Intranets
Business Tools
Custom Intranet vs SharePoint: A Practical NZ Comparison
Compare staff tasks, integrations, total ownership costs and exit options before choosing SharePoint or a custom intranet.
The practical answer
Trial the same staff tasks in the existing platform and any proposed alternative. Compare permissions, integration effort, setup, ongoing care and exit; a mixed tool stack does not automatically require custom software.
Discuss your internal system requirements, users and existing tools so we can define a useful website or web app scope. Discuss your website or app.
If your team already uses Microsoft 365, a configured SharePoint site deserves a serious trial before commissioning a separate intranet. A custom system may fit a distinctive workflow better, but it also brings development, maintenance and handover responsibilities. Compare the same tasks and complete costs.
Start with three tasks your team needs to complete #
For example: find the current leave policy, submit a maintenance request, and see the status of an assigned job. Use real staff roles and realistic content. A polished homepage is less useful evidence than watching someone complete those tasks.
| Question | Configured SharePoint | Custom intranet |
|---|---|---|
| Documents and knowledge | Established libraries, pages and Microsoft 365 integration | Structure and screens designed for the agreed tasks; document capabilities must be built or integrated |
| Business workflows | Lists, platform configuration and integrations may fit the need | Can closely match a specific process; every exception still needs design and testing |
| Non-Microsoft tools | Assess available connectors and custom extensions | Assess each API, permission, licence and failure mode; connection is not automatic |
| Sign-in and access | Can use the organisation’s Microsoft identity setup | Must explicitly design identity, roles, offboarding and data separation |
| Ongoing work | Content ownership, platform administration, permissions and change management | Content ownership plus application maintenance, infrastructure and dependency updates |
| Exit and ownership | Check export options, licences and migration effort | Check code/data rights, account access, documentation and another developer’s ability to take over |
Microsoft documents SharePoint Framework extensions and external API integration. A mixed software stack does not automatically make SharePoint unsuitable. Azure AD is now called Microsoft Entra ID.
Compare three-year costs without guessing market prices #
Obtain scoped figures for both approaches. All comparisons should use the same currency and GST treatment. Check what your existing subscription actually includes; licences, connectors and implementation services can have separate costs.
| Budget item | SharePoint option | Custom option |
|---|---|---|
| Initial work | Information structure + configuration + content migration + testing | Discovery + design + build + content migration + testing |
| Monthly services × 36 | Incremental licences + administration/support | Hosting + identity/storage/other subscriptions + support |
| Internal effort | Content cleanup + staff training + content ownership | Content cleanup + staff training + content ownership |
| Changes and exit | Expected extensions, retraining and data export/migration | Expected enhancements, dependency changes and handover/export |
Custom software does not eliminate vendor dependency. It can give you more control when you own the relevant code and accounts and have usable documentation, but hosting, libraries, identity and specialist developers remain dependencies.
Run a fair comparison #
- Choose the same three staff tasks and record success criteria.
- Trial a small configured version of the existing platform.
- Identify the specific gaps that remain, rather than rejecting the entire platform.
- Price only the custom work needed to close those gaps.
- Compare total cost, staff usability, operating responsibilities and exit options.
A hybrid can be appropriate: keep documents and identity in Microsoft 365 while adding a focused interface for an unusual workflow. That option needs its own integration and permission tests.
Download the intranet options worksheet (CSV). Open in a spreadsheet or text editor; the example rows are illustrative.
Choose based on the result #
Use SharePoint when it meets the important tasks at a sustainable total cost. Choose another packaged platform when it fits better. Consider custom work when a valuable, specific requirement remains unmet and the business can support the system. If the information has no owner, fix that before adding a platform.
A useful companion: Eisenhower Matrix.
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