HR & Engagement Writer
1
The Best Intranet Platforms for Small Businesses in 2024
6 min read
Published: Jun 26, 2023
Revised on: May 30, 2024
Here’s our curated shortlist and our reasons for liking each company; please click into each company to get more details:
- PeopleOne
- Flexible customization with quick turnaround time from PeopleOne's highly responsive team.
- Users have mentioned that PeopleOne enhances workplace culture by allowing flexible work arrangements and seamless interaction.
- Efficient field data management with collecting and managing field data for payroll, invoicing, and production management purposes.
- Enhanced employee engagement tool for promoting connectivity and collaboration across the organization.
- Easy information sharing promotes collaboration for seamless communication across teams and locations.
- Simpplr
- Easy to use and intuitive interface. Many reviews mentioned Simpplr is simple to navigate and user-friendly.
- Great for employee engagement. Customers found Simpplr helped connect employees and increase collaboration.
- Robust features like content validation and analytics. Customers liked built-in features that help keep content updated and provide insights.
- Easy implementation and setup. Customers had an easy time implementing Simpplr with help from the support team.
- Integrations with tools like Slack and Office 36
- Customers appreciated the ability to integrate with other workplace apps.
- Assembly
- Easy to use and intuitive interface. Many reviews mentioned Assembly is simple, easy to navigate, and user-friendly.
- Good customer support. Reviews mentioned Assembly's support team is responsive in resolving issues.
- Rewards redemption process is smooth. Users liked the gift card and other reward options that can be redeemed with points.
- Integrates well with Slack and Microsoft Teams. The integration makes giving recognition quick and seamless.
- Good for employee recognition and engagement. Reviews highlighted Assembly's peer-to-peer recognition features that help boost employee morale.
- Workvivo
- Easy to use and intuitive interface, similar to popular social media platforms like Facebook. Makes it easy for employees to adopt.
- Improves employee engagement, connection, and internal communications across distributed teams and offices. Helps employees feel more informed.
- Allows sharing of company news, events, photos, videos easily. Replaces email for some internal communications.
- Provides analytics on usage and engagement that help HR and managers measure success of initiatives.
- Ability to give recognition and shoutouts is motivating. Helps strengthen company culture.
- Haystack
- Centralized communication and knowledge sharing. Haystack provides a single platform to find company info, resources, announcements, etc.
- Easy to use and intuitive UI. The interface is clean, simple, and easy for employees to navigate.
- Improved collaboration. Features like groups and integrations allow for better communication and teamwork.
- Employee profiles and org charts. These help employees learn about each other and see company structure.
- Search capabilities. The search makes it easy to quickly find documents, people, and information.
Every modern organization, regardless of its size or industry, relies on an intranet in some way, shape, or form. This is because intranets serve as a central hub where employees can communicate, collaborate, and stay in touch.
At its core, an intranet is more than a collection of fancy code and marketing gimmicks. It is a platform that fuels employee engagement, fosters a sense of belonging, and nurtures a vibrant work culture. One place these traits shine is in small teams where intranets help to transform and amplify unique work cultures and goals.
Essentially, intranets for small teams give employees more time to focus on meaningful work that drives the organization forward.
What Is the Best Intranet Platform for Small Businesses?
Selecting the best intranet platform for a small business depends on various factors, including budget, specific needs, ease of use, customization options, integration capabilities, and scalability. Before choosing a platform, consider conducting a thorough evaluation, understanding your specific business requirements, conducting user trials, and ensuring that the platform aligns with your company's goals and workflow. Additionally, consider scalability and the ability to integrate with other tools you may already be using or plan to use in the future. Ultimately, the best intranet platform for a small business is one that enhances productivity, fosters collaboration and grows with the company’s evolving needs.
How Do I Choose an Intranet Platform for a Small Business?
Choosing an intranet platform for a small business involves several key considerations to ensure it meets your company's specific needs. Here are some steps to help you choose the right intranet platform:
1. Identify Your Needs and Goals
- Collaboration: Do you need features like shared documents, project management tools, and team messaging?
- Communication: Are you looking for internal communication tools such as news feeds, announcements, and discussion forums?
- Knowledge Management: Do you need a repository for policies, procedures, and company documents?
- Employee Engagement: Are features like employee directories, recognition systems, and social features important?
- Integration: Does it need to integrate with other tools you already use (e.g., CRM, email, HR software)?
2. Determine Your Budget
- Assess how much you are willing to spend. Intranet platforms can range from free to thousands of dollars per month depending on features and user count.
3. Evaluate User Experience
- Ease of Use: Ensure the platform is user-friendly and requires minimal training.
- Customization: Check if it can be tailored to your brand and specific business processes.
- Mobile Access: Make sure it has a good mobile interface if your team needs access on the go.
4. Consider Security and Compliance
- Ensure the platform offers robust security features like data encryption, user authentication, and regular backups. If your business is subject to specific regulations (e.g., GDPR), ensure the platform complies with these requirements.
5. Check for Scalability
- Make sure the platform can grow with your business. It should be able to handle an increasing number of users and data without performance issues.
6. Review Support and Community
- Look for platforms with good customer support, including live chat, phone support, and a comprehensive knowledge base. A strong user community can be helpful for tips, troubleshooting, and best practices.
7. Test with a Trial
- Most platforms offer a free trial. Use this period to test the features, ease of use, and how well it fits with your workflows.
8. Read Reviews and Case Studies
- Research reviews here and from other small businesses, along with case studies to see how the platform has helped companies similar to yours.
9. Consider Future Needs
- Think about potential future needs and whether the platform can adapt to them. This includes adding more advanced features, scaling up user capacity, and integrating with future tools.
10. Shortlist and Compare
- Make a shortlist of potential platforms and compare them based on the criteria we have provided below.
What Are the Benefits of Using an Intranet Platform for a Small Business?
Using an intranet platform for a small business offers several benefits that can significantly enhance internal communication, collaboration, and overall efficiency.
Here are the key advantages of an intranet platform:
1. Improved Communication
- Centralized Information: An intranet serves as a central hub for all company-related information, ensuring that employees have easy access to important updates, announcements, and documents.
- Real-Time Updates: Information can be updated in real-time, allowing for timely communication across the organization.
2. Enhanced Collaboration
- Document Sharing: Employees can easily share and collaborate on documents and projects, reducing the need for back-and-forth emails.
- Team Spaces: Create dedicated spaces for different teams or projects, facilitating better collaboration and organization.
3. Increased Productivity
- Streamlined Processes: Intranets can automate and streamline various business processes, such as approvals, workflows, and task management, reducing administrative burdens.
- Access to Tools: Integrate with other business tools and applications, providing employees with easy access to everything they need in one place.
4. Knowledge Management
- Knowledge Repository: Store and manage company knowledge, including policies, procedures, training materials, and best practices, making it easier for employees to find the information they need.
- Search Functionality: Advanced search capabilities help employees quickly locate relevant documents and resources.
5. Employee Engagement
- Social Features: Features like forums, blogs, and social feeds can boost employee engagement by fostering a sense of community and encouraging interaction.
- Recognition Programs: Use the platform to recognize and reward employee achievements, improving morale and motivation.
6. Cost-Effective
- Reduced Email Overhead: Decrease the volume of emails and the time spent managing them, saving both time and money.
- Remote Work Support: Facilitate remote work by providing a centralized platform that employees can access from anywhere, reducing the need for physical office space.
7. Security and Control
- Access Control: Manage who has access to what information, ensuring that sensitive data is only available to authorized personnel.
- Data Security: Protect company data with built-in security features, reducing the risk of data breaches.
8. Scalability
- Flexible Growth: As the business grows, the intranet can scale to accommodate more users, additional data, and new features without significant additional costs.
9. Customizability
- Tailored Solutions: Customize the intranet to meet the specific needs of your business, including branding, layout, and functionality.
Top Intranet Platforms for Small Businesses
Below, we’ll explore some of the best intranet platforms for a small business in 2024.
Pricing
Contact sales for pricing
PeopleOne offers an intuitive modern intranet solution to bring organizations' workplaces to life. With a comprehensive suite of features, their platform empowers businesses to enhance employee engagement, streamline communication, and foster company culture. Trusted by leading organizations, PeopleOne is a dynamic tool for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and company-wide communication. Whether you're looking to improve internal communication or boost productivity, PeopleOne’s intranet provides the solutions your organization needs.
PeopleOne’s Star Intranet Features:
- Corporate Communication Hub: Establish a centralized platform for publishing corporate news, announcements, and messages from leadership, fostering transparency and alignment across the organization.
- Employee Engagement Tools: Enable employees to connect, greet, and praise colleagues, for a sense of community and recognition. Features include polls, feedback mechanisms, and alignment tools like team communities.
Pros
- Flexible customization with quick turnaround time from PeopleOne's highly responsive team.
- Users have mentioned that PeopleOne enhances workplace culture by allowing flexible work arrangements and seamless interaction.
- Efficient field data management with collecting and managing field data for payroll, invoicing, and production management purposes.
- Enhanced employee engagement tool for promoting connectivity and collaboration across the organization.
- Easy information sharing promotes collaboration for seamless communication across teams and locations.
Cons
- While functional, some users find PeopleOne's interface slightly lacking in visual appeal and suggest streamlining certain aspects for a better user experience.
- Managing the product is not streamlined due to limitations in the default admin page.
- Some users wish for additional features included in the entry-level pricing tier.
- Difficulty in locating settings to remove seldom-used features or rearrange icon placements
2
Simpplr
Pricing
Contact sales for pricing
- Free trial available
To the uninitiated, Simpplr appears simple on the surface. But beneath Simpplr’s deceptive exterior lies an intranet software powered by cutting-edge AI technology. From content sharing to idea management and personalized polls, Simpplr makes employee connection and collaboration a breeze. Small teams searching for the best intranet software to “build a workplace where everyone can flourish” choose Simmplr.
Simpplr’s Star Intranet Features:
- Award-winning UI/UX: A delightful user interface and navigation is seamless
- Artificial Intelligence Technology: Comes with AI support that helps to personalize employee experience, maximize engagement, and improve productivity
Pros
- Easy to use and intuitive interface. Many reviews mentioned Simpplr is simple to navigate and user-friendly.
- Great for employee engagement. Customers found Simpplr helped connect employees and increase collaboration.
- Robust features like content validation and analytics. Customers liked built-in features that help keep content updated and provide insights.
- Easy implementation and setup. Customers had an easy time implementing Simpplr with help from the support team.
- Integrations with tools like Slack and Office 36
- Customers appreciated the ability to integrate with other workplace apps.
Cons
- Limitations to customizations and branding. Some customers wanted more ability to customize themes, colors, etc.
- Steep pricing and add-on costs. Pricing was called out as high and key features required add-ons.
- Search needs improvement. Some customers felt search results could be more relevant.
- Dependence on Salesforce. Reliance on Salesforce for licensing created difficulties for some.
- Mobile limitations. Some features like admin posting weren't fully available on mobile yet.
3
Assembly
Pricing
$2.80 per user/month
- Free version
- Free trial available
- Seat Minimum: 1 User
Assembly’s intranet software is built on one simple fact: teams make more progress in less time without multiple emails, meetings, scattered documents, and the many moving parts work require. That’s why their solution brings all your employees together in one place and simplifies employee communication and productivity with forms, tasks, recognition, workflows, and a knowledge center. But that’s not all. Assembly’s intranet also integrates with a full suite of HRIS providers to seamlessly manage employees by automating who joins and leaves. Managers are also empowered to succeed and create safe spaces for their direct reports with solutions like manager feedback, self-evaluation surveys, 1:1’s, and many more. Take Assembly’s intranet for a test drive today if you’re serious about bringing together people, knowledge, and engagement in one secure place.
Assembly’s Star Intranet Features:
- Familiar Social Feed Design and UI: Easy to read and post content with images, links, and attachments. Consequently, this improves employee connections and aligns everyone toward your organization’s goals and ideals
- Company-Wide Search: Allows you to capture, curate, and discover information quickly, thus unifying all your organizational knowledge into a single source of truth
Pros
- Easy to use and intuitive interface. Many reviews mentioned Assembly is simple, easy to navigate, and user-friendly.
- Good customer support. Reviews mentioned Assembly's support team is responsive in resolving issues.
- Rewards redemption process is smooth. Users liked the gift card and other reward options that can be redeemed with points.
- Integrates well with Slack and Microsoft Teams. The integration makes giving recognition quick and seamless.
- Good for employee recognition and engagement. Reviews highlighted Assembly's peer-to-peer recognition features that help boost employee morale.
Cons
- Limitations in analytics and reporting features. Some reviews wanted more detailed analytics and user statistics.
- Creating flows and automations can be tricky. Reviews noted workflows and automations are sometimes hard to setup.
- Limited customization options for recognitions. Users wanted more ways to customize recognitions with images/GIFs.
- Lack of mobile apps earlier on. Reviews mentioned lack of mobile apps made it hard to use when not by a computer.
- Confusion due to branding changes. Reviews noted frequent name changes of the reward units was confusing initially.
4
Workvivo
Pricing
Contact sales for pricing
Workvivo is a strong contender for the best intranet software for small businesses for a few reasons. First, its sleek and intuitive platform seamlessly bundles the tools necessary for employee collaboration and communication. In addition, Workvivo’s intranet software also has features like polls and surveys that boost employee engagement and recognition. Finally, it has a community feature that improves employee camaraderie. Altogether, these features improve the overall employee experience.
Workvivo’s Star Intranet Features:
- Ghostwriting Capabilities: Users can tweak their settings to allow colleagues to post on their behalf
- Email Digests: Users can set up a daily or weekly summary so that everyone stays on top of the latest work news
Pros
- Easy to use and intuitive interface, similar to popular social media platforms like Facebook. Makes it easy for employees to adopt.
- Improves employee engagement, connection, and internal communications across distributed teams and offices. Helps employees feel more informed.
- Allows sharing of company news, events, photos, videos easily. Replaces email for some internal communications.
- Provides analytics on usage and engagement that help HR and managers measure success of initiatives.
- Ability to give recognition and shoutouts is motivating. Helps strengthen company culture.
Cons
- Mobile app functionality needs improvement - some inconsistencies vs desktop, slower, missing some features.
- Notifications can be too frequent or irrelevant at times. Ability to better customize alerts needed.
- Formatting limitations for text, links, images in posts. Some find the editor clunky.
- Navigation and layout of pages could be better organized or simplified. Too busy for some users.
- Adoption not consistent across all employees in some cases. Full value requires high usage.
5
Haystack
Pricing
Contact sales for pricing
Modern [work] problems require modern solutions. And some of these problems were what Haystack set out to solve when building its modern intranet software. Self-styled as the “first place employees visit to start a productive day,” Haystack lives up to the hype. It serves as a central location for managing and promoting company activities, securing company communications, documenting and codifying organizational knowledge, and so much more.
Haystack’s Star Intranet Features:
- Secure Delivery: As a company intranet, announcements sent with secure delivery require authentication before users can view them
- Haystack Insights: This feature lets you see who reads your post and set reminders for unread posts. You can also monitor post performance using post analytics function
Pros
- Centralized communication and knowledge sharing. Haystack provides a single platform to find company info, resources, announcements, etc.
- Easy to use and intuitive UI. The interface is clean, simple, and easy for employees to navigate.
- Improved collaboration. Features like groups and integrations allow for better communication and teamwork.
- Employee profiles and org charts. These help employees learn about each other and see company structure.
- Search capabilities. The search makes it easy to quickly find documents, people, and information.
Cons
- Permission/settings can be complex. The permission system is powerful but has a steep learning curve.
- Information organization. Large amounts of data can be hard to organize logically.
- Customization limitations. Some users wanted more customization options for templates, pages, etc.
- Mobile issues. Some bugs and issues have been reported on the mobile experience.
- Cost. Pricing may be expensive for some smaller companies.
6
Happeo
Pricing
Contact sales for pricing
- Free trial available
Starting a small business might be challenging, but picking the right intranet software is even worse. After all, the success of your budding small business hinges on this choice. Thankfully, this is where intranet platforms for small businesses like Happeo come in. Featuring an intranet, collaboration tools, and various networking features, Happeo makes it easy for small teams to retain, share, and recall organizational knowledge. This, in turn, improves overall work experience and skyrockets the company’s output.
Happeo’s Star Intranet Features:
- Search Analytics: Identify and learn what employees search for and fill in the gaps. You can also discover the top employees and influencers at work and recruit them for your employee engagement causes
- Personalized Company Homepage: Allows companies to create their brand image. It’s as simple as selecting content, tailoring it to a specific user, role, or function, and placing it right where you want them to see it
Pros
- Easy to use and intuitive interface
- Good integration with Google Workspace/Drive for easy file sharing
- Useful features like pages for static info and channels for discussions
- Helps improve internal communications and engagement
- Powerful search makes finding information easy
Cons
- Mobile app functionality lags behind desktop
- Limitations in page layout/design customization
- Analytics functionality could be improved
- Lack of native integrations with some tools like Slack or Asana
- Adoption and engagement of employees takes effort
7
Slack
Pricing
$7.25 per user/month
- Free version
- No Seat Minimum
Slack provides a centralized platform for small teams to carry out all their communications. Beyond this, it has many collaboration features, including video calls, audio calls, and integrates nicely with day-to-day workplace tools. As a company intranet, Slack embodies its two-in-one mantra of being made for people while also being built for productivity.
Slack’s Star Intranet Features:
- Fluid Collaboration: Has a dynamic range of collaboration features for small businesses, including screen sharing, real-time messaging, whiteboards, huddles, etc
- Secure Communication: Enables both public and private conversations, which are secured with state-of-the-art technology
Pros
- Easy to use interface and intuitive navigation. Many reviews mentioned Slack is simple to get started with and user-friendly.
- Facilitates team communication and collaboration. Slack provides channels, threads, and direct messaging for organizing conversations and working together.
- Integration capabilities. Slack seamlessly integrates with many apps like Google Drive, Trello, Zoom etc.
- Customizable notification settings. Users can customize notifications to control interruptions.
- Powerful search function. Slack's search allows quickly finding messages, files, and conversations.
Cons
- Can be distracting with too many notifications and channels. This was a common downside mentioned in reviews.
- Expensive compared to competitors, especially for larger teams. Pricing was seen as a drawback.
- Message history limitations in free version. The free plan only stores 10,000 messages.
- Learning curve. Slack has many features so completely mastering it takes time.
- Privacy concerns and data security risks were also cited as potential issues.
8
Basecamp
Pricing
$15.00 per user/month
- Free version
- Free trial available
- No Seat Minimum
A cursory glance at Basecamp’s homepage brands it as a project management app that helps you work better, stay organized, and navigate work-life balance. But a deeper look reveals that Basecamp goes beyond that. Besides its project management features, Basecamp has several tools — like campfire chats and message boards — enabling real-time and asynchronous communication. As an intranet software, Basecamp provides a comprehensive solution for working with both in-person and remote teams. In general, Basecamp excels because it intuitively organizes everything your small team needs to succeed in a central place.
Basecamp’s Star Intranet Features:
- Real-Time Bird’s Eye View: With Basecamp’s “latest activity” feature, users can monitor everything happening across every project in real-time — on a single page
- Campfire Chat: Where anyone can start messages, create new chat rooms, share photos, videos, emojis, and more
Pros
- Easy to use interface and intuitive navigation. Many reviews mentioned Basecamp is user-friendly with a clean and simple interface, allowing for a short learning curve.
- Centralized communication and collaboration. Multiple reviews liked having one place to store conversations, files, and tasks related to projects, improving teamwork and transparency.
- Task management features. Reviews highlighted useful capabilities like assigning tasks, setting due dates, tracking progress, and managing to-do lists across projects.
- Affordable pricing. Several reviews said Basecamp provides good value, with one flat monthly fee regardless of number of users or projects.
- Mobile app accessibility. Some reviews appreciated being able to access Basecamp via iOS and Android apps, enabling remote work and availability on-the-go.
Cons
- Reporting and analytics limitations. A common complaint was Basecamp lacks robust reporting features to get detailed insights on project progress.
- Steep learning curve. Despite the simple interface, some reviews mentioned new users still face a learning curve in fully leveraging all of Basecamp's functionalities.
- Limited customization options. Multiple reviews wanted more ability to customize projects, workflows, notifications and integrate with other tools.
- Chat limitations. Compared to dedicated chat tools, reviews cited Basecamp's chat functionality can be basic and inconvenient.
- Lack of key PM features. Reviews noted limitations around time tracking, calendars, Gantt charts, dependencies, and workflows for larger projects.
Conclusion
After reviewing the list of best intranet platforms for small businesses, one thing is clear: the perfect choice is largely personal and contextual. This is because every intranet software has its unique pros and cons. Therefore, as a small team looking to adopt an intranet platform, ask yourself what your immediate priorities are and let that guide your choice.
