Virtual Data Room Pricing Explained: Costs, Tiers, and Hidden Fees

Virtual data rooms are essential tools recognized for their premium security and efficiency. They are cost-effective only if the users know how virtual data room pricing works. Many virtual data rooms can be costly if you choose the wrong pricing model.

The following is a detailed guide on dataroom pricing. You will learn about how vendors charge for data room services and factors that affect the pricing.

Common virtual data room pricing methods

The cost of virtual data room depends on factors like the features you choose and the pricing model. The following are commonly used pricing methods in the data room industry.

1. Per user

Many virtual data room providers follow the per-user pricing strategy. In this model, a limited number of users can be added to the standard pricing plan, and any additional user (exceeding the limit) will be additionally charged by your service provider.

Generally, most vendors charge between $100 and $250 per administrative user and $10-$15 for non-administrative users. One of the most important things you should do is check the maximum number of users allowed by the company without extra charging.

The per-user method is suitable when you have a fixed or limited number of employees, and you exceed your user limit occasionally and temporarily.

2. Per page

This model charges users for every page they upload. The average cost falls between $0.40 and $0.85 per page.

Per page may seem an expensive method for large-scale transactions such as M&As. They are highly recommended for small projects when you know the exact number of documents to be uploaded. For example, you can use this model for presenting confidential study findings, which usually consist of a few pages.

3. Storage size

Data room vendors also charge you based on the virtual data room storage size. This data room pricing model has two further types.

Per-GB (gigabyte) charge, where you have to pay for every GB of data you upload.
Fixed storage, in which the vendor charges a specific amount for a fixed storage size, and anything above that is charged separately.

Exceeding the fixed limit may cost you up to $60-$75 per GB. Again, this pricing model benefits you in small projects.

4. Flat monthly fee

In the flat monthly fee pricing model, the vendor charges a fixed amount for a specified number of users and storage size. The average costs in this method range between $400 and $1000 per month, which may be billed monthly, semi-annually, or annually.

The good thing about this pricing model is that some vendors offer unlimited data storage and sometimes no user limit.

The flat monthly fee model is an excellent option for enterprises, corporations, and other large-scale businesses that employ hundreds of employees and store data in massive quantities. This model is highly suitable for M&As. Even if you don’t run a large business, you can opt for this pricing model to save data storage costs in the long run.

How much do notable virtual data rooms cost?

As mentioned earlier, data room vendors charge for their services in different ways. Here are some examples of notable providers.

Ideals virtual data room cost

Ideals does not show its pricing structure on its website. It offers virtual data room solutions that fit industries like M&As and life sciences. The enterprise plan supports up to 10 terabytes (TB) of data storage. Ideals allow unlimited users and is known for

Premium data room security
Multilingual customer support

Firmex virtual data room cost

Firmex gives a custom price quote for its service. Public examples show the general cost. For example,

Three-month plan with one gigabyte (GB) of storage costs about US $2,500
Six-month plan with the same storage is about US $4,000
Nine-month plan costs about US $5,500

Intralinks virtual data room cost

Intralinks also does not share its prices publicly. The company works on a quote-based model. Pricing varies based on how much data you upload, the number of users, the time needed, and the features. One public estimate suggests a cost of about US $7,500 for a document-heavy project with 10,000 pages. The storage size for that estimate is unknown.

Ansarada virtual data room cost

Ansarada pricing starts at $399 per month. This service is tailored for complex transactions like mergers and acquisitions and investment banking. Ansarada offers up to two GB of storage and supports an unlimited number of users.

DocSend virtual data room cost

DocSend starts at $10 per user per month. It is best for non-profit organizations, venture capital firms, and investment managers. DocSend provides up to 50 GB of storage for each user and supports up to three users. It also allows unlimited document viewers. This makes it ideal for teams that share documents with external users.

Datasite virtual data room cost

Datasite does not provide any pricing plans on its website. Their virtual data room is designed for a variety of financial and strategic processes. This includes M&A, IPOs, capital raising, and healthcare transactions. The data room gives up to 50 GB of storage and allows unlimited users.

Here is a brief virtual data room price comparison based on the data above.

Virtual data room providers	Price range	Storage	User limits
Ideals	Not provided	Up to 10TB	Unlimited users in the enterprise plan
Datasite	Not provided	Up to 50GB	Unlimited users
Docsend	Starts from $10 per user, per month	Up to 50GB per user	Up to three users and unlimited document viewers
Ansarada	Starts from $399 per month	Up to 2GB	Unlimited users
Firmex	About $2,500 (3 months, 1GB); $4,000 (6 months, 1GB); $5,500 (9 months, 1GB)	Not specified	Not specified
Intralinks	About $7,500 (estimate for document-heavy project, 10,000 pages)	Not specified	Depends on plan and project size

Why does virtual data room pricing vary?

VDR pricing is different between vendors for many reasons.

Features. The types of features impact the cost directly. A data room with high-end features will cost more. These features include digital watermarking, data encryption, indexing, and fence-view. A richer set of features means a higher price.
Security. Security is a key part of the data room. You must expect to pay more for premium data protection. Secure data rooms have features like multi-factor authentication and fence-view. They also offer end-to-end data encryption and detailed access permissions.
Pricing models. Pricing also depends on the storage size and the total number of users. Some vendors charge based on how many users you have. Others charge based on the total data storage you use. Modern vendors also offer simple flat-rate models. Each of these methods affects the final price.

Which data room pricing model should you choose?

It depends on what you need the data room software for. Here are some common pricing frameworks and what they are suitable for.

The per-page pricing model is useful for smaller projects where there isn’t a lot of data sharing involved.
The per-user pricing model is useful in situations when you have a limited or small number of users. For example, freelancers, small tech firms, or service providers will find this pricing model more effective. It can be useful for one-time transactions such as M&As, IPOs, etc.
Storage size-based pricing options are useful for temporary use. For example, they are suitable for small-scale M&As or similar transactions where you don’t need a lot of storage space.
The Flat Monthly Fee model is arguably the most suitable pricing model for long-term usage, especially for small and medium-sized businesses, corporations, and enterprises.

How to save on VDR costs?

Many virtual data rooms can be costly if you choose the wrong pricing model.

Following these tips can help you save data room expenses without cutting quality.

Use free trials & demos. Almost all top VDR providers offer a free trial or a demo. Use this to check the security and ease of use. This helps you avoid expensive mistakes later.
Negotiate long-term contracts. Short projects or one-time use are usually expensive. Vendors do not offer room to negotiate. Long-term contracts open more room for bargaining and are cost-effective.
Choose plans with unlimited access. Unlimited users or storage is common in flat-fee models. This model saves money but is only recommended for large transactions.
Avoid paying for unused add-ons. Multiple virtual data room features may look very exciting, but they are not necessary for everyone. For example, a small business team may not need advanced analytics, white labeling, or Q&A modules. These features add up to the cost but may not be necessary.

FAQs

What is VDR pricing?

VDR pricing means the cost of using a virtual data room service. Vendors use different pricing models that serve different markets. Data room pricing varies based on the following: