Which version of SharePoint 2016 is right for you?

Michael Downing
By | Updated December 19, 2017 | 6 min read
SharePoint 2016

With Microsoft’s introduction of SharePoint 2016, there is no longer a foundation (free version) variant available. Currently, there are two options; Standard and Enterprise.

 

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With that said, we understand that deciding on which version is best for you could potentially be an overwhelming task, so we’ve gone ahead and collected information from Microsoft to compare the feature sets that are available in both environments on SharePoint 2016.

We always like to recommend customers to keep in mind the scalability of their environment, in which, BrightWork will be housed on.

Here is a summary of the available feature sets available in SharePoint 2016 Standard and Enterprise:

IT Professional featuresSharePoint Server 2016 Standard CALSharePoint Server 2016 Enterprise CAL
Active Directory SynchronizationYesYes
Alternate Access Mapping (AAM)YesYes
Analytics PlatformYesYes
Anti-malware protectionNoNo
Claims-Based Authentication SupportYesYes
Configuration WizardsYesYes
Deferred Site Collection upgradeYesYes
Distributed CacheYesYes
Data loss preventionNoYes
Encryption at restNoNo
Host Header Site CollectionsYesYes
Improved Permissions ManagementYesYes
Improved Self-Service Site CreationYesYes
Managed AccountsYesYes
Minimal Download Strategy (MDS)YesYes
OAuthYesYes
Patch ManagementYesYes
Quota TemplatesYesYes
Read-Only Database SupportYesYes
Remote BLOB StorageYesYes
Request ManagementYesYes
Request throttlingYesYes
Resource throttlingYesYes
Service Application PlatformYesYes
SharePoint Health AnalyzerYesYes
SharePoint admin centerNoNo
Shredded StorageYesYes
Site Collection Compliance PoliciesYesYes
Site Collection Health ChecksYesYes
State ServiceYesYes
Streamlined Central AdministrationYesYes
System Status NotificationsYesYes
Unattached Content Database RecoveryYesYes
Upgrade evaluation site collectionsYesYes
Usage Reporting and LoggingYesYes
Windows PowerShell SupportYesYes
Content featuresSharePoint Server 2016 Standard CALSharePoint Server 2016 Enterprise CAL
Accessibility Standards SupportYesYes
Asset Library Enhancements/Video SupportYesYes
AuditingYesYes
Auditing & Reporting (e.g. doc edits, policy edits, deletes)YesYes
Content OrganizerYesYes
Design ManagerYesYes
Document SetsYesYes
Document Translation in Word OnlineYesYes
eDiscovery SearchYesYes
eDiscovery HoldNoYes
eDiscovery ExportNoYes
Email enabled lists and librariesYesYes
External Sharing: External AccessNoNo
External Sharing: Guest LinkNoNo
Folder SyncYesYes
IRM using Azure Rights ManagementYesYes
IRM using Windows Server AD RMSYesYes
Managed Metadata ServiceYesYes
Metadata-driven NavigationYesYes
Multi-stage DispositionYesYes
Office Online (edit)YesYes
Office Online (view)YesYes
Office Web Apps Server integrationYesYes
PowerPoint Automation ServicesYesYes
Preservation hold libraryNoYes
Quick EditYesYes
Records managementYesYes
Recycle Bin (SharePoint admin center)NoNo
Recycle Bin (site collection)YesYes
Related ItemsYesYes
Rich Media ManagementYesYes
Shared Content TypesYesYes
SharePoint Translation ServicesYesYes
Site mailboxYesYes
SurveysYesYes
Unique Document IDsYesYes
Video SearchNoYes
WCM: AnalyticsYesYes
WCM: CatalogNoYes
WCM: Category page and catalog item page
WCM: Search web partsNoYes
WCM: Cross-Site PublishingNoYes
WCM: Designer ToolsYesYes
WCM: Faceted navigationNoYes
WCM: Image RenditionsYesYes
WCM: Managed navigationYesYes
WCM: Mobile and Device RenderingYesYes
WCM: Multiple DomainsYesYes
WCM: RecommendationsYesYes
WCM: Search Engine Optimizations (SEO)YesYes
Word Automation ServicesYesYes
Insights featuresSharePoint Server 2016 Standard CALSharePoint Server 2016 Enterprise CAL
Business Intelligence CenterNoYes
Data Connection LibraryNoYes
Excel ServicesNoYes
Excel WebPart for SharePointNoYes
ODC file supportNoYes
PerformancePoint ServicesNoYes
PerformancePoint Services (PPS) Dashboard MigrationNoYes
Power View for Excel in SharePointNoYes
PowerPivot for Excel in SharePointNoYes
Scorecards & DashboardsNoYes
Scheduled data refreshNoYes
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) Integrated ModeYesYes
User-defined function assembliesNoYes
Using another workbook’s model as a data sourceNoYes
Visio ServicesNoYes
Search featuresSharePoint Server 2016 Standard CALSharePoint Server 2016 Enterprise CAL
Advanced Content ProcessingYesYes
Continuous crawlsYesYes
Custom entity extractionNoYes
Deep linksYesYes
Event-based relevancyYesYes
Expertise SearchYesYes
Extensible content processingNoYes
Graphical refinersYesYes
Hybrid searchYesYes
Manage search schemaYesYes
On-premises search indexYesYes
Phonetic name matchingYesYes
Query rules—Add promoted resultsYesYes
Query rules—advanced actionsNoYes
Query spelling correctionYesYes
Query suggestionsYesYes
Query throttlingYesYes
Quick previewYesYes
Ranking modelsYesYes
RefinersYesYes
RESTful Query API/Query OMYesYes
Result sourcesYesYes
Search connector frameworkYesYes
Search results sortingYesYes
Search vertical: “Conversations”YesYes
Search vertical: “People”YesYes
Search vertical: “Video”NoYes
“This List” searchesYesYes
Sites featuresSharePoint Server 2016 Standard CALSharePoint Server 2016 Enterprise CAL
Change the lookYesYes
Connections to Microsoft Office ClientsYesYes
Cross Browser SupportYesYes
Custom Managed PathsYesYes
GovernanceYesYes
Large List Scalability and ManagementYesYes
Mobile ConnectivityYesYes
Multi-Lingual User InterfaceYesYes
My TasksYesYes
OOTB Web PartsYesYes
Permissions ManagementYesYes
Project functionality for team sitesYesYes
Project site templateYesYes
Project Summary web partNoYes
Project workspaceYesYes
SharePoint ListsYesYes
SharePoint RibbonYesYes
Site foldersYesYes
Task listYesYes
Team Site: Drag & DropYesYes
Team Site: NotebookYesYes
Team Site: Simplified AccessYesYes
TemplatesYesYes
ThemesYesYes
VariationsYesYes
Usage AnalyticsNoYes
Work Management ServiceYesYes
Social featuresSharePoint Server 2016 Standard CALSharePoint Server 2016 Enterprise CAL
Ask Me AboutYesYes
BlogsYesYes
Communities Reputation, Badging, and ModerationYesYes
CommunityYesYes
Company FeedYesYes
Document Conversations with YammerNoNo
FollowYesYes
MicrobloggingYesYes
NewsfeedYesYes
One Click SharingYesYes
People, Sites, Document RecommendationsYesYes
Personal SiteYesYes
Photos and PresenceYesYes
ProfileYesYes
RatingsYesYes
Shared with MeNoNo
Site FeedYesYes
OneDrive for BusinessYesYes
Tag profilesYesYes
Tasks integrated with OutlookYesYes
Trending TagsYesYes
WikisYesYes
Add-OnsSharePoint Server 2016 Standard CALSharePoint Server 2016 Enterprise CAL
Additional StorageYesYes
Azure Provisioned Apps: Access ServicesNoNo
Azure Provisioned Apps: Custom Code in Azure LWRNoNo
Duet OnlineNoNo
   

 

In addition to the above, you may also like to visit Microsoft’s summary of SharePoint 2016 on-premises feature availability here.

Michael Downing
Michael Downing

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