SharePoint manages documents. Swyvl delivers spatial data.
SharePoint is built for Word docs and PDFs. When your team is sharing 2 GB LAS files and GeoTIFF orthomosaics, it falls short — no spatial viewers, no delivery workflows, no portal experience. Here's how they compare.
Side-by-side comparison
How SharePoint and Swyvl compare for survey and spatial data delivery.
| Feature | SharePoint | Swyvl |
|---|---|---|
| Point cloud viewer (LAS, LAZ) | ✗ Requires desktop software | ✓ Browser-native Potree viewer |
| GeoTIFF / orthomosaic viewer | ✗ Not supported | ✓ Interactive browser map |
| 3D model viewer (OBJ, IFC, glTF) | ✗ Not supported | ✓ Browser-native Three.js |
| Gaussian splat viewer | ✗ Not supported | ✓ Supported |
| Drone video viewer | ✗ Preview only, no GPS overlay | ✓ Full player with GPS track |
| Branded client portal | ✗ Generic SharePoint interface | ✓ Your logo and colours |
| Client access without account | ✗ Requires Microsoft account | ✓ Link-only, no account needed |
| Portal view analytics | ✗ No | ✓ View events, dwell time, downloads |
| Audit trail | Partial (SharePoint audit log) | ✓ Full per-view log with timestamps |
| File size support | Limited (250 GB max file size) | ✓ Multi-GB spatial files via multipart |
| AI file classification | ✗ No | ✓ Automatic on upload |
| Price | Microsoft 365 plan required | From $0 (free plan available) |
Why construction teams switch
Your clients don't have Microsoft accounts
External clients need guest access in SharePoint, which creates friction and requires Microsoft licensing. Swyvl share links work for anyone with a browser — no account, no Microsoft subscription.
SharePoint can't open a LAS file
You can store a LAZ file in SharePoint. Your client downloads it, opens it... in what? CloudCompare, if they have it. With Swyvl, the point cloud opens in the browser in 60 seconds.
SharePoint is organised for documents, not sites
SharePoint folders don't know about physical locations or capture dates. Swyvl organises data by site (physical address) and time — the natural structure for spatial data.
Who each tool is designed for
SharePoint
General document collaboration within Microsoft 365 organisations
SharePoint excels at storing, versioning, and collaborating on Office documents across an organisation where everyone has a Microsoft 365 licence. It integrates tightly with Teams, Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Swyvl
Surveyors, drone operators, construction teams, and asset owners
Swyvl is built for teams who need to store, deliver, and track spatial data files that most people can't open — point clouds, orthomosaics, IFC models, and drone video — and share them with clients who don't have specialist software.
Pricing comparison
SharePoint
Included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6/user/month) or higher — requires all stakeholders to be licensed. Guest access is limited and adding external collaborators can quickly become complex. To share spatial data with clients outside your organisation, they need a Microsoft account.
Swyvl
Free plan available. Solo plan from $49/month (1 editor, unlimited viewers). Viewers never need a Swyvl account or subscription — they click a link and the data opens in their browser. See full pricing.
Spatial data deserves more than a folder on SharePoint.
Free to start. 14-day Team trial included.