Migrating to SharePoint is not a trivial task. Most companies that are looking to migrate to SharePoint are looking to move business critical files and data. This data might be in file servers, other platforms like Dropbox, G-Suite as well as older editions of SharePoint. In some cases, the migration might just be files which makes a migration more simplistic. But what if you have other migration needs? Our SharePoint migration consultants are constantly doing migrations and know the ins and outs of the below products as well as best practices; they routinely update this article as new scenarios or features are released. Let explore what’s the best SharePoint migration tool for your needs.
Free SharePoint Migration Tool
If you are looking for a free SharePoint migration tool, your choices are limited. You can use a free trial of some of the migration tools, but they are purposely limited to bring over a subset of your data. Your best bet will be Mover.IO which is now owned by Microsoft. This free SharePoint migration tool allows you to move files only. It will not move lists of data or do upgrades from older versions of SharePoint.
Best SharePoint Migration Tool to Migrate Files
Sometimes you only need to move files. Examples of this may be:
- File servers
- Dropbox
- Box
- Google Docs
Mover.IO is a free SharePoint migration tool, but it is very new relative to other migration utilities. The user interface can be a little cumbersome if you are new to it and the migration preparation reports are limited. We have also experienced some instances of the tool hiccupping during a migration. The ‘hiccup’ is easily remediated by restarting the migration, but it can be confusing or concerning for you first migration.
If you are looking to be confident in your file migration, we recommend ShareGate. ShareGate has been around for over a decade. It comes with a ton of features including pre-migration reports as well as additional ‘speed options’ if you are migrating to SharePoint Online. Additionally, it has one of the easiest user interfaces for SharePoint migration tools. Finally, it is one of the cheapest migration tools starting at $3,995.
Upgrading SharePoint is much harder than migrating only files. SharePoint has over 5 legacy editions; 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 and some prehistoric other editions. Microsoft has some very complex migration paths that you can do for free if you are migrating exclusively through SharePoint On Premise. If you are considering migrating to SharePoint 2019, please contact us to make sure it is for the right reasons. SharePoint 2019 is severely limited; both SharePoint Online and SharePoint 2016 offer more functionality and design options.
You can upgrade for free for SharePoint On Premise, but we do not recommend it. You will spend more time in planning, troubleshooting and overall configuration than choosing a migration tool to do most of the ‘heavy lifting’ for you. The number of SharePoint migration tools expands a lot when considering how to best upgrade SharePoint.
We are choosing ShareGate for upgrading SharePoint for the following reasons:
- Great error, catching, reporting and recommendations for remediation. This is the most important aspect of upgrading SharePoint. There are so many variables that can have issues that it is hard to verify all of them for free, let alone know how to remediate them. ShareGate makes this very easy.
- Maturity of product.
- Ease of use.
- Low cost.
- Includes other features you may find useful after you are done migrating such as being able to monitor and manage security across SharePoint.
Best Tool for Changing Platforms
Changing platforms is the most complicated SharePoint migration. How one platform treats an entity or concept can be completely different in another platform. You need a SharePoint migration tool that has fully vetted the different variable and permutations to properly migrate between platforms. This can include:
- OpenText
- Lotus Notes
- Documentum eRoom (now owned by OpenText)
- EMC Documentum
- Quickr
- Exchange Public Folders
If you are looking to move across platforms, we recommend DocAve AvePoint. DocAve has been around longer than any other SharePoint migration tool. It also has many other Office 365 and SharePoint products to support just about any facet you may need. AvePoint is not cheap and costs much more than ShareGate. It also has a more complex interface relative to ShareGate. However, ShareGate does not migrate the above platforms. Similar to ShareGate, AvePoint can be used once you are done with your migration to help manage your SharePoint environment. If you really need to move across platforms, this is your best option to ensure your SharePoint migration is a success.
In Summary
Choosing the right SharePoint migration tool does not need to be difficult. Doing the actual migration is where the real work is. To summarize:
- If you need a free SharePoint migration tool and only have files, consider Mover.IO.
- Consider using ShareGate if you want the best tool for migrating files or upgrading SharePoint.
- Review what AvePoint has to offer if you need to move content from another platform into SharePoint.
If none of the above scenarios or platforms quite fit your needs, contact us and we will assess your needs and how to best achieve your migration goals. Additionally, if you need assistance or someone to lead you migration planning, execution or communications, let eSoftware Associates know and we will ensure your migration is a success.
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