As Microsoft continues to enhance its digital workplace solutions, organisations now have more choice in how they manage and govern their content. SharePoint Online has long been the foundation of collaboration and document management within Microsoft 365. But with the introduction of SharePoint Premium (formerly Microsoft Syntex), businesses can now extend SharePoint with AI-powered automation, intelligent content processing, and advanced governance capabilities. 

So, how exactly does SharePoint Premium add to SharePoint Online in 2025? We explain some of the differences in this article. 

SharePoint Online vs SharePoint Premium

What is SharePoint Online?

SharePoint Online remains Microsoft’s cloud-based platform for intranets, document libraries, and team sites. It enables employees to store, share, and collaborate on files securely from anywhere. 

With features such as version control, co-authoring, enterprise search, and seamless integration with Teams, OneDrive, and Power Automate, SharePoint Online provides the core toolkit for modern collaboration and knowledge sharing. 

For most organisations, this is more than enough to support everyday business needs. 

What is SharePoint Premium?

Where SharePoint Online provides the foundation, SharePoint Premium builds on top of it. Introduced as part of Microsoft’s Content AI strategy, it brings automation, intelligence, and advanced governance to the platform. 

Key capabilities include: 

  • AI-powered content processing – automatically extract metadata and classify documents, saving time and reducing manual effort. 
  • Advanced compliance and security – manage sensitive information with greater precision, ensuring regulatory requirements are met. 
  • Flexible consumption model – process content on a Pay-As-You-Go basis, making it easier to scale. 
  • Content lifecycle management – apply consistent policies for archiving, retention, and disposal across the enterprise. 

These enhancements are designed for organisations dealing with large volumes of content, complex compliance needs, or a desire to automate manual processes. 

Which one is right for you?

In simple terms: SharePoint Online is ideal for organisations that need a reliable, cloud-based collaboration and document management solution.

SharePoint Premium on the other hand is the next step for those who want to unlock automation, AI, and enterprise-scale governance to drive efficiency and compliance. If your organisation needs a flexible, cloud-based collaboration tool, SharePoint Online is a strong choice. However, if you require automated document processing, compliance automation, or enterprise-scale content management, SharePoint Premium offers strategic value.

At Bridgeall, we help organisations navigate Microsoft 365 and SharePoint deployments with clarity and confidence. Whether you’re exploring SharePoint Online or looking to unlock the full potential of SharePoint Premium, our team can support your digital workplace goals.

Download our SharePoint guide for more information or contact us here to discuss how SharePoint can benefit your business.