The short answerDatasite and Intralinks have both hosted large transactions since the early days of virtual data rooms, and on paper they look nearly identical: the same security mark, the same support mark, both certified to SOC 2 and ISO 27001, both sold by quote with no free trial. Datasite pulls slightly ahead on deal features and setup and is the only one of the two to list AI tools and a native mobile app. Intralinks' strength is its long record with banks, large law firms and regulated corporates, where a counterparty's compliance team will ask hard questions.
Security and support are tied, and deal features are a tenth apart. Datasite's small lead in the total comes from ease of setup and pricing clarity, where neither room scores highly; both expect a scoping conversation and an onboarding period before the first bidder logs in.
Datasite 90 vs Intralinks 88: where the points come from
DatasiteRanked #3
90/100
IntralinksRanked #5
88/100
Check (weight)MarksPoints
Deal features 30%9.59.4+0.3 Datasite
Security 25%9.69.6Level
Ease of setup 20%7.87.5+0.6 Datasite
Pricing clarity 15%8.37.8+0.8 Datasite
Support 10%9.39.3Level
DatasiteIntralinks
Datasite is 2 points ahead overall. Datasite leads on three checks, Intralinks on none, two level. The widest swing is pricing clarity, worth 0.8 points.
bestdataroom.net
Marks out of 10 on our five weighted checks; the bar track starts at 6 so small gaps stay visible. Points = mark gap × weight × 10, so the column adds up to the gap in the total. Editorial scores, not user-review averages.
Feature gaps that decide it
Eight of the twelve features we track are shared and Intralinks has nothing on our list that Datasite lacks. Datasite's two extras are the only differences, and neither room lists e-signature or a public API.
Only Datasite
Native app
Why it matters. A native app lets a deal lead approve a user or clear a question while travelling, although most rooms also work in a phone browser.
If you pick Intralinks. Open the room in a phone browser during the trial or demo. For most teams that covers the occasional approval on the move.
Only Datasite
AI assistance
Why it matters. Built-in AI can help sort uploads, summarise long documents or draft answers, which cuts manual work in preparation and Q&A.
If you pick Intralinks. Keep AI work in a separately approved tool, and check your confidentiality terms before any deal material goes into it.
Both have (8 of 12):Bidder Q&AActivity logViewer-stamped watermarksIn-room redactionSingle sign-on (SSO)2FA sign-inFolder bulk uploadDownload and print limits
Neither lists:Built-in signingDeveloper API
Pricing and what a deal would cost
Both quote per project and neither offers a free trial, so budgeting starts with a sales call either way. The calculator shows a rough market range for a quoted room of your size; use it to judge whether the quotes you receive are in a sensible band, then compare the two line by line on storage, users and extension terms.
Pricing
Datasite
Intralinks
Billing model
Custom quote per project
Custom quote per project
Published entry price
Quote only
Quote only
Trial on offer
No, sales demo
No, sales demo
Pricing clarity mark
8.3 / 10
7.8 / 10
Deal scenarios: which room we would open
Lean Intralinks
Bank financing or loan syndication
Lenders, agents and their counsel expect a platform with a long track record in regulated finance, and regulated finance is where Intralinks is strongest in our assessment. Its document controls and history with banks reduce friction with the counterparty's compliance team.
Lean Datasite
Competitive auction with a large, fast-moving bidder field
AI tools that help sort and summarise uploads and a mobile app for deal leads are useful when the timetable is tight and the bidder list is long. Datasite's slight edge on setup also helps in the first week.
Either works
Cross-border merger with heavy regulatory review
Both hold the same certificates, both offer single sign-on, redaction and full rights control, and both score at the top of our security check. Let your adviser's existing platform, or the better quote, decide.
Either works
Company with an existing enterprise contract
If your organisation already has a framework agreement with one of the two, the switching cost will usually outweigh the small differences in our scores. Use the room you can open without a new procurement cycle.
Security posture and what to verify
These are two of the most security-focused rooms we score, and the facts back that up: SOC 2 and ISO 27001 on both, single sign-on, two-factor login, dynamic watermarking, rights control, redaction and a full audit trail, with an identical security mark. Datasite also lists GDPR among its certifications. With controls this close, the evidence in each vendor's reports is what separates them.
Security
Datasite
Intralinks
Security score (out of 10)
9.6
9.6
SOC 2
Yes
Yes
ISO 27001
Yes
Yes
Certificates on file
SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
SOC 2, ISO 27001
2FA sign-in
Yes
Yes
SSO through your identity provider
Yes
Yes
Viewer-stamped watermarks
Yes
Yes
Download and print limits
Yes
Yes
Activity log
Yes
Yes
In-room redaction
Yes
Yes
Hosting
Cloud
Cloud
Ask both vendors before you sign
Request both vendors' SOC 2 reports and ISO 27001 certificates and compare scope, auditor and period covered.
Ask how each handles data residency and whether you can fix the hosting region for your room.
Ask Datasite how its AI tools process documents and whether content is retained or used for training.
Confirm how fast a single user's access can be revoked mid-process and how that shows in the audit log.
Ask for the archive format at closing and how long each vendor keeps your data afterwards.
Who should pick which
Pick Datasite if
AI help with large uploads would save your team real time
Deal leads want a native mobile app
A slightly easier first week for admins matters to you
Your adviser already runs its sell-side work on Datasite
Pick Intralinks if
The deal is a financing or a regulated transaction where track record with banks matters
Your counterparty's compliance team already knows the platform
You have no use for built-in AI tools or a mobile app
Your organisation already has an enterprise agreement with Intralinks
The longer answer
Choosing between two incumbents is mostly about context. Both rooms will protect your documents, both will handle a large bidder group, and both will need a sales conversation before you know the price. The question is which one fits the people and institutions around your deal.
If your counterparty is a bank, a syndicate or a regulated corporate, Intralinks’ history in that world is an asset in itself: fewer questions from compliance, less onboarding for the other side. If your process is a competitive sale where speed and volume matter, Datasite’s AI tools and mobile app give the deal team practical help, and its small edge on setup shortens the first week.
Neither is a quick, self-serve room. If you need to be live by tomorrow with a known price, both will feel slow, and a room that leads our setup and pricing clarity checks is worth adding to the shortlist before you commit.
Datasite vs Intralinks: questions buyers ask
Is Datasite better than Intralinks?
Only by a small margin in our scoring. Datasite leads slightly on deal features, setup and pricing clarity and adds AI tools and a mobile app. Security and support are tied. Intralinks remains a strong choice for regulated and bank-led deals.
Do Datasite or Intralinks publish prices?
No. Both price per project by quote, and neither lists a free trial in our fact file. Ask both for a quote on the same scope so they can be compared.
Which is more secure?
They score the same on our security check and list the same core certificates, SOC 2 and ISO 27001, along with single sign-on, redaction and rights control. Read each vendor's reports to compare the detail.
Does Intralinks have AI features?
Our fact file does not list built-in AI tools for Intralinks. Datasite lists them.
Which one is quicker to set up?
Datasite scores slightly higher on ease of setup, but both are enterprise platforms that usually involve a scoping call and onboarding. If a same-day start matters most, look at the rooms that lead our setup check.
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