Content is one of the most critical assets for every organization, embodying its knowledge and processes. How content is created, managed, and shared—and how users collaborate using that content—has gone through a drastic evolution from traditional enterprise content management (ECM) to dynamic content services.
Content Management System (CMS) is used to manages the digital content and collaboration between users.
Microsoft SharePoint and Telerik Sitefinity both are leading Content Management System (CMS) in the industry.
Microsoft promotes SharePoint as document management and collaboration platform which allow multiple users to collaborate on documents while Sitefinity is emerge as content management System (CMS) and digital marketing platform which used for general content site that have basic features like blog, forums, news etc.
So, let us compare various aspects of both Platforms.
Content Management
Content Management Systems provide an infrastructure for content creators to create and manage digital content like pages, videos, images, designs, medical scans, documents etc. in a way that doesn’t require calling up the IT department every second. It enables Business Users in Marketing, Sales, Support and other departments to keep your site fresh and up to date without having to fire a change request with IT.
Sitefinity is mostly used for content management of a public website while SharePoint is mostly used for content management of an private intranet site of organization.
Document Management
There are many document management features like Storage, Versioning, Searching, Retrieval, Capture, Validation, Indexing, Distribution, Workflow, Collaboration.
SharePoint provides enterprise level document management. A main advantage SharePoint over Sitefinity is that it is bundled with every enterprise license of Microsoft Office 365. Office Tools like word, excel can be easily integrated with SharePoint While Sitefinity provide basic level document management.
SharePoint’s Document repositories give an edge over Sitefinity.
Content Life Cycle or Workflow
Executing document approval-process manually can means a lot of checking up and keeping track, forwarding documents and sending reminders and each of those tasks has to be performed by you or by one or more of your colleagues. That means a lot of extra work and (maybe even worse) a constant stream of interruptions.
CMS provides document approval workflow which run the process, all of that checking and tracking and reminding and forwarding is done by the workflow, automatically. If someone is late in completing a task, or if some other hitch arises, most of the included workflows generate a notification to let you know about it. Nobody in the group has to proactively monitor the process
SharePoint and Sitefinity both support workflow management. Both provides two types of workflows default (Inbuilt) workflow and custom(dynamic) workflow.
Collaboration
Collaboration is one of the key document management features for enterprises. Collaboration allow team members to view, edit and work simultaneously on a document without sending emailing attachments to each other all day so employees not needs to waste time on emailing and downloading. Employees can easily share document, calendar, notebook, chat, website and others with each other.
SharePoint is well-known for its co-authoring capability, it provides real-time collaboration. It helps employees not to waste time on re-opening of documents and waiting for their turn for editing. Real-time collaboration allows users to edit the same document simultaneously while Sitefinity provides lock/unlock collaboration item.
SharePoint allows for a really good relationship between Microsoft Office products and allows for collaboration in those tools to happen a bit more seamlessly. SharePoint provides more advanced collaboration features compare to Sitefinity.
Ecommerce Integration
SharePoint required add-ons integration for to achieve Ecommerce functionality. There are many third-party ecommerce Add-ons are available like SharePointAMS, Kintivo, OfferCommerce etc., While Sitefinity have built-in eCommerce module with features like Multi-Currency, PayPal, Product catalogue, Coupon/Discount etc.
Multilanguage Support
A multi-language site is a single website that’s reproduced and published in more than one language. Most of the content on the site is the same but is localized to reflect the language and culture of customers in various regions.
SharePoint and Sitefinity both have provision for multilanguage support.
Morden Web design
Sitefinity uses MVC with Bootstrap and Morden layout and web design to provide responsive to mobile device while SharePoint uses legacy GUI framework but there are Open Source Tools available which used JavaScript embed pattern to convert Site into Mobile friendly responsive site.
Digital Marketing
SEO tools improve content discoverability in search engine results. SharePoint and Sitefinity both provide Search Engine Optimization functionality.
Sitefinity have modules like Email Designer, A/B Test, Schedule Email Delivery, Analytics etc. which allows to build comprehensive digital marketing campaigns and captures leads across systems
Deployment
Onsite SharePoint installation must require server operating system like (Windows Server 2012 R2, 2016, 2019) with Active Directory support. In addition, SharePoint also required to install many prerequisites before installing main setup package while Sitefinity can be install on almost all Windows Operating System.
Siteinfinity installation process is very easier compare to SharePoint Server installation process
Sitefinity gives Deployment option on Azure, Amazon etc. cloud platform while SharePoint also deploy on windows VMs hosted on cloud.
Adopting new technology is difficult initially but when the company tweaks and releases a newer and stable version it offers a pool of benefits. Same goes with the Dynamics 365.
Dynamics 365 with SharePoint offers robust security and access controls for apps and data that are built on cloud services.
Development, Customization and Integration Platform
SharePoint provides various programming interfaces Like SSOM (Server Side Object Model), CSOM (Client Side Object Model), JSOM (JavaScript Object Model) and REST API for developing Add-ins and Webparts. Latest SharePoint Framework (SPFx) (available on on-premise version 2016 and above and SharePoint Online) supports cross platform development support.
Sitefinity provides extensibility with key technology and platforms like asp.net mvc, angularjs, bootstrap etc. Sitefinity can be easily modified by ASP.Net MVC developers. Sitefinity supports integration with SharePoint, Microsoft Dynamic CRM, Salesforce CRM, Google Analytics, PayPal Pay Flow Pro etc.
Licensing
SharePoint is available in two different forms SharePoint online and SharePoint on premise. SharePoint Online come with Enterprise level Office365 license and on premise with CAL license.
Sitefinity is available with three type of license editions Professional, Online Marketing and Enterprise. Enterprise edition supports unlimited concurrent users, third party integration and analytics.
Conclusion
SharePoint is document management, and collaboration tool that is more suitable for intranet. It is not a proper CMS. Having said that, it doesn’t mean you cannot build a public facing website with SharePoint, it is just that there will be limitations when it comes to using SharePoint as CMS such as limited design/layout and strong programming skills needed in order to have SharePoint as a CMS. Typically, customers use SharePoint as their intranet portal and Sitefinity as their internet website.