13 best Microsoft SharePoint alternatives and competitors

Microsoft SharePoint is a tool that’s used by more than 200 million people worldwide. It allows users to quickly find information, store and share files, manage projects, and collaborate across organizations. 

But SharePoint has some downsides too. Because it has so many different use cases, it has to be programmed to fit the needs of each company, which can be costly and time-consuming. 

It’s also a complex tool that comes with a steep learning curve, so companies often need to deliver training to their employees on how to use it — which adds to the cost too. 

This leaves many companies searching for SharePoint alternatives that share its functionality, but are more cost-efficient and don’t require special training to set up, use, and maintain.

What is Microsoft SharePoint?

Microsoft SharePoint is, at its core, a tool for companies to safely store and share files. It’s available as part of Microsoft 365 and integrates with Microsoft Office. 

Companies use SharePoint to create intranet sites, which contain all of the important information that their employees need to do their jobs. SharePoint also includes content management features such as libraries and metadata. 

SharePoint can also be used to share communications externally, and to automate business processes by creating alerts and workflows. 

SharePoint is a very versatile tool that can be adapted to the needs of an organization. However, this means that it’s complicated to set up and not always intuitive for the end-user.

Why do companies need SharePoint alternatives?

While SharePoint is a useful tool, it comes with some big downsides. Here are some reasons why companies might be searching for an alternative to SharePoint: 

1. Sharepoint can be costly

Depending on the plan you choose, Microsoft SharePoint can cost companies up to USD $23 per user per month. At the enterprise level, this can represent a sizable investment. Many of the SharePoint alternatives on this list come in at a lower price point. 

2. SharePoint can only be used with Microsoft 365

Since SharePoint is a Microsoft product, it’s really only a good fit for companies that primarily use other programs in the Microsoft product suite. IT teams need to plan any other integrations ahead of time to ensure there are no problems, which can be costly and time-consuming.

3. SharePoint can be complex

SharePoint is a complex product with a lot of different functionalities, and its interface can be confusing. Companies that want to get the most out of SharePoint often need to deliver training to their employees on how to use it, which adds to the expense.

4. SharePoint is high maintenance 

In order to work well, SharePoint needs to be properly configured, which can take a lot of time and effort. It also requires regular maintenance to make sure it’s functioning correctly. Companies looking for alternatives to SharePoint might want to prioritize solutions that are quick and easy to set up, and require less upkeep throughout their lifecycle.

5. SharePoint has limited collaboration features 

With so many people working from home in 2022, there is a strong need for tools that allow distributed teams to collaborate effectively. Many of the alternatives to SharePoint on this list come with intuitive and more useful features for team collaboration, such as chat functionality, videoconferencing, team channels, approval requests, and automated workflows.

6. SharePoint only works for static communication 

While SharePoint is effective for top-down communication, other tools are better suited for companies that want to promote dynamic, open communication across all levels, and let all employees have their voices heard. 

13 best SharePoint alternatives and competitors for 2022

Are you looking for an alternative to SharePoint that’s more intuitive, more user-friendly, and more suited to the needs of your organization? 

Here are the top 13 of the top SharePoint alternatives to consider in 2022:

1. Happeo 

Best for: Anyone who needs an all-in-one tool to store knowledge and bring your team together 

Notable brands: Doctolib, True, Uberflip, OneGoal, State Auto

Happeo is your organization’s knowledge center, collaboration tool, and social intranet, all in one intuitive platform. 

Happeo is built around a dynamic and easy-to-use page builder that lets you create Pages for everything your employees need to know. Using the drag-and-drop interface, you can add dynamic widgets like social channels, Google Drive or OneDrive files, or people cards to make your pages even more engaging. 

And Happeo is also a place for community and connection, that allows employees to engage with each other. You can use Happeo to create channels where your employees can post articles, share announcements, and collaborate on work through Google Workspace — without leaving the Happeo interface. 

Happeo will create a visual organization chart using data imported from Google or your Azure Active Directory, so you can make sure everyone knows who’s who. The platform also has fully searchable rich profiles for each employee, including contact data, skills, bios, and more. 

You can also use Happeo to send messages, check a colleague’s calendar availability, and even hop on a video call right from within the program, through integrations with Zoom, Slack, Jabber, WebEx, and Google Meet. 

The in-depth Analytics functionality will let managers spot the thought-leaders and trendsetters in your organization. 

Plus, Happeo works from any device, so your employees can access everything they need, wherever they’re working from. 

Key features: 

• Channels for sharing posts and announcements
  
  
• Ghostwriting function
  
  
• Lifecycle management
  
  
• Channel widgets 
  
  
• Universal Search
  
  
• Shared calendar and notifications
  
  
• Page grouping and hierarchy
  
  
• Style and branding templates
  
  
• Multilingual pages and content
  
  
• Contact cards, employee directory, and org chart
  
  
• Integrations with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
  
  
• GDPR compliant and SSO authentication
  
  
• Fully customizable branded environment 
  
  
• Advanced intranet analytics
  
  

“Our onboarding experience has greatly improved thanks to Happeo’s Pages. Instead of having a quick meeting and sending out slides to new employees, we now have an entire Page they can easily refer to.”

Calene Horton
People Operations Manager

2. Google Workspace 

Best for: Companies that want a familiar tool with a short learning curve

Notable brands: Salesforce, Colgate-Palmolive, ATB Financial, Atlassian, BBVA

Google Workspace is a Sharepoint alternative that takes the familiar and user-friendly apps most of us are already used to, and optimizes them for business use. The core package includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Keep, and Meet. 

Your team can use Google Workspace to collaborate on documents, share files, communicate, and attend virtual meetings. And, thanks to Google’s mobile apps, you can do all of this from any location and device — and since everything is automatically synced to the cloud, you won’t lose any work. 

Administrator controls allow you to manage users, file security, and data archives. And, since most of us are already familiar with Google tools, there’s little to no learning curve involved. 

Key features: 

• Videoconferencing 
  
  
• Simultaneous document editing
  
  
• Built-in scheduling and shared calendars
  
  
• Intranet
  
  
• Surveys and forms 
  
  
• File search (Google Drive)
  
  

Google Workspace and Happeo

Thanks to Happeo’s integration with Google Workspace, you can use your favorite Google apps right within Happeo’s intuitive interface. 

You can manage access to Happeo channels and pages by Google groups, so there’s no need to duplicate work by adding members manually. You can also sync Happeo with your Google directory and automatically generate an org chart and a fully searchable employee directory. 

There’s no need to leave Happeo to view and edit your Google files — you can do it all within the platform. You can also embed slide decks, docs, forms, calendars, and Drive files into your intranet pages. 

Best of all, integrating your Google tools into Happeo can boost Google Workspace adoption by up to 13%. 

Happeo and Google work together to provide easy access to the tools your teams need, all in one streamlined and employee-friendly experience. 

3. Confluence

Best for: Software development teams using agile methodology

Notable brands: Hubspot, Audi, LinkedIn, GoPro, The New York Times 

Confluence is a web-based corporate collaboration solution created by software vendor Atlassian. 

You can use Confluence to create spaces for each team. Within spaces, you’ll find pages: living documents that teams can collaborate on in real time. The platform comes with page templates for everything from email campaigns to product roadmaps. 

Users can leave inline, file, and page comments, so it’s easy to collaborate without losing track of feedback in long email threads or overpopulated chat channels. And pages are organized in a hierarchical page tree, which makes finding the right information quick and easy. 

Confluence is designed around Agile methodology and partners well with Jira, an Agile project management tool also owned by Atlassian. This means it's best suited to software development teams and other teams that already use Agile methodology. 

Key features: 

• Shared calendars
  
  
• Task management
  
  
• Agile workflows
  
  
• Shared document editing
  
  
• Advanced search function
  
  
• Team sites
  
  
• 600+ add-ons through Atlassian marketplace
  
  
• GDPR-compliant 
  
  

4. Workplace from Meta 

Best for: Teams looking for a familiar social environment for the world of work

Notable brands: Nestlé, Petco, AstraZeneca, Asos, Deliveroo

Workplace is a platform for internal communications and collaboration, launched by Meta (then Facebook) in 2016. Its interface will be familiar to most people, as it was designed to be the Facebook of the business world. 

The chat feature means that anyone in your organization is just a ping away, and you can also search the employee directory to find the right person to contact. You can broadcast to your entire company using live video, and receive their reactions in real time. 

Workplace also integrates with over 80 work tools, so you can easily integrate it into your existing tech ecosystem. 

Key features: 

• Newsfeed
  
  
• Live video streaming
  
  
• Employee directory
  
  
• Slack integration
  
  
• Analytics
  
  
• Mobile app
  
  
• Single sign-on
  
  

5. Huddle

Best for: Large enterprises and government agencies

Notable brands: NASA, EPSON, US Department of Defense, EDF Energy, Adecco

Huddle is an online collaboration platform that you can use to create shared workspaces, where your team can collaborate effectively from wherever they are. 

Users can manage document revisions, request approval, and leave comments on documents. You can also edit documents directly within the application, with version control similar to what you’d find with a Google Doc. 

Huddle also offers fully-branded clients portals that allow your clients and partners to engage with your team. Huddle is trusted by government agencies and large enterprises thanks to its market-leading security specs. 

Key features: 

• In-app file editing
  
  
• Mobile and desktop apps
  
  
• Integrations with Salesforce, Zimbra, Centrify, and SharePoint
  
  
• Intelligent content dashboard
  
  
• Version control and timestamps
  
  
• FedRAMP, Eu Directive 95/46/EC adherence, ISO 27001 certified data centers
  
  
• Customized cloud workspaces
  
  

6. Alfresco

Best for: Computer-literate teams with strong IT support

Notable brands: Pitney Bowes, Cisco, NASA, BNP Paribas, Saks Fifth Avenue

Alfresco is an enterprise content management (ECM) tool that helps teams to work together more effectively. The platform includes digital asset management, informational governance, and contextual search, which allows everyone to access the information they need when they need it. You can use Alfresco to create, store and edit documents with full version control. 

Thanks to Alfresco’s open and modular architecture, you can customize it to your needs. However, it does require trained IT support to manage and maintain and isn’t as intuitive and user-friendly as other solutions. 

Alfresco also includes several out-of-the-box integrations, such as Google Docs and Salesforce, which help you to get the most out of the product.

Key features: 

• Document management
  
  
• Contextual search
  
  
• Mobile application
  
  
• Open-source community editions
  
  
• Integrations with Google Docs, Salesforce, and more

7. Box for business

Best for: Companies needing secure document storage and collaboration tools

Notable brands: Morgan Stanley, United States Air Force, AstraZeneca, Intuit, JLL

Box for Business is a cloud storage solution that comes with multiple document collaboration features. Administrators can set up custom access controls, retention policies, and other security measures. Then, teams can use the intuitive interface to share files and edit them using the cloud collaboration tool, Box Notes. Multiple users can edit simultaneously and see each other’s changes in real time. 

Documents can be edited on mobile, web, or desktop, and will automatically sync. Box also offers more than 1500 integrations, so it will likely slot neatly into your current tech stack. 

Businesses can also use Box to optimize and automate repeated workflows like HR onboarding or document approval processes. 

Key features: 

• Single sign-on
  
  
• Version control
  
  
• Natively integrated e-signature
  
  
• Password-protected share links
  
  
• Workflows (Box Relay)
  
  
• Stats and reporting
  
  
• Custom branding
  
  
• Integrations with Office 365 and other third-party apps
  
  

8. Slack

Best for: Companies with a focus on synchronous work and instantaneous communication

Notable brands: Uber, Target, Netflix, Expedia, Intuit

Slack is a business communication tool that has become invaluable to many remote companies in recent years. You can use it to create chat channels for teams or projects, message colleagues individually, and even make voice and video calls.  

And Slack doesn’t only help with internal communication: thanks to Slack Connect, you can use the platform to collaborate with partners, vendors, and customers in exactly the same way. 

Slack doesn’t include intranet features like static pages, file management or collaboration tools. However, it’s a powerful tool for instant communication that can integrate seamlessly with intranet providers like Happeo. 

Key features: 

• Instant chat
  
  
• Voice and video calls
  
  
• File-sharing
  
  
• Intuitive and user-friendly design
  
  
• Channels for different teams and groups
  
  
• Desktop and mobile apps and notifications
  
  

9. Workzone

Best for: Project teams that have outgrown task management apps

Notable brands: Adidas, Verizon, Reuters, Wells Fargo, Bose

Workzone is a web-based project management tool that’s more powerful than basic task management tools like Basecamp, but more intuitive and user-friendly than higher-end tools. 

Using Workzone, you can create pages for each project and populate them with tasks. Team members receive automatic notifications when a task is assigned to them. 

Workzone also allows you to securely share files by simply dragging them into the platform from your desktop. Team members can request, review and approve documents online, and you can set up workflows for approval processes so everything runs smoothly.

Workzone’s analytics features allow you to see a big picture view of where all of your projects stand — or dig down into the details for a more in-depth analysis. 

Workzone also generates to-do lists for all employees based on the outstanding tasks assigned to them, organized by date or priority, and sends them out by email.

Key features:

• Secure file sharing
  
  
• Approvals workflow
  
  
• Comment features
  
  
• Task sharing
  
  
• Automatic to-do lists
  
  

10. Glasscubes

Best for: Companies looking for a cloud-based alternative to a classic intranet

Notable brands: British Council, NHS, Inter Sport, Marks & Spencer, The Open University

If you’re looking for software like SharePoint without the complex IT setup, you might want to try Glasscubes. 

Employees can use it to upload files to a secure central location, and work on documents simultaneously from the web interface or a mobile app. Edit-tracking and audit logs help you to understand when changes were made, and you can restore previous versions as needed. 

Glasscubes is also a great tool for communication, thanks to its chat function and activity feed. The platform functions as a cloud-based alternative to a traditional intranet solution, allowing people to come together in designated workspaces. 

Key features: 

• File sharing
  
  
• Customizable workspaces
  
  
• Document management
  
  
• Threaded discussions
  
  
• Real-time collaboration
  
  
• Scheduling
  
  
• Website builder
  
  

11. Bitrix24

Best for: Sales and marketing teams looking for an all-in-one tool

Notable brands: K-webs, MoSAiK

Bitrix24 is a feature-packed alternative to SharePoint, which comes with calendars, social networking functions, and videoconferencing. The platform also includes a number of collaboration tools, such as online document editing. 

Visual Kanban boards and printable Gantt charts are valuable tools for project managers, and managers can monitor project activity through auto-generated work reports. Employees can start, pause and end their working day from within the app.

You can automatically create repetitive tasks, and save tasks and projects as templates to reuse later. 

Bitrix24 also includes website building tools, a contact center to help you stay in touch with your customers, and a CRM to help with lead acquisition, lead management, and sales automation. 

Key features: 

• Videoconferencing
  
  
• Worktime tracking and reports
  
  
• Calendars
  
  
• Social networking
  
  
• Workflow and project management
  
  
• Activity stream
  
  
• Website builder
  
  
• CRM
  
  
• Contact center
  
  

12. OnlyOffice

Best for: Teams who need powerful document collaboration features

Notable brands: Suzuki, UNESCO, Fujitsu, Croix-rouge française, Oracle 

OnlyOffice is a popular alternative to online document editors like Google Docs and Microsoft Office. You can use it to share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with colleagues and edit them collaboratively. 

OnlyOffice supports multiple document formats including PDF, DOC, HTML, and you can connect your account to various cloud storage services like Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive. Users can use OnlyOffice through the desktop, Android, or Apple apps. 

The platform also comes with powerful CRM functionality, individual and group calendars, and project management tools. You can assess your team’s performance with time-tracking and auto-generated reports.   

Key features: 

• Secure cloud storage
  
  
• Connects with Box, OneDrive, Google Drive, and more
  
  
• Collaborative online editor
  
  
• Version and revision control
  
  
• Document management
  
  
• Corporate social network
  
  

13. Papyrs

Best for: Companies who need an intranet and team wiki

Notable brands: Subway, British Chambers of Commerce, National Geographic

Papyrs is a workplace tool that combines intranet, internal wiki, and knowledge-base functionalities. Companies can use the drag-and-drop editor to create a company portal where team members can share knowledge and files. 

You can use Papyrs’ content management system (CMS) to create internal wiki pages, and the powerful search function means users can easily find what they need. Papyrs also includes embeddable widgets like polls, checklists, forms, videos, and calendars. 

Other features include an employee directory, social intranet, and tracking of metrics like views and reactions to posts. Papyrs works with many of the tools you probably already use, like GSuite, Slack, and Zapier. You can also develop your own integrations to automate your workflows. 

Key features: 

• Wikis
  
  
• Calendar management
  
  
• Newsfeed
  
  
• Discussion forums
  
  
• Drag-and-drop page editor
  
  
• Staff directory
  
  
• Fully branded environment

The best SharePoint alternative for your business

All of the SharePoint alternatives suggested on this list come with their own benefits, and some are more suited to some use cases than others. Since every organization’s needs are different, no one tool will be suitable for everyone. 

If you’re looking for an alternative to SharePoint to use in 2022, here are some of the key questions you should ask yourself:

Is it cost-effective?

The right price point depends on the size of your company, but you need to make sure whatever price you pay is worth the investment. 

Is it easy to use?

The steeper the learning curve for a new product, the less likely your teams are to use it. Look for tools that are intuitive and easy to use. 

Think about how long it will be before your new system is operational. Can you wait that long?

Don’t neglect to account for the ongoing costs of maintaining a tool or platform. 

A solution that works for your company now won’t necessarily work in five years' time. Look for tools that will organically grow as you do. 

Does it provide everything you need to collaborate and communicate?

Dig deep into the collaboration and communication tools your teams need — and don’t settle for a product that doesn’t include them. 

Will it integrate with your existing stack?

Make sure the tool you choose will neatly slot in with the tools your employees are already using — otherwise, you’ll see low adoption rates.

Is it secure and compliant?

Lastly, make sure whichever tool you choose will let you securely store your data. 

Book a Happeo demo

Happeo is a cost-effective and easy-to-use tool that can help your people to communicate, collaborate, and thrive. It’s a one-stop-shop for all the information your teams need — and a friendly social space built for community and connection. Our average ramp-up time is just 6–8 weeks.

Want to see where Happeo could take your business? Book a personalized demo today.