Cost is not the only reason though. SharePoint takes a one-software-rules-them-all approach which simply doesn’t work anymore. The competition has grasped this point which is why, they have come up niche solutions. Let’s begin. Also Read: 10 Best Project Management Tools for Small Business
SharePoint Alternatives
1. GSuite (Collaboration)
I could have begin with Google Drive but that’s more useful for individual users who may or may not upgrade to the paid version. GSuite comes with some additional tools for managing your team and content. There are a number of apps to create, edit, share, and collaborate on documents like Docs, Sheets, Sites, App Maker and so on. Pretty much every format you could think of is supported. There are chatting , video calling, and emailing apps thrown in.
You can easily manager permissions and control access to folders and files. There is no need to download anything either. Everything works in the cloud. Just create an account and you are ready to go from any browser. Entry is pretty simple, quick, and easy with GSuite and learning curve is little. One of the better SharePoint alternatives. GSuite pricing begins at $6 per month per user and goes up to $25. Get GSuite
2. Slack (Communication)
Where GSuite offers a productive and collaborative environment to work on the same files, be it in any format, Slack offers a platform to communicate. Slack has effectively replaced emails and nothing even comes close. You can text, share files, and make audio and video calls. Everything has its own channel in Slack where discussions can be held with only those who are responsible for that work.
Slack also comes with a powerful API that connects with hundreds of third-party apps allowing team members to pull all sorts of data and files to share and work with. You can automate the heck out of it using IFTTT and Zapier. If you are working in an environment where there is need for frequent communication, Slack is your best bet and a worthy SharePoint alternative. Pricing begins at $3.2 per month per user. Get Slack Also Read: Notion vs Airtable: Which Modular Productivity App Should You Use
3. Confluence (Tracker)
Atlassian has a number of products under its kitty and two of them include Trello and Confluence. Trello is a Kanban tool that is loved and used by the world over. Confluence is its elder brother with much more control over users and projects, and security features that include disaster recovery, admin controls, support for LAAS vendors like Azure and AWS, SSO, and compliance with a number of certificate providers. It also works with a number of third-party apps like Drive, Box, etc.
When you combine Confluence’s workflow prowess with JIRA’s bugs tracking solution, you can easily manage and complete coding projects. Collaborating on blogs, events, and calendar is a easy, thanks to their linear approach. I would recommend also taking a look at Trello and JIRA to get the most out of Confluence. In fact, Trello itself is a powerful project management software that’s scalable and integrates with several third-party apps. Pricing begins at $5 per user per month. Get Confluence
4. Bitrix24
Bitrix openly markets itself as a SharePoint alternative and I have to agree. It is not as feature rich and versatile as SharePoint, but it certainly comes with a lot of bang for the buck. Its a CRM tool where you can manage projects, tasks, and collaborate on documents easily. It comes with a website builder too, however I feel that there are better tools out there for the job.
Being a CRM tool, its really easy to manage contacts, leads, and sales. Communication is another strong suit. All in all, Bitrix does a really solid job of replicating some of the most common and popular features of SharePoint, and bringing it under a single roof. You can use it to manage teams as well as clients. Pricing begins at $19 per user per month which is slightly on the higher side when compared with other SharePoint alternatives I listed. I guess the CRM tool has its perks. Get Bitrix24 Also Read: Best Applicant Tracking Systems for Small Businesses
SharePoint Alternatives
Make no mistake, some of the options that I shared are too niched to replace SharePoint single-handedly. For example, Slack and Trello alone incapable of competiting but you can combine them together for greater effect. A lot will also depend on your niche and what you are trying to accomplish. On the other hand, Confluence and GSuite are true contenders who can and are giving SharePoint a run for its money. OK, maybe that’s an understatement seeing how popular it is, but these two beasts can handle pretty much anything you throw at them. I like GSuite more because of its web-first approach and ability to handle each individual aspect separately.
