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Cybersecurity · head to head

Diligent vs GNU Emacs

Diligent logo

Diligent

Cybersecurity

Board management and enterprise GRC platform assembled from Galvanize, Steele and Diligent Boards

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
G

GNU Emacs

Developer Tools

Extensible, customizable free text editor and computing environment

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GNU Emacs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Diligent the platform is an assembly of acquisitions, with the analytics engine from ACL, risk from Rsam, ethics and third-party diligence from Steele and the board portal from Diligent itself, so cross-module reporting and consistent user experience should be tested in a proof of concept rather than assumed.; GNU Emacs steep learning curve for its default keybindings and Lisp-based configuration.
  • They diverge on capability: Diligent covers Diligent Boards, GNU Emacs covers Emacs Lisp Extensibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Diligent and GNU Emacs actually diverge.

Attributes where Diligent and GNU Emacs differ
AttributeDiligentGNU Emacs
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Windowslinux, mac, windows
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
FoundedUnknown1984

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Diligent

  • Diligent Boards
  • Entity management
  • Audit and analytics
  • Risk management
  • Third-party risk
  • Ethics and compliance
  • ESG and sustainability
  • Market intelligence

Only in GNU Emacs

  • Emacs Lisp Extensibility
  • Package Ecosystem
  • Org Mode
  • Built-in Version Control Interfaces
  • Cross-platform

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Diligent

  • A listed company that wants board papers, entity records and the audit committee reporting pack produced from one governance systemnot GNU Emacs
  • An internal audit function moving from sampling to full-population transaction testing using the ACL heritage analytics enginenot GNU Emacs
  • A regulated firm consolidating a whistleblower hotline, third-party due diligence and policy attestation after an enforcement findingnot GNU Emacs
  • A group needing sustainability disclosure data collected with the same audit trail and controls as financial reportingnot GNU Emacs

GNU Emacs

  • Programming with deep Lisp-based customizationnot Diligent
  • Note-taking and planning with Org modenot Diligent
  • Managing email and file systems from a single environmentnot Diligent
  • Long-term, keyboard-driven text editing workflowsnot Diligent

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Diligent

  • The platform is an assembly of acquisitions, with the analytics engine from ACL, risk from Rsam, ethics and third-party diligence from Steele and the board portal from Diligent itself, so cross-module reporting and consistent user experience should be tested in a proof of concept rather than assumed.
  • Pricing is unpublished and consistently at the top of the market, and organisations that need only one capability, a board portal or an audit analytics tool, generally pay less and get more from a specialist.
  • Renewal leverage is weak once the board portal is embedded, because directors are the least willing user group to be migrated and that dependency is well understood by the vendor at renewal time.
  • The analytics engine expects real data skills, and audit teams without an analytics-capable member typically use a fraction of what they licensed while paying for all of it.
  • Module-by-module implementation means the promised single view of governance and risk usually arrives years after the first purchase, if the later modules are ever funded.

GNU Emacs

  • Steep learning curve for its default keybindings and Lisp-based configuration.
  • Default UI looks dated compared to modern editors without heavy customization.
  • Performance can lag on very large files compared to newer editors.
  • Discoverability of features is poor without prior familiarity or external guides.

Pricing, plan by plan

Diligent

On request
  • Diligent One Platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted by module and user count
    • Board portal seats priced separately from GRC modules
    • Annual subscription, commonly multi-year

GNU Emacs

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor and ecosystem, no paid tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose Diligent if

  • You need diligent boards.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want entity management.
Diligent review

Choose GNU Emacs if

  • You need emacs lisp extensibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on linux, mac, windows.
  • You also want package ecosystem.
GNU Emacs review

Questions people ask

Is Diligent or GNU Emacs better?
Neither clearly leads. Diligent starts at On request and GNU Emacs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Diligent or GNU Emacs?
GNU Emacs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Diligent and Free for GNU Emacs.
Does Diligent or GNU Emacs run on more platforms?
Diligent runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. GNU Emacs runs on linux, mac, windows.
Can I use GNU Emacs for free?
Yes. GNU Emacs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Diligent starts at On request.
What is Diligent best used for?
Diligent is most often used for a listed company that wants board papers, entity records and the audit committee reporting pack produced from one governance system, an internal audit function moving from sampling to full-population transaction testing using the acl heritage analytics engine, a regulated firm consolidating a whistleblower hotline, third-party due diligence and policy attestation after an enforcement finding, a group needing sustainability disclosure data collected with the same audit trail and controls as financial reporting. Of those, a listed company that wants board papers, entity records and the audit committee reporting pack produced from one governance system and an internal audit function moving from sampling to full-population transaction testing using the acl heritage analytics engine are not what GNU Emacs is typically brought in for.
What can Diligent do that GNU Emacs cannot?
Diligent covers Diligent Boards, Entity management, Audit and analytics, Risk management. GNU Emacs covers Emacs Lisp Extensibility, Package Ecosystem, Org Mode, Built-in Version Control Interfaces.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Diligent: Is Diligent One the same product as Galvanize?

It contains it. Diligent bought Galvanize, the ACL and Rsam merger, for around one billion dollars in April 2021, and its audit analytics and risk modules are that heritage rebranded into Diligent One.

GNU Emacs: Is GNU Emacs free, including for commercial use?

Yes, Emacs is free software released under the GNU General Public License, which allows anyone to use, study, modify, and redistribute it, including commercially.

Source
Diligent: What does Diligent cost?

Not published. It is quoted by module and user, and board portal seats are priced differently from GRC seats. Expect an annual or multi-year enterprise agreement.

GNU Emacs: How do I install Emacs?

On Linux it is available via package managers like apt-get, pacman, dnf, or zypper; on macOS via Homebrew or MacPorts; on Windows via an installer or zip from GNU mirrors; and on Android via F-Droid or GNU FTP.

Source
Diligent: Can you buy just the board portal?

Yes, Diligent Boards is sold on its own and is the most common entry point. The GRC modules are separate purchases.

GNU Emacs: What platforms does Emacs support?

Emacs runs on GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Haiku, macOS, MS Windows, Android (versions 2.2 to 15.0), Solaris, and MS-DOS/FreeDOS.

Source
Diligent: Does it replace a SOC 2 automation tool?

No. Diligent is aimed at enterprise audit, risk and governance, not at automated evidence collection for security certifications.

GNU Emacs: How is Emacs extended with packages?

Emacs is customized and extended through its Emacs Lisp dialect, with thousands of community packages distributed via repositories like MELPA that add language modes and tools.

Source
GNU Emacs: Where can I get source code or development builds?

Emacs source code and development builds are hosted at savannah.gnu.org, in addition to stable releases distributed through GNU mirrors.

Source
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