Datasite Data Room Review 2025

Datasite data room accelerates M&A deals by an impressive 20% compared to traditional methods. Datasite definitely stands out in the crowded VDR marketplace with operations in 170 countries and support for 200+ file formats.

The former Merrill datasite deserves a closer look. Our testing covered everything from their AI-powered redaction tools to their multilingual customer support that runs 24/7 in 20 languages. We noticed the platform’s impressive ability to reduce deal time by up to 40%, though users should think over the datasite pricing structure carefully. This detailed review shares our extended testing results about this ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified solution that E*Trade and Dish Network trust.

Datasite Data Room: What It Is and Who It’s For

Datasite, previously Merrill Corporation, has grown into a powerhouse virtual data room solution that specializes in complex financial transactions. The platform handles over 10,000 deals annually. Users spend an average of 25,000 hours working within its easy-to-use interface each day. These numbers demonstrate its effectiveness and practicality in various business scenarios.

Core use cases: M&A, IPOs, and restructuring

Datasite helps professionals manage high-stakes financial deals where document security and collaboration matter most. The platform stands out in mergers and acquisitions. Its tools help reduce deal preparation time by 40% cut deal preparation time by 40%. Companies pursuing initial public offerings benefit from specialized tools that simplify complex documentation requirements and regulatory compliance. The platform’s secure environment proves valuable in restructuring scenarios. It allows stakeholders to share sensitive financial information while strict access controls remain in place.

Industries served: Finance, Healthcare, Real Estate

Datasite serves many sectors, but three industries find its capabilities especially valuable:

• Finance: Banking institutions and private equity firms rely on Datasite for secure deal management. The platform’s redaction tools and permission settings protect sensitive financial data.
• Healthcare: Medical organizations use Datasite’s compliance features to meet HIPAA standards when sharing patient data during mergers or acquisitions.
• Real Estate: Property developers and real estate investment firms employ the platform to organize property documentation, permits, and environmental assessments during complex transactions.

Beyond these core industries, Datasite serves manufacturing, technology, and energy sectors. This makes it adaptable for any industry that needs secure document management.

Datasite vs Merrill Data Room: Brand evolution

Merrill Corporation became Datasite in 2020. This move reflected its focus on becoming a specialized financial technology company. The change went beyond just a new name. It showed the company’s investment in technological progress, particularly in AI capabilities and user-focused design. The company kept its 50+ years of institutional knowledge while modernizing its approach to virtual data rooms.

Datasite has expanded globally since this rebranding. It now operates in over 170 countries and supports 20+ languages. This growth shows the company’s dedication to serving an international deal-making environment with tools designed for cross-border transactions.

Key Features We Tested Over 6 Months

My six-month hands-on testing with Datasite’s virtual data room revealed several outstanding features that improve the M&A process. The platform’s sophisticated tools cut our document preparation time significantly compared to traditional methods.

AI-Powered Redaction and Smart Indexing

Datasite’s Redaction AI works quickly by automatically identifying personally identifiable information (PII) across multiple jurisdictions. Users can create customized lists of specific terms to redact, with up to fifty terms per fileroom. The color-coded tags proved valuable during testing. Each redaction reason (commercial, strategic, GDPR) has its own color that makes identification easy. The system lets you selectively unredact information as needed, which makes later deal stages more efficient.

Smart Indexing changes how document organization works. The system creates complete folder structures directly from trackers instead of manual mapping of due diligence checklists to indexes. A live connection between trackers and folders through index syncing eliminates the need to switch between checklists and indexes.

Granular User Permissions and View As Mode

The permissions system gives exceptional control over content access. Setting distinct permission levels for every folder or file lets you specify whether roles can view, print, download, or manage content. The “View As” mode became a valuable tool that showed me exactly what different user roles would see before giving access.

Integrated Q&A and Document Tracking

The Q&A workflow management system replaces the usual spreadsheet exchanges. Deal teams typically spend upward of 10 weeks on Q&A exchanges, but Datasite’s integrated system unites all communications in one secure environment. Teams can create custom workflows as deep as needed and questions route automatically to appropriate team members.

Mobile App and Cross-Platform Access

Datasite’s mobile capabilities stood out during my testing. The app maintains desktop version’s security standards with biometric login and multi-factor authentication. You can manage entire projects from your phone and access features like permission adjustments, document scanning, and tracker monitoring on the go. The platform runs on all major browsers and operating systems, making it truly device-agnostic.

Security and Compliance Standards

Security is the foundation of Datasite’s virtual data room. The platform implements strong protection measures at every level. My six-month assessment revealed their layered approach worked well, especially when you have sensitive financial documents to handle.

Data Encryption and Two-Factor Authentication

Datasite uses military-grade AES 256-bit encryption for all stored files. Data moving through the system gets protection via Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 protocol. Cryptographic hash algorithms process all passwords to add another defensive layer. The platform keeps user information, application data, and logs separate. This design strategy reduces unauthorized access risks.

Two-factor authentication protects accounts well. This feature proves valuable during high-stakes M&A deals where unauthorized access could stop negotiations. On top of that, it captures and analyzes events immediately. The system monitors activity 24/7.

ISO, SOC 2, and FedRAMP Certifications

Datasite’s steadfast dedication to security shows through its impressive certifications. The platform maintains ISO 27001, 27017, 27018, and 27701 certifications that ensure compliance with international standards for information security management. Datasite’s SOC 2 Type II attestation confirms its systems meet strict security standards for handling sensitive client information.

Datasite’s infrastructure meets FedRAMP certification requirements for organizations that need government-level security. This US government standard tests cloud-based services against strict security controls. These certifications make Datasite a good fit for highly regulated industries.

Custom Watermarking and Access Logs

The watermarking feature stands out with its flexibility and security focus. Administrators can customize watermarks with user-specific information to discourage unauthorized sharing. These watermarks stay permanent for maximum security. Datasite stores the original un-watermarked files automatically for future access if needed.

Access logs show detailed visibility down to the page level and create a complete audit trail of document interactions. This strong tracking makes users accountable. Administrators can learn about which documents potential buyers or partners view most—a great way to get intelligence during complex transactions.

Datasite Pricing and Value for Money

Datasite’s pricing isn’t straightforward at first glance. The premium virtual data room provider has a complex cost structure that changes by a lot based on several factors.

How Datasite pricing is calculated

Datasite bases its pricing on a per-page model and charges about $0.60 for each uploaded page. From a cost viewpoint, a typical 10 GB setup can run up to $720,000 per year. This makes it one of the pricier VDR options you can find. Datasite claims to offer “completely transparent and all-inclusive” pricing with “zero hidden costs”. My research shows a different story.

The pricing formula works like this: (Number of pages ÷ 10,000) × base rate. A storage space of 30,000 pages would cost you around $21,000. Small deals tend to pay more due to this structure. Larger organizations can usually negotiate better deals.

Hidden costs: Page-based billing explained

My testing showed many more charges beyond the basic price. Files that aren’t PDFs or Microsoft Office documents cost differently. You’ll pay extra for Excel files, media uploads, and USB archives. Projects that run longer than the original timeline face time-based extra charges.

The per-page model hits hard when you work with Excel files. A tiny 10KB file might count as one page for billing. Multimedia files can trigger “special media” fees.

Is Datasite worth the premium?

The value you get depends heavily on your organization’s size. Small businesses and teams often struggle to justify the costs, especially for smaller deals. A G2 reviewer pointed out: “The only con to Datasite is pricing. The legacy providers continue to charge based on page count and special media, while new entrants are offering a flat subscription price”.

Mid-sized and enterprise organizations see the premium differently. A financial services user said: “Pricing can be on the higher end, especially when deals go into a continuation period, but well worth the costs relative to other VDR vendors”. Large-volume, high-stakes transactions often make the platform’s performance, security, and support worth the investment.

Final Verdict: Is Datasite Right for Your Needs?

My six months of thorough testing shows Datasite as a powerful virtual data room solution that comes with clear strengths and limitations. The platform speeds up M&A deals as promised, but its premium price tag makes sense only if it matches your needs.

The AI-powered tools are without doubt Datasite’s biggest selling point. Their redaction system helped me save countless hours when preparing documents. The smart indexing feature took away most of the boring manual work that due diligence usually needs. The mobile app amazed me with its detailed features that let you manage deals from anywhere.

Security is another major plus. Military-grade encryption combined with extensive certifications and precise permission controls creates a fortress for your sensitive documents. This resilient security framework makes perfect sense for highly regulated industries or deals that involve sensitive intellectual property.

All the same, you need to think over the pricing structure carefully. Small organizations might find the per-page costs too high, especially for modest deals. But large enterprises handling complex transactions with thousands of documents will see the efficiency gains as worth the investment.

Unlike many competitors, Datasite sticks to high-stakes financial transactions instead of trying to be an all-purpose document sharing platform. This focus shows everywhere in the design, from Q&A workflows to watermarking capabilities.

Whatever its premium position, Datasite gets what makes M&A processes challenging. The platform cuts down administrative work while boosting security and collaboration. You’ll need to weigh these benefits against its high cost. Organizations that keep handling complex financial transactions will find Datasite’s specialized tools can save both time and resources during critical deals.