Equitest vs. Transaction Data Subscriptions
Data Layer vs. Complete Valuation Platform
Specialized transaction database subscriptions are a trusted source for private company transaction comparables. Equitest is a complete valuation platform — with M&A comparable data built in, alongside 18 valuation methods, 40-chapter institutional reports, 409A, DLOM, Monte Carlo, and global coverage. Here's how they compare.
Important Context
Transaction data subscriptions and Equitest serve different primary purposes — but overlap significantly for many practitioners.
A specialized transaction database is a data subscription — a widely-used source for private company M&A comparables, used by credentialed appraisers (NACVA, ASA, ABV) as a data source within their existing valuation workflow. Equitest is a complete end-to-end valuation platform that includes comparable transaction data alongside the full methodology engine, report generation, compliance framework, and global infrastructure. The right choice depends on what you already have and what you still need.
Two Different Tools for Two Different Jobs
Specialized transaction data providers have served the US valuation profession's data needs for decades. Some of the largest databases of private company transaction comparables are rigorously reviewed by teams of financial analysts. If you're a credentialed appraiser who needs defensible M&A comps to support a market approach conclusion, these data subscriptions are a widely-used reference point.
But a transaction database is a data tool, not a valuation platform. It doesn't run DCF models, generate DLOM analysis, compute WACC, produce a 409A report, or deliver a formatted institutional output. Most practitioners using a transaction database are also using separate software — legacy desktop valuation tools or spreadsheets — to actually build the valuation. That's two subscriptions, two workflows, and two sets of exports to reconcile into a single deliverable.
Equitest integrates M&A comparable transaction data directly into the platform — alongside 18 valuation methods, quantitative DLOM, Monte Carlo simulation, public company benchmarking, and automated 40-chapter report generation. For practitioners who want a single system that handles both the data and the analysis, Equitest is the alternative worth evaluating.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Data subscription vs. complete valuation platform — what each covers.
| Capability | Transaction Data Subscription | Equitest Full Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Data & Comparables | ||
| Private company transaction database | Industry-leading (tens of thousands of deals) | Proprietary M&A database included |
| Public comparable companies (50,000+) | ||
| AI research assistant tool | Exclusive to subscribers | AI engine throughout platform |
| Industry multiples by SIC / NAICS | ||
| Deal structure detail (payment terms, PPA) | Unique strength | Transaction multiples, not full deal terms |
| Country risk premia (152 countries) | US-focused | Damodaran-sourced |
| Quarterly market trend publication | Subscribers only | |
| Valuation Methodology | ||
| DCF with Sensitivity Analysis | Data only, no DCF engine | Full DCF + Goal-Seek Solver |
| Monte Carlo Simulation | 10,000+ scenario runs | |
| DLOM — Quantitative Models | DLOM data via separate add-on product | 4 models: Chaffe, Longstaff, Finnerty, Ghaidarov |
| WACC / Cost of Capital Derivation | ERP, beta, build-up method | |
| Tornado Chart / Football Field Chart | ||
| Altman Z-Score / DuPont Analysis | ||
| Real Options / OPM | ||
| IRC §409A Native Module | IRS-compliant standalone report | |
| Startup Methods (Berkus, First Chicago, VC) | ||
| Divorce & Legal Forensic Valuations | Forensic-ready templates | |
| SDE Multiple (main-street / SMB) | SDE data available | Full SDE method + report |
| Group / Portfolio Valuation | ||
| Report Output | ||
| Automated 40-chapter institutional report | Data export only | Auto-generated PDF + DOCX |
| PDF / Excel data export | ||
| Branded firm logo on output | PDF personalization | White-label on Enterprise plan |
| Histograms / scatter plots / data charts | Via research assistant tool | Tornado, Football Field, Monte Carlo charts |
| SWOT & Porter's 5 Forces | AI-generated, company-specific | |
| Platform & Access | ||
| Cloud-native / any browser | ||
| Self-serve signup | Day pass available | Full self-serve |
| Languages | English only | 22 languages |
| Countries | US-focused | 152 countries |
| IVS / USPAP / GAAP / IFRS compliance | USPAP-oriented data | Full compliance framework |
| AI Audit & Anomaly Detection | ||
| AES-256 Encryption | Not stated | |
= partially available or via separate add-on product
Why Practitioners Are Consolidating onto Equitest
Specialized transaction databases are genuinely excellent at what they do. The question is whether you need to pay for a separate platform just to access the data layer — or whether an all-in-one platform that includes comparable data serves your workflow better.
Stop Running Parallel Workflows
The typical transaction-database workflow: search for comparable transactions in the database, export to Excel or PDF, then manually incorporate those multiples into a separate valuation model — built in legacy desktop software or Excel — then assemble the final report in Word. Three systems. Three exports. One deliverable.
Equitest integrates comparable transaction data directly into the valuation workflow. The market approach pulls from the built-in M&A database. The income approach runs DCF with Goal-Seek and Monte Carlo. The asset approach and SDE method complete the picture. Everything flows into a single auto-generated 40-chapter institutional report — no parallel systems, no manual reconciliation.
A Data Subscription Gives You the Comps. Equitest Gives You the Conclusion.
Comparable transaction data is an input, not a conclusion. Once you have transaction multiples, you still need to: normalize the subject company's financials, select and weight the relevant methods, compute WACC and cost of capital, derive the DLOM, reconcile the value range, and produce a compliant report. A data subscription provides none of that. Equitest provides all of it.
Methods a Transaction Database Doesn't Touch
A transaction database is a market approach data source. The income and asset approaches — and the quantitative techniques that make them defensible — exist entirely outside its scope.
Monte Carlo Simulation
10,000+ probabilistic scenarios with confidence intervals — essential for litigation and high-stakes engagements
DLOM — 4 Models
Quantitative DLOM using Chaffe, Longstaff, Finnerty, and Ghaidarov — independently computed from your specific inputs
IRC §409A Reports
Standalone IRS-compliant equity compensation valuation module — not available in a data-only subscription
Startup Methods
Berkus, First Chicago, and Venture Capital Method — for pre-revenue companies where transaction comps don't exist
Divorce & Legal Forensics
Forensic-ready report templates built to meet evidentiary standards — outside a data subscription's scope entirely
Group / Portfolio Valuation
Value multiple portfolio companies in a single workflow — not available in a transaction database
US-Focused Data vs. Global Platform
Specialized transaction databases are typically built around US private company transactions and USPAP-oriented methodology. For practitioners valuing businesses outside the US, the comparable data becomes sparse and the compliance framework doesn't map cleanly to IVS, IFRS, or international regulatory requirements.
Equitest supports 152 countries with Damodaran-sourced country risk premia, multi-currency support, and full report output in 22 languages. Every compliance framework — IVS, USPAP, GAAP, IFRS, IRC §409A — is built into the report architecture from the start.
From Data Export to Deliverable Report
Specialized transaction databases produce data exports — Excel tables, PDF reports of transaction results, histograms, and scatter plots. These are inputs to a valuation, not the valuation itself. Presenting a data export to a client, a court, or an auditor requires wrapping it in a complete valuation report produced elsewhere.
Equitest produces the complete deliverable. From financial inputs to a 40-chapter institutional report — including executive summary, methodology disclosure, financial analysis, market comparables, DCF, DLOM, Monte Carlo, Tornado Chart, Football Field Chart, SWOT, and compliance disclosures — formatted as a professionally branded PDF or DOCX, ready to deliver without further assembly.
Who Should Use Each
Choose Equitest If
- You want a single platform that handles data, methodology, and report generation
- You need 409A, startup methods, divorce/legal templates, or portfolio valuations
- You're valuing businesses outside the US or serving non-English-speaking clients
- You want quantitative DLOM, Monte Carlo, and Tornado Charts built into every report
- You're a boutique firm or solo practitioner who can't justify multiple specialized subscriptions
- You need an auto-generated institutional report, not a manual assembly from data exports
A Specialized Data Subscription Remains the Best Choice If
- chevron_rightYou're a NACVA/ASA-credentialed appraiser whose entire workflow is built around that provider's data ecosystem
- chevron_rightYou specifically need its full deal term detail — payment terms, purchase price allocations, employment agreements
- chevron_rightYou rely on its contributor network for deal sourcing and professional visibility
- chevron_rightYou're already using a separate valuation platform and only need to supplement your data layer
- chevron_rightYou value its quarterly publication for market trend intelligence
Can You Use Both?
Yes — and many credentialed appraisers do. A specialized transaction database as a premium data reference for the most demanding M&A engagements, Equitest as the platform that runs the full analysis and generates the deliverable. For practitioners who need the deepest possible private company deal data on high-stakes engagements, supplementing Equitest with a data subscription is a legitimate workflow. For the majority of valuation engagements, Equitest's built-in transaction database covers the requirement without a second subscription.
The Bottom Line
Specialized transaction databases are among the best private company transaction sources in the profession — and they deserve that reputation. But a database is not a platform. If your workflow requires comparable data and a complete valuation methodology engine and an institutional report output and global coverage — Equitest is the single system that delivers all of it. For practitioners ready to consolidate from a multi-tool workflow into one platform, Equitest is built for that move.
Data. Methodology. Report. One Platform.
18 valuation methods. M&A comparables built in. 40-chapter institutional output. 22 languages. IVS, USPAP, GAAP, IFRS, and IRC §409A compliant.
