Our main list: the ten rooms with the highest overall score across all six criteria.
This is the list most readers come for. We score every provider we track on the same six criteria, weight them, and publish the ten with the highest total. A provider moves up or down only when its published facts change or when we change the method, and method changes are logged on the method page.
Use it as a starting shortlist, not a verdict. A room that ranks seventh overall can be the right answer for a single-buyer sale or a property portfolio, which is why the narrower lists exist. If you already know what matters most to you, the requirement and buyer lists re-weight the same scores around that need.
| # | Provider | List score | Entry price | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ellty | 92 | $149 a month | 14-day free trial |
| 2 |  iDeals | 90 | Quote only | Free trial offered |
| 3 |  Datasite | 89 | Quote only | Demo on request |
| 4 |  Ansarada | 86 | Quote only | Free trial offered |
| 5 |  Intralinks | 85 | Quote only | Demo on request |
| 6 |  Firmex | 84 | Quote only | Free trial offered |
| 7 |  Drooms | 83 | Quote only | Demo on request |
| 8 |  SmartRoom | 81 | Quote only | Demo on request |
| 9 |  Box | 81 | $15 per user/mo | Free trial offered |
| 10 |  Citrix ShareFile | 80 | $55 a month | Free trial offered |
Top 10 virtual data rooms overall: the top three
Ellty 92 No bonus points needed iDeals 90 No bonus points needed Datasite 89 No bonus points needed Complete diligence room with AI built in, a modern interface and a $149 monthly price printed openly.
Why it made the list Diligence toolkit 9.5/10 · Data protection 9.4/10 · Ease of adoption 9.8/10
Established UK-headquartered M&A room with deep security credentials and the best support marks we give.
Why it made the list Diligence toolkit 9.5/10 · Data protection 9.6/10
The investment-banking standard: the widest feature checklist we track, analytics and AI, priced by quote.
Why it made the list Diligence toolkit 9.5/10 · Data protection 9.6/10
Australian deal room built around readiness and governance, with AI tools and ISO 27001.
Why it made the list Diligence toolkit 9.4/10 · Data protection 9.3/10
Veteran enterprise room for regulated, security-heavy deals, with ISO 27001 and redaction.
Why it made the list Diligence toolkit 9.4/10 · Data protection 9.6/10
Dependable mid-market room from Canada, easy for outside reviewers and strong on support.
Why it made the list Data protection 9.0/10 · Ease of adoption 9.0/10
German room with deep real-estate roots, AI tools and an on-premises option for European deals.
Why it made the list Data protection 9.2/10
Security-minded M&A room known for granular permissions and a disciplined Q&A workflow.
Why it made the list Data protection 9.3/10
Enterprise content cloud with strong compliance and integrations, but no deal Q&A or redaction.
Why it made the list Data protection 9.0/10
Client file sharing with built-in e-signature and HIPAA, popular with professional services firms.
Deciding between the top two? Read Ellty vs iDeals for a criterion-by-criterion comparison and a cost calculator.
How this list weights the six criteria
The full criteria definitions and the sources behind each mark are on how we rank. Every provider we track, including the ones that did not make this list, has a profile on the leaderboard.
The gap between first and third place is three points out of 100. At that distance the right choice depends on how you buy (self-serve or through a sales team), whether your procurement needs a specific certificate, and how many outside parties will log in. Read the profile of each before you book demos.
The long-established deal platforms earn high toolkit and protection marks. Where they lose points is ease of adoption and cost predictability: quote-only pricing and onboarding calls slow down the first week. That matters less for a bank-run auction than for a company running its own process.
Several providers near the bottom are good file-sharing or document-tracking tools that were never built for a full diligence process. They lose points for missing a Q&A module or redaction, not for poor quality. If you only need to send a deck and see who opened it, they may be all you need.
On our current scores Ellty ranks first overall, with iDeals and Datasite next. The order reflects six weighted criteria applied to published facts; the narrower lists on this site re-rank the same providers for specific needs such as security, M&A or real estate.
We re-check provider facts every month and rebuild the lists when something changes, such as a new certification, a published price or a feature launch. The date at the top of the page shows the last check.
No, partners cannot buy a position. We may earn a commission when a reader signs up with a partner through our links, and partner links are disclosed in the footer.
We track 18 providers and only ten fit on this list. Every provider has a full profile on the leaderboard, including the ones ranked 11 to 18, with the reasons for its score.
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