iDeals virtual data room pricing is notoriously complex. You won't find clear pricing on their website. Most startups get sticker shock when they see the quote.
This guide breaks down what iDeals actually costs. You'll see real pricing for different deal sizes, understand the per-page fee structure, and learn what alternatives exist. We've analyzed actual user costs, reviewed complaints about pricing, and compared iDeals to simpler options like Ellty.
If you're evaluating iDeals for fundraising or due diligence, here's what you need to know before you commit.
Overview of iDeals
iDeals is a virtual data room provider focused on M&A transactions, due diligence, and corporate deals. They've been around since 2008 and serve investment banks, private equity firms, and corporations running high-stakes transactions.
Key features:
- Secure document storage with granular permission controls
- Q&A management for due diligence workflows
- Activity tracking and detailed analytics
- Integration with DocuSign and other enterprise tools
- Watermarking and document-level security
- 24/7 support with dedicated project managers
iDeals positions itself as an enterprise-grade solution for complex deals. They're known for security and compliance certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2) but also for pricing that's hard to predict. Most users describe the sales process as quote-based with significant negotiation involved.
Current iDeals VDR pricing (2026)
iDeals doesn't publish pricing. You have to contact sales for a quote. That said, based on user reports and deal analysis, here's what teams actually pay.
Currency note: iDeals quotes in USD for US customers and EUR for European customers. International pricing varies by region.
Billing structure: Project-based pricing, not subscription. You pay per data room project, with costs determined by pages uploaded, users invited, and project duration. Most projects run 3-6 months minimum.
Per-page pricing model
iDeals uses a per-page pricing structure that confuses most first-time buyers.
How it works:
- Base fee: $500-$2,000 per month minimum (depends on deal size and negotiation)
- Per-page fee: $0.40-$1.00 per page uploaded
- User fees: $100-$300 per user invited (some packages include users)
- Overage fees if you exceed package limits
What counts as a "page":
- Each PDF page = 1 page
- Each PowerPoint slide = 1 page
- Excel sheets count by printed page count
- Images and documents count as pages
Example calculation for a typical fundraising round:
- 500 pages of documents
- 15 users (investors, advisors, lawyers)
- 3-month project duration
Cost breakdown:
- Base fee: $1,500/month × 3 months = $4,500
- Pages: 500 × $0.60 = $300
- Users: 15 × $150 = $2,250 (or included, depends on package)
- Total: $7,050-$9,300 for the project
Pro package - Starting at $500-$1,000/month
Who it's for: Small M&A deals or fundraising rounds with limited document sets
What's included:
- Up to 100 pages included
- 5 users included
- 3-month minimum contract
- Basic analytics and reporting
- Email support
- Standard security features
- Mobile app access
Key limitations:
- Overage fees kick in fast ($0.50-$0.75 per additional page)
- Limited users (additional users cost $150-$200 each)
- No dedicated support
- No advanced Q&A management
- Watermarking costs extra
Best for: Solo founders or small startups testing a data room for the first time with very limited documentation needs
Business package - Typically $1,500-$3,000/month
Who it's for: Mid-sized deals with moderate document volume and investor lists
What's included:
- Up to 1,000 pages included
- 25 users included
- Advanced permission controls
- Q&A module
- Excel and fence view
- Two-factor authentication
- Priority support
- Custom branding
- Detailed analytics
Key limitations:
- Still charged per page beyond 1,000
- Project minimums of 3-6 months
- Setup fees may apply ($500-$1,500)
- Integration costs not included
Best for: Series A/B fundraising rounds or small M&A transactions with standard due diligence requirements
Enterprise package - $3,000-$10,000+/month
Who it's for: Large M&A deals, IPO preparation, or multi-party transactions
What's included:
- Unlimited pages (or very high limits like 50,000+)
- Unlimited users
- Dedicated project manager
- 24/7 phone support
- Custom integrations
- Advanced reporting
- Multi-data room management
- API access
- White-label options
- SSO and advanced compliance
Pricing structure: Custom quotes based on:
- Deal size and complexity
- Number of data rooms needed
- Support level required
- Contract length (annual deals get discounts)
Best for: Investment banks, PE firms, or corporations running complex, multi-million dollar transactions
Plan comparison table
Enterprise pricing
Enterprise plan: Custom pricing based on:
- Number of simultaneous projects
- Total page volume across projects
- Number of administrators and users
- Advanced compliance needs (HIPAA, FINRA, etc.)
- Integration requirements
- Training and onboarding scope
- Annual vs multi-year commitment
Contact sales for quote. Based on user reports, enterprise contracts typically start at $50,000-$100,000 annually for firms managing multiple deals simultaneously.
Costs not shown in base pricing
Setup and onboarding:
- Project setup: $500-$2,000 per data room
- Custom configuration: $1,000-$5,000
- Training sessions: $500-$1,500
Per-page overages:
- Beyond included pages: $0.40-$1.00 per page
- No warning before hitting limits
- Costs compound quickly with large document sets
Additional users:
- Beyond included users: $100-$300 per user
- No ability to swap users mid-project in lower tiers
Add-on features:
- Advanced watermarking: $500-$1,000/project
- Premium integrations: $1,000-$3,000 setup
- Extended storage: $200-$500/month
- Additional data rooms: Separate project fees
Early termination:
- Canceling before minimum term: Often full contract value
- No pro-rated refunds reported by users
Real costs for teams
Per-page pricing and project minimums mean costs vary wildly. Here's what iDeals actually costs for common scenarios.
Scenario 1: Seed fundraising round
Team size: 1 founder + co-founder
Use case: Raising $500K-$2M, sharing pitch deck and financials with 8-12 investors
Document volume: 300 pages (pitch deck, financials, cap table, legal docs)
Project duration: 3 months
Users needed: 12 (investors + advisors)
Recommended plan: Pro package
Monthly cost: $1,000 (negotiated base rate)
Page fees: 300 pages × $0.60 = $180
User fees: 7 additional users × $150 = $1,050
Setup fee: $500 (one-time)
Total first 3 months: $3,500 + $1,230 = $4,730
Effective monthly cost: $1,577/month
What this includes:
- Secure document sharing
- Basic analytics on investor activity
- Email support
- Mobile access
Limitations to watch:
- Adding more investors costs $150 each
- Uploading updated financials adds page fees
- Can't extend beyond 3 months without renegotiating
- No dedicated support if issues arise
Scenario 2: Series A fundraising
Team size: 3-person founding team
Use case: Raising $3M-$8M, comprehensive due diligence with 20+ investors and lawyers
Document volume: 1,500 pages (full financials, contracts, IP docs, HR files)
Project duration: 6 months
Users needed: 30 (investors, lawyers, advisors, board members)
Recommended plan: Business package
Monthly cost: $2,000
Page fees: 500 overage pages × $0.50 = $250
User fees: 5 additional users × $200 = $1,000
Setup fee: $1,200 (one-time)
Total 6 months: $12,000 + $1,500 + $6,000 + $1,200 = $20,700
Annual cost (if extended): $41,400
Effective monthly cost: $3,450/month
What this includes:
- Q&A management for investor questions
- Detailed analytics and reporting
- Priority support
- Custom branding
- Advanced permissions
Limitations to watch:
- Document updates during due diligence add page costs
- Extending timeline adds 3-6 month minimums
- Multiple due diligence rounds need separate quotes
Scenario 3: M&A transaction (buy-side)
Team size: 5-person acquisition team
Use case: Acquiring company, managing seller due diligence
Document volume: 5,000 pages (financials, contracts, IP, HR, legal)
Project duration: 9 months
Users needed: 40 (internal team, lawyers, accountants, consultants)
Recommended plan: Enterprise package
Monthly cost: $5,000 (custom negotiated)
Page fees: Unlimited in package
User fees: Unlimited in package
Setup fee: $3,000 (includes custom workflows)
Total 9 months: $45,000 + $3,000 = $48,000
Annual cost: $60,000
Effective monthly cost: $5,333/month
What this includes:
- Dedicated project manager
- 24/7 support
- Unlimited pages and users
- Advanced Q&A workflows
- Integration with deal management tools
- Custom reporting
Limitations to watch:
- Annual commitment required
- Adding second data room costs extra
- Integration setup may have additional fees
Scenario 4: PE firm with multiple deals
Team size: 15-person firm
Use case: Running 8-12 deals simultaneously across portfolio
Document volume: 50,000+ pages annually
Project duration: Ongoing/annual contract
Users needed: 100+ across all deals
Recommended plan: Enterprise with multi-room license
Monthly cost: $8,000-$12,000
Setup fee: $10,000 (includes training and custom setup)
Annual cost: $96,000-$144,000 + $10,000 setup = $106,000-$154,000
Effective monthly cost (year 1): $8,833-$12,833/month
Effective monthly cost (year 2+): $8,000-$12,000/month
What this includes:
- Multiple simultaneous data rooms
- Unlimited pages and users across all projects
- White-label options
- API access
- Dedicated account team
- Custom integrations
- Advanced compliance features
Limitations to watch:
- Requires annual or multi-year commitment
- Scaling beyond 15-20 simultaneous rooms increases costs
- Custom integrations billed separately
Cost comparison table
Hidden cost multipliers
Costs increase when you need:
- Document updates during active projects: Each revised page counts as new page fee
- Project extensions: Minimum 3-month increments with renegotiated rates
- Additional data rooms for follow-on rounds: Each new project has setup fees
- User changes mid-project: Lower tiers charge to swap invited users
- Premium features: Watermarking, integrations, API access all cost extra
- Support upgrades: Moving from email to phone support mid-project
What teams actually need
Most teams overpay because sales reps push features they don't use. Here's what actually matters.
Early-stage fundraising (Pre-seed to Seed)
Must-have features:
- Secure document sharing (pitch deck, financials, basic legal)
- Investor activity tracking (who viewed what, time spent)
- Real-time notifications when investors access documents
- Mobile access for investors
- Basic permission controls
Nice-to-have features:
- Custom branding
- Q&A module (most questions happen over email anyway)
- Watermarking
Skip these features:
- Advanced compliance (HIPAA, SOC 2 audit reports)
- SSO (you have 10 users max)
- API access
- Multi-room management
- Dedicated project managers
Recommended plan: You don't need iDeals. Business plan at $2,000+/month is overkill for 300 pages and 12 investors. Look at Ellty or DocSend instead.
If forced to use iDeals: Negotiate Pro package hard. Push back on setup fees. Clarify overage costs before signing.
Series A/B fundraising
Must-have features:
- Detailed investor analytics (page-by-page tracking)
- Q&A management (investors ask lots of questions)
- Version control (financials change during diligence)
- Folder-level permissions (separate investor vs lawyer access)
- Download restrictions
- Document expiry options
Nice-to-have features:
- Custom branding (shows professionalism)
- Watermarking (reduces document leaks)
- Two-factor authentication
- Mobile app
Skip these features:
- Unlimited users (you won't have 50+ in the room)
- White-label options
- API access
- SSO unless you're enterprise-heavy already
Recommended plan: Business package if document volume exceeds 1,000 pages and you have 20+ investors. Otherwise, still overpriced.
Ask yourself:
- Do you actually need page-level tracking or just "who accessed the room"?
- Are you paying $2,000/month to track 15 investors viewing 500 pages?
- Would a simpler tool at $50-200/month work fine?
M&A transactions
Must-have features:
- Unlimited page capacity (diligence generates massive document sets)
- Advanced Q&A workflows (structured communication with buyers/sellers)
- Granular permission controls (different access for lawyers, accountants, management)
- Detailed audit trails (compliance requirement)
- Bulk upload and folder structure
- Integration with deal management tools
- Dedicated support (deals move fast, can't wait on email support)
Nice-to-have features:
- Custom workflows
- DocuSign integration
- Advanced reporting
- White-label for sell-side advisors
Skip these features:
- Multi-room unless running simultaneous deals
- API unless integrating with proprietary systems
Recommended plan: Enterprise makes sense here. Deal values justify the cost. Negotiate annual pricing if you run multiple deals per year.
Ask yourself:
- Is this a one-time transaction or recurring need?
- Do you need iDeals' compliance certifications for your buyer?
- Can you negotiate per-deal pricing vs annual commitment?
PE firms and investment banks
Must-have features:
- Multiple simultaneous data rooms
- Unlimited pages and users
- White-label capabilities
- API access for workflow automation
- Advanced compliance and certifications
- Dedicated account management
- Custom integrations
- Advanced analytics and reporting
Nice-to-have features:
- Custom training for team
- Regional support (24/7 in multiple time zones)
- Legal hold capabilities
Skip these features:
- Nothing, you need it all at this level
Recommended plan: Enterprise with multi-room licensing. Negotiate hard on annual pricing. Get volume discounts if running 10+ deals per year.
Ask yourself:
- What's the cost per deal if amortized across annual volume?
- Can you negotiate a per-deal rate structure instead of monthly minimums?
- Do cheaper alternatives exist for smaller deals in your pipeline?
Decision framework
Ask yourself:
- How many pages am I really sharing?
- Under 500 pages: You're overpaying for iDeals
- 500-2,000 pages: Business plan might work but calculate total cost first
- Over 2,000 pages: Enterprise makes more sense than paying overage fees
- How many users need access?
- Under 15 users: Don't pay $150-300 per user, get a flat-rate tool
- 15-30 users: Watch for overage fees
- Over 30 users: Negotiate unlimited user packages
- How long is the project?
- Under 3 months: Negotiate hard, iDeals wants 3-6 month minimums
- 3-6 months: Standard timeline, expect standard rates
- Over 6 months: Get annual pricing, not monthly
- Do I need compliance certifications?
- Yes (regulated industry, M&A, IPO): iDeals makes sense
- No (fundraising, basic diligence): You're paying for features you don't need
- What's my deal value?
- Under $5M: iDeals is expensive relative to deal size
- $5M-$50M: Cost might be justified
- Over $50M: Enterprise features make sense
What users say about iDeals pricing
We reviewed hundreds of user comments on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. Here's what actual customers say about iDeals pricing.
What users like
Transparent quoting process (for some):
"The sales team was upfront about per-page costs and helped us estimate total spend before committing. No surprise fees." — VP Corporate Development, G2 Review
Volume discounts for larger deals:
"For our M&A transaction, the unlimited plan made sense. Paid $6K/month but uploaded 10,000+ pages without worry." — Investment Banking Associate, Capterra Review
Common pricing complaints
Per-page fees add up fast:
"We thought we'd spend $2,000 for the project. Ended up at $5,500 because every updated document counted as new pages. The overage fees killed us." — Startup Founder, G2 Review
"Charged $0.60 per page. Our pitch deck was 30 slides, financials were 50 pages, but with updates during diligence we hit 800 pages. Do the math." — Series A CEO, Trustpilot Review
User fees for small teams:
"Why am I paying $150 per investor? I'm a seed-stage startup with 10 angels. That's $1,500 just to give people access to view documents." — Founder, Reddit r/startups
Hidden setup fees:
"Quote said $1,500/month. Actual first invoice was $3,200 because of 'project setup' and 'configuration fees' they didn't mention upfront." — CFO, Capterra Review
Minimum contract terms:
"Needed the data room for 6 weeks during our fundraise. Forced into 3-month minimum. Paid for 6 weeks we didn't use." — Early-stage Founder, G2 Review
No transparency on pricing:
"Their website has no pricing. You call sales, sit through a demo, then get a custom quote. Just tell me what it costs." — Corporate Development Manager, Trustpilot Review
Value perception
Is iDeals worth the cost?
Users are split. Investment bankers and PE firms running large deals find the cost justified given transaction values. The compliance certifications, dedicated support, and unlimited enterprise features make sense at $50M+ deal sizes.
Startups and small businesses consistently say iDeals is overpriced. Per-page fees, user charges, and project minimums make it expensive relative to alternatives. One Series A founder put it bluntly: "We paid $8,000 for something DocSend does for $500."
The common theme is that iDeals works when someone else is paying (corporate M&A, banks billing clients) or when deal values make the cost irrelevant. For bootstrapped founders and small deals, the pricing model feels designed for enterprise buyers, not startups.
iDeals vs alternatives: quick comparison
Here's how iDeals pricing compares to similar tools. All prices for comparable plans.
Comparison table
Ellty - Free (or $29/mo Pro)
Free plan includes:
- Unlimited pitch deck uploads
- Trackable links with analytics (who viewed, time spent, page-by-page)
- Real-time email notifications
- Unlimited viewers (no per-user fees)
- Mobile-responsive viewing
- Basic security controls
Pro plan ($29/month):
- Custom branding
- Advanced analytics
- Priority support
- Integration options
- NDA signing workflows
Who it's best for: Seed to Series B fundraising, pitch deck sharing, investor updates. Not designed for complex M&A diligence but perfect for 90% of startup fundraising needs.
Free tier: Actually free, no credit card required. No per-page or per-user fees.
Cost comparison vs iDeals: For typical seed round (300 pages, 12 investors):
- iDeals: $4,730 (3 months)
- Ellty: $0 or $87 (3 months of Pro)
- Savings: $4,643-$4,730
DocSend - $50/month
Standard plan ($50/month):
- Unlimited document spaces
- Page-by-page analytics
- Email verification for viewers
- Download controls
- NDA collection
Advanced plan ($250/month):
- Custom branding
- One-click NDAs
- Dynamic watermarking
- Advanced integrations
- Priority support
Who it's best for: Fundraising rounds, sales decks, board materials. More features than Ellty, less compliance focus than iDeals.
Cost comparison vs iDeals: For Series A round (1,500 pages, 25 investors):
- iDeals: $20,700 (6 months)
- DocSend: $1,500 (6 months of Advanced)
- Savings: $19,200
Firmex - $500-$1,500/month
Standard VDR pricing:
- Project-based like iDeals
- Per-user fees ($100-200 per user)
- 3-6 month minimums
- Less expensive than iDeals for same features
- Better SMB focus
Who it's best for: Lower-middle market M&A, legal transactions where compliance matters but deal size doesn't justify iDeals pricing.
Cost comparison vs iDeals: For mid-sized M&A (5,000 pages, 40 users):
- iDeals: $48,000 (9 months)
- Firmex: $30,000-$36,000 (9 months)
- Savings: $12,000-$18,000
Datasite (formerly Merrill)
Enterprise-only pricing:
- Custom quotes only
- Higher starting costs than iDeals
- Premium brand in M&A space
- Used by top investment banks
Who it's best for: $100M+ deals, IPOs, complex cross-border M&A. If you're evaluating Datasite vs iDeals, cost probably isn't your primary concern.
Cost comparison for common scenarios
For a 5-person seed-stage team (annual pricing):
For a 10-person Series A team:
When iDeals makes sense
You should consider iDeals if:
- You're running M&A over $10M and need compliance certifications
- Buyers or investors specifically require an enterprise VDR
- You need dedicated project management for complex deals
- Document volume exceeds 10,000 pages
- You're managing multiple simultaneous transactions
- Regulatory compliance (FINRA, HIPAA, SOC 2) is required
- You have budget from deal fees or corporate M&A departments
When alternatives make sense
Skip iDeals if:
- You're fundraising seed to Series B (Ellty or DocSend work fine)
- Document volume under 2,000 pages
- Fewer than 30 users need access
- Deal value under $5M (cost relative to deal size doesn't make sense)
- You're paying out of pocket vs deal fees
- You need quick setup without sales calls and custom quotes
- Project timeline under 3 months
Special offers and discounts
iDeals doesn't advertise discounts publicly, but you can negotiate. Here's how to save money.
How to save money
Annual payment discount: Pay annually instead of per-project to get 15-25% off monthly rates. Most useful for PE firms and investment banks running multiple deals. Ask for annual unlimited pricing instead of per-project quotes.
Startup and accelerator programs: iDeals partners with some accelerators (Y Combinator portfolio companies sometimes get discounts, though not officially published). Ask your accelerator if they have VDR partnerships. Discounts typically 20-30% off standard rates.
Educational pricing: Universities and research institutions can get 40-50% discounts for M&A classes, student-run funds, or research projects. Contact their academic team directly.
Non-profit discounts: Registered non-profits get 30-50% off for transactions, mergers, or due diligence projects. Must provide 501(c)(3) documentation.
Free trial strategy
iDeals offers 30-day free trials but only through sales. Request trial access during your demo. Use the trial to:
- Upload your full document set to calculate exact page counts
- Test with actual users to see if you need all invited user slots
- Verify that basic features work before committing
- Get a realistic cost estimate based on actual usage
Don't sign during the trial demo. Sales reps offer "trial-only discounts" that aren't actually limited-time. Negotiate after testing.
Negotiation tips for enterprise deals
For large transactions:
- Get 3 VDR quotes (iDeals, Firmex, Datasite) and play them against each other
- Ask for per-deal pricing instead of monthly minimums if you run 1-2 deals per year
- Negotiate setup fees down or waived (especially if annual contract)
- Request unlimited users if your deal has 30+ participants
- Push back on per-page overages by negotiating higher included limits
- Ask for free training and onboarding to reduce setup costs
For multi-deal firms:
- Negotiate unlimited data rooms for annual fee
- Get volume discounts based on projected annual deal count
- Request dedicated account manager at no extra cost
- Lock in rates for multi-year contracts before price increases
- Negotiate rollover of unused data room credits
Timing leverage: iDeals sales reps have quarter-end quotas. Negotiate during last 2 weeks of March, June, September, December for maximum discounts.
How to calculate your true cost
Base price is just the start. Here's how to calculate what you'll actually pay for iDeals.
Cost calculator framework
Step 1: Base subscription
- Monthly base fee: $500-$10,000 (depends on plan)
- Project minimum: 3-6 months
- Subtotal: Monthly base × minimum months
Example: $2,000/month × 3 months = $6,000
Step 2: Add-ons and extras
Per-page fees:
- Count every PDF page, PowerPoint slide, Excel printed page, image
- Multiply by $0.40-$1.00 per page
- Include updated versions (each revision counts as new pages)
Example: 1,500 pages × $0.50 = $750
User fees:
- Count all investors, lawyers, advisors, team members who need access
- Subtract included users in your plan
- Multiply overage by $100-$300 per user
Example: 30 total users - 25 included = 5 overage × $150 = $750
Feature add-ons:
- Advanced watermarking: $500-$1,000
- Premium integrations: $1,000-$3,000
- API access: Often requires Enterprise tier
- Custom workflows: $500-$2,000
Example: Watermarking ($800) + DocuSign integration ($1,500) = $2,300
Step 3: Implementation costs
Setup fees:
- Project configuration: $500-$2,000
- Custom folder structures: $500
- User training: $500-$1,500
- Integration setup: $1,000-$5,000
Example: $1,200 setup + $800 training = $2,000
Internal time costs:
- Document organization: 10-20 hours
- Uploading and tagging: 5-15 hours
- User management: 3-5 hours
- Testing and configuration: 5-10 hours
Example: 30 hours × $100/hour internal cost = $3,000
Step 4: Ongoing costs
Monthly maintenance:
- Document updates during active diligence (page fees for revisions)
- Adding new users mid-project (user fees)
- Extended storage if project runs long
- Support escalations (if not included in plan)
Example: 200 revised pages × $0.50 = $100/month × 3 months = $300
Project extension:
- If deal takes longer than minimum term
- Often requires 3-month renewal increments
- Sometimes at increased rates
Example: 3-month extension × $2,000 = $6,000
Total first-year cost example (Series A fundraising)
True monthly cost (amortized): $21,100 ÷ 6 months = $3,517/month
Hidden costs to remember
- Per-page fees for every document update or new version
- User addition fees if investor list grows during diligence
- Setup fees not included in monthly quotes
- Project minimums forcing you to pay for unused months
- Extension fees if deal takes longer than expected
- Integration costs for DocuSign, Salesforce, etc.
- Training time for team members unfamiliar with VDRs
- Data migration if switching from another tool
- Early termination penalties if deal falls through
Compare this to alternatives
Same Series A scenario with Ellty:
Savings vs iDeals: $20,426 (96.8% less)
What you lose: Enterprise compliance certifications, dedicated project managers, advanced Q&A workflows
What you keep: Document analytics, investor tracking, secure sharing, notifications, branding
For fundraising rounds under $10M, the trade-off usually makes sense.
Switch to Ellty (free iDeals alternative)
iDeals pricing is complex because it's built for M&A deals, not fundraising. Ellty takes a different approach.
We built Ellty specifically for startup fundraising. No per-page fees. No per-user charges. No project minimums. Just simple pricing and the analytics you actually need.
Ellty pricing (clear and simple)
Ellty Free - $0 forever
- Unlimited pitch deck uploads
- Unlimited viewers (no per-user fees)
- Page-by-page analytics (who viewed what, time spent)
- Real-time email notifications
- Secure link sharing
- Mobile-responsive viewing
- Basic access controls
Best for: Seed fundraising, investor updates, testing pitch deck performance
Ellty Pro - $29/month
- Everything in Free
- Custom branding (logo, colors)
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- NDA signing workflows
- Priority email support
- Download controls
- Link expiration
- Password protection
Best for: Series A/B fundraising, professional investor presentations, due diligence materials
Side-by-side comparison: iDeals vs Ellty
What you save with Ellty
For a 10-person seed-stage team:
- iDeals: $4,730 for 3-month fundraise
- Ellty: $0 (Free) or $87 (Pro for 3 months)
- Savings: $4,643-$4,730 (98% less)
For a 20-person Series A team:
- iDeals: $20,700 for 6-month fundraise
- Ellty: $0 (Free) or $174 (Pro for 6 months)
- Savings: $20,526-$20,700 (99% less)
When Ellty makes sense
You should use Ellty if:
- You're fundraising seed to Series B (most rounds)
- You need investor analytics but not M&A-level compliance
- You're sharing pitch decks, financials, basic legal docs
- Per-user and per-page fees feel wasteful
- You want simple, transparent pricing
- Deal value under $10M doesn't justify VDR costs
- You're paying out of pocket vs corporate budget
When to stick with iDeals
Use iDeals if:
- You're running M&A over $25M requiring compliance certifications
- Buyer specifically requires enterprise VDR (banks, PE firms sometimes do)
- You need advanced Q&A workflows with structured communication
- Document volume exceeds 10,000 pages with complex folder structures
- Regulatory requirements demand SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA
- You're managing multiple simultaneous transactions
- Someone else is paying (corporate M&A, deal fees)
Migration is simple
Switching from iDeals to Ellty takes 15 minutes:
- Upload your pitch deck or documents
- Create shareable link
- Share with investors
- Get real-time notifications when they view
No sales calls. No custom quotes. No setup fees.
Try Ellty free - no credit card required.
Quick answers
Does iDeals have a free plan?
No. iDeals is enterprise-focused and doesn't offer a free tier. All plans require contacting sales for custom quotes.
Does iDeals offer a free trial?
Yes, iDeals offers 30-day free trials, but you have to request access through their sales team. They don't offer self-service trial signups. Use the trial to upload your actual documents and calculate real costs before committing.
Does iDeals have monthly billing or only annual contracts?
iDeals uses project-based pricing, not monthly subscriptions. Most projects have 3-6 month minimums. You can pay monthly within the project term, but you're committed to the full minimum period. Annual contracts (for firms running multiple deals) offer 15-25% discounts.
What payment methods does iDeals accept?
iDeals accepts credit cards, ACH transfers, and wire transfers. Enterprise customers typically pay by invoice. International customers can pay in USD, EUR, or GBP depending on region.
Does iDeals charge for implementation or onboarding?
Yes. Setup fees range from $500-$2,000 for standard projects and $3,000-$10,000 for enterprise implementations with custom workflows. Training sessions cost $500-$1,500 extra unless included in enterprise packages.
Can I cancel anytime?
No. iDeals requires minimum contract terms (typically 3-6 months for projects). Early termination often requires paying the full contract value. Read cancellation terms carefully before signing.
Does iDeals have an API?
Yes, but only in Enterprise plans. API access allows integration with deal management software, CRM systems, and custom workflows. Requires custom quote and technical onboarding.
Does iDeals have a mobile app?
Yes. iDeals offers iOS and Android apps for viewing documents, tracking activity, and managing Q&A. Mobile access is included in all plans. The apps are highly rated for M&A professionals who need secure document access on the go.
Are there limits on storage or documents?
Yes. Storage and page limits depend on your plan. Pro plans typically include 100 pages, Business plans include 1,000 pages, and Enterprise offers unlimited. Overages cost $0.40-$1.00 per page. Storage is usually ample for documents, but large video or CAD files may trigger additional fees.
Do I need to pay per user or can I share one account?
iDeals charges per user invited to the data room. Plans include a set number of users (5-25 for lower tiers), and additional users cost $100-$300 each. You cannot share login credentials as each user gets tracked individually for compliance and analytics. This is by design for audit trail purposes.
What happens if I exceed my plan limits?
You get charged overage fees immediately. Per-page overages cost $0.40-$1.00 per additional page uploaded. User overages cost $100-$300 per additional user invited. iDeals doesn't warn you before charging overages, so monitor usage closely during active projects.
Does iDeals offer refunds?
No. iDeals does not offer refunds for unused time on project-based contracts. If your deal closes early or falls through, you still pay for the minimum contract term. Some enterprise customers negotiate pro-rated refunds, but it's not standard.
