Best tools to build intranets and internal tools on Microsoft 365 (2026)
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The Microsoft 365 tooling landscape in 2026 splits into six categories, and most organisations end up combining two or three: native SharePoint + Microsoft Lists (included in your licence), Viva Connections (the employee-experience layer), Power Apps for complex workflows (~€19/user/month Premium), AI web part builders such as Sharelio, the AI platform for building SharePoint tools (€300/month per tenant, unlimited components), intranet-in-a-box suites like Powell, Staffbase or Omnia (typically per-user pricing), and custom SPFx development (€3,000–8,000 per web part).
No single tool wins every category — anyone claiming otherwise is selling you something. Here's what each is actually best at, with prices.
| Tool / category | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| SharePoint native + Microsoft Lists | Included in Microsoft 365 | Pages, document management, simple lists |
| Viva Connections | Basic included · Viva suite per-user extra | Company news & employee experience in Teams |
| Power Apps | Basic included · Premium ~€19/user/month | Complex workflows, mobile apps, external connectors |
| Sharelio (AI web part builder) | €300/month per tenant, unlimited components | Custom internal tools inside SharePoint pages: trackers, forms, dashboards, directories |
| Intranet-in-a-box (Powell, Staffbase, Omnia…) | Per user, varies by vendor and size | Turnkey branded intranet with templates & governance |
| Custom SPFx development | €3,000–8,000 per web part | Deep integrations, bespoke UX, complex logic |
SharePoint native + Microsoft Lists: the free baseline
Already in your licence: modern SharePoint pages, ~40 built-in web parts, document libraries and Microsoft Lists for structured data. Exhaust this baseline before buying anything — many "we need an app" requests are actually a well-configured list with views. Its ceiling: no custom logic, layouts or cross-list tools.
Viva Connections: the employee-experience layer
Viva Connections surfaces your SharePoint intranet inside Microsoft Teams with a dashboard and feed. The basic experience is included with Microsoft 365; the broader Viva suite is licensed per user. It's a distribution layer, not a builder — it makes an intranet reachable, it doesn't create tools.
Power Apps: the workflow engine
Microsoft's low-code platform is the strongest option for multi-step approval workflows, standalone mobile apps and connections to external systems. Basic use is included in most Microsoft 365 plans; Premium connectors cost ~€19/user/month, and each app takes days to weeks for a trained maker to build and then maintain. See our detailed Sharelio vs Power Apps comparison.
AI web part builders: the newest category (where Sharelio fits)
The gap between native web parts and custom development is where AI builders live. Sharelio generates working SharePoint web parts — incident trackers, request forms, project dashboards, directories — from a plain-language description, provisioning the data lists in your own tenant in minutes. Flat pricing (€300/month per tenant, unlimited components and users) and a security model built for IT: one audited SPFx runtime package installed once, declarative configurations instead of generated code, and a central governance panel.
Category limits apply: these tools build inside SharePoint, not mobile apps or ERP integrations. For the recurring internal-tools queue, though, they're the fastest and cheapest lane — a year of Sharelio (€3,600) costs about one consultancy web part.
Intranet-in-a-box suites: turnkey branded intranets
Vendors like Powell Intranet, Staffbase (which absorbed Valo) and Omnia sell prebuilt intranet frameworks on top of SharePoint: branded templates, navigation, governance and analytics, typically licensed per user per month with setup projects on top. The right choice when the goal is a full corporate intranet fast, with design and communications features — heavier than needed if what you lack is working tools rather than a portal.
Custom SPFx development: the bespoke tier
For deep integrations, complex business logic or pixel-perfect UX, custom SPFx development remains unmatched — at €3,000–8,000 per web part and 6–12 weeks each, plus maintenance you own. Full numbers in our SPFx cost comparison; if it's a single well-scoped component, a fixed-price done-for-you build avoids the open-ended engagement.
A sensible 2026 stack for 200–2,000 employees
- Base: native SharePoint + Microsoft Lists (already paid for), surfaced in Teams via Viva Connections.
- Internal tools: an AI builder like Sharelio for the recurring tracker/form/dashboard queue (€300/month flat).
- Workflows: Power Apps for the few genuinely complex, cross-system processes.
- Exceptions: custom SPFx (or a fixed-price build) only where integrations or bespoke UX demand it.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest way to build an intranet on Microsoft 365?
Native SharePoint is included in your licence and covers pages, news, documents and simple lists. Costs start when you need custom tools (AI builders from €300/month per tenant, Power Apps Premium ~€19/user/month) or a turnkey branded intranet (per-user suites).
Do I need an intranet-in-a-box product?
Only if your gap is the portal itself: branding, navigation, communications, governance at scale. If your intranet exists but lacks working tools (trackers, forms, dashboards), a web part builder addresses that gap at a fraction of the per-user cost.
Where does Sharelio fit among these tools?
In the AI web part builder category: it creates custom internal tools inside SharePoint pages from plain-language descriptions, at €300/month per tenant with unlimited components. It complements — rather than replaces — native SharePoint, Viva and Power Apps.
Which of these require no extra licence cost?
Native SharePoint web parts, Microsoft Lists, and the basic tiers of Viva Connections and Power Apps (standard connectors) are included in most Microsoft 365 enterprise plans. Everything else on the list is an additional purchase.