Diligent Review: Simplify Your GRC with AI Power and Global Reach

Board chaos still keeping you up?

If you’re looking at Diligent, you’re probably worried about messy governance, scattered risk tracking, or lack of a secure place for board discussions and documents.

But let’s get real — the main headache is wasting hours toggling between clunky tools just to stay compliant, stay organized, and avoid mistakes that could cost your team dearly.

Diligent attacks this problem with its unified platform, connecting board management, risk oversight, compliance, and ESG reporting into a single, integrated hub. You get real-time insights, secure workflows, and automation helping you move faster, not just tick boxes.

That’s why in this review, I’ll break down how Diligent actually fixes your governance headaches and whether it lives up to the fuss.

You’ll find out in this Diligent review how the platform handles core features, pricing, setup, the user experience, and how it stacks up against leading alternatives—everything you need for a smart evaluation.

By the end, you’ll know if Diligent offers the features you need to make your board and compliance work feel less like firefighting and more like progress.

Let’s get started.

Diligent Overview

Diligent has been around since 1994, based in New York City. I find their core mission is to provide a single platform for all your governance, risk, and compliance activities.

They specifically target the enterprise market, and you can see their power with 65% of the Fortune 1000 using their tools. Their focus is providing a truly integrated GRC platform, not just another standalone board portal for meetings.

Their recent acquisitions, like Accuvio for ESG, show clear innovation. Through this Diligent review, you can see how these moves aim to give you a complete and modern GRC toolkit.

Unlike competitors like OnBoard that focus narrowly on meetings, Diligent’s key strength is its integrated governance platform approach. From my experience, this gives your entire leadership team a far more connected, holistic view of organizational risk.

They work with large, complex organizations, especially those in heavily regulated industries like finance. These are companies that must connect board-level decisions with enterprise-wide risk and compliance.

I’ve found their current strategy centers entirely on the “Diligent One Platform” vision. They are pushing to connect every GRC function you manage, from internal audits to ESG reporting, into one cohesive and manageable ecosystem.

Let’s dive into their feature set.

Diligent Features

Struggling with disconnected governance, risk, and compliance tools?

Diligent solutions can help you centralize your entire GRC posture for a holistic view. These are the five core Diligent solutions that provide clear business value.

1. Diligent Boards

Still running board meetings with outdated, insecure tools?

Inefficient communication and document sharing among board members can slow down critical decision-making. This often compromises sensitive information.

Diligent Boards streamlines meeting creation and collaboration, so you can securely share confidential materials. What I love about this solution is how directors can access materials offline and annotate with ease, making every meeting more productive. It’s a dedicated space for secure board discussions.

This means you can finally ensure your board is aligned and effective, without worrying about data breaches or lost documents.

2. Diligent One Platform (GRC)

Tired of siloed risk and compliance data creating blind spots?

Fragmented GRC functions lead to inconsistent risk assessments and compliance monitoring. This makes it impossible to get a clear, enterprise-wide view.

Diligent One Platform unifies your governance, risk, and compliance management by centralizing everything. Here’s what I found: the platform leverages AI to provide real-time risk data, helping you make informed decisions quickly. It automates workflows and tracks key performance indicators.

The result is your team gets a resilient GRC program, avoiding penalties and building confidence across the organization.

3. Diligent ESG

Struggling to track and report your environmental impact accurately?

Collecting and reporting complex ESG data, especially greenhouse gas emissions, can be a massive, error-prone undertaking. This often leads to missed targets and compliance risks.

Diligent ESG automates the collection and calculation of all scope emissions, providing accurate reporting across frameworks. This is where Diligent shines: its robotic process automation connects to various internal platforms, streamlining data input. It helps you manage and communicate your performance.

So, as a leader, you can effortlessly track progress and integrate vital ESG data directly into your corporate strategy, proving your commitment.

4. Diligent Entity Management

Overwhelmed by managing complex corporate legal structures?

Tracking and maintaining accurate records for multiple legal entities and subsidiaries can be a compliance nightmare. This risks legal exposure and operational inefficiencies.

Diligent Entity Management centralizes all your corporate records in one secure location, ensuring accuracy and compliance. From my testing, this solution drastically simplifies the oversight of legal entities, preventing oversight and non-compliance issues. It streamlines your corporate governance.

This means you could ensure every legal entity is perfectly compliant, freeing up valuable time and reducing the risk of errors across your organization.

5. Diligent Analytics & Intelligence

Need better insights to make strategic decisions for your business?

Without real-time market insights or competitive intelligence, your strategic decisions can be based on outdated information. This puts you at a disadvantage.

These offerings provide expert insights on shareholder activism, proxy voting, and reputational analysis for listed companies. What I love about this feature is how AI-focused news and industry health analytics provide a competitive edge. You can benchmark against peers effectively.

This means you gain a powerful decision advantage, staying ahead of market shifts and empowering your board with actionable intelligence.

You’ll actually appreciate how these Diligent features work together as an integrated ecosystem rather than separate tools that you have to stick together.

Diligent Pricing

Unsure about what you’ll actually pay?

Diligent pricing is primarily custom, requiring direct contact with their sales team to get a detailed quote tailored to your specific organizational needs and enterprise-level requirements.

1. Pricing Model & Cost Factors

Custom quotes dominate here.

Diligent’s pricing model is not publicly disclosed, meaning you’ll need to contact their sales team for a custom quote. What I found regarding pricing is that it’s tailored to specific enterprise requirements, including the modules you need (e.g., Boards, GRC, ESG) and the scale of your operations.

From my cost analysis, this means your total cost will depend on your organization’s size, complexity, and desired functionality.

2. Value Assessment & ROI

Is this pricing worth it?

Diligent is positioned as a premium solution for mid-market to enterprise clients, often used by Fortune 1000 companies. While specific figures are not public, user feedback suggests it’s a higher investment. However, the integrated platform centralizes GRC activities, offering significant value by streamlining processes and reducing compliance risks for your organization.

This helps you avoid penalties and achieve better governance outcomes, justifying the investment for robust needs.

3. Budget Planning & Implementation

Watch out for hidden expenses.

Since Diligent’s pricing is customized, you should prepare for a comprehensive sales consultation to detail all potential costs, including implementation and ongoing support. What I found regarding pricing is that smaller businesses might find it prohibitive due to its premium positioning and extensive feature set.

So for your budget, ensure you clearly define your needs to get an accurate total cost of ownership.

My Take: Diligent’s pricing reflects its position as a high-end, comprehensive governance, risk, and compliance platform, best suited for large enterprises needing integrated, robust solutions.

The overall Diligent pricing reflects premium enterprise value tailored to your specific needs.

Diligent Reviews

What do real customers actually think?

This section dives into Diligent reviews, analyzing genuine user feedback to give you a balanced perspective on what actual customers think about the software and their real-world experiences.

1. Overall User Satisfaction

Users seem quite satisfied.

From my review analysis, Diligent generally receives positive feedback, with Diligent Boards averaging 9 out of 10 on TrustRadius. What I found in user feedback is that customers frequently praise its ease of use and robust features, especially for administrative tasks.

This indicates you can expect a generally positive experience with strong core functionality.

2. Common Praise Points

Users consistently love the efficiency.

Review-wise, users frequently commend Diligent Boards for streamlining board operations and document distribution. What stands out in customer feedback is how it dramatically reduces time spent organizing materials, making meetings more efficient and secure.

This means you can anticipate significant time savings in preparing and distributing board documents.

3. Frequent Complaints

Some users face a learning curve.

While overall positive, some Diligent reviews point to a “steep learning curve” for Diligent One Platform and occasional technical issues. From my review analysis, password trouble after non-use is sometimes reported, as are syncing notes or aligning presentations.

These challenges seem like minor inconveniences rather than major deal-breakers for most users.

The overall Diligent reviews highlight strong satisfaction with minor usability quirks, particularly for large enterprises.

Best Diligent Alternatives

Navigating the GRC software landscape?

The best Diligent alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different governance, risk, and compliance needs.

1. Nasdaq Boardvantage

Prioritizing streamlined board meeting management?

Nasdaq Boardvantage shines for organizations focused primarily on board communication and efficient meeting processes. What I found comparing options is that Nasdaq Boardvantage offers an intuitive interface for director collaboration, often simpler to adopt than Diligent’s broader suite.

Choose this alternative when user-friendliness and focused board portal functionality are your top priorities.

2. OnBoard Board Management Software

Seeking cost-effective, highly user-friendly board tools?

OnBoard is ideal if you prioritize simplicity and ease of use for board members and administrators, often at a more accessible price point. From my competitive analysis, OnBoard provides robust document organization and meeting minutes, often preferred for its straightforward approach.

Consider this alternative if meeting efficiency and budget are key drivers for your board management solution.

3. ServiceNow Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC)

Need robust GRC integrated with IT operations?

ServiceNow GRC excels for enterprises with complex IT environments that require automated control validation and deep integration with their IT infrastructure. From my analysis, ServiceNow strongly automates control validation by connecting to your CMDB, a unique strength over Diligent’s broader GRC.

Choose ServiceNow when IT operations integration and automated GRC within a complex tech stack are paramount.

4. Workiva

Focusing on integrated financial and ESG reporting?

Workiva is your go-to if seamlessly integrating financial reporting with ESG data collection and sustainability management is critical. Alternative-wise, Workiva provides a unified, AI-powered solution for reporting, making it strong for comprehensive and auditable disclosures across functions.

Choose Workiva when unified financial and ESG reporting with strong data control is more important than a broad GRC suite.

The best Diligent alternatives depend on your organization’s specific GRC scope and integration priorities.

Diligent Setup

Is Diligent implementation truly complex?

This Diligent review covers the practicalities of deploying the software, helping you set realistic expectations for the process. My implementation analysis offers guidance on what you’re signing up for.

1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

Expect a nuanced deployment journey.

Diligent Boards can be “up and running in weeks,” but the broader GRC platform, Diligent One, has a “long onboarding process.” What I found about deployment is that implementation time scales with your solution scope and integration needs, so tailor your timeline accordingly.

You’ll need to define your specific GRC requirements upfront to accurately gauge the project’s overall complexity and timeline.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

Consider your existing IT infrastructure.

Diligent operates as a cloud-based SaaS, accessed via web and mobile apps, so direct hardware provisioning is minimal. From my implementation analysis, integrating with existing systems may require technical expertise, especially for complex data flows or legacy solutions.

Plan for IT readiness to manage secure access, mobile deployments, and ensure seamless data exchange with your current applications.

3. Training & Change Management

Prepare for a significant learning curve.

While Diligent Boards offers “unlimited training,” users report a “steep learning curve” for the comprehensive Diligent One Platform. What I found about deployment is that proactive change management is crucial for widespread adoption, ensuring your team effectively leverages all features.

Invest in thorough training programs and designate internal champions to smooth the transition and maximize user proficiency.

4. Support & Success Factors

Vendor support can make all the difference.

Diligent provides 24/7 global support and “personalized concierge training,” which is critical for navigating the initial “long onboarding process.” From my analysis, leveraging their extensive support can significantly accelerate implementation and ongoing platform utilization.

Prioritize strong communication with Diligent’s support team and empower your internal project lead to drive adoption for successful deployment.

Overall, successful Diligent setup requires understanding your specific solution scope and leveraging their robust support to streamline the onboarding process.

Bottom Line

Is Diligent the right fit for your organization?

My Diligent review shows a powerful, enterprise-grade platform for modern governance, risk, and compliance, best suited for specific organizational profiles.

1. Who This Works Best For

Large enterprises and mid-market companies with complex GRC needs.

Diligent is ideal for organizations requiring integrated governance, risk, and compliance solutions, particularly for boards of directors, GRC professionals, and ESG teams. What I found about target users is that your business will benefit most if you operate in highly regulated industries or manage complex, evolving oversight requirements.

You’ll succeed if your organization seeks a premium, unified platform for critical decision-making and robust security.

2. Overall Strengths

Comprehensive GRC capabilities deliver exceptional value.

The software succeeds by offering an integrated platform encompassing board management, GRC, and ESG, providing a centralized and secure environment. From my comprehensive analysis, its robust security protocols instill high confidence for sensitive information, while dedicated 24/7 customer support ensures reliable assistance across multiple languages globally.

These strengths will translate into streamlined operations, enhanced collaboration, and a fortified GRC posture for your organization.

3. Key Limitations

High cost presents a significant barrier for smaller entities.

While powerful, the cost of Diligent’s solutions is a common concern, particularly for smaller organizations or those with basic needs. Based on this review, the steep learning curve requires commitment to training and potentially some technical expertise during implementation, making onboarding a longer process for your team.

I find these limitations are critical considerations that you must weigh carefully against your budget and internal resources before committing.

4. Final Recommendation

Diligent earns a strong recommendation for enterprise users.

You should choose this software if you’re a large enterprise or a growing mid-market company with complex governance, risk, and compliance requirements. From my analysis, your success depends on investing in a premium, integrated GRC solution that prioritizes security, comprehensive features, and dedicated support.

My confidence level is high for organizations prepared for a significant investment but drops for smaller businesses with simpler needs.

Through this Diligent review, I’ve demonstrated significant value for the right enterprise profile, while also highlighting crucial cost and implementation considerations for your decision.