The short answerDocSend and Ellty are often weighed together during a fundraise, yet they solve different problems. DocSend is a document tracking tool: share a deck, see who opened which page and for how long, and sign simple agreements. Ellty is a full virtual data room with a question workflow, rights control over download and print, two-factor login, bulk upload and built-in AI. Once investors or buyers move from reading a pitch to examining contracts, the missing diligence tools on DocSend's side become the deciding factor.
This is the widest gap among the pairs we cover, and it is not a close call on any check. DocSend comes nearest on ease of setup, which reflects how simple it is to send one link. The large swings come from deal features and security, the two checks that measure what a diligence process needs.
Ellty 95 vs DocSend 70: where the points come from
ElltyRanked #1
95/100
DocSendRanked #18
70/100
Check (weight)MarksPoints
Deal features 30%9.56.0+10.5 Ellty
Security 25%9.46.8+6.5 Ellty
Ease of setup 20%9.89.0+1.6 Ellty
Pricing clarity 15%9.77.0+4.0 Ellty
Support 10%9.26.5+2.7 Ellty
ElltyDocSend
Ellty is 25 points ahead overall. Ellty leads on five checks, DocSend on none. The widest swing is deal features, worth 10.5 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
Five of the twelve features we track are on Ellty's side only, and DocSend has none that Ellty lacks. The shared core is short: audit trail, watermarking and e-signature.
Only Ellty
Bidder Q&A
Why it matters. Bidders log questions against a specific file, the right expert answers inside the room, and the thread becomes part of the diligence record.
If you pick DocSend. Run questions through a shared tracker with strict numbering, and accept that the answers sit outside the room and its activity log.
Only Ellty
2FA sign-in
Why it matters. A second login factor is the cheapest defence against a reused or phished password on an account that can see the whole room.
If you pick DocSend. Ask the vendor in writing whether a second factor can be enforced room-wide. Treat a no as a serious gap for sensitive material.
Only Ellty
Folder bulk upload
Why it matters. Drag in a whole folder tree and the index you already built survives the move, which saves hours in the first week.
If you pick DocSend. Budget extra setup time, or ask whether the vendor's onboarding team will load the files for you.
Only Ellty
Download and print limits
Why it matters. Limits on download, print and copy keep documents inside the room rather than in a bidder's inbox.
If you pick DocSend. Set the strictest view-only permissions available and hold back the most sensitive files until late in the process.
Only Ellty
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 DocSend. Keep AI work in a separately approved tool, and check your confidentiality terms before any deal material goes into it.
Both have (3 of 12):Activity logViewer-stamped watermarksBuilt-in signing
DocSend bills per user per month, so the cost grows with your team; Ellty charges a flat monthly rate for the room. With a small internal team DocSend's per-seat price can look lower at first glance, but the calculator below shows how quickly seats add up once advisers and colleagues need their own logins.
Pricing
Ellty
DocSend
Billing model
Flat monthly plan
Per user, per month
Published entry price
$149/mo
$45/user/mo
Trial on offer
Yes, 14 days
Yes
Pricing clarity mark
9.7 / 10
7.0 / 10
Deal scenarios: which room we would open
Lean DocSend
Sending a pitch deck to fifty investors
You want to know who read the deck, which slides held their attention and who forwarded it. That is DocSend's home ground, and its page-level analytics are what founders buy it for.
Lean Ellty
Series A diligence after a term sheet
The lead investor's lawyers want cap table history, customer contracts and IP assignments, with questions logged against each file. A Q&A module, rights control and bulk upload of a full folder tree are what this stage requires.
Lean Ellty
Selling the company two years later
A buyer's diligence team expects permissions by group, watermarking, download limits, two-factor login and a record of every action. A data room is the standard tool here, and Ellty carries the full process.
Either works
Quarterly updates to existing shareholders
Sharing a board pack or an investor letter with a known group is simple on either tool. Choose DocSend if engagement tracking is the point; choose Ellty if the same room already holds your governance documents.
Security posture and what to verify
Both hold SOC 2, and DocSend also lists GDPR in its certifications. The gap is in the controls. Our fact file does not confirm two-factor login for DocSend and lists no document rights control over download and print, both of which Ellty includes. For a pitch deck that is acceptable; for a disclosure schedule it usually is not.
Security
Ellty
DocSend
Security score (out of 10)
9.4
6.8
SOC 2
Yes
Yes
ISO 27001
No
No
Certificates on file
SOC 2 Infrastructure
SOC 2, GDPR
2FA sign-in
Yes
No
SSO through your identity provider
No
No
Viewer-stamped watermarks
Yes
Yes
Download and print limits
Yes
No
Activity log
Yes
Yes
In-room redaction
No
No
Hosting
Cloud
Cloud
Ask both vendors before you sign
Ask DocSend whether two-factor login can be required for every viewer, and how it is enforced.
Check whether downloads and printing can be blocked per file on each tool, not just per link.
Ask both vendors for their SOC 2 reports and confirm the period covered.
Confirm how each tool records a viewer's activity and whether the log can be exported for your records.
For Ellty, ask how the AI tools handle uploaded documents and whether any content is retained.
Who should pick which
Pick Ellty if
Buyers or investors will run real due diligence and ask questions in writing
You need rights control over download and print, plus two-factor login for every user
A whole folder tree has to be uploaded with its structure intact
You want AI help to organise and summarise the documents
Pick DocSend if
The job is sharing a pitch deck and reading engagement analytics
Only a handful of people on your side need accounts
No diligence questions will be handled in the tool
You already use it for sales collateral and want one familiar tool for outreach
The longer answer
The usual mistake is to choose between these two as if they were rivals. They are better seen as tools for two moments in the same journey. Before a term sheet, you are marketing: the deck goes to many people, and knowing who engaged helps you decide whom to chase. After a term sheet or a letter of intent, you are disclosing: a smaller group gets much deeper access, and every document, question and download needs to be controlled and recorded.
DocSend is built for the first moment and does it well. Ellty is built for the second, with the full diligence toolkit you would expect from the enterprise rooms, AI assistance inside the workspace, and a flat monthly price that does not climb as your advisers join.
If you only have budget and patience for one tool, think about which moment carries more risk. A badly tracked deck costs you some follow-up emails. A badly controlled disclosure can cost you leverage in a negotiation or create a dispute after closing.
Ellty vs DocSend: questions buyers ask
Can DocSend be used as a data room?
It offers a light data room style space for sharing a set of files, but our fact file lists no Q&A module, no bulk upload, no document rights control and no confirmed two-factor login. For early investor interest that may be enough; for full diligence most teams move to a dedicated data room.
Is DocSend cheaper than Ellty?
It depends on seats. DocSend charges per user per month and Ellty charges a flat monthly rate for the room. Use the calculator on this page with your own team size to compare.
Do I need both?
Some teams use DocSend for the outreach stage and a data room once diligence starts. If you would rather keep one tool, Ellty can host the deck as well as the diligence documents, with an activity record of who viewed what.
Does Ellty have a free trial?
Yes, a 14-day free trial. DocSend also lists a free trial.
Which is more secure for confidential documents?
Both hold SOC 2. Ellty adds two-factor login, document rights control and a Q&A workflow inside the room, which is why it scores well ahead on our security check.
Find the right data room in 30 seconds4 quick questions, 3 matched data rooms
Question 1 of 4
Finding your best match...
Comparing 18 data rooms
Weighing your deal type and budget
Checking security and features
Your data room matches
Matches use our editorial ratings and published facts. How we rate
We use cookies for analytics to understand which pages help readers and to improve the site. See our privacy policy.
