Selecting the Right SharePoint Migration Tool
The Importance of the Right Tool: Your choice of a migration tool isn’t just a procedural step; it’s instrumental in how smoothly your migration process goes. With many enterprises already in the cloud, it’s crucial to pick a tool that aligns with your needs and goals.
The Contenders: Your Options Compared
- ShareGate: Known for its user-friendly interface and robust features, ShareGate is ideal for businesses of all sizes. It supports a wide array of migration types, including SharePoint to SharePoint, file shares to SharePoint, and even Teams migrations. The tool also provides robust reporting features, helping you keep track of every detail during the migration.
- Metalogix: This tool is built for scalability and is well-suited for large enterprises with complex migration needs. It offers features like bulk editing, versioning, and scheduling that go beyond simple file transfer functionalities. It’s the power tool you need for in-depth, large-scale migrations.
- ComVault: ComVault specializes in data protection and governance, and its migration tool follows suit. With added layers of security and an intuitive dashboard, ComVault offers a unique proposition for companies that prioritize data governance and compliance.
- Metallic: As a ComVault venture, Metallic offers cloud-native data protection, ideal for businesses who have fully embraced or are moving towards cloud solutions. It comes with pre-configured settings that make it quick to deploy and easy to manage.
- Microsoft’s SPMT: A solid contender in the game is the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT). Provided for free by Microsoft, it’s designed exclusively for SharePoint and is simple to use. The tool aids in migrating content from on-premises SharePoint sites to Microsoft 365, but it doesn’t offer support for Teams or Exchange migrations.
Additional Considerations
While contemplating a migration tool, don’t overlook the size of your site collection databases. Keeping them under 200GB is a smart move for easier migrations. With Microsoft’s push for a cloud-centric environment, you’ll also need to decide what stays on-premises and what gets moved to the cloud.
Personal Recommendations
Based on my experience, ShareGate stands out as an all-rounder. If your environment is large and complex, Metalogix or ComVault might be better options. For pure SharePoint migrations, Microsoft’s SPMT is a no-brainer considering it’s free and straightforward.
That’s a wrap for today’s blog! In this series, I aim to cover pivotal topics that can make or break your SharePoint journey. Stay tuned for the next post!
Authored by Sousouni Bajis, breaking down the complex world of Microsoft 365 for you. Hi, I’m Sousouni, a seasoned IT consultant, who’s had hands-on experience with various SharePoint migration tools, most recently with ShareGate.
