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Atlassian Confluence vs HCL Connections comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 23, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.2
Users find Atlassian Confluence delivers significant ROI through cost-effectiveness, efficiency, knowledge sharing, and improved operational ease.
Sentiment score
7.2
Users achieved ROI from HCL Connections in nine months by encouraging daily use and eliminating redundant features like chat.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.3
Atlassian Confluence's customer service is friendly, but technical support varies, with some users relying on forums or internal teams.
Sentiment score
6.5
HCL Connections' customer service varies, with mixed reviews on support responsiveness and challenges in reaching knowledgeable staff.
This team manages all queries and uses various plugins, such as Tempo for time tracking.
Manager QA at [x]cube LABS
The Atlassian technical support team is reachable through different platforms.
Project Manager at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Atlassian Confluence is scalable and adaptable, though large teams may face challenges, especially in high-user cloud environments.
Sentiment score
7.6
HCL Connections offers high scalability with effective IBM WebSphere support, despite Solr search limitations and manageable storage challenges.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Atlassian Confluence is stable and reliable, with rare minor issues, improved performance, and effective communication on maintenance.
Sentiment score
7.3
HCL Connections is stable on WebSphere but needs tuning for performance; IBM support addresses occasional instability effectively.
 

Room For Improvement

Users seek improvements in Confluence's search, UI, integration, collaboration, content organization, pricing, and project management features.
HCL Connections needs better document management, interface customization, third-party integration, collaboration, and cloud stability for improved usability.
The company using Atlassian Confluence needs to have a very clear structure for where information will be organized.
GM at a real estate/law firm with 501-1,000 employees
More options similar to those available in Word or Google Docs in terms of formatting and other features could enhance its functionality.
Manager QA at [x]cube LABS
The Atlassian approach of keeping the base product really stable, simple, and easy to use is beneficial.
CEO at byte
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise buyers find Atlassian Confluence costly due to licensing, user volume, and plugin-related expenses, requiring strategic cost management.
HCL Connections pricing varies widely, offers discounts, flexible licensing, and competitive pricing compared to Jive or SharePoint.
It streamlines license management and renewal processes, which can otherwise lead to complications or lapses in access.
Manager QA at [x]cube LABS
Money is a factor because Atlassian Confluence is not free.
Project Manager at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

Atlassian Confluence integrates with Jira for seamless teamwork, offering flexible collaboration, robust organization, and customizable document management.
HCL Connections enhances collaboration with file sharing, tool integration, expert profiles, mobile access, and efficient content management.
You can easily link Atlassian Confluence into a Jira ticket, which allows for a quick overview when you are in the ticket system and the ability to quickly dive deeper into the Wiki directly.
GM at a real estate/law firm with 501-1,000 employees
The most valuable features of Atlassian Confluence are its overall document editing and ease of use.
CEO at byte
This tool provides a single repository for interacting with the entire team.
Sr Consultant at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Atlassian Confluence
Ranking in Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)
2nd
Ranking in Enterprise Social Software
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
109
Ranking in other categories
Knowledge Management Software (1st)
HCL Connections
Ranking in Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)
5th
Ranking in Enterprise Social Software
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) category, the mindshare of Atlassian Confluence is 13.0%, down from 16.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HCL Connections is 5.3%, up from 3.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Atlassian Confluence13.0%
HCL Connections5.3%
Other81.7%
Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals)
 

Featured Reviews

Talha Hussain. - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Manager at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees
Manage projects effectively with seamless task tracking and integration, but deployment requires familiarity
We are conducting all our project management using Atlassian tools. We use Atlassian Confluence for task management, reporting, visualization of tasks, and reviewing the progress of tickets and work I use Atlassian Confluence for task management and other project management tasks, such as…
Hasnain Zahid - PeerSpot reviewer
Talent acquisition & development specialist at Software Productivity Strategists, Inc. (SPS)
A stable tool useful to manage marketing-related activities
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten. Sometimes, the portal hangs because I find that if I am on a web page, I have to log out, and then I have to log in to the portal again. Since I see that the portal hangs at times, I have to move from one side of the portal to the next, making me feel that some things are scattered in the product. I attended a meeting with IBM recently, and they are improving a few of the things, in my opinion. The concerns that I have related to the product are being improved since I think many other users have reported issues similar to the ones I faced.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Corporate Portals (Enterprise Information Portals) solutions are best for your needs.
884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
7%
University
5%
Performing Arts
13%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Marketing Services Firm
11%
Healthcare Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business39
Midsize Enterprise27
Large Enterprise52
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business22
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise26
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Atlassian Confluence?
The most valuable feature of the solution stems from its document-controlling feature. In Atlassian Confluence, controlled documents cannot be edited by anyone else.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Atlassian Confluence?
Money is a factor because Atlassian Confluence is not free. I need to purchase extra components when adding new projects or employees.
What needs improvement with Atlassian Confluence?
What I would like to improve in the product is definitely the Jira integration. It is hard to tell which product is lagging or lacking because I can usually find a feature on the Marketplace if I a...
What needs improvement with HCL Connections?
The support is an area where the product can improve. My company faces some support-related issues because whenever we create or generate a ticket, it takes two days for the product's support team ...
What is your primary use case for HCL Connections?
I use HCL Connections for marketing purposes. The IBM product in our company already provides us with direct links to the marketing and HR sides.
 

Also Known As

Confluence
IBM Connections, Lotus Connections
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Facebook, Skype, Microsoft, NASA, Netflix, Adobe, Bonobos, LinkedIn, Pfizer, Citi.
Yamato Financial Co. Ltd., University of Zurich, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V., Telus, Rabobank, Christian Brothers Services, Grupo Financiero Banorte, The Loft Group, Dow Water & Process Solutions, JGC Corporation, College of Medicine, Swansea University, solvito GmbH, Loft Group, Hamm-Reno Group GmbH, Geno SA
Find out what your peers are saying about Atlassian Confluence vs. HCL Connections and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.