SharePoint team site vs communication site: which to pick

Pick a team site when the people who use it also create the content. Pick a communication site when a few people publish and a larger group reads.

What is the main difference between the two site types?

On a team site, all members are content authors who create and edit content together. On a communication site, a small number of authors publish content for a much larger group of readers.

A quick test is to ask whether the people on the site will mostly write or mostly read. Writers need a team site. Readers need a communication site.

How do permissions differ?

A team site gets its permissions from a Microsoft 365 group, which has owners and members. Anyone added to that group is added to the site automatically. A communication site uses SharePoint groups instead.

The person who creates a team site becomes a member of the site owners group. You can add or change owners, members and visitors after the site exists.

What else comes with a team site?

Creating a team site connected to a Microsoft 365 group also gives you a Planner board, a OneNote notebook, a group email address, a shared calendar and a shared mailbox. A communication site gives you only the site.

A team site can be connected to a Microsoft Team. A communication site has no Microsoft 365 group, so it cannot sit behind a team. If chat matters to you, read our guide on Teams vs SharePoint.

External sharing is on by default for a team site and off by default for a communication site. A SharePoint admin can change either default.
A team site shows navigation on the left by default. A communication site shows it across the top.
A team site that is not connected to a Microsoft 365 group uses SharePoint groups like a communication site, and its navigation can be changed to the top.

Which one fits a small team that tracks work?

This is advice, not a Microsoft rule. If your team adds and edits rows in lists every day, a team site fits. Everyone who works on the list is a member, and the list sits next to the shared files and calendar.

If the goal is a page everyone reads, such as policies or news, use a communication site. You can still link to a list from it. See how to share a list with outside people and how to show each person only their own items.

How do you create each one?

Sign in to Microsoft 365 and open SharePoint.
Select Create site, then choose Team site or Communication site.
For a team site, pick a template. Standard team works for general use.
Enter a site name and a description. A team site also generates a group email address from the name, and you can change it.
Choose privacy if offered. Public lets anyone in the organization in. Private lets only members in.
Pick a language. The default language cannot be changed later.
Select Create site, then add owners and members.

Can you change your mind later?

A team site that is not connected to a group can be connected to a group, or turned into a Microsoft Team. The resulting site stays a little different from one built that way from the start. The source does not describe turning a communication site into a team site, so plan to pick well at the start. Menu names can vary between tenants.

Lists work on both types. See Microsoft Lists vs SharePoint lists if the names confuse you, and adding a list to a Teams tab once you have a team.

Want help setting up the site and a tracker?

I am Al Davies at 250 High Street LLC. I build SharePoint and Power Automate trackers for small teams, remotely. A first call is free. You can see past work in the portfolio.

FAQ

Can a communication site be used with Microsoft Teams?

No. It has no Microsoft 365 group, so it cannot be the site behind a team.

Is external sharing on by default?

On for a team site, off for a communication site. A SharePoint admin can change either.

Can I change the site language later?

The default language cannot be changed after creation. Alternate languages can be added.