Organisational Transformation

Best Intranet Software

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY
Talkspirit
READING TIME
12
minutes
Summarize the article
  • Twelve intranet tools compared: Talkspirit, Viva Engage, Jamespot, SharePoint, LumApps, Jive, Jostle, Happeo, Unily, Simpplr, Zoho Connect and Bitrix24.
  • An intranet is a private, secure network where an organisation centralises all its internal information exchanges, news and resources.
  • Prices run from €1 per user per month at Zoho Connect to €24 at Bitrix24, while LumApps and Happeo quote on request only.
  • Several vendors in the roundup are flagged as subject to the Cloud Act.
  • Talkspirit hosts data in the EU with OVHcloud, and Happeo hosts in Europe, in Finland and the Netherlands.

Is accessing internal information a real challenge for your team members?

Are you struggling to connect your employees with one another and to maintain cohesion within your company?

Are you looking for a tool to improve your internal communication and help information flow more freely?

No worries—we have just the solution for you!

With the digital boom, more and more organizations are adopting an intranet: a private, secure network where they can centralize all their internal information exchanges. This tool is the ideal space to share company news, encourage cross-functional exchanges, bring your teams together and showcase their successes.

There are countless intranet solutions out there today, but not all of them are necessarily suited to your organization’s needs. To help you see things more clearly, we’ve selected the best software on the market.

Here are the 12 best intranets and their main strengths :

  1. Talkspirit
  2. Viva Engage
  3. Jamespot
  4. SharePoint
  5. LumApps
  6. Jive
  7. Jostle
  8. Happeo
  9. Unily
  10. Simpplr
  11. Zoho Connect
  12. Bitrix24

Find out which solution best meets your internal communication, cohesion and information-sharing challenges.

1. Talkspirit

The intranet that simplifies information sharing, energizes exchanges and smooths out collaborative work.

Talkspirit interface

More than an intranet, Talkspirit is a secure enterprise social network solution, 100% made in France, that helps improve your internal communication, connect your team members and make information flow more freely. Talkspirit offers far more than an intranet, also packing in features for remote collaborative work: sharing and co-editing of office documents, chat, video conferencing, polls, checklists… It is designed for companies, nonprofits and public-sector organizations. Among its clients: Gîtes de France, CEA, Eckès Granini, the French Army ...

Key features:

  • complete “all-in-one” platform
  • easy to learn and use
  • centralization of internal resources (directory, org chart, documents, etc.)
  • a home portal to highlight internal news and events
  • multi-domain and email-free access, to bring ALL your employees together
  • responsive customer service & user support (FR and EN), 7 days a week
  • automatic translation in 8 languages
  • GDPR: data hosted in the EU (with OVHcloud)

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • Talkspirit is a versatile solution that may not be the ideal fit if you are looking for a tool dedicated to a single, specific need.

Pricing:

  • paid plans starting at €5 / month per user. Volume discounts from 500 users. Preferential rates for nonprofits.
  • free trial (15 days)
  • free personalized demo

Read the reviews from Talkspirit users

2. Viva Engage

The Microsoft 365 intranet to connect and engage all your team members.

Yammer interface

Viva Engage is an intranet built into the Microsoft suite that helps improve communication and employee engagement within the company. Structured around groups, it provides a space for exchange where team members can share their knowledge, broadcast announcements, gather opinions and stay informed about upcoming events.

Key features:

  • community creation
  • document and knowledge sharing
  • broadcasting internal communication information
  • a good tool for asking for help and posing questions

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • a non-customizable, somewhat dated interface
  • no video conferencing
  • no integration with social networks
  • insufficient integration with Teams and Outlook
  • vendor subject to the Cloud Act *

Pricing: starting at €4.20 / month per user (no free version).

3. Jamespot

The customizable intranet to simplify communication across your organization!

Jamespot interface

Jamespot is an intranet that makes internal communication and access to information and documents easier. The platform lets you install several apps depending on your teams’ needs: org chart, calendar, surveys, news flashes, etc.

Key features:

  • customizable, ready-to-use platform
  • modular, with many downloadable internal apps
  • the ability to set up custom workflows
  • 100% French development, hosting and customer service

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • you need to download modules in order to use certain features
  • technical support is needed to fully benefit from the platform’s flexibility
  • analytics feature needs to be developed

Pricing : starting at €5 / month per user, with a 30-day free trial of the Premium version.

4. SharePoint

Microsoft’s smart intranet that makes sharing files and best practices easier.

SharePoint interface

SharePoint is an intranet published by Microsoft that lets you store, organize and share documents within your company. The platform lets you share news, knowledge and best practices to develop collective intelligence. It integrates with several third-party apps that automate your various workflows.

Key features:

  • knowledge centralization
  • sharing of documents, contacts and calendars
  • publishing personalized news for your clients and suppliers
  • the option to install it on a dedicated server or access it online (via SharePoint Online)
  • integration with Microsoft 365
  • a platform customizable to your organization’s needs

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • you need support for installation and configuration
  • onboarding and updates are difficult
  • few social features
  • high deployment and customization costs
  • no free trial
  • vendor subject to the Cloud Act *

Pricing : starting at €4.20 / month per user

5. LumApps

A social intranet solution that makes integrating your Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 tools easier.

LumApps interface

LumApps is a platform to connect, inform and engage your employees; a holistic social intranet that integrates with your business tools and apps (notably the Microsoft and Google tool suites).

Key features:

  • interface customization
  • available in 15 languages
  • officially endorsed by Google and Microsoft
  • native integrations with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • no free trial available, pricing essentially on request
  • more geared toward project management and knowledge management than collaboration
  • intrinsically tied to Microsoft and Google collaboration solutions, and therefore subject to the Cloud Act *

Pricing: on request only

6. Jive AI

Make finding information easier and develop collective intelligence.

Jive interface

Jive is an intranet that boosts employee engagement and productivity. It includes several internal communication tools (home page, posts, news feed…) and employee engagement tools (surveys, gamification, training, etc.). This intranet also lets you create several portals so that each team or department can access its own resources and news.

Key features:

  • ready-to-use platform
  • creation of groups, workspaces and blog posts
  • email integration (Gmail and Microsoft 365)
  • gamification: creation of missions, competitions and badges
  • relevant content recommendations with PeopleGraph
  • guest access for your partners and contractors

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • unresponsive customer support
  • a fairly cluttered home page
  • search feature needs improvement
  • no free trial version
  • deploying the platform can take time
  • vendor subject to the Cloud Act *

Pricing: starting at $5 / month per user

7. Jostle

The software to connect your team members and grow your company culture.

Jostle

Jostle is a platform centered on employee engagement. This intranet lets you bring your company culture to life through several key features: information and document sharing, event planning, user profiles, surveys, etc.

Key features:

  • ease of use
  • the ability to post articles
  • access to internal resources (org chart, directory, file library, etc.)
  • organizing and promoting events
  • integrations with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Slack

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • vendor subject to the Cloud Act *
  • lack of customization options
  • integrations need to be developed
  • no email-free access
  • analytics feature needs improvement

Pricing : starting at $4 / month per user, with a 14-day free trial

8. Happeo

The multilingual Google Workspace intranet designed for employees.

Happeo interface

Happeo is a social intranet solution for Google Workspace that smooths out communication and information sharing through a personalized news feed, a shared calendar and an employee directory. Users can also create communities to chat anytime.

Key features:

  • Google Cloud partner (integration of all Google Workspace tools)
  • smart search
  • centralization of information: directory, org chart, employee profiles, files
  • certifications: ISO 27001 & GDPR
  • creation of dynamic, intuitive pages
  • data hosted in Europe (Finland & the Netherlands)

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • no access or integrations possible with Microsoft 365 software and other collaboration tools
  • you have to store your data on Google Cloud
  • insufficient usability
  • limited analytics feature

Pricing : on request only, with a 7-day free trial

9. Unily

The intranet that boosts employee engagement and connects your employees.

Unily interface

Unily is a cloud-hosted intranet designed to improve the employee experience and internal communication within the company. It includes several social features (groups, news feed, blogs, etc.) and content management features (creation of pages, forms and surveys).

Key features:

  • integration with Microsoft 365
  • centralization of internal resources: directory, org chart, documents, etc.
  • creation of internal newsletters
  • personalization of the employee experience
  • gamification features: badges, points system
  • access for your partners and contractors

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • high pricing
  • you cannot edit documents directly within the platform
  • you need to know how to code to customize certain options
  • vendor subject to the Cloud Act *

Pricing : starting at $4,995 / month, with a free trial version

10. Simpplr

The modern intranet that connects distributed teams and simplifies internal communication.

Simpplr interface

Simpplr is an intranet software that brings employees together and helps them communicate better day to day through information-sharing features. The platform lets anyone publish content quickly, with no prior technical knowledge.

Key features:

  • customizable dashboard and news feed
  • content recommendations based on the user profile
  • sharing of documents, photos and videos
  • built-in newsletter
  • calendar to create and manage events
  • creation of workspaces
  • integrations with several cloud apps

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • no knowledge base where users can find tutorials and answers to their questions
  • no org chart
  • vendor subject to the Cloud Act *

Pricing : starting at $8 / month per user, with a 14-day free trial.

11. Zoho Connect

The intranet software that centralizes all your resources and apps in one place.

Zoho interface

Zoho Connect is a social intranet that simplifies capturing know-how and streamlines team communication. Users can create their own apps and groups, and build a knowledge base for their team.

Key features:

  • news feed to broadcast internal communication announcements
  • guest access
  • groups, channels and forums
  • ready-to-use online forms
  • creation of handbooks
  • the option to integrate a directory
  • integrations with Zoho apps

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • storage limited to 2 GB per user (for the paid version)
  • onboarding can take time
  • no org chart
  • integrations need to be developed

Pricing : starting at €1 / month per user. Free plan and 30-day free trial.

12. Bitrix24

Simplify communication between teams and improve information sharing.

Bitrix 24 interface

Bitrix24 is an open-source intranet software that encourages exchanges between team members and lets them access all their documents and projects. The platform offers a fairly complete free version that can suit small businesses.

Key features:

  • creation of groups and knowledge bases
  • shared calendar that syncs with Google Calendar or Outlook
  • unlimited free users
  • a company drive to store your documents
  • personalized news feed
  • available on the cloud and on-premise
  • access for external users

Limitations / drawbacks:

  • storage limited depending on the plan chosen (only 10 GB for the entry-level version)
  • limited number of users on the paid versions
  • customer support needs improvement
  • the large number of features can make the interface hard to navigate
  • an interface that isn’t very user-friendly and lacks customization options

Pricing : starting at €24 / month per user. Free version and 30-day free trial.

FAQ

An intranet is a private, secure network where an organisation centralises all its internal information exchanges. It is the ideal space to share company news, encourage cross-functional exchanges, bring teams together and showcase their successes.

Prices run from €1 per user per month at Zoho Connect to €24 at Bitrix24. Talkspirit starts at €5, Viva Engage and SharePoint at €4.20, while LumApps and Happeo quote on request only.

The comparison flags Viva Engage, SharePoint, Jive, Jostle, Unily and Simpplr as vendors subject to the Cloud Act. LumApps is described as intrinsically tied to Microsoft and Google collaboration solutions, and therefore subject to the Cloud Act.

Happeo is a social intranet solution for Google Workspace and a Google Cloud partner, with a personalised news feed, a shared calendar and an employee directory. It offers no access or integrations with Microsoft 365, though.

Talkspirit highlights multi-domain and email-free access, so you can bring all your employees together. Jostle, by contrast, is listed with no email-free access among its drawbacks, alongside a lack of customisation options.

Zoho Connect offers a free plan and a 30-day free trial. Bitrix24 offers a fairly complete free version that can suit small businesses, together with unlimited free users and a shared calendar that syncs with Google Calendar or Outlook.

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY
Talkspirit
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