SharePoint is a popular collaboration platform of Microsoft, primarily used for storing and sharing documents. Currently, two frameworks of this platform exist, namely, classic SharePoint and modern SharePoint.

While classic is the legacy framework that ruled for more than two decades, SharePoint released the modern version with added features and improved usability. Continue reading to know the significant aspects in which these two versions differ.

1. Home Page of SharePoint

Illustration of home page in a laptop

The home page of SharePoint received a new look in the modern version, and you can enjoy a better experience because of the sophisticated user interface (UI).

The classic SharePoint home page has sections for announcements, calendars, and links. On the other hand, the latest SharePoint home page has news, quick links, recent site activity, and a Document library.

2. Team Sites

A SharePoint team site is an ideal place for team collaboration. It gets a renovation in the modern version with several beneficial features.

Now, you can use the quick launch menu to make announcements, add tasks, calendar entries, etc. It also offers faster site provisioning and color customization.

3. Integration With Microsoft 365 Tools

An image showing integrations of sharepoint

What makes the classic and modern team SharePoint differ is the integration support with Microsoft 365 apps. It’s the game-changer that helped the latest SharePoint to become a catch-all platform.

The users can create lists for calendars, announcements, tasks, and more, while SharePoint takes care of the content management process. Now you can access the following Microsoft 365 apps within the modern team site, thanks to the integration service:

  • Planner: The classic version had no Planner equivalent. In the modern version, users can access this tool that works as a digital kanban board where teams align their efforts during projects.
  • Stream: It's the video hosting service that you can use to share videos with your team. The classic version didn’t allow you to share any videos easily. But, the integration of Stream with modern SharePoint makes the process seamless.
  • Microsoft Exchange Calendar: Modern SharePoint supports integration with Outlook that lets each group use a shared inbox and calendar of Microsoft Exchange.
  • Yammer: It's an enterprise social network that facilitates quick and easy interaction among team members. Although Yammer was available in the classic version, it didn’t support SharePoint sites integration. Modern SharePoint offers improved Yammer integration that lets you use it while working in Microsoft Groups.
  • OneNote: OneNote is a note-taking app that's perfect for collaborative teamwork. Modern SharePoint users can use OneNote without any trouble. The users of the newest SharePoint can create instant notes or to-do lists on OneNote to get a clear view of their projects.

4. SharePoint Document Library

An image that illustrates document library

Lists and libraries are an integral part of SharePoint, and its modern version offers an improved interface for better usability. The new list and library interface of modern SharePoint provides a revamped look and better performance.

Now, you can download multiple files at once as a ZIP file from the SharePoint library. In the modern version, you’ll also get features like customized list and column view, sorting and grouping columns, quick change of file info, pinning documents at the top, etc.

5. Power Automate

Instead of SharePoint workflows of the classic version, you can use the Power Automate feature integrated with modern SharePoint. It doesn’t need you to utilize extensive developer resources for process automation.

Besides workflow automation, you can also use it for connecting to data sources, making robust workflows, and sharing them among your colleagues.

Related: Zapier Integrations That Will Automate Your Task Management Workflow

Power Automate also integrates into the SharePoint lists and library that you can easily access from the toolbar. While you won’t find all the SharePoint workflow actions in Power Automate, it’s helpful to perform the vital activities.

6. SharePoint News

A visual illustrating news

If you use classic SharePoint, creating a newsfeed means developing your own solution. It needed you to add master pages, web parts, CSS, and customize the page layouts. On the other hand, the modern SharePoint offers a revamped news section replacing the classic newsfeed.

Here, you can share any news with your team with less time and effort. From an announcement to a status update, you can create and share any post. It has an intuitive UI and cleaner look that offers a more dynamic experience to its users.

Besides adding compelling graphics to the news, you can ensure the news reaches the most relevant audience with the Audience Targeting tool.

7. In-Line Editing

In the classic SharePoint, even a task like renaming an item will redirect you to another page. Modern SharePoint helps you get rid of this hassle with an in-line editing feature.

It lets you make edits and view updates, all in real-time and without redirecting you to another page. The self-explanatory interface of modern SharePoint helps you manage the page using less time and effort.

8. Communication (Publishing) Sites

An illustration of team communications online

While the classic SharePoint has both communication and publishing sites, the modern version doesn’t have the latter one.

Creating the Intranet portal using the communication site requires less time and resources as it has easy-to-use publishing tools. You can either use the blank template in the modern SharePoint or choose from any sample templates—Topic and Showcase.

The communication sites of the modern SharePoint are easy to edit and update, even without any coding experience. The search function of the latest version is also better than the classic edition of SharePoint. It shows suggestions based on your history as you type and offers personalized search results.

9. Smartphone Compatibility

Nowadays, many SharePoint users need to access site data and documents from their mobile phones. Since the pages and interfaces of classic SharePoint were not mobile-friendly, it offers a poor user experience. For example, you need to manually scroll sidewise or zoom in/out, as the site won’t adjust automatically based on your screen size.

You don’t have to face this problem in modern SharePoint as it’s completely responsive. Now, it takes less time to load and doesn’t create a situation when you accidentally select the wrong option. It even contributes to added productivity and efficiency of the team.

Ultimately, you can access modern SharePoint from any device and get a compatible interface that ensures a smooth experience.

SharePoint Has Come a Long Way

SharePoint aims to make content and document management seamless. The differences between classic and modern SharePoint show that new features of modern SharePoint turned it into a collaboration powerhouse.

Therefore, moving to the modern version will definitely fuel the productivity of your team.