dotCMS vs. SharePoint
Why choose dotCMS over SharePoint
dotCMS and SharePoint are both content management and intranet systems that enable organizations to manage and share knowledge, enable collaboration, and quickly track information within the company.
SharePoint is an intranet solution designed primarily for companies deeply integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem, making it best suited for companies heavily reliant on those tools. In contrast, dotCMS is an open-source CMS that empowers your teams to build intranets, websites, and other projects all in one platform.
DOTCMS HIGHLIGHTS
Here’s the TL;DR of why companies choose dotCMS over SharePoint
Ease of Use and Learning Curve
dotCMS offers a significantly easier learning experience for both developers and content contributors. This ease of use can translate to faster adoption, reduced training costs, and improved productivity.
Content Organization and Display
Unlike SharePoint, dotCMS allows for flexible content organization separate from the display. dotCMS enables the dynamic construction of web pages with related information by supporting reusable, unformatted content across pages and apps.
Performance and Scalability
Sharepoint only offers Cloud deployment through Microsoft Azure, while dotCMS can be deployed using our Cloud or yours, on AWS or GCP.
Content Permissions and Editing
SharePoint forces content organization by department to manage permissions, but dotCMS supports multiple permission schema and unique workflow options for simplified content approval.
FAQs
But I have a few questions…
I’m already using SharePoint, is it easy to switch to dotCMS?
Definitely. We’ve done many migrations from SharePoint to dotCMS. You’ll work hand-in-hand with our implementation team to scope out the project and ensure a smooth transition to dotCMS.
Honestly, are there areas where SharePoint is better than dotCMS
Yeah, there are definitely areas in which SharePoint excels. SharePoint is a value-packed platform and is well integrated into the Microsoft Office Suite, making it easy to build into existing workflows. It's best for enterprises already using MS and looking for customized collaboration solutions. Since it has a steep learning curve, you will need to pre-plan for additional time and expenses to set up and get accustomed to the platform.
Are there specific feature differences to highlight between dotCMS and SharePoint?
When you’re doing your evaluation, it’s important to consider how features are built and how well they fit into your existing tech stack. Both dotCMS and SharePoint have extensive feature lists to fit your unique use case.
Explore how dotCMS stacks up against SharePoint
| Features | dotCMS | SharePoint | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture & Approach | dotCMS is an open-source Java-based, Universal CMS meaning it’s universally developable on any framework, on any channel, on any infrastructure. | SharePoint is not open-source nor a real CMS, so it offers less flexibility, and customization options. | ||
| User Friendliness | dotCMS is built with both technical and non-technical users in mind, and our Universal Visual Editor allows anyone to create and manage pages. | SharePoint's technology focus often sacrifices user-friendliness, making it difficult to use. Without in-house expertise, hiring a consultant adds costs, and managing permissions and controls is complex for any organization. | ||
| Scalability | Perfect for mid-market and enterprise companies, dotCMS’ multi-tenant architecture can scale across teams and projects without the overhead and costs of Sharepoint. | SharePoint offers a fixed limit to file size and storage, internal and external user capacity, number of sites users can create, document version history, and number of unique workflows. Expanding these capacities requires more overhead costs for servers and maintenance. | ||
| Development Skills | dotCMS is easier to manage with a broader skill set, reducing dependency on expensive Sharepoint developers. | To implement SharePoint to its full extent, developers need at least a basic knowledge of the PowerShell scripting language, programming language C#, and various Microsoft certifications. | ||
| Cost | dotCMS has clear and predictable pricing and keeps your total ownership cost low. | Implementation costs and ongoing maintenance of SharePoint can raise the total cost of ownership and make it difficult for buyers to find ROI on the platform. | ||
| Deployment Options | dotCMS gives you the freedom to deploy dotCMS based on your business and security needs – whether that’s in our Cloud or yours. | SharePoint offers cloud infrastructure options exclusively with Microsoft Azure. | ||
| Support | Customer obsession is deeply rooted in our values and culture at dotCMS. We partner with our customers to ensure they are successful. | SharePoint support relies on self-service tools and partners to provide first-line support, which is typical of working with a large vendor like Microsoft. |
Case Studies
You're in Good Company
From Fortune 500 brands, government agencies, to higher education, our powerful and flexible CMS delivers proven business results across a wide range of industries and organizations.
A global leader in HVAC markets decreases operational costs and increases marketing effectiveness by replatforming multiple brands to dotCMS
A global leader in air conditioning and refrigeration markets partnered with Nebbiu to launch all their brands' websites on dotCMS under one multi-tenant content management solution.
Before dotCMS, our client was wasting a lot of money struggling to maintain numerous technologies that hosted each of their companies under different environments. Implementing dotCMS has given them the freedom to focus more on their bottom line rather than juggling outdated software and constant bug fixes. dotCMS was the perfect solution to simplifying their complex needs.
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