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SharePoint, a collaborative Office 365 application launched in 2001, helps to manage large amounts of data in its sites, lists, libraries, etc. SharePoint is available for on-premises deployment as well as a cloud-based subscription. In the latest versions, there are many new features that facilitate efficient content management.
More and more organizations are moving towards SharePoint from traditional platforms like file servers and Google Drive. This trend is only going to increase in the coming years. For quick and safe migrations, many organizations or SharePoint users prefer professional migration tools, which is surely a smart choice. Before we learn about the best-performing migration tools, let’s see why and how to choose a migration tool.
How does a SharePoint migration tool help?
Many organizations use SharePoint to create internal teams and communication sites to streamline their business operations and improve coordination among their teams. If you’ve set up your SharePoint environment and are planning to migrate content to it, rather than choosing a manual approach, you should go for an automated tool. A SharePoint content migration tool will make the transition smooth and trouble-free for you.
The first SharePoint migration tool (SPMT) was provided by Microsoft to serve the requirements of all MS 365 users. Nevertheless, there are some other tools that are more featureful and efficient than Microsoft’s SPMT.
There are multiple tools in the market, and it would be difficult and time-consuming to find an appropriate migration tool. Here are some considerations that will help you pick the best tool for your migration project.
- No data loss: We all know how significant data is for any organization, which is why the migration should not compromise any of that data. Getting the right migration tool will help you migrate with zero data loss and minimum downtime.
- Simple interface: Every user is not technically sound; therefore, the tool you pick should provide an easy-to-use interface. It must give clear instructions, minimizing the chances of making human errors during the process.
- Fast migration: Most of the SharePoint migration tools ruling the market are because of the quick migration they provide. A faster migration ensures business continuity with no setbacks.
- Customizable: The best migration tool is the one that can adapt to the changing needs of the organization. Get content migration software that aligns with the requirements of your business.
- Post-migration support: Migration is not only about transferring your data. You need to be ready for post migration glitches, train your team, and a lot of queries that’ll be rising. A tool that provides dedicated support is what you need to keep sailing your boat even after the data migration is complete.
We are listing 5 premium SharePoint migration tools, their links, and crucial features. These tools are selected based on certain factors like ease of use, migration features, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency.
It is an advanced migration tool that facilitates migration from multiple sources, including SharePoint, Office 365, Google Drive, and One Drive migration from a single dashboard. It supports all versions of on-premises SharePoint, including 2019, and SharePoint Online (O365). It performs SharePoint to SharePoint, public folder to SharePoint, and File Server To SharePoint. Kernel Migration for SharePoint incorporates an interactive interface and migrates complete SharePoint data, including lists, libraries, documents, etc. The SharePoint Migration tool offers pre-migration analysis, filters, and CSV based bulk migration.
Pros:
- Comprehensive planning with pre-migration analysis.
- Complete migration (list, libraries, etc.) along with metadata.
- Support migrating from a variety of sources including SharePoint (all versions), SharePoint Online, file servers, Google Drive and OneDrive.
- Allow bulk migration using CSV file and advanced filter options for selective data migration.
- Migrate permissions and remap users along with the data.
Cons:
- For downloading demo version, the user needs to fill in a form (no direct download link).
The ShareGate migration tool performs both on-premises (oldest to newest versions) and SharePoint Online migrations. It migrates everything from files and documents to sites, subsites, lists, libraries, etc. It is a good tool for migrating huge volumes of data as there is no limit on data size for migration. It also supports the migration of Nintex workflows. It generates post-migration reports for migration analysis. The technical support team is efficient and provides online sessions, too.
Pros:
- Simple user interface supporting granular migration using drag-and-drop.
- Pre- and post-migration validation.
- Migration from file share, Office 365 and migration between tenants.
- Built-in custom reports
- Unlimited data migration with permissions, metadata, and properties intact.
Cons:
- Doesn’t support scheduling migrations.
- Limited flexibility as no incremental data migration is supported.
Fly migration tool from AvePoint performs content migration along with many other tasks. The tool pre-scans the data, selectively migrates using advanced filter options, user mapping, and scheduling. The tool also monitors the migration project.
The Fly migration tool also assist with bulk migration using CSV formatting, migrates permissions, metadata, and offers drag and drop facility. It also shows real-time migration status for updates.
Pros:
- Allows pre-scanning of the data.
- Performs migration scheduling.
- Tracks progress and monitors performance with built-in reports.
- Ensures secure and complete migration.
Cons:
- Not compatible with older versions of SharePoint and Foundation.
- A good interactive interface is needed to enhance its efficiency.
Vyapin SharePoint tool is a great solution due to its promising and intelligent features. The advanced tool migrates all sorts of lists, content, sites and more. The tool offers support to all SharePoint versions, including SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, & file shares. Its features such as planning of migration, facility to restructure metadata, replacement of illegal characters, batch migration, workflow migration, incremental migration, and migration status reports helps in streamlining the migration process.
Pros:
- Pre-migration checklist, metadata editing, workflow migration, incremental and & batch migration.
- Supports NTFS permissions migration, etc.
Cons: Need to support more sources.
Read Also: Office 365 Vs SharePoint 2019 Brief Comparison
Quest SharePoint solution is designed specifically for migrating SharePoint server data. Supports content migration to on-premises SharePoint and SharePoint Online environments. It includes a pre-migration assessment feature to plan smooth migration by knowing any flaws in migration beforehand. The solution also offers post-migration synchronization.
Pros:
- Quest SharePoint solution offers pre-migration analysis of source environment.
- Allows instant migrations
- Provides simple interface, and more.
Cons:
- Need to revoke limitations on data migration which is linked to its license.
- It needs a simpler user interface.
Conclusion
Here, we discussed the 5 most promising SharePoint content migration software that you can try in the year 2024/2025. We discussed the facilities, features, and functions of the tools along with the scope for improvement. All the mentioned tools are capable of migrating SharePoint data but offer different options and features to achieve the migration.
It is the sole responsibility of the organization to choose the best tool for SharePoint data migration, keeping all important aspects in mind.