Datasite review for fundraising
Datasite runs some of the largest deal and capital markets processes, with AI-assisted indexing and redaction, a mobile app and full analytics. It is priced on request, usually at the top of the market.
Research file reviewed Oct 1, 2026 · Since 1999 · United States · Cloud
Key facts
- Pricing
- Quote per project
- Free trial
- Not listed
- Hosting
- Cloud
- SOC 2
- Yes
- ISO 27001
- Yes
- Founded
- 1999
- Headquarters
- United States
Overview
Datasite, listed in the research file as founded in 1999 and formerly part of Merrill Corporation, is built for big processes with dozens of bidders or lenders. It offers AI features for auto-indexing, translation and redaction, detailed analytics, a Q&A module, SSO and a native mobile app.
For most company rounds and emerging manager fund raises it is more platform than the raise needs, and the price reflects that. Where a bank runs a large debt deal or a big secondary, investors may already know the interface.
Raises it suits
Large bank-led debt raises, big secondaries and continuation fund processes, IPO preparation and late-stage rounds with many institutional investors.
Scores on five raise criteria
Datasite scores 7.6 overall. Its highest criterion is permission control at 8.7. The black mark on each bar is the mean of the 16 rooms on this site.
How each criterion is calculated: scoring approach.
Mean of the 16 rooms on this site
Strengths
- AI indexing, redaction and translation
- Native mobile app and detailed analytics
- Used on very large processes
- SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR listed
Gaps to check
- Quote-only pricing at the high end
- No free trial listed
- More setup than a small raise needs
Features for a raise
10 of the 12 features we track are listed by Datasite. Not listed: nda e-sign step, api access.
| Feature | Datasite | Why it matters in a raise |
|---|---|---|
| Q&A module | LPs and lead investors post questions on a file; the deal team routes each one, drafts a reply and decides who sees it. | |
| Investor activity log | A per-investor record of opens, pages and minutes, which tells the IR team who is in diligence and who stalled. | |
| Dynamic watermarks | Stamps the reader and a timestamp over every page, so a PPM that leaks carries its source with it. | |
| Built-in redaction | Masks fee splits, investor names or personal data in place, with no edited duplicate to keep in sync. | |
| NDA e-sign step | Confidentiality terms an investor must accept in the room before folder one appears. | |
| Native mobile app | An installed app for phones and tablets, on top of reading in the mobile browser. | |
| API access | Lets a CRM or an internal script add investors, push files or pull the activity record. | |
| SSO for your team | Staff on the issuer side log in with the company identity provider rather than a separate password. | |
| 2-step verification | A code or an approval on a second device every time someone logs in. | |
| Drag-and-drop folders | An entire numbered folder tree goes up in a single drop, structure intact. | |
| View-only files | Files can be read but not saved or printed, and the setting can change mid-raise without a new invite. | |
| AI features | Help the vendor lists, for example summaries, search across documents, automatic filing or draft answers. |
Datasite pricing for a raise
Datasite prices each project on request. The figures below use our institutional platforms band, which is a planning range, not a vendor quote.
Company round
$5,600 to $15,600
4 months, 3 users, planning band
Fund raise
$19,600 to $54,600
10 months, 4 users, planning band
Real estate raise
$8,400 to $23,400
3 months, 2 users, planning band
Debt raise
$5,900 to $16,400
3 months, 3 users, planning band
Compare the cost of your own raise
-
Ellty $596Listed price Visit Ellty -
Datasite $5,600 to $15,600Planning band Pricing notes
USD before tax, for the full raise period. Vendor list prices where published; elsewhere our planning bands, which are budgeting ranges and never a vendor quote. Get a written price before you commit.
Where Datasite fits
Out of 92 raise types we rank, these are the ones where Datasite places highest.
Security, setup and support
Onboarding is led by the vendor or the bank running the process. Support is staffed globally, and the platform team often handles uploads and indexing on large projects.
Certifications in our research file: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR. Two-step login is listed. Dynamic watermarks are listed. Request the newest attestation report before LPs or lenders start reading.
Before you sign: six hands-on checks
- Recreate your real index (01 Offering, 02 Terms...) and drop one full folder in.
- Send an invite to your own personal inbox and count the clicks to the first document.
- Lock the financial model to reading only, then try to print and save it as that test reader.
- Check that the test reader's name shows on the page and that the visit appears in the log.
- Post a mock LP question and route it to a colleague for the reply.
- Pull the activity export and compare it with what your IR file or CRM needs.
Datasite: questions and answers
What will Datasite cost over a raise?
Datasite does not publish a price; each project is quoted. For planning we place it in our institutional platforms band: about $5,600 to $15,600 for a four-month company round. Ask the vendor for a written quote.
Can I try Datasite before paying?
No trial is recorded for Datasite. Plan on a sales demo and a written quote.
Can investors ask diligence questions inside Datasite?
Yes. A Q&A module is listed, so a DDQ follow-up or a lender query can be raised, routed and closed without leaving Datasite.
What security attestations does Datasite list?
Our research file records SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR. Before signing, request the latest report under NDA and check its date and scope.