Datasite vs Intralinks: Which virtual data room is better?

Are you managing M&A, securing sensitive data, or handling complex financial deals? The virtual data room (VDR) you select makes or breaks the efficiency and security of your operations. So, how do you choose the right one?

Read our post to explore and compare two of the leading virtual data room providers, Intralinks and Datasite. We outline their advanced features, pricing, user testimonials, strengths, and weaknesses.

Keep reading to learn which VDR suits your company best.

About Datasite data room

Founded: 1968

Headquarters: United States

Datasite is a secure virtual data room solution for document and collaboration management within and between organizations. The provider helps advisors and their clients through every stage of a deal, from sourcing and preparation to post-merger integration.

What makes Datasite unique?

The platform streamlines the due diligence process with machine learning trained on over three million documents. Thus, it quickly recognizes patterns, categorizes information, and identifies key insights, saving time and reducing the manual effort required to review and analyze large volumes of data.

What are the main Datasite use cases?

• Sell-side M&A
• Buy-side due diligence
• Financing
• Secure repository
• Initial public offerings
• Restructuring
• Fundraising
• Licensing

What are Datasite’s key features?

• Project complexity gauge. Datasite estimates the scope of due diligence by using advanced search to assess a project’s volume and complexity. Teams use these insights to balance time and resource allocation effectively.
• Project visualizer for navigation. This visualizer provides a clear, color-coded overview of file rooms, making it easier to explore file structures and locate specific content quickly.
• Side-by-side text comparison. The solution enables reviewers and admins to compare two documents simultaneously, with differences highlighted through color coding, simplifying tasks such as contract review.
• Redaction of PII with redaction AI. Users can save up to 80% of the time spent on redaction with the data room detecting personally identifiable information automatically. Built with feedback from dealmakers, it offers customization options such as selecting redaction reasons and unredacting in bulk when needed.

Datasite software screenshots ⬇

Datasite features 

👁️‍🗨️Learn more about the provider at Merrill Datasite 

About Intralinks data room

Founded: 1996

Headquarters: United States

Intralinks is a cloud-based virtual data room software for secure document storage and sharing in global banking and dealmaking. The solution streamlines complex transactions and provides top-tier security for confidential documents shared through the platform. 

What makes Intralinks unique?

Intralinks developed and launched the world’s first virtual data room, transforming the industry. It was also the first provider to achieve ISO 27701 certification, the highest security standard for managing sensitive data.

What are the main Intralinks use cases?

• M&A
• Fund management
• Financing
• Syndicated lending
• Secure data exchange
• Compliance management

What are Intralinks’ key features?

• In-region processing storage. This feature offers flexible architecture for in-region data storage and processing, ensuring that content remains within regulated regions and never physically leaves.
• Intralinks UNshare. The tool provides information rights management to protect locally and remotely shared files. It safeguards sensitive information from unauthorized access, even after data is downloaded.
• The Intralinks Trust Perimeter. Intralinks allows customers to define their security perimeter to meet information protection and compliance needs as regional and global data protection standards change.
• Legal avenues. The platform adapts to geo-specific regulations for data transfers, including compliance with the E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield and Standard Contractual Clauses. Thus, all data exchanges meet international legal requirements.

Intralinks software screenshots ⬇

👁️‍🗨️Learn more about the provider at Intralinks Data Room 

Datasite vs. Intralinks pricing plans

Generally, virtual data room providers offer the following pricing models:

• Per-page pricing is based on the number of pages stored. This model is best for small and medium-sized companies with minimal document flow.
• Per-user pricing is based on the number of active users. This model is best for small companies handling large document volumes.
• Storage volume pricing is based on the amount of storage used, with additional costs for exceeding storage limits. This model is best for companies that don’t work with large video or audio files.
• Fixed plans offer a flat monthly fee based on company size or industry, with predetermined or customizable plans. This model is best for companies of any size and project type.

Intralinks and Datasite use a per-page pricing model. Intralinks charges $7,500 for 10,000 pages, while Datasite provides a slightly more affordable option at $7,000 for 10,000 pages.

To illustrate, let’s analyze the pricing for a specific use case where a company needs to store 30,000 pages.

Intralinks pricing calculation

💲Cost = (30,000 pages / 10,000 pages) × 7,500 = 3 × 7,500 = 22,500

Datasite pricing calculation

💲Cost = (30,000 pages / 10,000 pages) × 7,000 = 3 × 7,000 = 21,000

In this case, the Datasite platform offers a slightly lower cost for storing 30,000 pages than Intralinks, with a $1,500 difference.

Datasite vs. Intralinks: Virtual data room features compared

Here is a comprehensive comparison that highlights key differences between the providers:

SECURITY
	Datasite	Intralinks
Data hosting locations	3 regions	4 regions
Certifications	ISO 27001ISO 27701ISO 27017ISO 20000SOC 2 Type II	ISO 27701ISO 27017ISO 27001ISO/IEC 20000ISO 9001SOC 2 Type IISOC 3
Compliance	GDPRFedRAMPPrivacy ShieldEU-US DPF	EU-US Privacy ShieldEU-US DPFGDPRHIPAA
Granular access control	5 levels	4 levels
View as other users	✅	✅
AI-powered redaction	✅	✅
User access expiration	✖️	✖️
Two-factor authentication	✅	✅
Multi-factor authentication	✖️	✖️
IP address-based access restriction	✖️	✖️
Dynamic watermarks	✅	✅
Data encryption	✅	✅
DATA MANAGEMENT
	Datasite	Intralinks
Automatic index numbering	✅	✅
Multi-format support	✅	✅
Annotations for documents	✅	✅
Built-in Excel viewer with formulas	✅	✖️
Screenshot prevention	✖️	✖️
REPORTING
	Datasite	Intralinks
Detailed audit trail	✅	✅
Granular reports	✅	✅
Reports exporting to Excel	✅	✅
Subscription to automatic reports	✅	✖️
EASE OF USE
	Datasite	Intralinks
Quick setup	✅	✅
Multilingual interface	15 languages	8 languages
Sync with desktop app	✖️	✅
Full-text search with OCR	✅	✖️
Document labels	✅	✖️
Multi-project management	✖️	✅

Datasite provides more granular access control, document labels, and full-text search with optical character recognition (OCR). At the same time, Intralinks offers multi-project management capabilities and sync with desktop apps. To choose the best option, define your needs and consider which features are most critical to your workflow and security requirements.

Intralinks Datasite: Quality of customer support

Intralinks offers 24/7/365 availability with support in eight languages. The phone support response time is 25 seconds. Intralinks also provides a dedicated project team manager, training resources, and a help center with guides and FAQs.

Datasite offers a trial period and 24/7/365 support but in 14 languages. Also, Datasite features in-app live chat support around the clock. Like Intralinks, the provider offers a dedicated project manager, training, and a help center with guides and FAQs.

Both platforms feature strong support with 24/7 availability, training, and dedicated project managers. However, Intralinks offers a quicker phone support response time, while Datasite provides a trial period and a wider range of supported languages.

What do customers say about each provider?

According to Capterra and G2 software review platforms, users rate the providers in the following way:

	Intralinks	Datasite
Capterra	4.1 (20 reviews)	4.7 (104 reviews)
G2	3.6 (23 reviews)	4.5 (216 reviews)

Based on Datasite and Intralinks reviews, Datasite generally receives higher ratings. It suggests that customers prefer this solution.

User testimonials

Intralinks

Industry: Financial services

Duration of use: 1–2 years

Intralinks proved to be an effective solution for a private placement deal. The team was able to close the deal smoothly. The AI-powered feature helped quickly summarize key information without going through lengthy documents. However, users say the interface could be more intuitive.

Industry: Investment banking

Duration of use: six months

The platform was user-friendly and easy to integrate with their existing systems. Intralinks customer support is responsive and always available when needed. The VDR solves key problems like ensuring data security for highly confidential information and providing an intuitive interface for ease of use. However, the Q&A functionality and user permissions management for groups and users could be improved.

Datasite

Industry: Education management

Duration of use: 2+ years

Using Datasite for due diligence has been an excellent experience for the team. The platform’s robust security features gave them confidence in protecting sensitive data, and its intuitive interface made document management a breeze. While there were occasional lags, its efficiency and responsive support made up for it.

Industry: Financial services

Duration of use: 1–2 years

Datasite has been easy to use, ensuring that documents are accessible and secure. The setup of permissions and access controls is intuitive. The support team was also very responsive and helpful when needed. However, the team needed to freeze part of the dataroom while leaving other folders editable, but that feature wasn’t available.

Intralinks pros and cons

Pros

✅User-friendly data room interface

✅Reliable customer support

✅Secure document sharing 

✅Excellent for sharing large files

✅Strong security settings

Cons

✖️Limited Q&A functionality

✖️Permissions management could be improved

✖️Some parts of the user interface can be slow

✖️Limited features beyond file sharing

Datasite pros and cons

Pros

✅Strong security for sensitive information

✅User-friendly interface

✅Helpful redaction tools

✅Responsive customer support

✅Effective data management for due diligence

Cons

✖️Occasional lags during peak usage

✖️Limited customization options

✖️Data search and index need improvement

If you notice disadvantages that could slow your workflow or reduce the platform’s effectiveness for your team, explore Intralinks and Datasite competitors.

Key takeaways

Datasite and Intralinks are reliable virtual data room providers offering secure solutions for various use cases, including M&A, due diligence, and financing. 

Datasite leads the way with AI-powered redaction, granular access controls, and multilingual support, making it an excellent choice for complex, global projects. Intralinks stands out with its pioneering history, ISO 27701 certification, multi-project management, and reliable customer support. 

Datasite pricing is slightly more affordable than Intralinks for large-scale storage needs. As both use per-page pricing models, Intralinks competitors charging flat rates might be a better choice for some teams. 

Customers like Datasite for its intuitive interface, effective data management tools, and helpful redaction features. Intralinks is praised for its user-friendly design and secure file-sharing capabilities.