SharePoint vs. Intranet: What’s the Difference—and Can SharePoint Be Your Intranet?

If you’re considering SharePoint as the platform for your next intranet—you’re not alone. Many organizations looking to modernize their digital workplace start here. While SharePoint is a powerful application within the Microsoft 365 suite, it isn’t quite the same as a fully featured, organization-wide intranet.

In this article, we’ll clarify the differences between SharePoint and intranet solutions, explore what SharePoint does well, and explain when—and why—you may need something more. If you want to dive deeper, please download this document: Comparing Your Intranet Requirements with Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Viva Connections.

As you likely know, SharePoint is a content management and collaboration platform widely used to support internal communication and team sites within Microsoft 365 environments. It offers strong capabilities for document sharing, content publishing, permission management, and integration with tools like Teams, OneDrive, and Outlook.

Organizations often use SharePoint to build team sites, department hubs, news centers, or homepages—making it a logical starting point when planning a new intranet, connecting employees with the information, tools, and services they need.

And that’s exactly what a modern intranet is designed to do. It acts as the digital front door to your organization—supporting communication, collaboration, and productivity across the employee experience. Key capabilities include personalized content, centralized news, advanced search, mobile access, clear governance, and seamless integration with everyday workflows.

So, can SharePoint deliver on these expectations? Let’s take a closer look.

Yes—SharePoint can absolutely be used to create an intranet, and many organizations have done so. It offers a solid foundation for building communication sites and sharing content securely, especially for smaller organizations or teams with straightforward needs.

However, as requirements become more complex, many IT and intranet teams encounter limitations when relying on SharePoint alone to deliver a comprehensive intranet experience. Common challenges include:

✔ Branding & Governance Limitations – Limited control over site-wide branding and inconsistent application of themes.

✔ Navigation & Search Challenges – No scalable, centralized navigation model; search results vary across Microsoft 365 apps.

✔ Content Targeting Gaps – Targeting is limited to Azure AD groups; there’s no subscription-based content filtering for end users.

✔ Analytics Limitations – Microsoft Search data retention is capped at 90 days, and there’s no unified dashboard for tracking intranet performance.

✔ Inconsistent User Experience – Differences in design and layout across Microsoft 365 apps can lead to a fragmented experience.

✔ Lack of Advanced Personalization – No built-in functionality for delivering dynamic, user-specific content recommendations.

✔ Complex Permissions & Governance – Managing permissions and governance across multiple sites can be time-consuming and difficult to scale.

✔ Limited Mobile Optimization – SharePoint’s mobile interface isn’t fully optimized for frontline or mobile-first employees.

✔ No Digital Signage Support – There are no out-of-the-box options to extend intranet content to digital signage or public screens.

Image: An example of a Team Site in SharePoint - designed for internal and external collaboration.

Microsoft 365 provide a solid platform for intranet initiatives—especially when it comes to storage, authentication, security, and integration. For small teams or organizations with simple requirements, SharePoint native tools may be enough.

But as intranet projects scale, so do the expectations. Centralized news delivery, advanced targeting, consistent branding, intelligent search, mobile usability, and strong governance quickly become essential for success.

That’s why many mid-sized and large organizations choose to build their intranet on Microsoft 365 and SharePoint—but extend it with a dedicated intranet product like Omnia.

Omnia fills key gaps in personalization, branding, user experience, governance, analytics, and more—enabling a seamless, scalable intranet that meets the expectations of today’s modern workforce. The result is a unified platform that not only connects people and information but drives engagement, consistency, and long-term value across the organization.

Image: Example of an intranet start page in Omnia and Microsoft 365.

Omnia is a full-featured intranet product purpose-built for organizations using Microsoft 365. Omnia integrates seamlessly with your Microsoft environment while storing all intranet content—pages, documents, processes, media, and metadata—securely in SharePoint.

This approach gives you the best of both worlds: the power, security, and scalability of Microsoft 365, combined with the advanced capabilities you need to deliver a successful enterprise intranet.

With a dedicated intranet product like Omnia, you can unlock features that go far beyond what SharePoint offers out of the box, including:

✔ Smart content targeting – Deliver personalized experiences by targeting content using profile properties like role, location, or business unit—not just static AD groups.

✔ Flexible and intuitive navigation – Centrally manage navigation across sites to create a consistent, user-friendly structure that supports scalability and ease of use.

✔ Branded design templates – Apply your organization's identity across the entire intranet with centrally managed themes, layouts, and page templates.

✔ Customized search and analytics – Enhance findability with refined search categories, filters, promoted results, and actionable insights into search behavior.

✔ Personalized, cross-device experiences – Offer tailored content and functionality across desktop, mobile, and shared devices—ensuring accessibility for all employees, including frontline workers.

✔ Advanced content governance and task support – Establish clear ownership, publishing workflows, version control, and lifecycle rules for managing structured content, projects, and internal processes.

The result: an intranet that meets real business needs—from internal communication and compliance to engagement and productivity. Omnia gives you the tools to scale, adapt, and deliver a seamless digital workplace experience for every user, across every device.

Image: Example of a department page in Omnia and SharePoint.

If you’re wondering whether to use SharePoint as your intranet, the answer is: it depends on your needs. For smaller organizations or simple requirements, SharePoint’s native tools might be enough. But for enterprises looking to deliver a strategic, people-first intranet that supports personalization, content governance, and consistent employee experience—it’s worth considering a dedicated intranet solution like Omnia.

By extending Microsoft 365 and SharePoint with purpose-built intranet capabilities, Omnia helps you deliver a modern, scalable, and truly effective intranet—without compromising the benefits of your Microsoft investment.

To learn more, check out these free resources:

✔ Document: Comparing Intranet Requirements with Microsoft 365 and SharePoint.

✔ Blog: How a Modern Intranet Improves the Employee Experience.

✔ Webinar: How to Implement a Successful Intranet in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint.

A great first step toward your next intranet is to discuss your requirements with an expert. That is why we offer a 30-minute free consultancy with one of our Omnia Coaches. Use this link to book your session.

Image: Example of a news article in an Omnia and SharePoint Intranet.

1. Is SharePoint the same as an intranet?

Not exactly. SharePoint is a powerful tool for collaboration, content sharing, and web publishing—especially within Microsoft 365. While it’s often used to create internal sites, a modern intranet typically requires more: advanced personalization, centralized news, mobile optimization, intuitive navigation, and strong governance. For smaller organizations, SharePoint might cover basic intranet needs. But for mid-sized or large enterprises, those needs often outgrow what SharePoint alone can deliver.

2. How can we know if our intranet requirements are met by SharePoint and Microsoft 365?

Start by identifying your must-have capabilities—such as personalized news, structured navigation, mobile access, and content governance. Then compare those requirements to what’s available natively in SharePoint and Microsoft 365. Focus on areas like branding consistency, news management, content targeting, analytics, and search. A guided evaluation or demo with an intranet expert—like one of our Omnia Coaches—can make this process faster and clearer.

3. When does it make sense to extend SharePoint with a dedicated intranet solution?

When your intranet needs go beyond simple communication sites or team hubs—especially in large or distributed organizations—it’s time to consider an enterprise-grade solution. If you’re aiming for a branded, scalable, and role-tailored experience with strong governance, streamlined publishing, and deeper integration, a modern intranet product like Omnia helps fill those gaps. It’s built to complement Microsoft 365 while unlocking more value across the employee experience.

4. Will we be limited in using Microsoft 365 apps if we choose Omnia?

Not at all. Omnia is built to extend, not replace, Microsoft 365. It integrates natively with SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, Viva, Power Platform, and more—so you can keep using all your Microsoft tools while enhancing the intranet experience for users. In fact, many customers find they get more value from Microsoft 365 once Omnia is in place.

5. What are the downsides of customizing SharePoint to meet intranet needs?

While custom development might fill short-term gaps, it often creates long-term challenges: higher costs, maintenance issues, upgrade risks, and inconsistent user experiences. As Microsoft updates its platform, keeping custom features compatible can be time-consuming and expensive. With a purpose-built intranet solution like Omnia, you get enterprise-grade functionality out of the box—along with ongoing support, faster implementation, and less technical debt.

Image: An example of a Learning Center Portal in Omnia and SharePoint