Large organisations judge a data room on the full deal toolkit plus what group IT and procurement demand. Ellty, iDeals and Datasite lead our ranking, with Intralinks and Ansarada for organisations that need long enterprise track records or readiness tooling.
A complete transaction data room with AI tools inside it and a list price on the website.
9.2/10Outstanding
Ellty matches iDeals and Datasite on the deal toolkit (permission groups, routed Q&A, viewer watermarks, rights control and a full log) and adds AI features, native e-signature and a cleaner, faster interface that outside parties pick up without training. Before rollout, check fit with group IT: Ellty lists SOC 2 (infrastructure) rather than ISO 27001 and does not offer SSO or a public API.
What we liked
Every core diligence control on our checklist: routed Q&A, group permissions, viewer watermarks, print and download blocking, activity log
AI tools and signing are part of the product, not add-ons
Highest usability score in our ranking (9.8), with self-serve setup for admins
Watch out for
Neither SSO nor a public API at our last check
You redact outside the room, since there is no native tool
No native mobile app; reviewers use the mobile browser
Prices in USD at the entry level; indicative, confirm with the provider.
Two audiences, one decision
In a large organisation, the people who use the data room and the people who approve it are different. A corporate development lead cares about Q&A routing, bidder reporting and how quickly external counsel can find their way around. The information security team cares about certificates, penetration testing, data location and identity integration. Procurement cares about contract terms and price predictability across a year of deals.
A room that delights the deal team but fails the security review never gets bought. A room that passes every questionnaire but frustrates bidders slows deals. Our enterprise ranking balances the two.
How the picks compare
Provider
Score
SSO
API
ISO 27001
Redaction
AI features
Ellty
9.2
No
No
No (SOC 2, infrastructure)
No
Yes
iDeals
9.1
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Datasite
8.9
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Intralinks
8.6
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Ansarada
8.6
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Ellty ranks first on our overall score because it combines the full deal toolkit with the highest usability and pricing clarity scores on our roster, plus AI features. The table shows the trade-off clearly: if your identity policy has no exceptions for external tools, iDeals, Datasite, Intralinks or Ansarada will clear that gate more easily. Our Ellty vs Datasite, Ellty vs Intralinks and Ansarada vs iDeals comparisons go through each pairing.
An enterprise evaluation in five steps
1
Collect non-negotiables from IT
Ask information security for required certifications, identity rules and data location before you contact vendors.
2
Filter the field
Drop any provider that fails a non-negotiable. Do this before demos to save everyone time.
3
Run a live trial
Give a real deal team two candidates and a slice of real documents for two weeks.
4
Invite outside users
Ask external counsel or a friendly adviser to act as a bidder and report how easy the room was.
5
Negotiate a framework
If you run several deals a year, ask for an agreement that covers concurrent rooms and archives.
Mistakes large organisations make
Running the security review last is the costliest error. Teams fall in love with a platform in a trial, then discover a gap in identity integration weeks later. Bring IT in at the start.
Another is choosing by brand familiarity alone. Older platforms are well known to banks, but newer rooms often score higher on usability and AI features. Trial at least one of each.
Archive and exit terms
Ask how closed rooms are archived, for how long, and in what format you can export them. Enterprise deal records can be needed years after a transaction.
Rolling a room out across a group
Once a provider is chosen, adoption decides whether the investment pays off. Agree a standard folder template for each deal type, a naming convention for permission groups and a default watermark setting, and publish them internally. Nominate one administrator per business unit who knows the platform well and can help others. Review active rooms each quarter and close those that are finished, so the subscription does not quietly grow. Organisations that skip this step often end up with dozens of half-used rooms, inconsistent permissions and a vendor bill nobody can explain.
Budget notes
Ellty publishes an entry price of $149/mo. iDeals, Datasite, Intralinks and Ansarada quote per engagement or under enterprise agreements, usually based on volume, users and term. Our pricing guide explains the main pricing models, and the IPO shortlist covers listing-specific needs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best enterprise data room?
On our scores Ellty, iDeals and Datasite lead. iDeals and Datasite cover ISO 27001 and SSO for strict procurement; Ellty adds AI features and a more modern, faster experience. Intralinks and Ansarada are also strong enterprise options.
Which enterprise data rooms support single sign-on?
Among our picks, iDeals, Datasite, Intralinks and Ansarada list SSO. Ellty does not, so confirm whether your identity policy allows exceptions for external deal tools.
Do enterprise data rooms publish their prices?
Mostly not. iDeals, Datasite, Intralinks and Ansarada quote per engagement or under an enterprise agreement. Ellty lists an entry price of $149/mo.
How should a large company evaluate a data room?
Run a security review with your information security team, check identity integration, then trial with a real deal team on real documents. Our review method lists the criteria we use.
