IRI DarkShield
IRI DarkShield: A broad discovery and masking tool for teams managing sensitive data across many source types. Ranked #9 of 28 in Data Discovery and Classification Software by our editors (8.5/10); pricing: Paid; best for deep multimodal discovery with APIs.
At a glance
- Editor score8.5 / 10
- PricingPaid
- Best forDeep multimodal discovery with APIs
- Free planNo
- Custom classificationsYes
- Founded1978 · Melbourne, Florida, USA
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Scans databases, documents, images, audio, and cloud stores
- Combines rules, lookup sets, metadata, AI, and NER classification
- Supports masking, encryption, pseudonymization, deletion, and APIs
Where it doesn't
- No free plan is available
- Standalone pricing varies by file or document volume
- Database pricing follows the IRI FieldShield model
Our verdict on IRI DarkShield
IRI DarkShield is a data discovery, classification, and masking product for organizations that need to locate and protect personally identifiable information across structured, semi-structured, and unstructured sources. It is aimed at compliance teams, developers, DBAs, and enterprise data environments. The product covers relational and NoSQL databases, text, documents, images, audio, healthcare formats, cloud storage, and network repositories, with support for Windows, Linux, and API-based execution.
Pricing is organized around three licensing paths. The Standalone option provides a perpetual license for file or image sources and includes first-year support; its first-hostname range varies with estimated file or document volume. The Bundled suite license adds DarkShield to IRI Data Protector or IRI Data Manager, with perpetual use and first-year maintenance. The IRI Voracity subscription includes DarkShield within the platform, along with support and five executing hostnames in the first pricing tier. There is no free plan, so the product is positioned for funded data governance or protection programs rather than casual evaluation.
Its main strength is breadth: classification can combine patterns, lookup sets, metadata, AI-assisted methods, custom classes, custom search patterns, and machine-learning Named Entity Recognition. Protection actions include redaction, masking, encryption, pseudonymization, and deletion, while audit logs, dashboards, and SIEM export support operational oversight. Integrations include IRI Workbench, IRI FieldShield, IRI Voracity, Amazon S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, SharePoint Online, Splunk Enterprise Security, and Datadog. Choose DarkShield when multimodal coverage and API access matter; choose a narrower tool when your environment needs only one source type or a simpler licensing model.
Your product? Our editors can test IRI DarkShield in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
IRI DarkShield pricing
All 3 IRI DarkShield plans and prices →
IRI DarkShield fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Data source types | Relational databases; NoSQL databases; text; CSV; JSON; XML; PDF; Microsoft Office; Parquet; images; audio; DICOM; healthcare EDI; Amazon S3; Azure Blob; GCP Storage; SharePoint Online; SMB/LAN stores |
| Structured data discovery | Yes |
| Unstructured data discovery | Yes |
| Custom classifications | Yes |
| Classification automation | Hybrid |
| Deployment | Hybrid |
| API access | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux |
| Compliance & security | GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS |
| Support | Email, Phone, Tickets, Live chat, Docs |
| Built for | Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 11 integrations: IRI Workbench, IRI FieldShield, IRI CellShield EE, IRI Voracity, IRI CoSort, Amazon S3 … |
| Pricing | Paid (source) |
| Website | iri.com |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
IRI DarkShield integrations
IRI DarkShield lists 11 integrations on its own site.
- IRI Workbench
- IRI FieldShield
- IRI CellShield EE
- IRI Voracity
- IRI CoSort
- Amazon S3
- Azure Blob
- Google Cloud Storage
- SharePoint Online
- Splunk Enterprise Security
- Datadog
Alternatives to IRI DarkShield
- OpenText Voltage Data Security PlatformA broad enterprise platform for governed discovery, classification, and data actions.9.2
- Thales CipherTrust Data Discovery and ClassificationA broad discovery and classification platform for hybrid infrastructure and compliance programs.9.1
- Ground Labs Enterprise ReconA broad enterprise platform for finding, classifying and remediating sensitive data across diverse sources.9.0
See all IRI DarkShield alternatives →
Also Ranked In
IRI DarkShield is ranked in 2 of our directories.
Used IRI DarkShield? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used IRI DarkShield for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears
Featured on iTechGuides
IRI DarkShield is listed in our Data Discovery and Classification Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/iri-darkshield/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/iri-darkshield.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update