Migration Manager vs SharePoint Migration Tool: Which to Use

For file share migrations, choose Migration Manager for large, multi-server or multi-cloud projects, and the SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) for smaller jobs or whenever SharePoint Server is a source. Picking one tool per workload up front saves you from switching tools halfway through a migration.

When should you choose Migration Manager or the SharePoint Migration Tool?

Choose Migration Manager when you move large or multi-source file share workloads and want to manage them centrally from the SharePoint admin center with agents. Choose the SharePoint Migration Tool when SharePoint Server sites are in scope, or when a small file share move can run from a single machine.

Migration Manager lives in the SharePoint admin center. You install a lightweight agent on each server or virtual machine, group the agents, and Migration Manager assigns tasks to the next available agent. It adds prescans, file exclusion rules, task-level settings and downloadable summary and task reports, and it supports files up to 250 GB. Besides file shares, it also migrates content from Google Workspace, Box, Dropbox and Egnyte.

The SharePoint Migration Tool is a free tool you install on a computer. It migrates SharePoint Server 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019, SharePoint Foundation 2010 and 2013, and file shares to SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams, and everything it does is also available in PowerShell.

Compare Migration Manager and the SharePoint Migration Tool

Both tools move file shares into SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams. They differ in the sources they accept, how you run them and what access you need.

	Migration Manager	SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT)
Sources	File shares, plus Google Workspace, Box, Dropbox and Egnyte	SharePoint Server 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019; SharePoint Foundation 2010 and 2013; file shares
Destinations	SharePoint sites, OneDrive accounts and Teams sites	SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams
How you run it	In the SharePoint admin center, with agents installed on servers or virtual machines	An application installed on a computer, or PowerShell
Scale features	Several agents, agent groups, automatic task assignment, prescans, file exclusions	Scripted batches of tasks through PowerShell
Destination access	Global admin, or SharePoint or OneDrive admin	SharePoint or OneDrive admin, or site admin
Source access	Windows credentials with read access to the file shares; the file server must support SMB 2.0 or higher	SharePoint credentials with read access to the SharePoint Server content
Workflows	Not applicable (file content)	SharePoint Server 2010 out-of-the-box workflows, SharePoint Designer 2010 and 2013 workflows
Availability	—	Not available in Office 365 operated by 21Vianet
Best fit (recommendation)	Large, multi-department or multi-source migrations that need central control and reporting	SharePoint Server farms, and smaller department-level file share moves

The deciding difference is the source. SPMT supports SharePoint Server sources and their workflows, while Migration Manager is built for file shares and other cloud storage. When both could handle a file share, the size of the project and how much central control you need decide it.

Map your migration scenarios to the right tool

Pick a primary tool per workload by source type and scale, and avoid splitting one workload across both tools.

• A single department’s file share. SPMT fits: install it, create a task from the share to the destination site or OneDrive, and monitor it.
• Several file servers, or file shares plus cloud storage. Use Migration Manager: an agent on each server, agent groups for throughput, prescans before the move and one set of reports for the whole project.
• SharePoint Server farms, with or without workflows. Standardize on SPMT for these, and use Migration Manager only for any file share or cloud storage content alongside them.
• Staged moves over weeks or months. Migration Manager’s central task view and reports make it easier to follow progress and failed items across waves. For SharePoint Server content moved in waves, SPMT’s PowerShell support lets you script each run.

Running part of one drive through SPMT and the rest through Migration Manager doubles the jobs and reports you have to reconcile. One tool per workload keeps cutover, governance and troubleshooting simpler.

If you still need to decide whether content belongs in SharePoint, Teams or OneDrive, settle that first with a destination strategy for network drives.

Run a pilot migration and confirm files and permissions

Whichever tool you choose, run a small pilot before you scale. Move a representative slice of content, then check counts, sample files, folder paths and user access in the destination.

1. Define the pilot scope. Pick part of a drive or site with typical folders, document types and permission patterns, and leave critical production data out of the first run.
2. Set up the prerequisites. For Migration Manager, check that the agent machines meet the system requirements and can reach the required endpoints, and that the file server supports SMB 2.0 or higher. For SPMT, confirm your admin role, the installation prerequisites and that you can sign in to the source.
3. Run the pilot task. Point the task from the source share or site to the destination SharePoint site, OneDrive account or Teams site.
4. Validate files, folders and permissions. Compare folder structures and file counts with the source, use the tool’s reports to find skipped or failed items, and test access with a few sample user accounts. Treat this as an access review: do not assume permissions arrive exactly as they were. The checklist on file share permissions before you copy them into SharePoint covers what to look for.

For the wider decisions around the tooling, such as content cleanup and ownership, see what IT directors should decide before migrating file shares. If you want help reading pilot results or planning waves across departments, that is part of SharePoint migration consulting.