iDeals review
Established deal room with deep controls, redaction and SSO, priced by quote.
Key facts
- Software type
- Virtual data room
- Company
- Founded 2008, based in United Kingdom
- Hosting model
- Cloud
- Pricing model
- Quote per project
- Starting price
- Quote on request
- Try before buying
- Free trial available
- Security reports
- SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
- Features listed
- 9 of 12 tracked, 6 of 6 deal controls
- Vendor positioning
- M&A, due diligence, enterprise, support
Overview
iDeals has run virtual data rooms since 2008 and is headquartered in the United Kingdom. Its listed features cover the full deal checklist, including redaction, which several rivals lack, together with single sign-on, a public API and two-factor login.
It holds SOC 2 and ISO 27001 and lists GDPR. Pricing is quote-based, but a free trial is available, which makes it one of the easier enterprise-grade rooms to evaluate before a sales conversation.
Typical buyer: Sell-side M&A, private equity and law firms that need redaction and enterprise controls.
How iDeals scores
A fit score of 8.3 puts iDeals at rank 3 of 18. It scores above the directory average on deal workflow coverage, security controls, admin and guest experience, integrations and it fit, and below it on pricing transparency, ai and automation. Weights come from the scoring methodology.
iDeals: score by criterion
Deal workflow
iDeals lists 6 of the six deal controls we track. A Q&A module is listed, so buyer questions can run inside the room.
- Q&A workflow
- Listed Buyers post questions inside the room; the seller routes, answers and publishes them with a full record. (13 of 18 platforms list it.)
- Activity log
- Listed A log of who opened, downloaded or printed which file and when, exportable for the deal record. (18 of 18 platforms list it.)
- Viewer watermarks
- Listed Each page carries the viewer name, email or time, so a leaked copy points back to its source. (18 of 18 platforms list it.)
- In-app redaction
- Listed Black out personal data or privileged passages inside the room instead of re-uploading edited files. (7 of 18 platforms list it.)
- File-level access rights
- Listed Per-file control over view, print and download, sometimes with view-only or expiring access. (15 of 18 platforms list it.)
- Bulk import
- Listed Drag whole folder trees into the room with structure and numbering kept. (17 of 18 platforms list it.)
Security and compliance
iDeals lists SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR. ISO 27001 certification is listed. Security controls score 9.7 against a directory average of 8.6.
- Viewer watermarks
- Listed Each page carries the viewer name, email or time, so a leaked copy points back to its source.
- File-level access rights
- Listed Per-file control over view, print and download, sometimes with view-only or expiring access.
- In-app redaction
- Listed Black out personal data or privileged passages inside the room instead of re-uploading edited files.
- 2-step verification
- Listed A second login step (code or app) for admins and guests.
Request the current SOC 2 report or ISO certificate under NDA and read the scope and exceptions sections. Data residency and sub-processors are not in our facts file; ask the vendor.
Integrations, mobile and AI
Integrations and IT fit scores 7.0; AI and automation scores 5.5. No AI features are listed for iDeals in our facts file.
- SSO sign-in
- Listed Staff log in with company credentials through an identity provider (SAML or OpenID Connect).
- Developer API
- Listed A documented interface for creating rooms, syncing users and pulling activity into your own systems.
- Built-in e-signing
- Not listed Sign NDAs, consents or closing documents without leaving the platform.
- iOS or Android app
- Not listed A native iOS or Android app, beyond the mobile browser view most rooms offer.
- AI assistance
- Not listed Machine assistance listed by the vendor, such as auto-indexing, summaries, document search or Q&A help.
Pros and cons
Pros
- All six deal controls on our checklist, redaction included.
- SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR listed.
- Single sign-on and a public API, plus a free trial despite quote pricing.
Cons and gaps to check
- No published price.
- No AI features listed in our facts file.
- No e-signature or native mobile app listed.
Setup and administration
Trial room available for evaluation; production rooms typically start with a quote and onboarding call.
A short checklist for the trial room or the demo call, ideally using a folder of your real files:
- Ask whether AI capabilities are on the roadmap or available as an add-on.
- Get the quote structure in writing: users, storage, months.
- Confirm SSO is included in your tier.
- Add a coworker to a test guest group and have them report back exactly which folders appear.
- Pull the activity export and look for per-person entries for opening, downloading and printing.
For the full process, see the data room setup guide.
iDeals pricing
iDeals prices per project, so the figures below are our market estimates for each room size, not vendor prices. All figures are indicative USD; confirm with the provider.
| Room size | Scope | A month | Six months | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focused room | One counterparty, a few thousand pages, light Q&A | $1,450 | $8,700 | Market estimate |
| Competitive process | Three to ten bidders, structured Q&A, staged access | $3,650 | $21,900 | Market estimate |
| Large or cross-border | Many bidders, heavy Q&A, translation, long term | $8,750 | $52,500 | Market estimate |
iDeals: six months plus a two-month overrun
Estimate your own room
Compare all 18 platforms in the pricing guide and calculator.
Where iDeals ranks by solution
Each solution page re-weights the six criteria for one kind of work. Positions out of 18.
iDeals: score and position on each solution page
- Data room software for M&A (position 3)
- Due diligence software (position 3)
- Data room software for private equity (position 3)
- Data room software for fundraising (position 3)
- Data room software for real estate (position 3)
- Data room software for law firms (position 3)
- Data room software for life sciences (position 3)
- Data room software for investment banking (position 3)
- Data room software for board communications (position 4)
- Data room software for restructuring and insolvency (position 3)
iDeals alternatives
The closest platforms by positioning, type and score.
| Platform | Type | Fit score | Entry | Lists that iDeals does not | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Datasite | Virtual data room | 8.5 | Quote | iOS or Android app, AI assistance | Profile |
 Ellty | Virtual data room | 8.7 | $149/mo | Built-in e-signing, AI assistance | Profile |
 Intralinks | Virtual data room | 7.7 | Quote | None of the tracked features | Profile |
 Ansarada | Virtual data room | 8.2 | Quote | AI assistance | Profile |
- iDeals vs
SmartRoom (two security-led rooms with redaction)
Summary. Sell-side M&A, private equity and law firms that need redaction and enterprise controls.
Visit iDealsiDeals: common questions
Does iDeals include redaction?
Yes. Our facts file lists built-in redaction for iDeals, alongside watermarking, document rights control and a Q&A module.
How much does iDeals cost?
iDeals does not publish a price; it quotes per project. For a competitive process our market band is roughly $1,800 to $5,500 a month, which is an estimate, not a vendor price. Confirm with the provider.
Does iDeals have AI features?
No AI capability is recorded for iDeals in our facts file. If AI matters to your process, get the vendor to confirm in writing what exists today.
What security certifications does iDeals have?
iDeals lists SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and two-factor login is listed as a feature. Request the current report or certificate and read its scope section.
Can iDeals run a multi-bidder process?
iDeals lists all six deal controls we track, including a Q&A module and document rights, which covers a multi-bidder process inside the software.