How it plays out on a deal
A trial lets a deal team judge the room on its own documents and with its own users, which tells far more than a scripted demo. It is particularly useful for checking the viewer, the permission screens and the Q&A tool against real material.
Not every vendor offers one; many enterprise rooms rely on guided demos instead. Where a trial exists, check what happens to the data at the end, whether the room can carry on into a paid plan without rebuilding, and which features are held back during the trial.
What to check in a review or demo
- 1How long the trial lasts and which features or limits apply during it.
- 2Whether the trial room converts to a paid room with content and settings intact.
- 3Whether a payment card is required to start, and how cancellation works.
Free trials: which reviewed providers offer one
Based on what each provider states on its website. Trial length and limits differ, so check the details in each review.
Yes (13)
Ellty14-day free trial9.2/10
iDealsFree trial9.1/10
AnsaradaFree trial8.6/10
FirmexFree trial8.5/10
BoxFree trial8.1/10
Citrix ShareFileFree trial8.0/10
DealRoomFree trial8.0/10
CapLinkedFree trial7.7/10
SecureDocsFree trial7.7/10
ShareVaultFree trial7.7/10
OnehubFree trial7.5/10
DigifyFree trial6.9/10
DocSendFree trial6.6/10
No (5)
DatasiteDemo only8.9/10
IntralinksDemo only8.6/10
DroomsDemo only8.3/10
SmartRoomDemo only8.2/10
Venue by DFINDemo only7.2/10
13 of 18 reviewed providers qualify. Each chip shows the provider's overall review score.
Read alongside
- Flat-rate pricingA fixed fee per month or per project for the room, with no charge per page, per user or per gigabyte within the plan's stated limits.
- Room administratorThe person, usually on the sell side or at the adviser, who builds the room, invites users, sets permissions and publishes documents.
- Investor data roomA data room a company keeps for fundraising, holding the pitch deck, financial model, cap table, key contracts and corporate records that investors ask for during a round.