Compare OneDirectory vs Employee Directory 365 to see the difference between a SharePoint employee directory web part and an enterprise employee directory platform.
Employee Directory 365 is a strong option if you want a quick, Microsoft-native directory inside SharePoint/Teams, a “digital address book” style experience with filters, and an org chart.
OneDirectory is built for a different outcome: enterprise-wide daily adoption, an intelligent directory platform that becomes the trusted, searchable map of the company (employee directory + interactive org chart + governance via an admin console).
If your goal is a basic SharePoint employee directory web part for quick lookup, Employee Directory 365 can fit. If your goal is a company-wide enterprise directory platform with daily usage and long-term value, OneDirectory is built for that.
TL;DR: Key Differences
- Employee Directory 365 is a SharePoint SPFx + Teams solution designed for fast rollout inside Microsoft 365.
- It focuses on quick employee lookup with filters (skills, dept, location, manager) and includes an org chart.
- It positions itself as affordable for SMEs and easy to deploy quickly.
- OneDirectory is a standalone web app (no SharePoint/Teams dependency) built for company-wide, enterprise usage with Entra ID sync, strong people discovery, and admin governance.
| Use case | OneDirectory | Employee Directory 365 |
|---|---|---|
| You need a basic employee directory (digital address book) | ✗ | ✓ |
| You want the fastest “plug into SharePoint” rollout | ✗ | ✓ |
| You want a SharePoint web part / SPFx solution (not a standalone app) | ✗ | ✓ |
| You need an enterprise employee directory rolled out to everyone | ✓ | ✗ |
| You want employees to use the directory daily (high adoption) | ✓ | ✗ |
| You need smarter people search (no query building) | ✓ | ✗ |
| You rely on advanced filters to find people by attributes | ✓ | ✓ |
| You need automated, interactive org charts tied to Entra ID | ✓ | ✗ |
| You need a Directory Console to improve data quality and health over time | ✓ | ✗ |
| You need tailored support for complex enterprise org structures | ✓ | ✗ |
| You want the directory to work independently of SharePoint pages | ✓ | ✗ |
Use Cases For When to Choose OneDirectory or Employee Directory 365
Choose Employee Directory 365 if…
- You want a fast, simple directory embedded in SharePoint/Teams
- You primarily need a digital address book: “find a person, get contact info”
- Your organization is closer to SME / mid-market and wants a quick time-to-value
Choose OneDirectory if…
- You need an enterprise employee directory deployed company-wide
- You want employees using it daily, not occasionally
- You need a standalone platform with governance and structured rollout (not constrained by SharePoint page experiences)
Greg Bennett
Feature Comparison of OneDirectory and Employee Directory 365
| Category | OneDirectory | Employee Directory 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery model | Standalone web app for Microsoft 365 (no SharePoint/Teams required) | SharePoint SPFx + Teams experience (designed to live inside M365) |
| Primary focus | Intelligent directory platform (trusted company map) + org charts + governance | Fast employee lookup + filters + org chart inside SharePoint/Teams |
| Search approach | Human-first people discovery (built to find people + org context quickly) | Filter-driven search (dept/skills/title/manager/location) |
| Org chart | Live org charts tied to Entra ID reporting lines | “Full organization chart” included |
| Governance | Admin console for sync, permissions, configuration | Mentions restricted access + analytics dashboard + admin features |
| Time to deploy | Less than 10 minutes with an enterprise rollout option | “Less than 10 minutes” positioning |
| Best-fit org size | Mid-to-large / enterprise-wide adoption | “Affordable for SMEs” positioning |
See how OneDirectory becomes your trusted, searchable digital map of your company
Why OneDirectory is an Employee Directory 365 Alternative
If you’re evaluating Employee Directory 365 because you want a fast Microsoft-native directory, OneDirectory is the next step up when your needs go beyond a basic SharePoint address book.
OneDirectory is a strong Employee Directory 365 alternative when you need:
- A standalone, company-wide platform (not a SharePoint web part) that can be rolled out to everyone.
- Smarter people search built for humans, so employees can find the right person fast without relying on advanced filters.
- An automated, interactive org chart that stays current as your org changes, integrated with the directory experience.
- Enterprise-grade governance, with an admin console designed to improve directory data quality and health over time.
- Flexibility for complex structures, with a partner-led approach to tailoring the solution to your org’s requirements.
In short: Employee Directory 365 works well for basic lookup. OneDirectory is built to become the trusted digital map of your company.
FAQs
Is Employee Directory 365 a standalone employee directory platform?
No. Employee Directory 365 is designed as a SharePoint/Teams solution (a SharePoint web part/SPFx-style experience) that lives inside Microsoft 365, rather than a standalone directory platform.
When is Employee Directory 365 the better choice?
Employee Directory 365 is a good fit when you want a quick, basic “digital address book” inside SharePoint/Teams—mainly for employee lookup with filters and a simple org chart.
Why is OneDirectory a strong Employee Directory 365 alternative?
OneDirectory is built for enterprise-wide rollout and daily use. It combines a full employee directory with smarter people search, an automated interactive org chart, and a Directory Console approach to improving directory data quality and health over time.
Start With OneDirectory Today
If you want a directory and org chart platform that becomes the trusted digital map of your company that employees use every day:
See the Directory Console and smarter people search in action
