.svg "ZealiD Logo New (1)"){kind=small}
Compare › ShareFile
ZealiD vs ShareFile
ShareFile is a mature file-sharing tool and client portal, with a data room and e-signature on its higher plans. Trust Circle is built for regulated firms that need to know who each client is, and to sign with a qualified signature. Here is how they compare.
In short
ShareFile wins on maturity and range.It's a long-established file-sharing product with unlimited client users, a virtual data room plan and EU storage in Dublin and Frankfurt. If you work with US clients, its e-signature includes knowledge-based authentication for US agreements.
Its qualified signature depends on the signer's eID.On Premium and up, in its EU control plane, ShareFile offers advanced and qualified signatures under eIDAS. The signer signs in with a national eID such as Swedish BankID, MitID or Smart-ID. Each account includes 5 free eIDAS authentications, and it works for one signer per document.
Trust Circle starts with the client's identity.Each client verifies once with an ID document and a face check, valid for two years, with no fee per check. Clients without a national eID can still sign with a qualified signature. There is no three-user minimum.
ZealiD and ShareFile, side by side
Sources: ShareFile pricing, ShareFile integrated e-signature, ShareFile eIDAS signatures, ShareFile storage zones and ZealiD pricing, November 2026. ShareFile shows prices in "$" with a monthly and yearly toggle.
Where they really differ
Knowledge questions, or an ID document and a face
ShareFile's built-in identity check is knowledge-based authentication, aimed at US agreements and included on Premium and up. In its EU control plane, signers can sign in with a national eID instead, and each account includes 5 free eIDAS authentications. Switching eIDAS on turns knowledge-based authentication off.
In Trust Circle, every client verifies once in the ZealiD app with an ID document and a face check. It stays valid for two years, with no fee per check, and your client doesn't pay either.
A file store, or a space with verified people
ShareFile is built for moving files: folders, client uploads, large storage and a data room. Trust Circle gives each client or matter its own space, where every member has verified their identity and every document shows its status, from draft to signed.
Nordvik M&A
Check which clients can sign with a QES today
List the last five clients who signed something with you. For each one, note whether they have a national eID that ShareFile supports for eIDAS signing, such as Swedish BankID, MitID, Smart-ID or ID Austria, and whether more than one person had to sign. Then check how many of your 5 free eIDAS authentications are left.
In Trust Circle, any client with one of 265+ supported ID documents can sign with a qualified signature.
Your last five signers
What each one costs
ShareFile is priced per user with a three-user minimum, so the smallest account with e-signature is 3 × $26.00 = $78 a month on Premium, at the yearly price. Trust Circle is priced per plan, billed yearly, with identity verification included and no limit on how many clients you verify.
ShareFile
Per user a month, yearly price, minimum 3 users
See ShareFile pricing →Trust Circle
A month, billed yearly. ID checks included
See pricing →Which one is right for you?
Choose ShareFile if:
- You need a virtual data room for deals or audits
- You work with US clients and want knowledge-based checks
- You move large volumes of files and need lots of storage
- You want EU storage in Dublin or Frankfurt, or on your own servers
- Your clients already sign with a national eID
Choose Trust Circle if:
- You must know who your client is, and keep that proof
- Your clients come from many countries, with or without a national eID
- You are a small firm and don't want a three-user minimum
- Several people sign the same document with a qualified signature
- You verify clients for AML and want that next to their files
Use both if: you already run large file transfers or a data room in ShareFile. Keep it for that, and use Trust Circle for verified clients, the files that carry their identity, and qualified signatures.
What Trust Circle doesn't do
Live sanctions and PEP screening, beneficial ownership checks and the risk decision stay with your firm.
It isn't a data room or a bulk file-transfer tool. Keep a dedicated tool for very large files and deal rooms.
What our customers say
I spend at least an hour a day answering ‘Where is the latest SHA?’ or ‘What is the notice period?’
We’ve searched for a document or client portal for years. SharePoint doesn’t work.
ABN AMROMicrosoftDLA PiperBird & BirdBinderrOyster HRCALIPIA
Verify, share and sign in one place
- Identity verification in every plan, no fee per check
- Verified once, valid for two years
- ZealiD AB is a qualified trust service provider on the EU Trusted List
- Documents stored in Stockholm, EU
Common questions
Does ShareFile support qualified electronic signatures?
Yes, on Premium and up in its EU control plane. The signer signs in with a supported national eID, and it works for one signer per document. Each account includes 5 free eIDAS authentications; ShareFile doesn't publish the price of more. ShareFile eIDAS signatures.
Does ShareFile verify my client's identity?
It offers knowledge-based authentication for US agreements on Premium and up, and national eID sign-in for eIDAS signatures in the EU. We found no ID document and face check. Trust Circle checks each client's ID document and face once, valid for two years. How identity verification works.
Where does ShareFile store data in the EU?
In ShareFile-managed storage zones in Dublin, Ireland and Frankfurt, Germany, with other zones outside the EU. Trust Circle keeps files in Stockholm, Sweden. ShareFile storage zones.
Is there a minimum number of users?
ShareFile has a three-user minimum on its standard plans and five on the data room. Trust Circle has no minimum: Micro is €40 a year and Solo €15.20 a month, billed yearly. See plans.
Can I use Trust Circle alongside ShareFile?
Yes, side by side. There's no direct integration between them, so you'd use ShareFile for bulk files or a data room, and Trust Circle for verified clients and qualified signatures. If all you need is a client portal with e-signature, one of the two is usually enough, so compare what you'd pay for both.
Does identity verification cost extra in Trust Circle?
No. It's included in every plan, from Micro to Enterprise, with no limit on how many clients you verify. Your client doesn't pay anything either. See plans.