Microsoft SharePoint is a behemoth in the world of collaboration and content management. For decades, it has served as the digital backbone for countless organizations, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. But in 2024, with a plethora of modern, cloud-native competitors, is SharePoint still the king of the castle?
This comprehensive review will break down SharePoint’s features, pros, cons, pricing, and user sentiment to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your business needs.
What is SharePoint?
At its core, SharePoint is a web-based collaboration and document management platform from Microsoft. It’s designed to be a centralized hub where teams can store, organize, share, and access information from any device. Think of it as a highly customizable internal website (or intranet) that integrates deeply with other Microsoft Office products like Word, Excel, and Outlook.
SharePoint's integration with Microsoft 365.It can be deployed on-premises (SharePoint Server) or used as part of a Microsoft 365 subscription (SharePoint Online), which is the more popular choice for businesses today due to its lower maintenance overhead and seamless updates.
SharePoint review: Key features
SharePoint’s feature set is vast and can be overwhelming. We’ll focus on the core functionalities that most businesses will leverage.
1. Document management and collaboration
This is SharePoint’s bread and butter. It offers robust document libraries with version control, check-in/check-out functionality, co-authoring capabilities, and granular permission settings. Teams can work on the same document simultaneously, see changes in real-time, and roll back to previous versions if needed.
Document management features in SharePoint.2. Intranet and team sites
You can create communication sites to broadcast news and information across the entire organization, or team sites for specific departments or projects. These sites are highly customizable with "web parts" that can display everything from news articles and event calendars to document libraries and data from other business applications.
An example of a team site in SharePoint.3. Content management
Beyond just documents, SharePoint manages all types of digital content, including images, videos, and web pages. It provides tools for creating and managing content, enforcing corporate branding, and ensuring that information is consistent and up-to-date across the platform.
4. Search capabilities
SharePoint boasts a powerful search engine that can index content across sites, libraries, and even people’s profiles. The search is "smart," meaning it can understand context and intent to deliver more relevant results, making it easier to find the needle in the digital haystack.
The powerful search function in SharePoint.5. Business process automation
With integration into the Power Platform (Power Automate and Power Apps), SharePoint can be used to automate repetitive business processes. This can range from simple document approval workflows to complex data collection and processing applications, all without writing extensive code.
A workflow automation example.SharePoint Review: Pros and cons
No platform is perfect. Here’s a balanced look at SharePoint’s strengths and weaknesses.
Pros
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Deep Microsoft 365 Integration: If your organization is already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, SharePoint is a natural fit. Its seamless integration with Teams, OneDrive, Outlook, and the entire Office suite is its single biggest advantage.
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Highly Customizable: The platform can be tailored to meet very specific business needs. From simple team sites to complex, custom-developed enterprise applications, SharePoint’s flexibility is a major plus.
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Robust Security and Compliance: Microsoft invests heavily in security. SharePoint offers advanced security features, data loss prevention (DLP), and compliance certifications that are crucial for regulated industries.
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Scalability: Whether you’re a 10-person startup or a 100,000-employee corporation, SharePoint Online can scale with you. You don’t have to worry about managing servers or storage limits.
Cons
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Complexity and Steep Learning Curve: SharePoint is not a "plug-and-play" solution. Its vast feature set can be intimidating for new users and administrators. Proper setup, training, and governance are essential to avoid chaos.
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Can Be Expensive: While SharePoint Online is included in many Microsoft 365 business plans, the costs can add up, especially if you need premium features, additional storage, or specialized third-party tools and developer support.
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Out-of-the-Box User Interface: While improving, the default user interface can feel dated and less intuitive compared to more modern competitors like Notion or Confluence. Achieving a sleek, modern look often requires customization effort.
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Governance is Crucial: Without a clear governance plan, SharePoint can quickly become a sprawling, disorganized mess of sites and documents, defeating its purpose as a centralized information hub.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Deep Microsoft 365 Integration | Complexity & Steep Learning Curve |
| Highly Customizable | Can Be Expensive |
| Robust Security & Compliance | Dated Out-of-the-Box UI |
| Scalable for Any Business Size | Governance is Crucial & Difficult |
Pricing and Plans
SharePoint Online is not typically sold as a standalone product. It’s included in most Microsoft 365 for Business and Enterprise plans. Here are a few examples:
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Microsoft 365 Business Basic: ~$6/user/month
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Microsoft 365 Business Standard: ~$12.50/user/month
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Office 365 E3: ~$23/user/month
There are also two standalone plans, but they are less common:
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SharePoint Online (Plan 1): ~$5/user/month
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SharePoint Online (Plan 2): ~$10/user/month
The best plan depends on your need for other Microsoft services like the desktop versions of Office apps, Microsoft Teams, and advanced security features.
| Plan Name | Price (per user/month) | Primary Audience / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SharePoint Online (Plan 1) | ~$5 | Standalone plan with essential features. |
| SharePoint Online (Plan 2) | ~$10 | Standalone plan with advanced features. |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | ~$6 | Bundled with Teams, Exchange, OneDrive. |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard | ~$12.50 | Adds desktop Office apps to Basic plan. |
| Office 365 E3 | ~$23 | Enterprise plan with advanced security & compliance. |
User reviews and ratings for your SharePoint review
Across major review sites like G2 and Capterra, SharePoint generally receives positive but mixed feedback.
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G2 Rating: Around 4.0 out of 5 stars.
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Capterra Rating: Around 4.2 out of 5 stars.
Common praise focuses on its powerful feature set and integration with Office 365. Common complaints revolve around its complexity, clunky user interface, and the difficulty of setting it up without dedicated IT support. Users often state that when it’s set up well, it’s incredibly powerful, but a poor setup leads to frustration.
Exploring alternatives
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Confluence: A top competitor, known for its user-friendly interface and strong focus on knowledge management and team collaboration.
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Google Workspace (with Google Drive/Sites): A direct competitor from Google, offering similar document collaboration and basic site-building capabilities, often praised for its simplicity.
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Notion: A flexible, all-in-one workspace that combines notes, tasks, wikis, and databases. It’s favored by teams looking for a highly adaptable and modern user experience.
| Platform | Best For | Key Differentiator |
|---|---|---|
| SharePoint | Organizations in the Microsoft ecosystem | Deep M365 integration & enterprise security |
| Confluence | Knowledge management & software teams | User-friendly wiki & Jira integration |
| Google Workspace | Simplicity & real-time collaboration | Ease of use & seamless cloud experience |
| Notion | All-in-one flexible workspaces | Highly adaptable databases & modern UI |
Is SharePoint right for you?
So, what’s the final verdict?
SharePoint is an excellent choice if:
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Your organization is heavily invested in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
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You need robust, enterprise-grade security, compliance, and document management features.
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You have the IT resources (or a partner) to properly plan, implement, and govern the platform.
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You need to build highly customized intranet sites or automate complex business processes.
You might want to consider alternatives if:
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You need a simple, plug-and-play solution with minimal setup.
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Your team prefers a more modern, lightweight user interface.
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Your organization does not use other Microsoft products extensively.
Ultimately, SharePoint remains a powerful and relevant platform in 2025, but its strength is directly tied to how well it is implemented and managed. For the right organization, it is an unparalleled collaboration tool. For the wrong one, it can be a source of complexity and frustration.
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Frequently asked questions
For small teams without IT support, SharePoint can be challenging. While basic file storage is straightforward, managing permissions, site structures, and workflows often requires technical expertise. It’s a realistic option only if you stick to the most basic features and are prepared for a learning curve.
Beyond the monthly plan, the true cost includes potential add-ons like Microsoft Copilot at $30/user/month for AI features. You should also budget for the "hidden" costs of staff time for setup, training, and ongoing administration, or the expense of hiring a consultant if you lack in-house expertise.
You’d only switch if you need more than just file storage. SharePoint offers intranet building, complex process automation with Power Automate, and deep integration with the Microsoft 365 suite. If you don’t need those advanced capabilities, a simpler tool may be more efficient.
Imagine asking an AI, "What is the latest update on the Acme Corp project?" A SharePoint-only AI can find the proposal in a document library but is blind to the client’s urgent support ticket in Zendesk or key decisions made in a Slack channel. You only get part of the story, which can lead to bad decisions.
It can be. SharePoint’s search performance depends heavily on how well your content is organized and tagged with metadata from the start. Without disciplined setup and maintenance, users often find the search slow and irrelevant, making it frustrating to locate a specific file quickly.
