# The 4 Best Social Intranet Solutions Compared > A comparison of the 4 best social and corporate intranet solutions: Confluence with Linchpin, Staffbase, SharePoint, and Jive. Source: https://www.xalt.de/en/blog/4-best-social-intranet-solutions-compared/ TEAM XALT Atlassian Platinum Partner · 24 March 2022 · 8 min In the past, often only large companies had an intranet. Nowadays, in the era of hybrid and remote work models, an increasing number of small and medium-sized enterprises are using such tools to communicate with their employees worldwide and at any time. In this article, we show you what an intranet is, what types of intranets exist, and what the 4 best corporate or social intranet software solutions are. And above all, what benefits you can derive for your company from them. Table of Contents show - What is an intranet? - These functions and features are a must-have for a corporate and social intranet - SaaS, on-premise, or in the cloud? - The 4 best social and corporate intranet software solutions on the market - Conclusion ## What is an intranet? Corporate intranets are private, internal networks within the company. With such software, you can communicate and – tailored to the needs of individual departments, teams, or the entire company – collaborate. In times when open communication and flat hierarchies are becoming the norm, the intranet (inter-software) is gaining increasing importance. In the past, an intranet was primarily used to announce information from management positions. In other words: There is a difference between traditional intranet software and social intranet software. ### The focus is on social Modern intranet solutions therefore focus on social functions and include elements of social media platforms. In addition to classic top-down communication, in a social intranet, all employees can communicate with each other, publish posts and comments, network, and share files. In this sense, a corporate social intranet is basically like LinkedIn or Facebook. The core idea of an intranet is primarily that employees always have direct contact with their company, thereby establishing a deeper sense of belonging. Communication and the provision of important information are among the most important aspects. Of course, every employee should also be made aware of the intranet during onboarding, create a profile, and make initial contacts. ### Requirement and purpose What the intranet is ultimately used for depends on what requirements your company has. Simply put, should it be used solely for communicating important information or for strengthening a sense of togetherness? In any case, an intranet has not only positive internal effects but also external ones. Consistent branding and targeted communication convey a shared value base and thus strengthen the entire corporate image, both internally and externally. Find out how to find the perfect intranet solution for your company and what you should look out for in this [article](https://www.xalt.de/en/). ## These functions and features are a must-have for a corporate and social intranet Social intranets offer a wide range of functions, features, and customisation options. And they can be tailored precisely to the requirements of your company. Before you decide on a provider directly, you should be sure that you have clearly defined what your intranet should and should not be able to do. Below you will find a list of common features of corporate intranet solutions. - Single sign-on with Google (or similar) to other tools in use. - Accounts and personal profiles for all employees. - Encrypted permission and access management (a plus for your IT & Compliance department). - Chat function and **integrations with Slack, Microsoft Teams**and co. - Division into business areas and departments. Even spaces for individual teams are configurable. - News feed with all relevant information from the C or executive level. - News feed from and for all employees. - Social media features such as a comment function, like and share buttons. - Provision of important information for and by teams: For the sustainable provision of know-how/knowledge (more about this in our [**webinar**](https://www.xalt.de/en/webinar-knowledge-management-with-confluence/)) via a **knowledge base in the form of wikis and blogs**. - Sharing of documents and other files. - Access to an employee database that allows everyone to find the right expert or contact person. - Access for external employees and customers in the form of an extranet (closed area within the intranet). - Interfaces to other, external tools such as Slack, HubSpot (CRM) or Google Workspace (+ many others). This makes your intranet the digital hub in your company. - Time tracking for projects or employees. - [Responsive version](https://www.xalt.de/en/) or mobile app. ## SaaS, on-premise, or in the cloud? You have the choice of many; it is much the same when you are looking for intranet solutions. But that is not all; your company's requirements determine which type of infrastructure is suitable for you. Here, you can choose between SaaS (Software as a Service), on-premise (on your own server - in-house), or in the cloud with AWS and Azure. The latter two are more complex in terms of configuration, administration, and maintenance. Often, the costs can even be higher than with modern intranet SaaS solutions. Here, you should expect costs for hosting, server infrastructure, and personnel. The big advantage: your data remains within your company and does not end up on unknown servers. GDPR and data protection and compliance regulations are easier to meet here. However, there are also exceptions here (Confluence intranet with Linchpin). If you choose SaaS solutions, the provider usually takes care of everything. However, you should also ensure here that the security regulations are met. Not all providers are GDPR-compliant here. ## The 4 best social and corporate intranet software solutions on the market Do not forget, there are many intranet software solutions on the market. In the end, your company's requirements determine which solution is the right one. It is therefore important what goals your company pursues. In our corporate intranet comparison, you will find a detailed comparison of social or corporate intranet solutions. ### Confluence intranet by Linchpin and Atlassian ![Personalized homepage of the BSH intranet with news stream and widgets](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/c475o02b/production/d97059ab0fdf3fa32b2347b866a202a6e452dc48-4070x2612.png?w=1504&q=75&fit=max&auto=format) Social & Corporate Intranet bei B/S/H Actually, Confluence is more of a collaboration and wiki platform than an intranet. However, with the Linchpin app, the tool becomes a true all-rounder. This bundle is already used by a large number of customers worldwide. It does not matter whether your company has “only” 100 or 50,000 employees and is distributed globally. Linchpin and Confluence have the advantage of being modularly tailored to various requirements and cover almost all of the functions and features mentioned above. In addition, this type of solution is available both as a data centre and cloud solution. This gives you full control over your company data at all times and meets common compliance and security regulations. The intranet solution can also be easily adapted to your brand, thereby offering the option to consistently convey your company's identity. Through a sophisticated permission and access management, individual intranet areas can be made accessible only to specific user groups. Furthermore, the solution includes an app for all common mobile operating systems such as iOS or Android. A major plus point with Confluence is the [Atlassian Marketplace](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/), where you can find countless integrations, extensions, and apps that extend your system with important functions. The Atlassian Community also helps you with all questions. #### Costs The costs for Confluence and Linchpin depend on the number of active users. Only the basic version with 10 users is free in the cloud version (hosted by Atlassian via AWS). Linchpin is currently only available for data centre. A cloud version is in the works. Confluence is divided into the cloud and data centre versions. While the cloud is already available for teams of 10 - 30,000 users, Confluence data centre is suitable for companies with more than 500 employees. The costs here amount to 27,000 USD for Confluence. However, the necessary server infrastructure is not included here. The cloud, on the other hand, is free for 10 users and increases depending on the user tier. For 500 employees, the costs range between 20,000 USD and 36,000 USD. In addition to the actual system costs, you will also incur costs for Linchpin. You can find more details about the costs here: [Confluence](https://www.atlassian.com/de/software/confluence/pricing?tab=cloud) and [Linchpin](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1220341/linchpin-intranet-suite?hosting=datacenter&tab=pricing). [Success story: social intranet at B/S/H/](https://www.xalt.de/en/confluence-intranet-with-linchpin/) ### Staffbase ![Intranet home page: a video banner, quick links such as emergency contacts and IT service, below columns for Teams, files and Yammer posts](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/c475o02b/production/b1a5e3c0103959678a134530406f813a4d6096c8-1400x1189.png?w=1504&q=75&fit=max&auto=format) Quelle: Staffbase With Staffbase, you can bring all your employees together – anywhere, anytime, and on any device. With our cloud solution, your intranet can be accessed from smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. The advantage: a consistent user experience across all devices! The design of the app and the intranet is fully customisable. This allows you to easily set up multiple areas and distribute them to different target groups – or workplaces – within your company. #### Costs Staffbase, the German company that developed an online intranet solution called "Staffbase", already works with renowned companies such as Aldi Süd, Viessmann, and DHL. The company offers individual service to each of its partners. This means that each company is presented with a special offer tailored to its individual needs and requirements. Staffbase also offers supporting services such as training and consulting to help companies improve their internal communication flows. ### Microsoft SharePoint ![Social Intranet SharePoint](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/c475o02b/production/99edeeb9c5502bd6db83ee3e8c4e72a015111a1f-2378x1536.webp?w=1504&q=75&fit=max&auto=format) Quelle: Microsoft SharePoint You have probably already come into contact with [SharePoint](https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration). The software supports companies in [sharing information on the move](https://www.xalt.de/en/) and collaborating seamlessly. It enables teams not only to exchange ideas but also to share files and other documents and to receive the latest information about the company through top-down communication. SharePoint also offers the option for each team to create its own areas, which can be adapted to your requirements. With the help of apps and extensions, you can further expand the functionality. As one of the first corporate intranet solutions ever, there is also a strong community that helps you get the most out of the solution. #### Costs Does your company already use Office 365 in the Business or Enterprise variant? Then you can use SharePoint for free. For all other interested parties, the cheapest plan starts at €4.20 for Plan 1 or €8.40 for Plan 2 per user. As a complete package with Office 365, you will incur €22.60 per user. ### Jive ![Social Intranet Corporate Intranet Jive](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/c475o02b/production/2ec3552945dad2b0aa34d7079492334925d07d5d-1161x680.png?w=1504&q=75&fit=max&auto=format) Quelle: Jive Jive's social intranet software was developed to increase your employees' productivity with the help of a knowledge base and real-time communication. The software works both as a desktop version and as an app. In addition, you have an integrated collaborative CRM and can create and send newsletters internally. So that you don't have to constantly switch between different programs, Jive integrates numerous applications. However, the best thing about Jive is its user-friendliness. The software makes it easy for your employees to collaborate by, among other things, allowing them to create their own internal blogs where they can write about their current projects or exchange ideas with their colleagues. In addition, you can exchange information on a central platform and keep an eye on all important data in real time. This ensures that your employees always have access to all relevant information to make decisions faster, solve problems more efficiently, and thereby increase your company's productivity. #### Costs Similar to Staffbase, you must also submit an inquiry to Jive to receive a quote. You can find out more here: [Jive](https://omr.com/de/reviews/product/jive). ## Conclusion One factor you must consider with almost all social or corporate intranet solutions is the necessary configuration. Depending on the infrastructure you ultimately use, maintenance and technical support should not be neglected. External support is necessary in most cases. As an intranet solution partner, we take care of the configuration and maintenance of your Confluence intranet for you. [Get to know us](https://www.xalt.de/en/confluence-intranet-with-linchpin/). ## Looking for the right intranet for your company? As an intranet solution partner, we handle the configuration and maintenance of your Confluence intranet for you. [Talk to us](https://www.xalt.de/en/contact/) --- *This version is for AI agents. Every page of this site is available as Markdown: append `index.md` to its path. Index of all pages: [llms.txt](https://www.xalt.de/llms.txt)*