Intranet Comparison: ThoughtFarmer vs Google Sites
What is ThoughtFarmer?
ThoughtFarmer is modern intranet software that improves communication in your workplace by keeping your staff engaged, productive, and informed no matter if they are working on-site or remotely.
It offers everything you need to have a successful intranet. Its features include powerful search and navigation capabilities, communication tools, social features, and collaboration tools.
What is Google Sites?
Google Sites is the website building app from Google Workspace. It is used by many organisations to create internal websites for departments as well as corporate Intranets.
This site, Steegle.com, is built wholly on Google Sites.
Google Sites allows users to easily create websites without any background knowledge in programming or web development. It part of Google Workspace's Google Docs Editor family i.e. Sheets, Slides, Drawings, and Docs.
If you’re familiar with Wix, Squarespace or WordPress you may notice that they are somewhat similar to Google Sites, but the emphasis of those tools are public websites, rather than private intranets. Google Sites, however, gives the secure and private authentication offered by Google Workspace so it provides a seamless experience for Google Workspace users.
If you use Google Workspace already then you will find Google Sites easy to use, due to its familiarity with the other Google Workspace apps. Google Sites offers the same sharing model you are used to in Google Drive, so you can avoid any security concerns due to Google Workspace's industry-leading security.
Google Sites offers the basic and fundamental features for most websites but lacks essential functionality for that many organisations need on an intranet. Steegle offers a very particular set of tools to provide a fully fledged Intranet via our Steegle.One Intranet solution.
Key Features of ThoughtFarmer
Communication and Collaboration - Your staff will have access to group news, broadcasts, @mentions, notifications, updates, and shoutouts.
Mobile-friendly - can be accessed anywhere via an app. Customize alerts and notifications you will receive through the desktop or by email.
Content Management -When launching an intranet, content is one of the most important features it must have. With excellent and effective content management, content creators can easily publish and edit pages. Users have the ability to track any changes made to the content and who made the changes.
Some content management features also include the ability to change the content owner, lock the main page, move pages, multilingual interface, and content creation, insert tables and links, duplicate pages, RSS generation, and export the page to Word or PDF.
Media Management - Content is not restricted to text. With ThoughFarmer, you can easily add and manage images and videos. You can also browse, manage, and search images on recommended galleries to find any image that you would like to add to your intranet.
Security - ThoughtFarmer has two deployment options—on-premise and cloud.
Your organization’s sensitive information can only be accessed by authorized people. Pages that users don’t have access to are hidden from them.
Integrations - Pre-built integrations with Google Drive, Box, Sharepoint, Office 365, Okta, and Silvercloud.
ThoughtFarmer Pricing vs Google Sites Pricing
ThoughtFarmer Pricing
ThoughFarmer’s pricing is user-based. All users get the same features and you can always add more users as your business grows.
Depending on the plan, prices are about $10 per user per month.
Google Sites Pricing
Google Sites is Free if you have Google Workspace!
If you use add-on tools, that a company like Steegle provides in Steegle.One incurs license fees.
Steegle.One license fees are a tiny fraction of ThoughtFarmer - to get a tailored quote for your situation get a quote.
Google Sites for Intranets - Features
Content Management
Managing content on Google Site is easy and often self-explanatory.
You can add and duplicate pages, hide pages, and archive pages.
Embedding document is easy and fun.
Edit who can access and edit contents
Media Management
Users can easily add:
images,
videos,
complex text.
Users can also:
Move, edit, resize and drag images.
Create a responsive design with a grid layout.
Security
You can view and edit users who can access certain pages. Unauthorized users will not be able to access or make edits on your intranet.
Integrations
Seamlessly integrate with Google apps such as Docs, Sheets, Drawing, and Presentation.
Google Sites for Intranets - Limitations
Like any tool or application, Google Sites has some limitations. Steegle.One for Google Sites by Steegle has the following features which plugs the gap of Google Sites
Steegle offers Steegle.One for Google Site which has:
People Directory - No simple way to create an employee directory or an organisational chart.
Employee Recognition - Google Sites does not offer any tools to help you recognise and reward those who have gone the extra mile or if you want to spotlight someone for their achievements.
News or Announcements
Summaries - Google Sites doesn;t summarise recent updates
Centralised Tool - there's no tool to allow you to post once and update in various locations
Poor
Folder Hierarchy - opening a folder takes you to Google Drive
Search and Sort - Sites doesn't search your embedded Drive content nor can you sort the list of items
Poor Calendar DIsplay
Google Calendar - antiquated displays are not intranet friendly
The Solution?
All of these shortfalls are addressed by Steegle in our comprehensive Steegle.One Intranet platform.
Feature Comparison Table
Limitations of ThoughtFarmer
Self-hosting - is considered to be a poor approach these days because it involves extra support. (ThoughtFarmer also offers a cloud solution.)
Access control - is considered to be intensive and e.g. managing security groups, as well as read and write access for users, can be a bit tedious (although it is worth the effort).
Unfortunately, there is no chat function available within the Intranet.
Global speed - because the farmer is not considered by commentators to be a global solution-speeds around the world many vary
Data - The data does not reside in your existing Google tenant and will be subject to Thoughtfarmer availability.
ThoughtFarmer has its own server, therefore it is subject to the Cloud Act
What is Steegle.One Intranet for Google Sites?
Steegle.One is an added value intranet solution for Google Workspace that is made using Google Apps Script embedded in Google Sites by Steegle.com.
Steegle.One allows you to easily build engaging and compelling intranets based on Google Sites.
Addition, Steegle-developed, low-maintenance productivity tools to make your intranet more efficient and effective. Some of the Steegle extensions you can use on your intranet are:
Steegle News - comprehensive news management tool;
Steegle People - employee directory and org charts based on your Google Workspace directory;
Steegle Heroes - employee recognition tool;
Steegle Schedule - consistent calendar display.
Looking for an intranet solution for Google Workspace?
Since 2008, we here at Steegle.com have been delivering intranet development solutions for Google Sites. We have developed Steegle.One intranet system which builds directly to Google Sites for Google Workspace.
As a certified Google Cloud Partner, we specialize in Google Workspace based solutions. Give us a call at US +1 (302) 672 3007 or UK +44 (207) 871 502 or contact us today to view a demo of our intranet solutions, and see how it can help increase employee productivity and save time and money. Click below to learn more about the Steegle.One Intranet solution.
Sales Hotlines
US ✆ +1 (302) 672 3007
UK ✆ +44 (207) 871 5021
UK ✆ +44 (207) 871 5021
