External Sharing Made Easy With Sync: A Secure SharePoint Alternative
November 15, 2024
Jason
Team Lead at Sync
We hear it all the time: distraught SharePoint users telling us that file sharing within their organization has completely stalled. Because of SharePoint.
Consider something as straightforward as requesting a file from a client. In SharePoint, what should be a 30-second task often devolves into a web of permissions, guest accounts, and security controls. With Sync, a few clicks and a shared link is all it takes to enable secure file sharing–inside and outside your organization. It’s that easy.
In this article, we’ll show you how Sync can help you break through the SharePoint bottlenecks holding your team back.
What is Microsoft SharePoint?
SharePoint is a document collaboration platform that, while intended to enhance teamwork, often presents challenges when sharing. When utilized effectively, SharePoint helps organizations realize gains in team collaboration with intranet capabilities, centralized file storage, document co-authoring, and seamless integration across the Microsoft 365 eco-system.
What is Sync?
Sync is a cloud-based file storage platform that simplifies sharing and document management for teams. Its intuitive interface allows users to store, share, and access files securely from any device. With features like centralized file repositories, shared links, and seamless integration with Microsoft Office, Sync boosts team productivity by enabling quick and easy collaboration.
Many organizations choose Sync as a SharePoint alternative, but both platforms can work together, offering complementary features and greater flexibility. Here are the top SharePoint limitations we hear about daily—and how Sync can solve them for you:
1. Simplified Share Controls
With Sync, you can set permissions directly from a shared link or folder in just a few clicks. Easily choose between “view” or “edit” access without the hassle of navigating multiple menus and settings like you would with SharePoint.
2. Straightforward Security Options
Your team can easily add password protection, set expiration dates, enable one-time sharing, and receive access notifications when sharing files. Administrators can also enforce these settings at the user, group, or global level, ensuring your organization consistently follows best practices.
3. Easy External Sharing (No Guest Accounts Required)
Unlike SharePoint, which often requires external collaborators to have a Microsoft account or be added as a guest, Sync lets you share or request files with a simple link. Give your clients, partners, and collaborators instant access—no complicated account setups or one-time password requests needed.
4. Reduced Administrative Overhead
Give your teams the freedom to organize, share, and manage files while maintaining compliance and control at the organizational level. With Sync, groups can easily set up and manage their own “sites” without relying on constant administrator intervention. It’s a productivity win-win for everyone.
5. Enterprise-grade Data Protection
Both SharePoint and Sync offer file versioning and deleted file recovery to protect your data, but Sync goes further with unlimited revisions for up to 365 days, compared to SharePoint’s 500-revision or 30-day limit. Plus, Sync keeps your data even safer with strong encryption and data storage redundancy across multiple data center locations, all at no extra cost.
6. First-class Syncing for Every Platform
While your Windows users might be comfortable with SharePoint, your Mac users are likely frustrated. Sync offers smooth functionality across all platforms—PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone—with native apps for each. Plus, Microsoft Office Online is integrated directly into Sync, allowing your teams to open, edit, and collaborate on documents in real time, making it seamless for both internal and external collaboration.
Sync includes collaborative editing, just like SharePoint.
7. Lower Total Cost of Ownership:
At just $6/user per month for Teams Standard, compared to Microsoft’s $12.50/user per month for Business Standard, you’ll see immediate savings. Plus, Sync’s simplified setup and consistent experience across platforms reduces time and money spent on IT overhead, training, and support.
Mapping SharePoint functionality to Sync
Discover the key differences between SharePoint and Sync, and gain best practices for effective collaboration in your organization:
| In SharePoint | In Sync |
| Create a team site | Use team shared folders to create workspaces accessible by members of a team, just like a SharePoint site. |
| Create a document library | Use folders to create repositories where documents and files are stored. Share Sync folders easily with specific users or groups. |
| Add files and folders to a document library | Add files and folders to a shared folder using Sync’s desktop apps for Windows and Mac, mobile apps for iOS and Android, or the web from virtually any platform or web browser. |
| Share, collaborate, and co-author documents in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel | Open any Microsoft document with Sync’s Office Online integration, or directly from Sync using Microsoft’s desktop or mobile apps. is built into Sync. |
| Share externally | Create and send a link. |
| Request a file | Create and send an upload enabled link. |
| Change the look and feel of a team site | Sync includes custom branding for link sharing, allowing you to add your company colours and logo. |
| Create a list | Sync collaborative links can act as a simple alternative to lists, with to-do checkboxes, tables, and comments to track tasks and information.. |
| Manage permissions | Sync offers Sharing Settings that that allow end-users to control who can view, edit, or comment on folders or files. Additional Sync offers role-based access controls (RBAC) giving administrators granular access control at a user, group, or organizational level. |
| Version history | Sync supports version history for files, enabling users to track and restore previous versions for up to 365 days. |
| Intranet | Sync’s default view, event feed, and email notifications aggregate updates across shares, providing a birds-eye-view of what is happening. |
| Enterprise content management (ECM) | Sync provides secure and scalable File Storage and Sharing, with advanced admin controls and security options for managing files across an organization. |
| Search | Sync provides a robust filename search feature within the desktop and mobile apps. |
Is SharePoint Pointless?
In the end, choosing Sync over SharePoint means choosing simplicity, flexibility, and efficiency for your team. You’ll spend less time navigating complex permissions, struggling with external sharing, or dealing with platform limitations. Instead, you’ll gain a seamless, user-friendly solution that keeps your files secure, accessible, and easy to manage across any device. Make the switch to Sync and experience a smoother, more effective way to collaborate. Empower your team to work smarter, not harder.
