Data room comparisons, head to head
Two rooms, one deal: each comparison sets a pair side by side on our UK-weighted scores, the features only one of them has, the cost in pounds and the UK GDPR questions to put to both.
A ranking tells you which room scores best across the board. A head-to-head page answers a narrower question, the one most buyers face at the end of a shortlist: which of these two suits my deal? We have built 6 of them so far, covering Ellty, iDeals, Datasite, Intralinks, Ansarada and Firmex.
Every page follows the same order, so you can move between them quickly: our call, a criterion-by-criterion score duel, feature gaps, a small cost calculator in pounds with optional VAT, a UK GDPR and hosting checklist, four UK deal settings (a Takeover Code bid, an AIM admission, a SEIS or EIS round and a commercial property sale), and who should pick which.
vs
Ellty vs iDeals
A modern room with AI tools and a published price against the UK-headquartered incumbent.
9.5 Ellty · 9.2 iDeals Ellty ahead by 0.3vs
Ellty vs Datasite
Two rooms with AI tools: a modern subscription room against the investment-banking incumbent.
9.5 Ellty · 9.0 Datasite Ellty ahead by 0.5vs
Ellty vs Intralinks
One of the oldest names in virtual data rooms against one of the newest.
9.5 Ellty · 8.8 Intralinks Ellty ahead by 0.7vs iDeals vs Datasite
Matching security profiles; the split is AI tools, an API and a UK head office.
9.2 iDeals · 9.0 Datasite iDeals ahead by 0.2
vs Ansarada vs Datasite
Both list AI tools; Datasite adds redaction and a mobile app, Ansarada a free trial.
8.9 Ansarada · 9.0 Datasite Datasite ahead by 0.1
vs Firmex vs iDeals
Two established rooms with free trials; iDeals adds single sign-on and an API.
8.8 Firmex · 9.2 iDeals iDeals ahead by 0.4Every comparison in one table
Scores out of 10, criteria won on our five UK-weighted criteria, feature counts and entry prices converted to pounds, as listed in October 2026. The widest overall gap is Ellty vs Intralinks at 0.7 points; the closest is Ansarada vs Datasite at 0.1.
| Comparison | Scores | Criteria won | Widest gap | Features only one lists | Entry price (GBP) | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellty vs iDeals | 9.5 vs 9.2 | 2 to 2, 1 tied | Ease of use (1.3, Ellty) | Ellty 2 · iDeals 3 | approx. £112 a month · Quote | 14 days · Yes |
| Ellty vs Datasite | 9.5 vs 9.0 | 2 to 2, 1 tied | Ease of use (2.0, Ellty) | Ellty 1 · Datasite 3 | approx. £112 a month · Quote | 14 days · No |
| Ellty vs Intralinks | 9.5 vs 8.8 | 3 to 2 | Ease of use (2.3, Ellty) | Ellty 2 · Intralinks 2 | approx. £112 a month · Quote | 14 days · No |
| iDeals vs Datasite | 9.2 vs 9.0 | 3 to 0, 2 tied | Ease of use (0.7, iDeals) | iDeals 1 · Datasite 2 | Quote · Quote | Yes · No |
| Ansarada vs Datasite | 8.9 vs 9.0 | 1 to 4 | Security & UK GDPR (0.3, Datasite) | Ansarada 0 · Datasite 2 | Quote · Quote | Yes · No |
| Firmex vs iDeals | 8.8 vs 9.2 | 1 to 4 | Deal tools (1.2, iDeals) | Firmex 0 · iDeals 2 | Quote · Quote | Yes · Yes |
Prices converted at about 0.75 pounds per US dollar and exclude VAT. "Quote" means the provider prices each project. Free trial terms as listed: 14-day free trial for Ellty. Confirm everything with the provider.
How to compare two data rooms for a UK deal
Five checks that turn a side-by-side page into a decision.
Start from the deal, not the brands
Write down the deal type, the likely number of bidders or investors and the months the room must stay open. A Takeover Code bid and a seed round put very different demands on the same software.
Read the criterion scores, not only the total
Our overall score weights security and UK GDPR at 30%. Two rooms a few tenths apart overall can be a full point apart on the one criterion your deal depends on.
Turn feature gaps into yes or no questions
For each feature only one room lists, ask whether your process genuinely needs it. Redaction, single sign-on and an API are policy requirements for some firms and irrelevant for others.
Put both prices on the same footing
Convert published dollar prices to pounds, add VAT if you cannot recover it, and ask quote-based providers for a sterling figure on the same months, pages and users.
Get the hosting answer in writing
Neither head office nor certificates tell you where a UK room is hosted. Ask both providers for the region, the data processing agreement and the sub-processor list before you sign.
Need a shortlist first? Try the data room quiz, read how we score providers or browse all provider reviews.
Data room comparisons: common questions
How are these comparisons put together?
Each page uses the same editorial scores as our provider reviews, five criteria weighted for UK deals, plus the features, certifications, free trials and published prices in our facts database. Duel results, feature gaps and costs are computed from that data at build time, so they always match the reviews.
Why these pairs?
They set newer full-featured rooms against established enterprise platforms, and established platforms against each other, which is where most UK shortlists end up. Between them they cover 6 of the 18 providers we track.
Which comparison is closest?
Ansarada vs Datasite: 0.1 points apart overall. In close pairs the criterion scores and the feature gaps matter more than the total.
Why do some cost calculators show a range instead of a price?
3 of the 6 pairs are between two providers that price by quote. For those we show a typical market range for an enterprise project quote of the size you set, clearly labelled as a range and not the provider's price.
Do these pages say where each provider hosts UK data?
No. Hosting regions are not in our facts database, so every comparison marks hosting as "Ask the provider" and lists the questions to put in writing.