Papermark offers virtual data rooms for sharing sensitive documents during M&A, fundraising, and due diligence. Their data room features start at €149/month.
For teams needing secure document sharing, Ellty provides enterprise-grade analytics and access controls. Here's everything about Papermark's data room solution.
What is Papermark data room?
A virtual data room (VDR) is a secure online space for sharing confidential documents. Unlike regular document sharing, data rooms include:
- Audit trails showing who viewed what
- Watermarking to prevent screenshots
- NDA agreements before access
- Granular permissions per document
- Q&A modules for buyer questions
Papermark offers data rooms as their premium tier above regular document sharing.
Papermark data room pricing
Three data room options:
Data Rooms - €149/month (€99 annually)
- Unlimited data rooms
- 3 team members
- Basic data room features
Data Rooms Plus - €349/month (€249 annually)
- 5 team members
- Advanced features like Q&A
- No file size limits
Enterprise - Custom pricing
- Unlimited users
- Self-hosted options
- Custom compliance
Key data room features
Document security
Dynamic watermarks - Shows viewer's email and IP address on every page. Prevents photos and screenshots from being shared.
NDA agreements - Viewers must accept NDAs before accessing documents. Legally binding with timestamp records.
Granular permissions - Control access per document, not just per folder. Set view-only, download, or print permissions individually.
Screenshot protection - Blocks screenshot attempts on Windows and Mac. Mobile devices show watermarks.
Access control
Email verification - Viewers must verify their email before access. No anonymous viewing.
IP restrictions - Limit access to specific IP addresses or countries.
Time-based access - Set expiration dates for viewer access. Automatic revocation after deals close.
Download restrictions - Control who can download vs only view online.
Analytics and tracking
Audit logs - Complete record of every action: login time, pages viewed, time spent, downloads.
Real-time notifications - Get alerts when specific documents are accessed.
Activity reports - Export detailed analytics for investor updates or internal reviews.
Team analytics - See which team members are most engaged with your documents.
Collaboration tools
Q&A module - Buyers submit questions directly in the data room. Route questions to appropriate team members.
Document indexing - Automatic organization with numbered sections. Professional presentation.
Bulk operations - Upload entire folder structures. Set permissions for multiple files at once.
Setting up a data room
1. Create the room
Click "New Data Room" and name it (e.g., "Project Atlas - Q4 2025").
Choose your settings:
- Require NDA
- Enable watermarks
- Set default permissions
2. Upload documents
Drag folders maintaining your structure:
- 01_Financials
- 1.1_Audited_Statements
- 1.2_Management_Accounts
- 02_Legal
- 2.1_Corporate_Structure - 2.2_Material_Contracts
Papermark preserves folder hierarchy.
3. Set permissions
Configure access per document:
- Financials: View only, no download
- Contracts: Download with watermark
- Public info: Full access
Set permissions by user group or individual.
4. Invite users
Add viewers by email. They receive secure login credentials.
Options:
- Send all at once
- Staged access (teaser then full)
- Different permissions per group
5. Monitor activity
Dashboard shows:
- Who's currently viewing
- Most viewed documents
- Time spent per section
- Questions submitted
Export reports for stakeholder updates.
Data room vs regular plans
Regular plans (Free to €79/month):
- Basic link sharing
- Simple analytics
- Limited security
Data room plans (€149+/month):
- Legal-grade security
- Audit trails
- NDA management
- Watermarking
Only use data rooms for truly sensitive content. Regular plans work fine for marketing materials.
Use cases
M&A due diligence
Share financials, contracts, and employee data with potential buyers. Track which bidders show most interest based on document engagement.
Fundraising
Give investors controlled access to pitch decks, financials, and growth metrics. See which VCs spend most time on which sections.
Board reporting
Secure distribution of board materials. Track director engagement with pre-read materials.
Legal document exchange
Share confidential agreements with watermarking. Maintain audit trails for compliance.
Real estate transactions
Property documents, surveys, and contracts in organized folders. Multiple buyers can access without confusion.
Limitations
No redaction tools - Can't black out sensitive parts of documents. Must prepare clean versions.
Limited file types - PDFs work best. Office files converted to PDF lose some formatting.
No co-editing - View-only platform. Can't collaborate on documents within the data room.
Basic Q&A - Questions are text-only. No threaded discussions or file attachments in responses.
Security and compliance
Papermark data rooms include:
- 256-bit encryption
- EU/US data residency options
- GDPR compliance
- ISO 27001 (Enterprise only)
- SOC 2 (Enterprise only)
Not specified:
- HIPAA compliance
- FedRAMP
- Industry-specific certifications
Check compliance requirements before storing regulated data.
Who needs data room features?
Need data rooms:
- M&A advisors
- VCs sharing portfolio data
- Law firms
- Investment banks
- Real estate brokers (commercial)
Regular plans sufficient:
- Marketing agencies
- Sales teams
- HR departments
- Most startups
Getting started tips
Prepare documents first - Clean up files before uploading. Remove internal comments and metadata.
Use clear naming - "1.1_Audited_Financials_2025.pdf" not "Final_FINAL_v3.pdf"
Test with team - Run through the buyer experience before going live.
Set up Q&A routing - Assign subject matter experts before questions arrive.
Enable notifications - Know immediately when key buyers engage.
That's Papermark data rooms explained. The €149/month starting price is competitive for basic VDR features. Larger deals needing advanced features should budget €349/month for Data Rooms Plus. Enterprise deals with compliance requirements need custom pricing.
