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FirmRoom vs Datasite: Compare Features + Save 95% on Your VDR Invoice

Kison Patel
Kison Patel

Kison Patel is the Founder and CEO of DealRoom, a Chicago-based diligence management software that uses Agile principles to innovate and modernize the finance industry. As a former M&A advisor with over a decade of experience, Kison developed DealRoom after seeing first hand a number of deep-seated, industry-wide structural issues and inefficiencies.

CEO and Founder of M&A Science and FirmRoom

Datasite has been a popular option virtual data room provider in the past, but should it still be? There are many aspects where Datasite seems to fall short in keeping up with applicable pricing plans, newer and better features, and overall functionality of other VDRs.

Specifically, Datasite's pay-per-page pricing structure is out of date, costing users thousands of dollars.

FirmRoom vs Datasite at a Glance

FirmRoom is 95% less expensive in comparison to Datasite. 

FirmRoom's VDR is also a newer provider that knows what are the industry needs in the current climate. Unlike Datasite, FirmRoom is tailored, for practitioners, by practitioners, and constantly updated for today's ever-evolving needs, delivering unmatched innovation and functionality.

Why People Choose FirmRoom over Datasite:

"FirmRoom offers intuitive features, strong integrations, and quick self-serve onboarding, all wrapped up in a user-friendly interface with transparent, flat-rate pricing, that is 10% the cost of Datasite"

FirmRoom vs Datasite: Key Differences

Cost-Effectiveness

Datasite’s pricing plan is centered around an outdated pay-per page strategy that is not effective when storing data in our current digital age.

The average cost of Datasite’s upload is $0.60 per page, costing up to $720,000 annually for a 10 GB plan. For the same amount of storage, FirmRoom’s flat-rate pricing only costs $5,940 annually, saving organizations over 95% in data room fees.

Datasite does not advertise their pricing online, alluding to hidden fees or additional costs. Alternatively, FirmRoom prides itself on being fully transparent in their pricing structure. Companies are only charged for the features and space used. 

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Ease of Set Up: 

FirmRoom is designed to simplify and expedite the data room setup process. Users can have their data room up and running within two minutes, without a meeting with a sales representative.

Onboarding and training videos, as well as live training with a sales representative are available 24/7. Customer led training videos can be found on FirmRoom’s website and are capable of teaching all participants within 5 minutes, making for an effortless and professional interaction for all parties involved. 

Making the Switch to a New VDR: 

Switching over to a new software can be daunting. Transferring over files from one software to another manually can feel like a tedious task. According to their websites, Datasite offers no information on what systems they integrate with, and FirmRoom guarantees that they integrate with Salesforce, Slack, and Office 365. As far as available devices, Datasite offers web-based access, and FirmRoom offers web-based and mobile-optimized access. 

Ease-of-Use Daily: 

FirmRoom’s platform is intuitive to users, with an easy-to-navigate and user-friendly interface. When transitioning to a new software, both Datasite and Firm Room offer ample training and 24/7 customer support to get your entire team situated. FirmRoom also provides additional training services including webinars, podcasts, videos, blogs, and more. 

Document Upload Efficiency: 

FirmRoom’s lightning fast upload speeds and document viewing capabilities ensure user satisfaction and ease of use. Teams can search and view documents easily with the built in document viewer.

Additionally, FirmRoom does not have a maximum upload cap. Whereas Datasite only allows users to upload 10 GB at a time, unless the file is zipped, requiring extra preparation of files before uploading or downloading. Instant uploads on FirmRoom permits users to work promptly and efficiently with no wait times. 

FirmRoom vs Datasite: Pricing

Finding a data room with straightforward pricing and no hidden fees can be challenging. 

FirmRoom does just that with flat-rate, reasonable pricing. Datasite does not publish its pricing online but uses per-page pricing that fluctuates with every project, month, and user access. Imagine if Spotify billed you for every song you listen to. Also the amount they quote per page largely depends on how many deals you do with them. FirmRoom’s website is completely transparent and honest about their flat-rate pricing plans, and they do not have hidden fees. 

Standard data rooms charge around $0.60 per page. If we compare a standard price for a six month deal (approximately $60,000) to FirmRoom for a six month contract (approximately $3,570) the average savings would be approximately $56,430. 

Datasite Pricing

Navigating Datasite's pricing can feel like unraveling a mystery – you need to speak to a sales rep to uncover the cost.

Datasite's users report being charged up to $0.60 per page uploaded and receiving invoices of $40,000 per month.

Per-page pricing is outdated and can become unnecessarily expensive rather quickly. Twenty years ago, diligence documents would be physically scanned into a data room individually, hence charging per-page. Gone are the days of individually scanning documents; we live in a digital era, where bulk uploads reign supreme.

A meeting with a sales representative is required to learn about Datasite’s pricing models, which creates a lack of transparency with consumers.

FirmRoom Pricing

firmroom pricing

Standard

Ideal for small teams and startups with 10 GB storage, unlimited admins, unlimited users, next generation VDR features, data security, data and theft loss protection. 

Price: $495 a month

Professional

The most popular choice for most projects with 50 GB of storage, unlimited admins, unlimited users, next generation VDR features, data security, data and theft loss protection.

Price: $995 a month

Enterprise

Enough space for the largest scoped projects with 200 GB of storage, unlimited admins, unlimited users, next generation VDR features, data security, data and theft loss protection.

Price: $1,995/month

See the entire FirmRoom's pricing plans here.

Pricing Comparison

When looking at average per-page pricing to compare 5GB and 10GB price for one year between Datasite and FirmRoom, the prices would result in approximately the following:

price comparison datasite vs FirmROom

Yearly Plan - 5GB

FirmRoom: $5,940
DataSite:
$360,000

Yearly Plan - 10GB

FirmRoom: $5,940
DataSite:
$720,000

FirmRoom disrupts this archaic approach with a modern, flat-rate pricing structure, eliminating hidden fees and page-counting concerns. Embrace the digital age with tailored plans and save up to 95% compared to Datasite, without sacrificing quality or expertise.

To compare different amount of storage based on your unique needs, use our VDR pricing comparison.

FirmRoom vs Datasite: Features

When comparing FirmRoom and Datasite’s list of features, FirmRoom offers more flexibility, user support and pricing transparency aiding in overall user experience and satisfaction. 

User Interface

FirmRoom’s interface is easy to navigate allowing for a smooth transition from previous virtual data rooms. The human-to-computer interface is intuitive, helping users close deals faster. Datasite has a steep learning curve and can be complex to learn according to user reviews. 

FirmRoom vs Datasite

Integrations

The only integrations disclosed from Datasite is Office 365. To learn more information about integrations, one must speak to a sales representative. FirmRoom guarantees integration with Salesforce, Slack, and Office 365. 

Support Options

Both FirmRoom and Datasite have similar support options with 24/7 chat, email and phone support and FAQ forums. FirmRoom also has high volumes of customer training tutorials, webinars, and other training materials. 

Bulk File Importing

FirmRoom allows for users to manage and store data with up to 250 GB of storage (approximately 2.5 million pages) with unlimited users and admins. FirmRoom’s instant uploads allow users to streamline efficiency. 

Bulk File Importing

Group Permission Sharing

FirmRoom allows for unlimited users and admins with every pricing plan. Select which permission groups users belong to and add notes when doing so. FirmRoom makes it easy to export contacts or permissions allowing teams more flexibility.

Datasite does not disclose how many admins and users are a part of each plan. Users of datasite also reported that permissions were “messy” and “cumbersome.”

Data Protection

Ensure your entire team has access to documents when needed, and are censored when necessary. 

FirmRoom has user-friendly permission settings to control who can access, edit, and download documents within a deal cycle.

Both FirmRoom and Datasite have two-factor authentication, single sign-on, and data encryption.

FirmRoom allows for watermarks over confidential documents and has multiple certifications including: HIPAA, SOC2, Amazon AWS, FINRA, SEC, and ISO27001.  

Data Protection

Document Classification

With a built-in document and Excel viewer, FirmRoom allows for users to view and analyze documents within the interface. FirmRoom accepts over 25 different types of file formats, eliminating the need to prepare documents for upload. 

Document Classification

FirmRoom vs Datasite: Customer Support:

Both FirmRoom and Datasite have multiple support options. Both include live support, training, and support by phone and email. FirmRoom has experts in the industry right at your fingertips 24/7. 

Conclusion

Don’t waste money with an unfair pricing plan that involves hidden fees. When you pick FirmRoom, you always know what the price is from day one. FirmRoom’s quick onboarding and ease of use will start saving you time and money immediately. Start working more efficiently with FirmRoom today by signing up for your 14-day free trial.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Embrace Innovation: Ditch Outdated Per-Page Pricing

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