Due diligence demands precision
When millions are on the line, your data room has to be bulletproof.
Hundreds of documents, no structure
Financial statements, contracts, IP filings, employment agreements. Without proper organization, reviewers waste days finding what they need.
Sensitive information at risk
Customer lists, trade secrets, and financial projections cannot be shared loosely. One unauthorized download can derail a deal.
Compliance gaps
Regulators and legal teams require complete audit trails. If you cannot prove who accessed what and when, you have a liability.
Multiple parties, conflicting access
Buyers, sellers, legal counsel, and advisors each need different levels of access to different document sets.
Enterprise security meets modern design
Every feature you need to run a secure, efficient due diligence process.
Lock down every document, every viewer
Set folder-level and document-level permissions for each party. Gate access behind NDAs. Add watermarks, password protection, screenshot blocking, and link expiration. Full audit trails track every action.
See exactly what buyers are reviewing
Track which documents each party has opened, how long they spent on each page, and which sections they returned to. Understand buyer focus areas and anticipate questions before they ask.
Chat with your documents. Find answers instantly.
Ask questions across hundreds of files in natural language. AI auto-indexes your documents and surfaces relevant clauses, figures, and terms. Cut review time from weeks to days.
Close the deal without leaving the data room
Send NDAs, LOIs, and closing documents for legally binding signature directly from Peony. AI auto-detects signature fields. Full audit trails for compliance.
Full audit trails
Track every login, view, download, and action. Generate compliance-ready reports for legal teams and regulators.
Granular permissions
Control access at the folder and document level. Give buyers view-only access while advisors get download rights.
AI auto-indexing
Upload hundreds of documents and let AI organize them into a logical structure. No manual sorting required.
Q&A workflows
Manage buyer questions directly in the data room. AI suggests answers from your documents so you can respond faster.
“Been using Peony for a few weeks now — it's a standout for the gated file sharing and data room functions. Intuitive, secure, beautifully designed, and an actually working AI, all while being very well priced versus competitors. Highly recommend giving it a try.”
Michael Hui
Managing Director at Piton Partners
Mark Petrov
Head of Financials at Loop
Peony is by far the simplest and most intuitive way to populate and share data rooms/materials with investors and partners. All the key analytics and features integrated into a sleek interface!
Peony vs legacy VDR providers — feature-by-feature
Due diligence teams need speed, security, and AI — not $25,000 invoices and week-long setup times. See how Peony compares to legacy VDR providers on the features that matter most.
| Feature | Peony | Datasite | Intralinks | Ideals | Sterling | Firmex | Digify |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free ($0) | $25,000+/deal | $25,000+/deal | $25,000+/project | $10,000+/deal | $5,000+/project | $500/mo |
| Per-page fees | None | Yes | Yes | None | — | None | None |
| Storage-based fees | None | — | Per-MB | Per-GB | — | — | None |
| Setup time | Under 5 minutes | Days | Days | 30+ minutes | Hours | 20+ minutes | 15+ minutes |
| AI document chat | Included | Add-on | Included | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Structured Q&A workflows | Included | Basic | Basic | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Unlimited storage | Up to 1 TB | Limited | Per-MB fees | Per-GB fees | Limited | Limited | Limited |
| Unlimited users | Included | Per-user fees | Per-user fees | Add-on | — | Included | Per-user fees |
| Built-in e-signatures | Included | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Screenshot protection | Included (Screenshield) | Add-on | Not included | Add-on | — | Not included | Included |
| AI file organization | Included | Add-on | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Automatic NDA | Included | Not included | Not included | Add-on | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Dynamic watermarks | Included | Add-on | Not included | Included | Not included | Included | Included |
| Custom domain & branding | Included | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Not included | Add-on | Add-on |
| Ease of use (public rating) | 9.4/10 | 7.5/10 | 7.2/10 | 8.7/10 | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | 6.9/10 |
| Average user satisfaction | 9.7/10 | 7.5/10 | 7.2/10 | 8.9/10 | 7.3/10 | 8.8/10 | 7.5/10 |
Frequently asked questions
What is a due diligence data room?
A due diligence data room is a secure virtual environment where buyers, sellers, and advisors share and review confidential documents during M&A transactions, audits, or investment processes. Peony provides a modern due diligence data room with AI-powered document search, page-level analytics, and screenshot protection — set up in under 5 minutes instead of the weeks required by legacy VDRs like Ideals or Firmex.
What documents should be in a due diligence data room?
A typical due diligence data room includes financial statements, tax returns, contracts, IP filings, employment agreements, corporate governance documents, and compliance records. Peony's AI auto-indexing organizes hundreds of documents into a logical structure automatically — with OCR for scanned files and full-text search across every uploaded document. Peony also generates AI-powered due diligence checklists tailored to your deal type, tracking uploaded versus missing documents with completeness scoring so nothing falls through the cracks.
How does Peony protect confidential documents during due diligence?
Peony includes screenshot protection, dynamic watermarks, NDA gating, two-factor authentication, granular folder-level permissions, and link expiration on every plan — backed by AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit on SOC 2 Type II compliant infrastructure. Peony also supports controlled redaction to permanently black out sensitive financial figures or PII before sharing with counterparties. Full audit trails log every view, download, and action with timestamps and device details — exportable for compliance teams and regulators. Unlike legacy providers that charge extra for security features, Peony includes them all.
How long does it take to set up a due diligence data room?
Peony takes under 5 minutes to set up. Upload your documents, set permissions, and share secure links — no IT department, no onboarding calls, no multi-week implementation. Legacy VDRs like Ideals and Datasite can take weeks to deploy and require dedicated project managers. Peony offers a free plan ($0) with 2 GB, scaling to Pro ($20/admin/month) and Business ($40/admin/month).
Can I track what buyers are reviewing in the data room?
Yes. Peony provides page-level analytics showing which documents each party opened, how long they spent on each page, and which sections they returned to. This lets sellers anticipate buyer questions, understand focus areas, and manage the diligence timeline proactively — a level of insight that basic VDRs do not offer.
How does AI help with due diligence in Peony?
Peony includes AI-powered document chat that lets deal teams ask questions across hundreds of files in natural language and get instant, sourced answers. AI auto-indexing classifies and organizes uploaded documents automatically. The structured Q&A workflow lets buyers submit questions, AI drafts responses from your documents, and your team reviews before sending — cutting review time from weeks to days.
Can multiple parties have different access levels?
Yes. Peony supports granular permissions at the folder and document level. Give buyers view-only access to financial summaries while legal counsel can download contracts, and restrict sensitive IP documents to specific advisors. Each party gets a personalized link with independent access controls, and you can revoke access for any party with one click.
How much does a due diligence data room cost?
Peony offers a free plan ($0) with 2 GB of storage. The Pro plan costs $20/admin/month with 200 GB, and the Business plan is $40/admin/month with 1 TB — with no per-viewer, per-page, or per-link limits, so costs stay predictable regardless of how many parties access the room. Legacy VDRs like Datasite and Ideals often charge $25K-$50K+ per deal room with per-page fees on top. Peony includes AI-powered Q&A, screenshot protection, and e-signatures on every plan with no hidden charges.