Finding the right collaboration and content management platform is essential for driving productivity, maintaining communication, and keeping information secure and organized.
SharePoint has long been a go-to solution for enterprises, but it isn’t the right fit for every organization. Whether it’s due to cost, complexity, or a desire for different features, many companies are exploring SharePoint alternatives to meet their unique needs.
More precisely, while Microsoft 365 offers powerful collaboration tools, it often hits its limits when it comes to internal communication – whether in terms of usability, hidden costs or dependency on IT.
Implementation is complex, and the ongoing expense of technical support and training shows that M365 alone can be a huge hassle.
Our old SharePoint intranet was technically outdated, slow and not very user-friendly . Only trained editors could share content and it lacked important functions such as notifications for questions and feedback. In addition, language barriers made global networking difficult.
– Sandra Gerlitz, Corporate Communications Manager at the Wacker Neuson Group
In this blog, we dive into the top SharePoint alternatives, each offering distinct features that can streamline workflows, enhance communication, boost collaboration and engagement, and support document management.
Haiilo is a user-friendly, social-focused platform that aims to drive employee engagement and streamline communication within organizations. Known for its highly customizable interface and social engagement tools, Haiilo brings together communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing in one central platform. Designed with modern workplaces in mind, Haiilo caters to companies seeking an alternative to SharePoint that places a stronger emphasis on user engagement and a positive employee experience.
For companies seeking to empower employees and foster a collaborative and inclusive work culture, Haiilo offers a seamless and intuitive experience that enables teams to connect, communicate, and collaborate more effectively.
Why Haiilo over SharePoint?
- Levels of customization: Haiilo allows companies to create a fully branded and personalized intranet experience, helping teams stay connected, feel engaged, and have a much better user adoption.
- Low IT maintenance: SharePoint is usually used in combination with a number of other M365 apps to make a real intranet-like experience, resulting in high dependencies and maintenance costs. Haiilo is a comprehensive, ready-to-use, and intuitive intranet platform.
- Engagement-related features and analytics: SharePoint, like other M365 apps, mostly focuses on employee productivity rather than engagement, which is a prerequisite for higher productivity. As a result, analytics are centered around productivity, leaving comms and HR professionals without insights into how to improve employee engagement in their organizations.
- Mobile accessibility: With its mobile-friendly design, Haiilo ensures employees can stay connected even while on the go, making it a great choice for remote and hybrid teams.
- Integration options: Seamlessly integrates with popular tools like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and other business software for enhanced productivity and engagement.
Learn why Haiilo is the best SharePoint alternative on the market!
Confluence by Atlassian is a powerful collaboration and knowledge-sharing platform ideal for teams that need to create, share, and organize information efficiently. While Confluence is particularly popular among software development and IT teams, it’s versatile enough for any department that needs centralized documentation and collaboration.
With a focus on structured content and document management, Confluence offers an organized alternative to SharePoint that makes information sharing effortless.
Why Confluence over SharePoint?
- Spaces and pages: Create distinct spaces and pages for each team, project, or department, allowing for easy access to relevant information.
- Knowledge base: Confluence’s knowledge base tools make it easy to create, share, and store important documentation and resources.
- Collaboration tools: Real-time editing and commenting allow multiple users to work on documents simultaneously, streamlining collaboration.
- Templates: Choose from a variety of pre-built templates to create documents quickly and maintain consistency across teams.
- Integration with Jira: For organizations using Jira, Confluence provides seamless integration, enhancing project tracking and team collaboration.
Google Workspace, formerly known as G Suite, is a cloud-based suite of productivity and collaboration tools designed by Google. It combines familiar applications like Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Gmail, making it a versatile SharePoint alternative for companies looking for simplicity and accessibility. Google Workspace is particularly popular among small to medium-sized businesses due to its affordability and ease of use.
Why Google Workspace over SharePoint?
- Cloud storage with Google Drive: Store and share documents, spreadsheets, and other files in the cloud, making them accessible from any device.
- Real-time collaboration: Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides offer real-time editing, allowing multiple users to work together simultaneously.
- Seamless communication tools: Integrate Gmail, Google Chat, and Google Meet for a comprehensive communication solution.
- Security and compliance: Google Workspace includes advanced security features, including multi-factor authentication and data loss prevention, ensuring compliance and data safety.
- Easy file sharing and permissions: Manage access permissions for files and folders, ensuring that only authorized personnel can view or edit sensitive documents.
Box is a cloud content management platform known for its secure file storage and sharing capabilities. With a strong emphasis on security and compliance, Box is a suitable SharePoint alternative for organizations in highly regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and government. Its robust integration capabilities also make it a good choice for companies that use multiple applications for collaboration and document management.
Why Box over SharePoint?
- Secure file storage and sharing: Box provides secure storage options with customizable permissions, making it suitable for sensitive information.
- Workflow automation: Box enables users to automate repetitive tasks, simplifying workflows and enhancing productivity.
- Advanced collaboration tools: Real-time collaboration features allow users to work on documents simultaneously, with easy file-sharing options.
- Integration with business applications: Integrates with numerous popular tools like Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and Salesforce for improved productivity.
- Compliance and data security: Box meets strict industry regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and FINRA, making it a strong choice for regulated sectors.
Slack is a popular team collaboration tool that has evolved into much more than just a messaging app. Known for its easy-to-use chat interface, Slack is designed to keep communication organized and accessible. While not a direct competitor to SharePoint’s document management capabilities, Slack can be a powerful complement or alternative for companies prioritizing communication and integration.
Ideal for smaller teams or businesses looking to streamline real-time communication, Slack provides a familiar, intuitive environment for team conversations, task management, and even document sharing.
Why Slack over SharePoint?
- Channels for organization: Organize team discussions by creating specific channels based on projects, teams, or topics.
- File sharing and storage: Share documents, images, and other files easily within channels and store them for easy retrieval.
- Third-party integrations: Integrates with hundreds of popular tools like Google Drive, Trello, and Asana, making it easy to centralize workflows.
- Real-time messaging and video calls: Slack supports real-time text and video communication, ideal for quick discussions and virtual meetings.
- Searchable archives: A powerful search function lets users locate past conversations and files quickly, saving time and increasing efficiency.
Zoho Workplace is an integrated suite of applications designed to support team collaboration, document management, and communication. This comprehensive platform includes tools for document creation, email, chat, and file storage, making it a viable SharePoint alternative for organizations looking for an all-in-one solution. Zoho is particularly popular among small and medium-sized businesses due to its affordability and ease of use.
Why ZOHO Workplace over SharePoint?
- Document collaboration and management: Create and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations within the Zoho suite.
- Unified communication tools: Zoho includes tools for email, chat, and virtual meetings, making it easy for teams to stay connected.
- Customization and branding options: Companies can personalize the platform to reflect their brand identity, creating a cohesive user experience.
- Mobile accessibility: Zoho’s mobile apps ensure team members can access essential tools and information while on the go.
- Affordable pricing: Zoho Workplace is competitively priced, making it a cost-effective choice for smaller organizations with budget constraints.
Often the starting assumption is that if you already have Microsoft 365, then SharePoint is “free”. However, SharePoint is not a ready-to-run intranet , it is a platform on which an intranet can be configured and there will be costs involved.
Jostle is a cloud-based intranet platform designed for simplicity and ease of use, catering to organizations that prioritize an intuitive experience over complex configurations. Known for its user-friendly navigation and focus on employee connection, Jostle is ideal for companies that want to improve internal communication without an extensive setup process.
Why Jostle over SharePoint?
- Easy setup and navigation: Jostle provides an intuitive, easy-to-navigate platform with minimal setup required.
- Employee recognition and engagement: Built-in tools allow for social recognition, which helps foster a sense of community.
- News and announcements: Keeps everyone informed with up-to-date company news and announcements.
- People directory: A comprehensive directory helps employees easily find and connect with each other.
- Event planning and calendars: Manage company events, set up meeting invitations, and keep track of important dates.
Glasscubes is a collaboration tool designed specifically for secure file sharing and project management, making it ideal for teams that prioritize data privacy. Offering user-friendly features for document sharing, task management, and group workspaces, Glasscubes is suitable for both internal teams and external partners or clients.
Why Glasscubes over SharePoint?
- Secure file sharing and storage: Provides encrypted file storage and sharing, ensuring data security.
- Task and project management: Includes tools for assigning tasks, tracking project progress, and meeting deadlines.
- Virtual workspaces: Create dedicated workspaces for different teams or projects, enhancing organization and collaboration.
- Client collaboration tools: Offers external access options, enabling seamless collaboration with clients and third parties.
- Audit trail and version control: Keeps track of all document changes, which is essential for accountability and compliance.
Samepage is an all-in-one collaboration and project management tool that combines messaging, file sharing, task management, and real-time document editing into a single platform. It’s ideal for teams looking for a straightforward, integrated solution to organize projects and communications without needing multiple apps.
Why Samepage over SharePoint?
- Real-time collaboration: Provides collaborative document editing and messaging to streamline team interactions.
- Task management: Offers project planning, task assignment, and deadline tracking tools, which are ideal for keeping teams organized.
- Integrated communication: Combines chat, video calls, and document sharing to centralize team communication.
- File sharing and storage: Easily upload, share, and store documents in a centralized location.
- Templates for workflow efficiency: Offers customizable templates that can be reused for common workflows or projects.
Nuxeo is a powerful content management and digital asset management (DAM) platform that excels in handling large volumes of content and complex workflows. Built for organizations with specific content management needs, Nuxeo is a versatile SharePoint alternative designed for industries such as media, finance, and manufacturing.
Why Nuxeo over SharePoint?
- Advanced content management: Manage documents, images, videos, and other digital assets with comprehensive tools.
- AI-Powered content tagging: Uses AI to automatically tag and categorize content, making it easier to find and organize.
- Customizable workflows: Allows for the creation of complex workflows tailored to industry-specific needs.
- Secure document storage: Provides high-level security for content, including compliance with strict industry standards.
- Integration with enterprise software: Integrates with existing business applications like Salesforce, SAP, and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Conclusion: Understanding When to Go With SharePoint
When considering Sharepoint over other solutions, it’s essential to consider your organization’s primary goals. SharePoint is ideal for companies that need a secure, comprehensive knowledge repository with advanced document management capabilities.
Its powerful, customizable workflows make it suitable for handling complex processes and compliance-driven content management, which is why many organizations rely on it as a core system for storing and managing essential documents.
However, SharePoint can be challenging to set up and lacks tools for driving employee engagement or facilitating social interaction. It’s not inherently designed to keep employees updated in a dynamic, engaging way.
On the other hand, solutions like Haiilo are more modern, social-centric platforms designed to boost internal communication and foster a connected company culture. Haiilo’s easy-to-use interface, customizable newsfeeds, and social interaction tools are perfect for keeping employees informed and engaged, making it an ideal choice for organizations looking to improve communication and engagement without the complexity of SharePoint.
Many businesses opt to use SharePoint for core document management and compliance while adopting Haiilo as a complementary platform to enrich their digital workplace with social engagement and effective communication tools. Together, these platforms can address both structured content management needs and the human-centric aspects of employee engagement.
See the benefits of using Haiilo today
