iDeals vs Datasite 92 vs 90 (+2) 3 to 0, 2 level Quote only / Quote only 3 of 12 Two enterprise rooms level on deal features and security; iDeals wins on support, setup and a trial, Datasite on AI tools and a mobile app. 
Datasite vs Intralinks 90 vs 88 (+2) 3 to 0, 2 level Quote only / Quote only 2 of 12 Two long-established enterprise rooms, level on security and support; Datasite adds AI tools and a mobile app, Intralinks is the regulated-deal specialist. 
Firmex vs Ansarada 87 vs 89 (-2) 2 to 2, 1 level Quote only / Quote only 3 of 12 Simple and dependable against structured and AI-assisted; Firmex leads on setup and has redaction, Ansarada on deal features, SSO and AI. 
SecureDocs vs CapLinked 78 vs 80 (-2) 3 to 2 $250/mo / $299/mo 1 of 12 Two flat-rate rooms with Q&A and an API; SecureDocs is simpler, cheaper to start and signs NDAs in the room, CapLinked scores higher on deal features and security. Gaps are the first-named room minus the second. Prices are vendor starting points, indicative, confirm with the provider. Scores are editorial, not user-review averages.
A few things stand out with all 8 pairs on one screen. The tightest contests, iDeals vs Datasite, Datasite vs Intralinks, Firmex vs Ansarada and SecureDocs vs CapLinked, are each 2 points apart, which means your own priorities decide them. The widest is Ellty against DocSend at 25 points, a gap big enough that the two are best read as tools for different jobs. Ellty vs iDeals and Ellty vs DocSend each differ on five of our twelve features, the most of any pair, so read their gap cards before anything else.
Four of the pairs put Ellty against iDeals, Datasite, Firmex and DocSend. Those pages follow the same rules as the rest: the same checks, the same fact file, and the gaps stated where they exist.
How to compare two data rooms yourself
The six steps we follow on every pair. They work just as well for two rooms we have not covered yet.
Start from the deal, not the brand
Write down the deal type, the number of outside parties and how long the room will stay open. Two well-known names can both be wrong for a three-bidder sale that closes in eight weeks.
Read the check that matters most to you
Totals hide trade-offs. If your counterparty is a regulated bank, the security mark outranks everything; if the room must open on Friday, ease of setup does.
List the gaps, then price the workaround
A missing feature is only a problem if you need it. For each gap, ask what the workaround costs in hours or in a second tool, and whether your advisers will accept it.
Cost the same scope twice
Use identical months, users and page counts for both rooms. A published monthly rate and a project quote only compare once they describe the same deal.
Check the paperwork, not the badge
Ask for the current SOC 2 report or ISO 27001 certificate and read the scope. A badge on a web page tells you little about which systems were audited.
Run one realistic test
Load a folder tree you already have, invite a colleague as a bidder and watch what they can and cannot see. Ten minutes of this settles more than a feature matrix.
Data room comparisons FAQ
How do you pick which data rooms to compare?
We cover the pairs people search for most when a shortlist is down to two names, from enterprise suites to lighter sharing tools. Each pair gets the same treatment, from the check-by-check scores to a cost estimate and a list of questions for both vendors.
Where do the scores on these pages come from?
From the same five-check model as our reviews: deal features, security, ease of setup, pricing clarity and support, weighted from 30% down to 10%. The marks are editorial and built from public vendor material and our shared fact file, never from user-review averages.
Why does a lower-scored room sometimes win a scenario?
Because the total blends five checks and your deal may only care about one or two. A room that trails by a few points overall can still be the better pick when it leads on the check your process depends on, or when it has the one feature the other lacks.
Can I trust the cost figures?
Treat them as a starting point. Published plans are priced at entry-level list rates for the months and users you set; quote-only rooms show a rough market range that is not a vendor figure. Prices are indicative, so confirm with the provider before you budget.
How often are these comparisons updated?
Whenever a vendor changes pricing, certifications or features. Scores, feature gaps and security rows are calculated from our fact file, so a correction there updates every comparison at once. The latest update on this page is dated October 9, 2026.
Does any vendor pay to win a comparison?
No. Some links on this site are affiliate links, as our disclosure explains, but a pairing's verdict follows the scores, the feature list and the fit for each scenario.