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Ellty vs iDeals 
A newer company with AI tools and a posted price, against one of the oldest, most certified names in the business.
Ellty: Ellty is one of the newer names on this list, launched in 2020 in Australia, but it already has the full set of tools a deal team expects: permissions, a Q&A box, watermarks and a log of who opened what. The big difference is the price is posted right on the website at $69 a month, there is a 14-day free trial, and you can have a room open the same day without waiting on a sales call. It also has AI built in for finding and searching documents, which most of the older companies on this list do not offer yet.
iDeals: iDeals has been doing this since 2008 out of the UK and is one of the most established names in the business. It is built for law firms, banks and big companies that need every box checked: SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR are all covered, and support is available around the clock. It has the full feature set, including the ability to black out sensitive text right inside a document (redaction) without having to re-upload a new file.
| Ellty | iDeals | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.5/10 | 8.1/10 |
| Starting price | $69 a month | Quote on request |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial | Free trial available |
| Certifications | SOC 2 (hosting infrastructure) | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR |
| Core deal tools (of 6) | 5 | 6 |
| Technology score | 6.0 | 4.0 |
| AI tools | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2020 | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Australia | United Kingdom |
Pick Ellty if…
- AI search that helps you find a document fast
- Posted price of $69 a month, plus a 14-day free trial
- Room can be set up the same day, no sales call needed
- Fine control over who can see, print or download each file
- E-signing built in for NDAs and consents
Pick iDeals if…
- Holds both SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification
- Can black out sensitive text inside a document (redaction)
- Works with company logins (single sign-on) and has a developer API
- 24/7 customer support, well reviewed by users
- Free trial available despite being a large enterprise platform
What to verify yourself before you commit
Everything above comes from what each company publishes, not a hands-on test we ran. Before you sign up with either one, confirm directly with the vendor: the exact current price for your deal size (quote-only pricing moves with deal size, user count and length), whether the certifications listed are current (a certification can lapse without the marketing page updating), and whether any feature you are counting on (redaction, single sign-on, a mobile app) is in the plan tier you would actually be buying, not a higher tier. A quick demo call answers all three faster than reading a features page.
Switching later
Moving a live deal from Ellty to iDeals, or back, is disruptive: every document needs to be re-uploaded, permissions rebuilt and every guest re-invited, and anyone mid-way through reviewing a file starts over. It is worth the extra care up front to pick the right one rather than switching once documents are already loaded and guests already have access.
Where they actually differ
Shared features do not help you decide; the gaps do. Here is what each one has that the other does not, and what neither offers.
Only Ellty has
- Built-in e-signing
- AI assistance
Only iDeals has
- In-app redaction
- Developer API
- SSO sign-in
Both have
- Q&A workflow
- Activity log
- Viewer watermarks
- 2-step verification
- Bulk import
- File-level access rights
Neither has
- iOS or Android app
Feature by feature
| Feature | Ellty | iDeals |
|---|---|---|
| Q&A workflow | Yes | Yes |
| Activity log | Yes | Yes |
| Viewer watermarks | Yes | Yes |
| In-app redaction | No | Yes |
| Built-in e-signing | Yes | No |
| iOS or Android app | No | No |
| Developer API | No | Yes |
| SSO sign-in | No | Yes |
| 2-step verification | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk import | Yes | Yes |
| File-level access rights | Yes | Yes |
| AI assistance | Yes | No |
Score, criterion by criterion
Ellty
iDeals
Darker bars beat the other provider on that criterion. Full weights on /selection-criteria.
Estimate the cost of each
Estimate the cost of Ellty vs iDeals
Ellty $207 iDeals $4,500–$13,500 Flat and per-user prices come from each provider's published plan; quote-only providers use our labelled market bands, never an invented number. Estimates are indicative.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ellty or iDeals cheaper?
Ellty: $69 a month. iDeals: Quote on request. Prices are estimates; check each company's own website for the current number.
Which one has stronger security certification?
Ellty holds SOC 2 (hosting infrastructure); iDeals holds SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR.
Which one scores higher overall?
Ellty scores higher on our formula (8.5/10 vs 8.1/10), but the right pick still depends on which of the five criteria matters most for your deal.
Can I switch from Ellty to iDeals (or back) mid-deal?
Technically yes, but it means re-uploading documents, rebuilding permissions and re-inviting every guest; it is disruptive enough that most teams avoid it unless something is seriously broken. Pick carefully up front instead.
Does either one let me try before I commit?
Yes, both offer a free trial.