SharePoint vs LumApps vs Unily: Which Intranet Fits a 200 to 2,000 Employee Company?

Quick Answe: For a company of 200 to 2,000 employees that already uses Microsoft 365, a SharePoint intranet usually fits best. It runs in your own tenant, uses licences you already pay for and avoids per-user platform fees. LumApps fits better when you also run Google Workspace or need its Beekeeper frontline app. Unily fits large, multi-region enterprises that want a vendor-run platform and have the budget for it.

Last updated: 12 October 2026

This comparison is written by a SharePoint partner, so read it with that in mind. We have tried to show where each option genuinely wins, using public information from each vendor as of October 2026.

What is the main difference between SharePoint, LumApps and Unily?

The main difference is where the intranet lives and who owns it. A SharePoint intranet is built inside your own Microsoft 365 tenant, so your content, permissions and data stay there. LumApps and Unily are separate software-as-a-service platforms. They connect to Microsoft 365, but they host the intranet experience themselves and charge a subscription for it.

Vendor details come from LumApps and Unily public pages reviewed in September and October 2026.

How do the three options compare on cost over three years?

Over three years, a SharePoint intranet usually costs least for companies already on Microsoft 365, because there is no per-user platform fee. LumApps and Unily add a subscription for every employee on top of Microsoft 365 licences. Neither publishes prices, so you must request a quote. Ask for the three-year total, including implementation and connectors.

What to ask each vendor for:

• Annual subscription per user, and the minimum user count
• Implementation fee and timeline
• Cost of connectors, AI features and frontline modules
• Price increase cap at renewal
• Cost and format of a full content export if you leave

Our SharePoint intranet cost guide includes a worked three-year comparison. The intranet replacement calculator estimates your own figures.

When does LumApps make more sense than SharePoint?

LumApps makes more sense when your organisation runs Google Workspace, either alone or alongside Microsoft 365. It also suits organisations that want a single vendor for office and frontline staff, since Beekeeper became part of LumApps. If most of your workforce is deskless and has no Microsoft 365 licence, LumApps' frontline tools are worth evaluating.

LumApps is a strong candidate when:

• Google Workspace is your main productivity suite.
• A large share of staff are frontline and unlicensed for Microsoft 365.
• You want a vendor-run platform with built-in frontline messaging and shift tools.

When does Unily make more sense than SharePoint?

Unily makes more sense for large, complex enterprises that want a vendor-run, heavily featured platform and can fund it. Its stated focus is organisations from 1,000 to 1,000,000 employees, and its named customers include global brands. In September 2026 it added Glass for Frontline, an AI search and task tool for deskless staff.

Unily is a strong candidate when:

• You operate across many regions, brands and languages.
• You want the vendor, not your IT team, to run the platform.
• Budget allows a premium subscription for every employee.

When is a SharePoint intranet the better choice?

A SharePoint intranet is the better choice when Microsoft 365 is already your main platform and you want to own the result. Content, permissions and search stay in one place. Copilot answers from the same content. You avoid a second platform to secure, audit and renew. Custom design and add-ons cover features out-of-the-box SharePoint lacks.

A SharePoint intranet is a strong candidate when:

• All or most staff already have Microsoft 365 licences.
• IT prefers one platform, one set of permissions and one audit trail.
• You plan to use Microsoft 365 Copilot or SharePoint agents.
• You want to avoid a per-user fee that grows with headcount.

Our comparison of buying an intranet product versus hiring a partner explains the build options within SharePoint.

Is a SharePoint intranet "just a layer" compared with a SaaS platform?

No. Some vendors describe SharePoint intranets as a layer rather than true software as a service. In practice, SharePoint Online is itself a Microsoft-run cloud service, updated and secured by Microsoft. A SharePoint intranet adds design and components on top of it. A separate platform adds a second cloud service on top of Microsoft 365.

The practical questions are more useful than the label:

• Who updates and secures the platform? For SharePoint Online, Microsoft does.
• Where does your content live? For SharePoint, in your own tenant.
• What happens if you change partner? Your intranet keeps running.
• What happens if you leave a SaaS platform? You export and rebuild.

How should you run an intranet platform evaluation?

Run the evaluation on real tasks, not demos. Give each option the same ten employee tasks, the same three content owners and the same governance questions. Score usability, effort for editors, total cost and exit effort. A two-week proof of concept with real content reveals more than any feature checklist.

1. List ten real employee tasks, such as finding the leave policy on a phone.
2. Ask each vendor or partner to show those tasks with your content.
3. Have three content owners publish a news post on each option.
4. Request a three-year cost including implementation and connectors.
5. Ask how you would leave and what format your content exports in.

Our free intranet RFP generator produces a requirements list you can send to every shortlisted vendor. Sangha is our option for teams that want a ready SharePoint intranet they own outright.