The Best SharePoint Alternatives for 2022: Everything You Need to Know

the best sharepoint

Table of Contents

If you’ve been a business owner using SharePoint for a while, you might feel like it’s time to switch things up. Now that Microsoft has stated that support for SharePoint will end in 2022, it’s time to start exploring alternatives. In this blog post, we’ll talk about some of the top SharePoint alternatives in 2022 and how they stack up against one another. We’ll also offer advice on how to pick the best option for your company.

For many years, businesses have used the popular collaboration application SharePoint. Microsoft, however, has stated that it will stop providing support for SharePoint in 2022. This indicates that it’s time to start considering other options.

Various SharePoint substitutes are available, each with unique features and advantages. It’s crucial to consider your demands and preferences when selecting a replacement. The top SharePoint alternatives for 2022 are listed here to assist you in making the best choice for your company.

Google Workspace is one of the most well-liked alternatives to SharePoint (formerly known as G Suite). The ability to create and share documents, calendars and task lists are just a few of the services that Google Workspace provides that are comparable to those found in SharePoint. Integrating Google Workspace with other Google products like Gmail and Drive is also available.

Microsoft Teams is another well-liked substitute. SharePoint and Microsoft Teams share many of the same features, such as calendar sharing and document collaboration. However, Microsoft Teams also supports audio and video calling, making it an excellent choice for companies that must connect with staff members in various places.

Asana can be a fantastic choice if you’re searching for an alternative made explicitly for project management. All of the capabilities you would anticipate from a project management tool are available in Asana, including the capacity to create and assign tasks, establish due dates, and monitor progress. Asana also has features like comment threads and @mentions that make it simple to collaborate with team members.

Whatever your particular requirements, a SharePoint option is undoubtedly ideal for your company. You may choose a substitute that will enable you to operate more effectively and efficiently in 2022 by weighing your options and investigating the various advantages that each one has to offer.

According to a Financial Times survey, SharePoint is currently used by 78% of Fortune 500 organizations. It is used by companies like Toyota, UPS, Monsanto, and The Associated Press. As cloud innovation spread through commercial IT, dozens of SharePoint rivals debuted.

There are a few successful alternatives to SharePoint currently available. This is probably because they have solved frequent problems users have long had with SharePoint. Some firms advertise themselves as an alternative to Sharepoint to attract customers from people and enterprises that have previously been dissatisfied with SharePoint.

document management concept virtual screen icons document management system dms online document database software efficient archiving searching management company files data

What is SharePoint?

To further grasp how these SharePoint competitors are gaining ground among customers, it is necessary first to understand what SharePoint is. To understand how these competitors manipulate the client base, we must first understand what SharePoint is.

Billed as team collaboration software, SharePoint offers the following features, depending on the edition:

  • dashboards with user interfaces that are customizable
  • editing and managing documents
  • Software that enables you to publish posts, pages, and/or other content on a website is a web publishing tool.
  • systems for managing content
  • Regulatory compliance management
  • Enterprise wikis have been around for a while and are commonly utilized to aid businesses in online task collaboration.
  • You can improve your focus on the topic by categorizing your thoughts with tags and notes. Important information can be quickly referred to later by labeling and recording it so that nothing is forgotten.
  • Social networking in the workplace (through Yammer)
  • Basics of workflow and project management
  • By integrating diverse data sources, business intelligence solutions (like Power BI) assist firms in making data-driven choices.

The platform is available through three deployment models:

  • For each person or device connected to the server, the on-premises edition of SharePoint Server requires a client access license (CAL).
  • Using OneDrive for Business, you may sync data from your on-premise server to SharePoint Online.
  • SharePoint Online is a cloud-based SharePoint access service available as a standalone product or as part of Office 365 for Business. It costs $1 per user per month.

SharePoint is a system for managing and storing documents, making it possible for team members who are not physically present to work together on projects. Larger companies typically use SharePoint because they have the financial and technological means to make the most of it. On the other hand, smaller businesses usually choose less expensive project management or task management options.

Businesses who switch to a SharePoint alternative typically cite one of the following reasons for leaving SharePoint:

  • The price is prohibitive: Server-based SharePoint licenses cost a company thousands of dollars when you factor in the original cost, maintenance expenses, provisioning costs, and upgrade prices. Companies that effectively use SharePoint usually engage an expert with SharePoint experience to handle the system.
  • A sophisticated creature with several product modules, SharePoint. This is probably why, if you Google “SharePoint,” the second result is a Microsoft Support article titled “What Is SharePoint?” This is advantageous in terms of versatility, but it doesn’t always lead to being “user-friendly” or even “buyer pleasant.”
  • SharePoint is labor-intensive and challenging to manage, particularly in the server-based version that calls for IT resources.

Reasons to consider a SharePoint alternative.

It is uncommon to find a software platform that is broken. Usually, the problem stems from a mismatch between the business and the program. For instance, a company might purchase SharePoint because of specific marketing claims or one or two of its primary features without considering how complete (and occasionally complicated) the system is. As a result, they wind up needing more staff than they have. Six months from now, when IT costs are too high for them to support proper system usage, they are left battling to keep up.

Ensuring the collaboration software you choose fulfills your requirements may avoid User Generated Content (UGC) problems. SharePoint alternatives may appeal to you if you merely need a cloud storage solution and do not need the added features of an intranet platform. They are typically less priced. Fortunately, there are many. There is no escaping the omnipresence of content these days, regardless of the industry verticals or geographic regions we’re talking about—or whether it’s business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), or both. There are choices for this, with built-in enterprise-level encryption and access control features designed for corporations.

For instance, you could want your project management software to have a document collaboration function. These resources are available, and our Technology Advisors can help you decide which option is best for you. Click the banner below to get a free shortlist of vendors.

Best SharePoint Alternatives

We specialize in employee collaboration, content management solutions, and SharePoint alternatives with feature sets equivalent to SharePoint. Here are six options for firms wishing to either stop using SharePoint or start utilizing it.

-Google Workspace

A collection of productivity tools called Google Workspace includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Keep, and Meet. These applications have been used for work purposes under your company’s domain.

More than 5 million businesses benefit from Google Workspace’s flexible capabilities, which keep them productive and connect staff members across the company. Google offers a cost-effective environment with email, file sharing, real-time shared document editing, and communication services that can be accessed from any device or location, in contrast to other commercial platforms like SharePoint. Administrator controls also simplify managing users, security preferences, data archives, and other tasks.

Unique Features:

  • You can view old emails and chats later if you save them.
  • Search through your Drive files fast and effortlessly.
  • Scheduling and calendaring are integrated.
  • Virtual conferences
  • the capacity for concurrent editing of a document by numerous users.
  • Internet pages within a firm
  • Make forms and surveys.

-Huddle

Huddle’s impressive clientele includes NASA, EPSON, and the U.S. Their platform is intended for significant businesses and governmental organizations. Defense Department

Thanks to Huddle, businesses can organize their operations, share files, and work together on projects. Like Google Docs, users have full version control and the ability to update documents directly within the program. Huddle provides native connectors with Salesforce, Zimbra, Centrify (ironically), and Microsoft SharePoint, supporting mobile and desktop apps. Compared to Office 365 for Business or SharePoint Online, Huddle is more expensive per user. On the other hand, a modest expenditure company was never the intended audience.

Unique Features:

  • Intelligent content dashboard
  • Automatic Changes Recording
  • Customized cloud workspaces for your needs
  • Working along with Others
  • Our data centers and offices are among the world’s most secure with FedRAMP accreditation, compliance with EU Directive 95/46/EC, and ISO 27001 certification.
  • task management and completion
  • You may boost productivity by leveraging intelligent sharing and collaboration with version control and see timestamps.

-Box for Business

Box seems to regular consumers to be a cloud storage service. Businesses, however, view it as a chance for effective collaboration. Beyond shared files, Box also provides solutions for project management and enterprise security, mobile syncing, and version control.

Administrators can design unique access controls, security measures, and retention rules using the IT interface (for instance, to keep only specific file types to comply with HIPAA regulations). Users easily access all Box components without sacrificing data protection through a straightforward single sign-on. Box connects with Office 365 and other third-party programs because it doesn’t natively enable document editing.

Unique Features:

  • specific branding
  • Additionally, you can keep an eye on the security of your website, including how successfully mobile device management (MDM) integration has protected it.
  • Task and project management
  • With the workflow management tool Box Relay, you may improve the efficiency of your operations.
  • Shares with links that require a password
  • Proof offers insightful data that demonstrate what is and is not functioning.
  • Our software conforms with the tightest regulations, including HIPAA/HITECH, SEC 17a-4 (FINRA), DoD Cloud SRG, GDPR, GxP, ISO 27001/27018, SOC 1, SOC 2, and SOC 3. This is because we take data security seriously.

-Confluence (by Atlassian)

Confluence is a team communication platform owned by Atlassian, which is well-recognized for its project management and software development tools if you are unfamiliar with them. This cloud-based tool, though, might be helpful for any agile team to focus on “generating, organizing, and discussing work,” not just for engineers.

Atlassian Confluence is a robust event planning and collaboration tool enabling you to create unique workspaces for each team to store information and communicate in real time. Multiple pages in each area use simple templates to keep track of meeting notes, project requirements and designs, and other information. Using comments and @mentions, users may stay updated on content updates and significant events. Confluence now incorporates over 600 add-ons thanks to the Atlassian Marketplace.

Confluence is best suited for managing software development projects because it has a strong focus in that area. Confluence might not be the best option if your teams aren’t used to the agile approach (requirements, sprints, stories, releases, retrospectives, etc.).

Unique Features:

  • A powerful search function is also available.
  • You and your family can effortlessly keep track of events, birthdays, appointments, and more with the help of a shared calendar.
  • The capacity to effectively manage both major and small jobs.
  • using agile development methods
  • Editing documents in groups
  • Teamsites/spaces
  • Teams’ decision-making pages
  • We abide by all significant data privacy laws, including GDPR, Privacy Shield, SOC 2, etc.

-Source by IC Thrive

Source by IC thrive offers cutting-edge intranet solutions to assist organizations in automating numerous procedures, collaborating on projects, and retaining staff members. The system comes with a wealth of capabilities right out of the box and is designed for simple implementation and scalability.

You’ll receive standard capabilities like document management and enterprise search with Source, along with cutting-edge extras like an e-learning module that enables HR managers to design onboarding workflows and online training programs. The social employee listing on its website can also surprise you.

Although it makes sense, given the complex infrastructure of an intranet platform, this vendor does not offer on-demand pricing, which may be a big drawback for small organizations.

Unique Features:

  • social media for companies
  • using the intranet on a mobile device
  • a doorway for an extranet (for secure third-party access)
  • An excellent approach to keep your team coordinated and on the same page is through shared calendars.
  • My website’s traffic and conversion rate have grown thanks to Proof, allowing me to concentrate on other business-related activities. Anyone trying to expand their internet presence must use it because it is both simple and powerful. Help desk ticketing
  • Subscriptions and notifications
  • It’s critical to monitor employee milestones to ensure they accomplish their objectives and stay motivated. This can assist you in identifying any difficulties as soon as possible so that you can treat them before they worsen.
  • Video editing scripting
  • Your company’s blog is a fantastic method to reach your target audience, promote your brand, and boost traffic.
  • A thorough examination of the market.
  • Online Education
  • You may run faster and feel more energized because the midsole is lighter. HTML editor and design-builder

-Igloo

Cloud-based intranet software Igloo allows companies of different sizes and industries to work together. Over 10,000 collaboration sites, including those of IDC (International Data Corporation), Deloitte, and NetApp, are currently supported.

The key selling feature of Igloo is its capacity to enhance information sharing and teamwork through applications like blogs, calendars, forums, file sharing, task management, and wikis. Igloo hopes to be recognized as a more user-friendly, less expensive alternative to SharePoint. All-inclusive pricing with customized options for specialized needs or enterprise businesses is included in price models.

The fact that Igloo lacks in-app document editing functionality is its biggest drawback. Although the program offers document previews and version upload tracking, you’ll need to use another tool, such as Google Drive or Microsoft Office, to write and modify your papers.

Unique Features:

  • Thanks to mentions and notifications, you may stay informed about what’s happening with your friends, coworkers, and business contacts.
  • Moderator-assigned groups
  • related articles
  • For both internal and external blogging, use WYSIWIG
  • shared calendars online
  • Talk about forums
  • Wikis and microblogs are two resources that make it simple and quick to share information. In contrast to wikis, which let you construct collaborative pages where several people may add and update content, microblogs, like Twitter, allow you to communicate brief informational tidbits with your followers.
  • How to make and maintain a task list
document management concept virtual screen icons document management system dms online document database software efficient archiving searching management company files data 1 1

Making your final decision on SharePoint alternatives

These SharePoint alternatives are among the most well-liked ones available, but they aren’t the only ones to consider. Many more team collaboration and file-sharing solutions exist, along with project and workflow management tools like LeanKit or Planbox.

Businesses will favor specific characteristics over others depending on the industry. For instance, marketing teams can look for SharePoint alternatives, including a content dashboard, an HTML editor and design-builder, and internal and external blogging support. These features would make it much easier for companies to produce unique, attention-grabbing content while communicating with potential clients in more locations.

On the other hand, a managed services provider (MSP) should lean more toward wikis, project and task management software, and helpdesk ticketing systems.

Instead of wasting time looking, our Technology Advisors can assist you in finding the best SharePoint substitute for your business. Depending on the requirements of your business, you could receive quick and free recommendations for the best social collaboration tools in only a few minutes.

What Are the Benefits of Using SharePoint?

SharePoint is made to increase office worker visibility and productivity in enterprises. One of SharePoint’s key features is an intranet-based collaborative environment that supports safe sharing, document management, and workflow collaboration, among many other functions.

At its most basic level, SharePoint is an easy-to-understand and low-maintenance website collaboration tool. There are several ways for organizations to use the platform to increase productivity and return on investment, and it is also highly adaptable and scalable.

-INTEGRATION WITH OFFICE 365 TOOLS

In addition to integrating nicely with other Microsoft products, SharePoint also builds a seamless digital experience and can free up hours of users’ time for other tasks.

Here are just a few examples of how:

  • Without exiting Outlook, staff members can access their SharePoint attachments and documents.
  • Users can edit documents locally, and all changes are automatically synced in almost real-time to SharePoint online, thanks to OneDrive and SharePoint. It doesn’t matter whether you left a job file on your personal computer because your information is always current and accessible from anywhere.
  • You can simply access project papers and keep track of activity without leaving the comfort of MS Teams by connecting your SharePoint site to MS Teams.

SharePoint reduces development costs by preventing information silos by integrating various tools. Staff members can use the connected devices to enhance their job and business operations.

-SCALABLE AND CUSTOMIZABLE

Although the number of users using your site is often far more than the total number of employees in your company, a few hundred users may burden your infrastructure if you have a large or complicated site with various content kinds and single sign-on features. There is no need to be concerned about capacity restrictions, though, as SharePoint can scale to meet the needs of enterprises with between 150 and 20,000 people and even more.

In contrast to many other intranet systems, SharePoint can be tailored to meet your company’s unique requirements. This is accepted and frequently done.

Different levels of complexity can be added to the platform when web elements, apps, and workflows are added. Experienced users can create many without the need for development. SharePoint can offer a versatile solution that changes with the business environment as a firm expands.

-NO CODING REQUIRED

Your staff will be less likely to use your software if it is difficult. Additionally, nobody wants to invest money in new technology that will be ignored by the individuals who initially require it.

For corporate customers who don’t know how to code and want a simple platform to use right away, SharePoint is the best option.

You don’t have to be a developer to build a successful SharePoint site from the start or edit an existing page if you’re a business area owner. Power users may quickly launch their sites using readily available templates and the SharePoint lookbook.

-PERSONALIZATION AND CONTENT TARGETING

By tailoring relevant material to each employee’s location, job responsibilities, and degree of seniority, SharePoint can provide a personalized experience. Without impacting access rights or permissions, this kind of audience enhances the user’s experience.

-SECURITY CONTROLS

Microsoft places a high focus on cloud security, and as a result, we annually invest $1 billion in it. Not to add that government organizations favor our SharePoint Online platform over competing for cloud-based intranets since it offers nearly identical functionality to those provided to commercial clients, making it the most acceptable choice available!

One of SharePoint’s distinctive features is its comprehensive handling of rights and how they relate to functionality. Companies have the right to deny users access to various websites, mailing lists, and libraries. They can limit who can view, edit, or remove documents and carry out several other SharePoint operations. One person or several users in the same Office 365 group may have their permissions changed.

-SHAREPOINT IS CONTINUOUSLY EVOLVING

Despite substantial recent improvements, some users still have issues with their current SharePoint setup.

The platform has undergone numerous recent updates, improving usability, responsiveness, and mobile-friendliness. Additionally, it has improved integration with other Office 365 services like Teams and MS Flow.

-SHAREPOINT IS THE LEADING INTRANET TECHNOLOGY

The most used platform for collaboration, SharePoint, has been around for 19 years. About 80% of Fortune 500 companies use SharePoint for intranet, internal communication, and collaboration. As the platform develops, it’s unlikely to go anytime soon, either.

Microsoft has changed how it responds to customer input since it started doing so ten years ago. Back then, you had to be already employed by Microsoft in some position, such as an insider or MVP, if you had a recommendation for an enhancement or new feature. And there was no assurance that your concept would be implemented, even if it advanced in the hierarchy. Things are very different today. After viewing thousands of unique proposals, you can vote on the improvements you wish to make. Additionally, Microsoft is transparent about its plans and the release dates for particular enhancements.

As a result of this finance, it will continue to grow and stay relevant in line with changing company requirements.

What Is SharePoint Used For?

Over the past 17 years, SharePoint has significantly increased efficiency at Fortune 500 firms. With the help of its features, many corporate sectors can collaborate on ad hoc projects and engage, all while speeding up the information-sharing, document-publishing, and data-recording processes.

Business users can complete more work in less time while maintaining the quality of their work by utilizing features like security controls, co-authoring, versioning, and interaction with Exchange (Outlook Email Applications).

SharePoint includes the ability to:

  • Documents need to be approved before they can be accessed.
  • Get a copy by clicking the “Check out” link to stop these documents from being written or edited again.
  • You’ll receive notifications when new papers are posted, or modifications are made.
  • Use if/then logic processes to automate tasks like moving or emailing documents and recording information.

The fact is that SharePoint significantly boosts corporate users’ productivity. However, it shines in outlining the contents of the documents and data being saved and the significance of that information.

It is easy to need “metadata” in SharePoint, or data information, so that staff members may understand a document’s purpose and significance without having to open it (such as modified time, produced by, etc.). Additionally, SharePoint allows customers to quickly build their databases and store thousands of pieces of data for use in the processes above or other business operations.

What is a SharePoint App?

Apps are integrations that improve the default collaboration spaces in Microsoft SharePoint by adding capabilities. While some apps are included with the standard SharePoint platform, many more need to be downloaded from external websites. These can be a document library where users can store and share files, calendar plug-ins, or robust workflow apps like Nintex that make it simple to perform several recurring logical activities in SharePoint.

How is SharePoint Useful for Collaboration?

As soon as a document is created, users of SharePoint can share it with others. On the system, customers may also set up their own private storage space called OneDrive, to which only they have access until they “share” or provide others access to a particular file.

Only employees that require access to a published document can now do so in a single simple step. However, the permission and workflow capabilities stated previously might be used to restrict document sharing and personnel information collaboration within businesses. Additionally, sending links to collaborative spaces or shared documents via email is simple, guiding visitors directly to the content they wish to read.

Many companies use SharePoint to share company-wide information like personnel files, news, and memos.

closeup hands typing keyboard
closeup hands typing keyboard

How Can SharePoint Be Used for Content Management?

SharePoint provides various metadata-based file organization options so that organizations may keep control over the ownership and security of their material. Businesses may more easily maintain track of their information with SharePoint’s ability to tag documents upon upload and force users to give metadata about papers.

Once the content and metadata are in the platform, SharePoint empowers organizations with workflow tools to automate:

  • Information provided by end users is utilized to construct processes.
  • Instruments for controlling record expiration
  • information deletion by corporate guidelines.

Since it has been used by many of the wealthiest businesses in the world for more than ten years, SharePoint has generated billions of dollars in income. Services like Flow, Office 365 Groups, and Teams are growing in popularity among all types of enterprises due to recent improvements to SharePoint Online as part of the Office 365/Microsoft 365 Cloud Application.

Conclusion

Although Microsoft has said that support for SharePoint will end in 2022, this does not necessarily indicate that your company will suffer. In 2022, several excellent SharePoint alternatives can give you the same features and advantages. When selecting an alternative, you must consider your financial situation and your company’s unique requirements. We hope this blog post has given you a better understanding of the top SharePoint alternatives offered in 2022 and how they stack up against one another. Gratitude for reading!

Leave a Reply

Laura img 1

LAURA EGOCHEAGA

Before I became one of America’s top 5 growth hackers… I was included in Forbes’ 1000 to Watch List, I’ve spoken at the biggest tech conferences in the world including the CES and the Web Summit.

LATEST ARTICLES

Where Would You Like Us To Send Your Group Invite?