Firmex doesn't publish pricing on their website. Everything is custom quote, which makes it hard to budget or compare options.
This guide breaks down what Firmex actually costs based on user reports, what you get at different price points, and how it compares to alternatives. You'll see real numbers for common team sizes, understand the true all-in cost, and know when Firmex makes sense versus other virtual data room options.
Firmex is an enterprise virtual data room (VDR) platform used primarily for M&A transactions, due diligence, and secure document sharing. Founded in 2006 and based in Toronto, they've been around longer than most VDR providers.
Key features:
Market position: Firmex positions itself as a mid-market to enterprise VDR solution. They're known for serving investment banks, private equity firms, and corporate development teams on complex transactions. The platform has facilitated over $2 trillion in deals.
Firmex uses 100% custom pricing. There's no published price list, no self-serve plans, and no online calculator.
Billing structure: Pricing is typically per-project or per-deal, not per-user. You pay for the data room duration, storage amount, and number of users. Most contracts are month-to-month for individual deals, though some firms negotiate annual agreements for multiple transactions.
You'll need to contact sales for:
Pricing model options:
Per-project pricing - Most common for one-off M&A deals. You pay a flat fee for the duration of your transaction (typically 3-6 months).
Annual subscription - For firms running multiple deals per year. Monthly fee covers unlimited deals up to certain storage/user limits.
What influences your quote:
Based on user reviews on G2, Capterra, and direct reports:
Small deals (under 1GB, 10-20 users, 3 months): $5,000 - $10,000 per project
Who it's for: Smaller M&A transactions, fundraising rounds, simple due diligence.
What's included:
Key limitations:
Best for: Small business sales, early-stage fundraising, straightforward deals without complex requirements.
Mid-size deals (1-5GB, 20-50 users, 3-6 months): $10,000 - $25,000 per project
Who it's for: Mid-market M&A, growth equity raises, competitive sale processes.
What's included:
Key limitations:
Best for: Companies running competitive processes with multiple bidders, deals requiring detailed analytics, transactions with 10+ interested parties.
Large deals (5GB+, 50+ users, 6+ months): $25,000 - $75,000+ per project
Who it's for: Enterprise M&A, large private equity deals, complex carve-outs.
What's included:
Key limitations:
Best for: Billion-dollar transactions, multi-jurisdictional deals, complex due diligence requiring extensive documentation.
Annual subscriptions: $50,000 - $200,000+ per year
Who it's for: Investment banks, PE firms, corporate development teams running multiple deals annually.
What's included:
Pricing factors:
Best for: Firms closing 5+ deals per year, organizations wanting predictable VDR costs, teams needing consistent platform access.
Setup and implementation:
Overage charges:
Optional add-ons:
Third-party costs:
Per-project pricing means your costs depend entirely on your deal characteristics. Here's what Firmex actually costs for common scenarios.
Deal size: Selling a $10M business
Timeline: 4 months
Users: 15 (seller team + 3-4 potential buyers)
Storage needed: 500MB
Recommended setup: Small project package
Estimated cost: $7,500
Monthly equivalent: $1,875
What this includes:
Limitations to watch:
Deal size: $30M fundraising round
Timeline: 5 months
Users: 35 (company team + 8-10 interested investors)
Storage needed: 2GB
Recommended setup: Mid-size project package
Estimated cost: $15,000
Monthly equivalent: $3,000
What this includes:
Limitations to watch:
Deal size: Selling $100M company
Timeline: 6 months
Users: 60 (seller advisors + management + 5-7 bidders with teams)
Storage needed: 4GB
Recommended setup: Large project package
Estimated cost: $35,000
Monthly equivalent: $5,833
What this includes:
Limitations to watch:
Deal size: $500M+ division sale
Timeline: 9 months
Users: 100+ (multiple bidder teams, advisors, legal, consultants)
Storage needed: 8GB
Recommended setup: Enterprise project package
Estimated cost: $60,000 - $80,000
Monthly equivalent: $6,667 - $8,889
What this includes:
Limitations to watch:
Deal volume: 6-8 deals per year
Users: Variable per deal (30-80 typical)
Storage needed: 15GB pooled across deals
Recommended setup: Annual unlimited subscription
Annual cost: $90,000
Monthly equivalent: $7,500
Per-deal cost: $11,250 - $15,000 (if running 6-8 deals)
What this includes:
Limitations to watch:
Hidden cost multipliers:
Costs increase when you need:
Most firms pay for features they never use because Firmex pricing is opaque. Here's what actually matters for different use cases.
Must-have features:
Nice-to-have features:
Skip these features:
Recommended setup: Small project package ($7,500 - $10,000)
Most simple deals don't need enterprise features. You're paying for security and basic tracking, not complex workflows.
Must-have features:
Nice-to-have features:
Skip these features:
Recommended setup: Mid-size to large project package ($15,000 - $40,000 depending on deal size)
Competitive processes need strong analytics to know which buyers are serious. Worth paying for detailed tracking.
Must-have features:
Nice-to-have features:
Skip these features:
Recommended setup: Annual subscription ($50,000 - $150,000 depending on volume)
If you're running 5+ deals per year, annual subscriptions save money and provide consistency.
Must-have features:
Nice-to-have features:
Skip these features:
Recommended setup: Enterprise package ($50,000+)
Large transactions justify premium pricing. The VDR cost is tiny compared to overall deal costs and risk.
Ask yourself:
How long will your deal take?
How many users will you have?
How much data?
How complex is your process?
What's your risk tolerance?
We reviewed hundreds of user comments on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. Here's what actual customers say about Firmex pricing.
Transparent once you're in the process:
"After the initial contact, they were very upfront about costs and what would trigger additional fees. No surprises during our deal."
— VP Corporate Development, G2
Flexible for deal extensions:
"When our M&A process took 3 extra months, they worked with us on the extension costs rather than hitting us with the full rate."
— Investment Banker, Capterra
No public pricing makes budgeting impossible:
"I needed to get three quotes before I could even budget for a VDR. Firmex wouldn't give me a ballpark without a 30-minute sales call. Just publish your pricing."
— CFO, G2
Expensive compared to alternatives:
"We paid $18,000 for a relatively simple deal. I later learned we could have used other platforms for $5,000-8,000 with similar features."
— M&A Advisor, Trustpilot
Overage fees add up:
"The base quote seemed reasonable, but we got hit with $3,000 in storage overages and another $2,000 for timeline extension. Should have been clearer upfront."
— Corporate Development Manager, G2
Sales process takes too long:
"From first contact to signed contract took 3 weeks. For time-sensitive deals, that's painful. I needed a VDR set up in days, not weeks."
— Private Equity Associate, Capterra
Per-project pricing doesn't scale well:
"We do 10+ deals per year. Paying $10K-15K per deal was killing our budget. Eventually negotiated an annual contract but wish that was offered upfront."
— Head of Corp Dev, G2
User sentiment is mixed. Investment bankers and advisors working on large M&A deals generally find Firmex worth the cost for the security, support, and features. The platform handles complex transactions well and support is responsive.
Smaller companies and infrequent users often feel they're overpaying. Many report that Firmex's features are more than they needed, and the cost didn't match the value for straightforward deals.
Users who run multiple deals per year on annual subscriptions report better value than per-project pricing. The lack of transparent pricing frustrates nearly everyone initially, though most say the sales process improves once you're actually in discussions.
Here's how Firmex pricing compares to similar tools. All prices for comparable plans.
When it makes sense: If you're sharing pitch materials with investors, not running formal due diligence. Costs $144/year for one user vs. $7,500+ for Firmex project.
When it makes sense: When you need the most recognized VDR brand for credibility with sophisticated buyers, or when your deal is large enough that VDR cost is irrelevant.
When it makes sense: If you want deal pipeline tools integrated with your VDR, or you're managing multiple active processes.
When it makes sense: Early-stage fundraising where you need tracking but not formal VDR security. Significant cost savings for straightforward deals.
When it makes sense: When you need VDR features but want to save 30-40% vs. Firmex, and your deal doesn't require top-tier platform.
For a $20M Series B fundraising round (5 months, 30 users, 2GB storage):
For a mid-market M&A deal (6 months, 50 users, 4GB storage):
Firmex doesn't advertise discounts publicly, but here's how to save money if you choose them.
Firmex occasionally runs promotions for first-time customers or through partner referrals. Check with your M&A advisor or investment banker - they often have relationships that get you 10-15% off your first deal.
Annual contracts vs. per-project: If you run 4+ deals per year, negotiate an annual subscription. You'll typically save 20-30% compared to paying per-project rates. A firm paying $15,000 per deal × 5 deals = $75,000 could negotiate annual contracts for $50,000-60,000.
Commit to longer deal timelines upfront: If you know your deal will take 6 months, negotiate 6 months upfront rather than 3 months + extensions. Extension fees are typically 25-40% more expensive than including time in original contract.
Bundle multiple deals: Even if you don't want an annual contract, bundling 2-3 known deals into one agreement gets you 10-20% discount vs. separate projects.
Pay upfront vs. monthly: Some quotes offer payment plan options. Paying the full amount upfront sometimes gets you 5-10% discount vs. monthly installments.
Firmex doesn't have a formal startup program, but some accelerators (Y Combinator, Techstars) have negotiated group rates for portfolio companies. Ask your accelerator if they have VDR partnerships.
Not applicable - Firmex is for commercial transactions only.
Not typically offered, though they may work with you on pricing for non-profit mergers or restructurings. Worth asking if applicable.
Firmex offers demos but not free trials of the full platform. You can request a demo environment to test features before signing, which helps avoid paying for features you don't need.
Get multiple quotes: Tell them you're evaluating Intralinks, DealRoom, and CapLinked. Competition matters.
Be specific about your needs: The more accurate your user count, storage, and timeline estimates, the better your quote. Vague requirements lead to padded quotes.
Ask about overage costs upfront: Get storage overages, timeline extensions, and additional user costs in writing before signing. This is where they make extra margin.
Negotiate support levels: If your deal doesn't need 24/7 support, ask for standard business hours only. Can save 10-15%.
Question every add-on: Ask what's actually included in base price vs. optional add-ons. Often they'll throw in "extras" that should be standard.
Leverage your network: If your investment banker or advisor has a relationship with Firmex, use it. They often get better rates than direct customers.
Be willing to walk: If the quote feels high, say so. Firmex will usually come back with a better offer rather than lose the deal entirely.
Base price is just the start. Here's how to calculate what you'll actually pay for Firmex.
Get your initial quote:
Example:
Storage buffer: Add 25-30% to your estimated storage. Files add up quickly.
Timeline buffer: M&A deals frequently extend. Budget for at least 1 extra month.
Additional user seats: As advisors and bidders join, users multiply.
Custom features: Any special requests beyond standard features.
Add-on total: $6,250
Internal time costs:
Firmex setup:
Implementation total: $3,500
Support and maintenance:
Document management:
Ongoing total: $0
Total: $27,750
$27,750 ÷ 6 months = $4,625 per month
That's 54% more than the base quote suggested.
Deal extensions are common: Budget at least 1-2 extra months beyond your initial timeline estimate.
Storage grows: Initial data room estimates rarely account for Q&A documents, updated financials, and additional diligence materials added mid-process.
User seat creep: Bidders bring advisors, advisors bring associates. User counts frequently exceed initial estimates by 20-40%.
Internal labor: Organizing documents, managing permissions, responding to Q&A - this takes significant internal time beyond the VDR cost.
Opportunity cost: If the VDR is slow to set up or difficult to use, deal timeline extends, which has real costs to your business.
Same deal on Ellty (assuming it met your security needs):
Same deal on CapLinked:
Same deal on DocSend:
The question isn't just what Firmex costs - it's whether the additional features justify 5-90× the price for your specific deal.
Firmex charges thousands per deal with opaque pricing. For many fundraising and early-stage deals, you're paying for enterprise features you don't need.
Ellty takes a different approach - transparent pricing, unlimited storage, and features built specifically for pitch deck sharing and fundraising analytics. Not saying it replaces Firmex for complex M&A, but for many use cases, you don't need an enterprise VDR.
Best for: Testing investor interest, sharing pitch materials, early conversations with potential investors.
Best for: Active fundraising, formal investor diligence, Series A/B rounds.
For a typical Series B fundraising (5 months, 30 investors viewing materials):
For ongoing fundraising (12 months of active conversations):
You're fundraising, not selling your company: Series A, B, C rounds don't need the same security infrastructure as M&A transactions. Ellty gives you the analytics you need without enterprise VDR overhead.
You want transparent pricing: Know exactly what you'll pay before you start. No surprise overages, no negotiation required.
You need to move fast: Set up a data room in minutes, not weeks. Start sharing materials same day.
You share pitch materials frequently: If you're constantly updating investors or sharing decks with potential partners, per-project pricing doesn't make sense.
Cost actually matters: If you're pre-revenue or early-stage, spending $10,000+ on a VDR is a real budget hit. Ellty costs less than your monthly SaaS tools.
You're running a formal M&A process: Selling your company to sophisticated buyers who expect enterprise VDR security and features.
You need SOC 2 / ISO 27001 certifications: Regulatory requirements or buyer demands require certified security infrastructure.
You have complex Q&A workflows: Due diligence processes with hundreds of questions requiring assignment and tracking.
Buyer expectations matter: Some investment banks and PE firms expect to see recognized VDR brands. Perception matters in high-stakes deals.
Budget isn't a constraint: If you're doing a $500M transaction, VDR cost is irrelevant. Use the best tool regardless of price.
No sales calls, no implementation timeline, no multi-week setup. Start sharing in the time it took to read this section.
No. Firmex doesn't offer a free plan or free tier. All usage requires a paid contract, typically starting around $7,500 for small deals.
Not a traditional free trial. They offer product demos where you can see the platform, but you can't upload your own documents and test it yourself without signing a contract. Some sales reps will set up a demo environment with your data if you're serious about buying, but this is case-by-case.
Both. Per-project pricing is typically structured as a flat fee for your deal duration (e.g., $15,000 for 5 months), paid upfront or in installments. Annual subscriptions for firms running multiple deals are billed monthly or quarterly depending on your contract terms.
Wire transfer, ACH, and credit card (for smaller deals). Most enterprise contracts are paid via wire transfer or ACH. Credit card payments sometimes incur 2-3% processing fees.
Implementation and standard onboarding are typically included in your quote for mid-size and large deals. However, custom integrations, advanced training beyond standard onboarding, or extensive white-glove setup may cost extra ($1,000 - $10,000 depending on requirements).
Depends on your contract. Per-project agreements typically run for the deal duration with specific end dates. You can't cancel mid-deal without paying the full contract amount. Annual subscriptions usually have 30-60 day cancellation notice requirements and may have minimum commitments (12 months common).
Yes, but API access is typically only available on enterprise plans or annual subscriptions. Per-project deals don't usually include API access unless specifically negotiated and paid for.
Yes. Firmex has iOS and Android apps that let users access data rooms, view documents, and track activity on mobile devices. Mobile app access is included in all plans.
Yes. Storage limits depend on your specific quote. Small deals might get 1-2GB, mid-size deals 3-5GB, large deals 10GB+. Document count isn't typically limited, but total storage is. Exceeding your storage allocation triggers overage fees of $500-2,000 per additional GB.
Firmex pricing accounts for expected user counts, but you don't pay strict per-user fees like monthly SaaS tools. However, if you significantly exceed your estimated user count, you may face additional charges. Account sharing violates terms of service and creates security risks - each user should have their own login for proper audit trails.
You get hit with overage fees. Storage overages cost $500-2,000 per additional GB. Timeline extensions cost approximately 20-30% of your original quote per additional month. Additional users beyond your estimate cost $100-300 per user per month. These overages are where Firmex makes additional margin, so estimate conservatively and get overage rates in writing before signing.
Generally no. Once you've signed a contract and the data room is set up, you're committed to the full contract value even if your deal falls through or you decide not to use the platform. Some contracts may have early termination clauses with penalties, but don't expect refunds. This is why accurate timeline and requirement estimates matter - you'll pay for what you commit to regardless of actual usage.