AppDeck vs Diligent
The dominant enterprise board portal — founded 2001 (originally as BoardLogic, rebranded 2007), used by a majority of Fortune 1000 boards. Acquired by Insight Partners in 2016 (later taken public).
Last updated: May 20, 2026
About this comparison:AppDeck is pre-product as of May 2026 — we're building toward general availability. Diligentis an established, shipping product. This comparison uses publicly disclosed competitor information and AppDeck's published roadmap. No fabricated specifics, no feature-parity claims we can't back. Join the waitlist to be notified when AppDeck ships.
When to choose which
Choose Diligent if…
- •You are a Fortune 1000 or large enterprise board
- •You need integrated audit, risk, and compliance modules in addition to the portal
- •Your governance requirements include FedRAMP, deep SOX, or other regulated industry standards
- •You have an implementation team and a multi-month rollout timeline
- •Annual budget for governance technology exceeds $25,000
Choose AppDeck if…
- You are a startup, small company, or small-to-mid nonprofit board
- Your annual governance technology budget is under $15,000
- You are migrating from email + shared drives, not from another portal
- You want to be running within hours, not after a 90-day implementation
- Simpler is more important than fullest-feature-set
About Diligent
Diligent is the category-defining enterprise board portal. Over 25,000+ organizations reportedly use Diligent across boards, audit, and compliance. The product is mature, well-resourced, and priced accordingly.
What Diligent does well
- Deepest feature set in the category — full governance, risk, and compliance suite
- Trusted by Fortune 500 boards and audit committees
- Extensive integrations with enterprise systems (Microsoft, Salesforce, identity providers)
- SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and other enterprise security certifications
- White-glove implementation and dedicated customer success at the enterprise tier
Where AppDeck differs
- SMB pricing model designed for boards under 500 employees, not Fortune 500
- Designed for boards graduating from email and shared drives — not for boards replacing other portals
- Simpler interface that requires no training for first-time portal users
- Faster setup — usable on day one without an implementation team
Pricing
Diligent
Diligent does not publish pricing. Industry reporting and reseller quotes commonly cite ranges starting at $12,000–$15,000+ per year for the entry tier, scaling with board size and modules selected.
AppDeck
AppDeck pricing (when generally available) starts at $199–$999/month — credit-card-on-file model designed for SMB and small-nonprofit budgets. Pricing reflects pre-product status; expect updates at GA.
Feature comparison
| Feature | AppDeck | Diligent |
|---|---|---|
| Target customer | SMB + small nonprofit boards (under ~500 employees) | Mid-market + enterprise boards (Fortune 1000 standard) |
| Pricing transparency | Published, starting tier on website | Quote-only; no public pricing |
| Implementation timeline | Hours (self-serve), once GA | 30–90 days typical, with dedicated PM |
| Board pack distribution | Yes — core feature | Yes — mature, industry-standard |
| Meeting minutes + voting | Yes | Yes |
| Committee workspaces | Yes | Yes |
| Audit/Risk/Compliance modules | Not in scope — board portal only | Yes — full GRC suite available |
| SOC 2 Type II | On roadmap — not yet certified (pre-product) | Yes — multi-year track record |
| Enterprise integrations (SSO, AD, etc.) | SSO on roadmap | Comprehensive enterprise integrations |
| Multi-board / multi-entity management | Not in scope for v1 | Yes — designed for it |
Migration considerations
- Migrating from Diligent typically only makes sense if your board has outgrown Diligent's pricing, not its capabilities. Diligent's feature depth is a real moat in regulated industries.
- AppDeck is most appropriate for boards never on Diligent — new boards, growing companies, or organizations leaving manual processes (email + Drive).
- For boards on a Diligent contract: wait until renewal, evaluate honestly whether you use the depth, and migrate only if the SMB-tier features fit.
Frequently asked questions
- Is AppDeck a Diligent replacement?
- For most Fortune 1000 boards: no. Diligent has a feature depth and security certification track record that AppDeck (pre-product) cannot match. For SMB and small-nonprofit boards that don't use the depth, AppDeck is positioned as a more affordable alternative.
- How much does Diligent cost?
- Diligent does not publish pricing. Industry reporting and reseller quotes consistently cite ranges starting at $12,000–$15,000+ per year for the entry tier, scaling significantly with board size and modules. Custom quotes are the norm.
- What does AppDeck cost?
- AppDeck plans to publish pricing starting at $199–$999/month at general availability. As of May 2026, AppDeck is pre-product — pricing is subject to change before GA.
- When would I choose AppDeck over Diligent?
- When your board is under ~500 employees, your governance technology budget is under $15,000/year, you don't need an integrated GRC suite, and you want to be running in hours rather than months.
- When would I stay with (or move to) Diligent?
- When you're a Fortune 1000 board, you need an integrated audit/risk/compliance suite, your governance requirements include regulated-industry certifications, or your annual budget for governance technology exceeds $25,000.
Related comparisons
Want to see AppDeck in action?
AppDeck is pre-product. Join the waitlist to be notified when board portals go live, or read the deeper product details.