Migrating to SharePoint can be tricky, particularly if you are using an older version of SharePoint and haven’t been following the standard SharePoint upgrade path. So if you want to make the jump to SharePoint 2016 or SharePoint 2013, but you’re still using SharePoint 2010, 2007 – or even 2003 – you’ll want to consider a migration tool to help you move your content over to a more modern version of SharePoint.
Here at Portal Solutions, we use two tools to help clients migrate content: ShareGate Migration and Metalogix Content Matrix . Both tools are well adept at handling migrations, but as with any product, they each have their own pros and cons you will need to evaluate before choosing what’s best for your migration.
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ShareGate vs. Metalogix: A Look at Pros & Cons
The decision between whether to use ShareGate or Metalogix for a migration will be largely dependent upon the type of migration you’re looking to deploy. Below, we delve into the pros and cons of each tool and which type of migration is best for each.
Pros and Cons of ShareGate Migration
If your migration simply requires you to copy content from one environment to another, without making major changes to the structure of that content, then ShareGate Migration could be the right tool for you. It’s an easy-to-use migration tool with a straightforward user interface.
In addition, the number of ShareGate Migration licenses you will need to purchase is determined only by the number of users and not by the amount of content you need to move. This makes it a budget-friendly option for those moving large amounts of content. In exchange for your license fees, you not only get access to the migration software, but also to free support. So if you run into problems, simply go to their user-friendly website to search for a solution, or you can email ShareGate support staff, who typically respond within 24 hours.
On the other hand, although ShareGate Migration is a fantastic tool for any type of user (IT or Business End User) to complete simple copying of content, it’s less useful if you need to transform the structure of the content or have a very complex migration scope. You have to reset the settings between migration jobs, which can be a real time hog. Also, the dashboard only shows the last 10 jobs, so you can’t easily refer back to the early stages of a large migration.
Pros and Cons of Metalogix Content Matrix
MetaLogix has taken the “everything plus the kitchen sink” approach to designing the Content Matrix migration tool. This robust tool allows you to create new sites and even set up a new site infrastructure within the tool, rather than having to create the new infrastructure within SharePoint. Therefore, it’s well-suited for migrations that involve significant content restructuring.
Another handy feature of Metalogix Content Matrix is the ability to schedule a series of migration jobs, so that content can be moved at a convenient time, when you are ready to move it. For every migration job that you schedule, you can choose from a huge range of settings to precisely control where you want the content to move and the final format of the content.
Thechallenge with Metalogix Content Matrix is that it’s not terribly user-friendly for your everyday, functional business user. Instead, you will need someone who really understands SharePoint to use the tool and make the most of all the features and settings. The user interface is extremely powerful once you learn to use it, but for someone new to migration tools, the learning curve can be very steep. Because the interface isn’t very intuitive and there are so many features to use, someone less technical tasked with a migration may run into issues when using it up to copy content.
Finally, with its abundance of features, Metalogix Content does come with a higher price tag. So unless you need the advanced features of Metalogix Content Matrix and have someone with the right skills managing the migration, ShareGate Migration may be the more budget and user-friendly option of the two.
Final Thought
Neither Metalogix Content Matrix nor ShareGate Migration are really better than the other; they’re both good SharePointmigration tools of equal quality and will get you where you need to go. That said, take the time to examine each of them carefully before making a decision, as their features make them the right choice for specific circumstances.
Have detailed migration questions? Schedule a consultation online, or call 240.348.5208 to talk to a migration specialist.
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