ACL Analytics vs Workiva Wdesk comparison

Diligent and Workiva are both solutions in the GRC category. Diligent is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.6, while Workiva is ranked #8 with an average rating of 7.0. Diligent holds a 2.4% mindshare in G, compared to Workiva’s 3.3% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Diligent users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 71% of Workiva users who would recommend it.

ACL Analytics

Read 11 ACL Analytics reviews

2,751 Views
2,036 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Workiva Wdesk

Read 7 Workiva Wdesk reviews

2,348 Views
1,409 Comparison Views

71% willing to recommend

ACL Analytics

Workiva Wdesk

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 4, 2025

ACL Analytics and Workiva Wdesk are competing products in the audit and compliance sector. Workiva Wdesk seems to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive features.

Features: ACL Analytics provides strong data analysis capabilities, offering insights and reporting. It supports the ability to execute large volumes of data efficiently and can import files from other software, beneficial for audit processes. Workiva Wdesk features integrated financial reporting and compliance tools that enhance collaboration, with dynamic data sheet updates ensuring continued accuracy. It also has robust integration with ERP tools, facilitating seamless data flow.

Room for Improvement: ACL Analytics could benefit from a more user-friendly interface to reduce the learning curve for new users. Expanding its current training resources would also be advantageous. Enhancing integration capabilities with various platforms could widen its usability. Workiva Wdesk may see improvement with faster initial setup to match its streamlined cloud-based approach. While its features are comprehensive, they might be overwhelming for smaller enterprises. Enhancing customization options could better tailor its tools for diverse business needs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ACL Analytics offers a straightforward deployment process praised for simplicity and responsive support. Workiva Wdesk employs a cloud-based solution simplifying deployment with extensive training resources but may require more initial setup time.

Pricing and ROI: ACL Analytics offers competitive pricing with strong ROI potential, attractive to budget-conscious firms. Workiva Wdesk, while potentially more expensive, provides significant ROI for those investing in its advanced functionalities, offering long-term value for comprehensive oversight.

To learn more, read our detailed ACL Analytics vs. Workiva Wdesk Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ACL Analytics vs. Workiva Wdesk

December 2025

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Helped 881,082 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

ACL Analytics

Ranking in GRC

3rd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Continuous Controls Monitoring (1st)

Workiva Wdesk

Ranking in GRC

8th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Business Performance Management (11th), Financial Close Software (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the GRC category, the mindshare of ACL Analytics is 2.4%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workiva Wdesk is 3.3%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

GRC Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
ACL Analytics	2.4%
Workiva Wdesk	3.3%
Other	94.3%

GRC

Featured Reviews

reviewer2707797

ACL Consultant

Have significantly reduced audit hours through automation and advanced data integration with robust connectors

The key feature of ACL Analytics is integration, which allows for vast amounts of data sources you can connect to. The tool itself allows you to integrate it into your audit work in terms of taking exceptions that you receive from your analytics. It provides integration into your GRC platform and into your audit working files, and then one key thing is the vast amounts of connectors. We have seen a return on investment as we have mostly reduced working hours for the audit engagements. If an auditor was normally budgeted to take 600 hours, we have implemented a solution to take those audit hours down to 200 hours. We are mostly taking those metrics.

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reviewer2510292

Corporate ESG Analyst at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

Has cross-functional connectivity but improvement is needed in script encoding

The tool's deployment is quick. Once the program is set up, you're ready to collect data and connect it to your report. The deployment team's size depends on the size of the company and how many different data providers you're utilizing. Some companies have one person doing everything, while others have a huge team. We're on the latter end of it, with many people involved. One great thing about the platform is that everything is consolidated in one place, providing a single resource for everyone. This is a benefit. The maintenance of the solution depends on the experience of the person managing the company's program. The company might have a contractor handling the back end and software management if they're low-level and only analyzing the data. However, if you have someone experienced with software and script encoding, that person might be the analyst and managing the program. Generally, most people are just analysts and not managing the software. There's an opportunity for improvement in user management of their software, and I hope they address this gap before the year ends.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It is very flexible and has hundreds of functions."

"I rate ACL Analytics nine out of ten."

"I recommend ACL Analytics because it makes work easier and is user-friendly."

"We apply different methods, such as sampling, data manipulation, and sorting. I'm fond of the scripting feature, which automates routine tasks and saves time. It also offers data insights."

"It improved my organization using an automated audit revision with scripts."

"The most valuable feature of ACL Analytics is its powerful data control capabilities."

"ACL Analytics is a great application that helps me analyze data more effectively compared to other tools like Excel."

"I did not have any problems with the stability of ACL Analytics."

More ACL Analytics pros

"It makes the compliance process more efficient and more effective."

"Workiva Wdesk has a flow diagram that is standardized, making it easy for people to file documents on ECDAs, which are in HTML format."

"The cross-functionality between connectivity, whether through API connections between different software platforms or the connection of data collection to the actual written ESG report, is highly valuable. The connectivity of all these aspects significantly aids in data assurance, which I consider a bonus."

"It helps you to maintain a backup of your data, including the connectivity with the tables, which provides a user-friendly way to handle and access your files."

"The collaboration within the platform is valuable."

"Workiva Wdesk is pretty good in terms of getting the data from the system, automating the reporting schedules...It has a very good integration with ERP tools."

"The most valuable feature is its ability to easily upload and update financial results, creating a dynamic data sheet."

Cons

"A person must have someone teach them how to use ACL Analytics as a common person cannot use it independently."

"The product's pricing has increased over the years."

"Reporting and presentation of information directly to solutions, such as PowerPoint."

"I believe the formulas and scripting language in ACL Analytics need development to be easier for me to use."

"The tool's pricing is quite high. When I purchased the software, I constantly contacted the representatives. I requested a single license, but they informed me that only packages of three licenses were available. This made it very difficult for us to manage the cost, especially given the economic challenges in our country."

"The visualization capabilities in ACL Analytics need more variety and features."

"It would be beneficial if the software could improve its capabilities when extracting data from databases, particularly for those who may not be familiar with SQL queries."

"We have an issue with the hard coding of passwords in ACL Analytics. You do not have an interface where you can enter a password and then it can be encrypted when you enter it."

More ACL Analytics cons

"At this point, I don't see a compelling reason to invest in Workiva. It may be necessary for compliance and controlling the version of SCC, but not everyone needs its high-end capabilities."

"Regarding the solution, reporting has certain areas that can be considered for improvement."

"The tool's script encoding needs to be updated to make it more user-friendly and less of a manual process when changes are made to a company's program. Those changes happen frequently due to mandatory or voluntary reporting requirements, leading to lost linkage connections that must be manually reset each time a change is made. This aspect is not functional now, and I see it as an opportunity for improvement."

"One area where Workiva Wdesk could improve is by ensuring that its cloud-based system is fully compatible with the most current versions of PowerPoint and Excel."

"The speed must be improved."

"With this product, it's more about the integrated data model where you can have a one-to-many/many-to-one relationship between your policies and processes, risks, and controls. They need to showcase how you can put those pieces together."

"The most critical issue is the need to shift between uppercase and lowercase."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for me as an individual seems a lot. For our organization, the price is okay. It's about $6,000 a year. I don't know of any additional costs."

"The price of $5,000 is high, and transferring money from one country to another, particularly in dollars, is challenging due to high exchange rates. Although we managed to purchase it then, the lack of a single license option and the high cost were issues."

"Our clients in Asia think that the solution is too expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Government

15%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Insurance Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	1
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	1
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ACL Analytics?

The tool's most valuable feature is its ability to import files from other software packages. Its reporting and visualization capabilities have made our reporting easier. Importing results into spr...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ACL Analytics?

I would rate the pricing of ACL Analytics as a 10.

See all answers

What needs improvement with ACL Analytics?

We have an issue with the hard coding of passwords in ACL Analytics. You do not have an interface where you can enter a password and then it can be encrypted when you enter it. Every time you enter...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Workiva Wdesk?

The tool's script encoding needs to be updated to make it more user-friendly and less of a manual process when changes are made to a company's program. Those changes happen frequently due to mandat...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Workiva Wdesk?

I've been working with the tool's script encoding departments and top management to address gaps in their script encoding. They are working towards closing these gaps to ensure we can continue usin...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ACL Analytics

January 2026

Download ACL Analytics product report

Buyer's Guide

Workiva Wdesk

January 2026

Download Workiva Wdesk product report

Also Known As

ACL

Wdesk

Overview

ACL Analytics connects you to any data source, and lets you run sophisticated risk analytics and detect anomalies or patterns that you simply can't illuminate with any amount of random sampling, spreadsheet ninjutsu or generic business intelligence. It's designed for you, the GRC professional.

Diligent

Wdesk is used across the enterprise to support hundreds of data collaboration, reporting, and compliance processes. Use Wdesk to:

Optimize your structured and composite reports
Improve trust in your data, reports, and presentations
Transform processes to enable insight

Workiva

Sample Customers

Essar Group, Dean Foods, Lafarge North America, Austrian Ministry of Finance

Noodles Company, eBay, Winnebago, American Assets Trust, AmericanEnterprise, Calpian, Capstone Infrastructure, Cascades, Circor International, Coeur Mining, Davey, Dr Pepper Snapple

Buyer's Guide

ACL Analytics vs. Workiva Wdesk

December 2025

Free Report: ACL Analytics vs. Workiva Wdesk

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