SharePoint is a document storage and management platform. Microsoft Teams is a communication and collaboration platform. They are not alternatives to each other — Teams stores its files in SharePoint. Every Teams channel has a corresponding SharePoint document library behind it; when you upload a file in Teams, it is stored in SharePoint. Understanding this relationship clarifies where files actually live and how tools like monday.com can connect to them.
What each tool is for
| SharePoint | Microsoft Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Document storage, management, and sharing | Chat, meetings, and real-time collaboration |
| What it stores | Files, lists, pages, sites | Conversations, meeting recordings, channel files (stored in SharePoint) |
| Access method | Browser, SharePoint app, synced desktop folder | Teams desktop/mobile app, browser |
| Best for | Structured document management, intranets, project file libraries | Day-to-day team communication, meetings, quick file sharing |
| Governance | Rich: permissions, retention policies, sensitivity labels | Limited: governed mostly by the underlying SharePoint and M365 settings |
How Teams and SharePoint are connected
When you create a Teams team, Microsoft automatically creates a SharePoint site behind it. Each channel within that team gets a folder in the SharePoint site's document library (the "Files" tab in Teams is a direct view of that SharePoint folder). Files uploaded in Teams are stored in SharePoint and subject to SharePoint's version control, permissions, and retention policies — whether the person uploading them knows it or not.
This means:
- Files shared in Teams are accessible directly in SharePoint — and vice versa
- SharePoint permissions apply to Teams files, even when accessed through Teams
- Deleting a Teams channel also deletes its SharePoint folder (after a grace period)
- Files in Teams can be synced to desktop via OneDrive — same as any SharePoint library
When to use SharePoint directly vs. Teams
Use Teams when you want files alongside the conversation context — a quick shared document for a meeting, files that belong to a specific team's channel, content that people will access through Teams naturally.
Use SharePoint directly when you need more control: structured folder hierarchies across projects or clients, permissions that differ from the Team's membership, retention policies, metadata columns, or document libraries that need to be accessed by people who aren't in the Teams team.
Many organisations use both simultaneously: Teams for communication and channel-based collaboration, SharePoint for the more structured document management layer that needs to survive organisational changes and maintain governance requirements.
Where monday.com fits
The Microsoft 365 SharePoint integration for monday.com connects monday.com to SharePoint document libraries — which means it connects to the files behind your Teams channels as well as any standalone SharePoint libraries. From inside monday.com, team members can access, view, and edit SharePoint files (including those stored in Teams channels' underlying libraries) without switching between applications.
Monday.com then provides the workflow and automation layer that neither SharePoint nor Teams offers natively: tasks, timelines, status tracking, and automation recipes that can trigger document creation, folder generation, and file routing in SharePoint when board items change state.
The practical result for enterprise teams running all three platforms: monday.com is where work is managed, Teams is where people communicate, and SharePoint (visible from both) is where documents live.
Common misconceptions
"We use Teams instead of SharePoint." — You use Teams on top of SharePoint. The files you share in Teams are in SharePoint whether you navigate there or not.
"We need to choose between Teams and SharePoint." — They serve different purposes and are designed to coexist. The choice is typically about how you access your SharePoint content — through Teams, through the SharePoint interface, or through integrated tools like monday.com.
"SharePoint is the old way; Teams replaced it." — Teams replaced Skype for Business for communication. SharePoint continues to be the document management and intranet platform it has always been — Teams is built on top of it.
→ Microsoft 365 SharePoint integration for monday.com
→ What is a SharePoint document library?
→ SharePoint permissions explained
→ OneDrive for Business vs SharePoint
