3 minutes read
In the world of Microsoft 365, SharePoint is the backbone of document management and internal communication. However, the very first question you face when clicking “Create Site” can be the most paralyzing: Should I build a Team Site or a Communication Site?
Choosing the wrong one isn’t just a minor cosmetic error—it affects how your team collaborates, who can see your files, and how your site integrates with apps like Microsoft Teams.
1. The Core Philosophy
The simplest way to distinguish the two is by looking at the direction of information:
Team Sites (Many-to-Many): Think of this as a private workshop. Everyone in the room has a hammer, and everyone is building together. It’s built for collaboration.
Communication Sites (One-to-Many): Think of this as a digital stage or a magazine. A few people are performing/writing, and everyone else is in the audience. It’s built for broadcasting.
2. Key Differences at a Glance
| Feature | Team Site | Communication Site |
| Primary Goal | Project work & collaboration | News, updates, & “Showcase” |
| Audience | Specific, small group | Large group or entire company |
| Permissions | Most users can edit (Members) | Most users can only read (Visitors) |
| M365 Group | Yes (Includes Teams, Planner, Outlook) | No (Standalone SharePoint site) |
| Navigation | Left-hand side (Quick Launch) | Top-of-page (Horizontal) |
3. Deep Dive: SharePoint Team Sites
A Team Site is designed for “the work.” It is almost always connected to a Microsoft 365 Group. When you create a Team Site, you aren’t just getting a website; you’re getting a shared Outlook inbox, a Calendar, a Planner board, and the ability to “Team-ify” it by connecting it to a channel in Microsoft Teams.
Best For:
Active Projects: Where a specific group needs to co-author Word docs or Excel sheets daily.
Internal Departments: A place for the Finance or HR team to store their “internal-only” working drafts.
Task Management: Since it integrates natively with Planner and Microsoft To-Do.
Pro Tip: In a Team Site, the navigation is on the left. This is optimized for productivity, allowing users to jump between different document libraries and lists quickly.
4. Deep Dive: SharePoint Communication Sites
Communication Sites are the “pretty” sites. They are designed to look like modern websites with full-width layouts and beautiful imagery. Because they are not tied to a Microsoft 365 Group, they don’t come with the “baggage” of an inbox or a Planner board—they are purely about the content on the page.
Best For:
The Company Intranet: The main landing page for all employees.
HR Portals: Where employees go to read about benefits (but not edit them!).
Corporate Announcements: Sharing the CEO’s monthly update or new policy rollouts.
Pro Tip: In a Communication Site, the navigation is at the top. This mimics the feel of a public-facing website, making it more intuitive for “readers” to browse through different sections of information.
5. Which One Should You Choose?
If you’re still stuck, ask yourself this “Golden Question”:
“Do I want 10 people to work on a document together, or do I want 1,000 people to read a document I’ve already finished?”
If they are working on it: Create a Team Site.
If they are just reading it: Create a Communication Site.
Summary: Can I have both?
Actually, most successful organizations use a Hub-and-Spoke model. They might have one central Communication Site (The Hub) that hosts company-wide news, which then links out to various Team Sites (The Spokes) where the actual departmental work happens.
