Datasite vs Intralinks
Two veterans of enterprise M&A, with different answers on AI, mobile and day-to-day use.
Datasite and Intralinks are the two longest-running vendors on our leaderboard, founded in 1999 and 1996 respectively, and both are headquartered in the United States. Each has a long history on large M&A and enterprise transactions, and each publishes SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Both offer native redaction, single sign-on, Q&A, watermarks, document rights and audit trails, and both sell through quotes and demos rather than published prices or free trials.
The differences sit in the modern layer. Datasite lists AI features and a mobile app, and its tags point to investment banking and analytics. Intralinks lists neither, and its tags point to regulated and security-led work. On our criteria, the two are level on data protection and deal support, while Datasite leads on diligence toolkit, ease of adoption, cost predictability and checklist breadth, mostly by modest margins. The gap in breadth is the clearest of the four.
Bottom line
Datasite comes out ahead on our weighting, mainly because it adds AI features and a mobile app to an otherwise similar enterprise toolkit. Intralinks remains a sound choice for regulated transactions where its security focus and three decades of history count with counterparties, and where your advisers already use it.
Choose Datasite if
- AI features are part of how you want to run diligence
- Reviewers need a mobile app
- The process is banker-led and the bank already works in Datasite
Choose Intralinks if
- The deal is regulated and your compliance team favors a security-focused vendor
- Your organization already has an approved Intralinks relationship
- You value the longest track record on our list, going back to 1996
Scores side by side
Datasite against Intralinks, mark by mark
Datasite 89 Intralinks 85 Feature checklist: where they differ
- Phone app
- Built-in AI
- Q&A threads
- Access history
- Live watermarks
- Redaction tool
- Corporate SSO
- 2-step sign-in
- Bulk uploads
- Print and download rights
- None
Where the feature lists diverge
For the core diligence work, these two rooms are close to identical on our checklist. The gaps are Datasite's AI features and mobile app, neither of which Intralinks lists. Neither vendor lists a public API or built-in e-signature. In practice, mobile access matters most on auctions with many bidders reviewing outside office hours, and AI matters most when large volumes of documents need to be organized quickly. If neither applies to your deal, the feature gap narrows to very little.
Regulated work and security review
Both vendors publish SOC 2 and ISO 27001 and support single sign-on and two-factor login, so most security questionnaires can be answered by either. Datasite also lists GDPR among its certifications in our facts file; Intralinks does not. Intralinks is tagged for regulated and security-focused work, which reflects where it positions itself. Ask each vendor for its latest audit reports and confirm hosting regions directly, since our facts file does not record them.
Buying from two enterprise vendors
Neither publishes prices and neither lists a free trial, so both evaluations start with a demo and end with a quote. Bring the same brief to both: expected users, documents, deal length and any regulatory requirements. Ask how fees change if the process extends, what onboarding and support are included, and whether the room can be archived and handed over at close. With two quote-based vendors, the terms around overruns often matter more than the headline number.
What each costs for your term
Move the sliders to your expected term and user count. Published entry prices only; quote-only providers show a labelled market range.
Neither side charges per seat on its lowest tier, so the total moves with the number of months alone.
Worked out from each vendor's lowest published tier in US dollars. Bigger plans, extra storage, more admins and sales tax all lift the real figure, so read it as a floor and get the vendor's own number. Budgeting detail is on the pricing page.
Specs
| Datasite | Intralinks | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 89/100 (No. 3) | 85/100 (No. 5) |
| Entry price | Quote only | Quote only |
| Trial | Demo on request | Demo on request |
| Attestations | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR | SOC 2, ISO 27001 |
| Checklist features | 10 of 12 | 8 of 12 |
| Top lists it makes | 13 of 13 | 12 of 13 |
| Founded | 1999 | 1996 |
| Head office | United States | United States |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
From the shared provider facts file, checked monthly. Prices in USD, indicative; confirm with each provider.
Datasite vs Intralinks: questions
Which is older, Datasite or Intralinks?
Intralinks was founded in 1996 and Datasite in 1999, making them the two longest-established vendors on our leaderboard. Both are headquartered in the United States. A long history is useful evidence of staying power, but it says less about current features than a live demo does.
Does Intralinks have a mobile app?
Our facts file does not list a mobile app for Intralinks; it does list one for Datasite. If reviewers will work from phones or tablets, ask Intralinks how its room behaves in a mobile browser and whether a dedicated app is planned.
Are both suitable for regulated industries?
Both publish SOC 2 and ISO 27001, support single sign-on, two-factor login and redaction, and offer granular document rights. Intralinks is tagged for regulated work in our facts file. Your compliance team should still review each vendor's audit reports and data residency options before approving either.
Can I get a free trial of either?
Neither Datasite nor Intralinks lists a free trial in our facts file. Both offer demos on request. If you need to see how your own folder structure and permission groups will work, ask either vendor whether a short pilot room can be arranged for your deal.