HCL Connections vs Microsoft Office SharePoint Server comparison

Why PeerSpot?

The compared HCLSoftware and Microsoft solutions aren't in the same category. HCLSoftware is ranked #5 in CP , and holds a 6.0% mindshare in the category. Microsoft is ranked #5 in CCP , with an average rating of 8.4, and holds a 3.5% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 82% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

HCL Connections

Read 55 HCL Connections reviews

3,484 Views
1,254 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Microsoft Office SharePoint...

Read 40 Microsoft Office SharePoint Server reviews

3,008 Views
2,376 Comparison Views

82% willing to recommend

HCL Connections

Microsoft Office SharePoint...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between HCL Connections and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Atlassian, Liferay and others in Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals).

To learn more, read our detailed Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)

September 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 913,924 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

HCL Connections

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) (5th), Enterprise Social Software (13th)

Microsoft Office SharePoint...

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

4.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Content Collaboration Platforms (5th)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Messaging and Collaboration solutions, they serve different purposes. HCL Connections is designed for Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) and holds a mindshare of 6.0%, up 3.0% compared to last year.
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, on the other hand, focuses on Content Collaboration Platforms, holds 3.5% mindshare, down 5.2% since last year.

Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
HCL Connections	6.0%
SharePoint	21.1%
Drupal	17.4%
Other	55.5%

Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)

Content Collaboration Platforms Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server	3.5%
Office 365	7.7%
Box - Intelligent Content Management	7.7%
Other	81.1%

Content Collaboration Platforms

Featured Reviews

Hasnain Zahid

Talent acquisition & development specialist at Software Productivity Strategists, Inc. (SPS)

A stable tool useful to manage marketing-related activities

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten. Sometimes, the portal hangs because I find that if I am on a web page, I have to log out, and then I have to log in to the portal again. Since I see that the portal hangs at times, I have to move from one side of the portal to the next, making me feel that some things are scattered in the product. I attended a meeting with IBM recently, and they are improving a few of the things, in my opinion. The concerns that I have related to the product are being improved since I think many other users have reported issues similar to the ones I faced.

Read full review

Jocelyn Sookahet

Network Project Manager at Infodis Group

Sharing information improves collaboration but search capability needs enhancement

Searching information internally in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server could be better because when we get a lot of information, it is difficult to find. There are other things that could be better, though I don't know specifically what besides search. Search is the main problem, but it could be better if we used software used by other people. Sometimes we have customers who don't use it, and that creates problems.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"IBM Connections is a great product, with new functionality each year."

"File sharing is the number one feature, as I can have a document or whatever live file I want everywhere, following me like a private cloud."

"The most important feature of IBM Connections is that it is a Social Collaboration suite covering nearly all aspects of modern enterprise communication and collaboration."

"All the features above improve collaboration among employees."

"It is the single source of truth that can be shared anywhere."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten."

"Our productivity has increased by using IBM Connections."

"The most valuable features of Connections would be that it opens up communication silos that previously existed in the company, so that people have the opportunity to discover talents and interests in other areas that may not pertain to their normal job function."

More HCL Connections pros

"The solution is scalable, and you can do both horizontal and vertical scaling."

"Enhanced user access management features fully integrated with Active Directory allowed us to gain the trust of the users and they use SharePoint to store and share all company digital content created by them."

"The features for low-code and no-code capabilities in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server are among the best, which are very user-friendly and not seen in any other cloud services, such as S3 from AWS and blob storage from Azure."

"The ability to work through a web browser without requiring installation on devices is particularly beneficial."

"The solution's most valuable aspects are its collaboration capabilities, its communications site and the innovation within the product itself."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the Communication Site."

"Using these features together, we converted our paper work to electronic digital data."

"Some of the best features with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server are that it is easy to use, security is easy, and it's all integrated into the university's security systems."

More Microsoft Office SharePoint Server pros

Cons

"The different Features (Blog, Wiki, Forum, ...) do not behave equally e.g. how they handle files or links."

"The mobile, Outlook, and desktop Plug-ins associated with this product need to be improved."

"Initial setup was complex."

"From the sharing perspective, it is very clunky. It's very hard to share files and very hard to share content."

"Technical support is hit-and-miss. In general, the support staff is willing, but there is a large range of capabilities among them, from mediocre to excellent."

"The inclusion of a file plugin for Windows Explorer would make it easier to use."

"For once, I would like to see better support for files."

"While connection supports @named.user messaging and #tag.labels, the collaborative interaction UXP could be updated to a more streamlined approach for posts, file-share and threaded conversations such as that which is provided by newer teamwork offerings (e.g., Slack)."

More HCL Connections cons

"I would like to see the integration with Teams reinforced."

"Microsoft Office SharePoint Server could be improved in terms of its user interface. While it is easy to work with, it could be more intuitive and could look more aesthetically pleasing."

"The ability to preview files in different formats should be expanded to include formats such as embedded postscript (EPS), AutoCAD, and Adobe Acrobat PDF."

"Microsoft Office SharePoint Server is more accessible for the average user, but it lacks certain features that more advanced users would look for, making it seem unnecessarily complicated to do simple things or things one expects to be simple."

"This solution is not very stable. It is useful to arrange data but it's not the best for big data. Sometimes we have issues with our reports as a result."

"The workflow is very rudimentary."

"The Microsoft support is not great."

"Technical support could be improved. They are not fast enough, especially when we'll go deeper in the product itself. More complex issues make it very tough to find someone that can help you."

More Microsoft Office SharePoint Server cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Pricing plans may be flexible depending on volume usage and your corporate relationship with Microsoft."

"There are some aggressive discounts offered by Microsoft for organizations that are not for profit, which we are, and it makes it quite attractive to consider."

"It can be expensive for on-premises deployments, especially when you have to support SQL Server as your backend database. That's where the cost comes into play. SQL Server has its own licensing, which Microsoft keeps on changing. Therefore, it can become costly. In the earlier versions of SharePoint, version 2007 or 2010, they had an express version where the SQL Server licensing was free. It wasn't like a full-blown SharePoint. It was only a slimmed-down version. It used to be whatever your hardware costs. You would install the free software and work with it, but you were very limited in what you could do in SharePoint. If you wanted the SharePoint Enterprise Server with all the bells and whistles, then you had to pay more to get the SQL Server license based on the number of users or servers. The subscription model is different for cloud deployments. Licensing is per user and per month. The cost also depends on the storage required. If you have a lot of sites or documents, then you need to expand it based on your needs."

"One of the reasons why we don't recommend the cloud version of SharePoint is the cost. With the on premise version, you pay for the license once. For the cloud version, there is a recurring fee. It is very expensive. They expect everyone to pay $20 or $30 per user per month."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

913,924 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

18%

Construction Company

18%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Performing Arts

Construction Company

12%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	22
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	26

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	13
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	17

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with HCL Connections?

The support is an area where the product can improve. My company faces some support-related issues because whenever we create or generate a ticket, it takes two days for the product's support team ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for HCL Connections?

I use HCL Connections for marketing purposes. The IBM product in our company already provides us with direct links to the marketing and HR sides.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server?

I am not aware of the pricing, so I cannot say if the solution is expensive or quite affordable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server?

My expectation when I start using a Microsoft product is that it would be easy to incorporate diagrams and such from other Microsoft Office products. Incorporating a diagram I've embedded in a slid...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server?

I produce content about the work I'm doing inside the company, making information about IT architecture, work processes within IT architecture, and security reviews of applications or infrastructur...

See all answers

Comparisons

Drupal vs HCL Connections

Compared 16% of the time

Microsoft Teams vs HCL Connections

Compared 11% of the time

SharePoint vs HCL Connections

Compared 11% of the time

Atlassian Confluence vs HCL Connections

Compared 9% of the time

Webex vs HCL Connections

Compared 2% of the time

More HCL Connections Competitors

Amazon WorkDocs vs Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

Compared 13% of the time

Office 365 vs Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

Compared 9% of the time

Hitachi Content Platform Anywhere vs Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

Compared 5% of the time

Oracle Beehive vs Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

Compared 5% of the time

CTERA Intelligent Data Platform vs Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Office SharePoint Server Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HCL Connections

September 2026

Download HCL Connections product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

September 2026

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server report

Download Microsoft Office SharePoint Server product report

Also Known As

IBM Connections, Lotus Connections

Office SharePoint Server, MS Office SharePoint Server

Overview

HCL Connections offers a powerful collaboration platform designed for modern businesses, facilitating seamless communication and productivity enhancements.

HCL Connections helps organizations streamline internal communications with an array of tools that promote engagement and collaboration. Its ease of use enables teams to effectively manage projects, share knowledge, and foster innovation. This platform serves as a bridge for integrating social interactions with business processes, ensuring smooth workflows and increased productivity.

What are the critical features of HCL Connections?

Communities: Create and manage groups to collaborate on specific projects or topics.
Files: Share and manage documents securely, ensuring quick access for all team members.
Wikis: Collaboratively write and edit content for team reference and knowledge sharing.
Blogs: Allow individuals to express ideas, insights, and updates within the organization.
Activities: Organize tasks and discussions, enhancing project tracking and completion.

What benefits can HCL Connections bring?

Improved Collaboration: Enhances teamwork through centralized communication and resource sharing.
Increased Productivity: Streamlines workflows by aligning tools and processes.
Knowledge Sharing: Facilitates easy dissemination and accessibility of information.
Enhanced Engagement: Boosts employee involvement with interactive and accessible features.

In industries such as healthcare, finance, and education, HCL Connections is implemented to improve internal and external collaboration, drive competitive advantage, and meet compliance requirements. Its adaptable framework makes it suitable for different sectors, supporting better decision-making and strategic planning.

HCLSoftware

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server enhances collaboration, document management, and version control while integrating seamlessly with Office apps, Teams, and OneDrive for efficient communication and content sharing.

Offering automation, workflow management, and effective metadata usage, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server improves operational efficiency. It's user-friendly with low-code and no-code capabilities, ensuring accessibility for organizations. Robust security measures and access control with Active Directory integration provide secure data handling, while real-time editing allows multiple users to collaborate productively. Its search functionality streamlines information retrieval, although enhancing this feature could further improve usability. Addressing the need for a more intuitive interface, distinct integration between Team and SharePoint sites, workflow simplification, as well as improved performance with large data handling, would add to its practicality. Better third-party application integration, enhanced document sharing, and increased licensing flexibility are areas for potential development.

What are the key features?

Collaboration: Enables seamless team collaboration with integrated Office apps and Teams.
Document Management: Advanced version control and document sharing capabilities.
Automation: Streamlines processes with workflow management and metadata usage.
Security: Robust access control with Active Directory integration.
Real-Time Editing: Allows multiple users to edit documents simultaneously.
Search Functionality: Assists in swift information retrieval.

What benefits or ROI should users consider?

Improved Productivity: Real-time editing and seamless integration enhance work efficiency.
Security Assurance: Strong access control supports safe data management.
User Accessibility: Low-code and no-code features increase ease of use.
Operational Efficiency: Automates workflows and optimizes document handling.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server is utilized in industries such as healthcare, finance, and manufacturing for document sharing, collaboration, and internal communications. It supports project management, custom application development, and acts as an enterprise content management system. Organizations leverage its integration with Microsoft Teams for coordination and use it as a corporate portal. It facilitates data management, serves as a document library, and supports workflows with advanced capabilities like integration with Power Apps and Power BI for enhanced data visualization and interaction.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Yamato Financial Co. Ltd., University of Zurich, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V., Telus, Rabobank, Christian Brothers Services, Grupo Financiero Banorte, The Loft Group, Dow Water & Process Solutions, JGC Corporation, College of Medicine, Swansea University, solvito GmbH, Loft Group, Hamm-Reno Group GmbH, Geno SA

Del Monte Foods, Unicredit Leasing, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Nokia Czech Republic, Perkins Eastman, JLL, ICA, óxito Software, Dorset Software, PKP Cargo, Arcapita Bank B.S.C., AVE CZ, Chesapeake Energy

Buyer's Guide

Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)

September 2026

Download Free Report

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Atlassian, Liferay and others in Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals). Updated: September 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

913,924 professionals have used our research since 2012.

We monitor all Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.