Short answer: oneintranetpays off when your internal information is scattered and hard to find, when new employees take a long time to get on board, or when the same questions are asked over and over again. The cost varies from a monthly fee for a ready-made platform to a one-time investment for a self-built intranet. The real gain is time: less searching, faster onboarding and a clear source of truth. Below we go through everything.

What is an intranet - really?

Aintranetis an internal website that only company employees can access. Think of it as the house's bulletin board, archive and reception in one - collected and searchable. Here is the personnel handbook, routines, templates, internal news, contact lists and links to the tools you use.

The difference to just having a shared folder structure is that an intranet is built tofindthings, not just store them: search function, structure, permissions and a start page that shows the most important.

What problems does an intranet solve?

An intranet becomes relevant when you recognize yourself in this:

  • Information is scatteredin emails, folders, chats and in people's heads.
  • People are lookingfor documents and answers instead of working.
  • New hires take a long timeto enter because nothing is collected.
  • Same questionsare asked over and over again to the same people.
  • No one knows which versionof a document that actually applies.
Calculation example: if ten employees spend just 15 minutes a day looking for information, that's over 2.5 hours a day for the company - close to a full working month a month. An intranet often pays for itself on that profit alone.

How much does an intranet cost in 2026?

There are two main routes, with different cost profiles:

  • Complete platform (subscription):you pay continuously per user or per month. Quick start, but you adapt to the platform's layout, and the cost grows with the number of users.
  • Own built intranet:a one-off cost for construction plus operation. Shaped according to your needs, no license per user, but you are responsible for the maintenance.

Just like with other systems: ready-made platform has a low initial cost and rising ongoing cost, proprietary has a higher initial cost and flatter ongoing. The more users and the more special needs, the more it speaks for itself.

Don't forget the hidden costs either way: thatfill the intranet with content, structure it and keep it updated. An intranet no one maintains quickly becomes a new abandoned folder.

What should a good intranet at least be able to do?

  • Searchable:you should find what you are looking for in seconds.
  • Clear structure:logical division that people understand.
  • Permissions:the right people see the right things, sensitively protected.
  • Easy to update:even non-technical people should be able to post content.
  • Mobile friendly:accessible even to those who are not sitting at a computer.
  • Sure:login, encryption and protection of internal data.

When does it pay off – and when not?

An intranet pays off when there are enough of you and you have enough information to make the search really worthwhile. Roughly speaking: the more employees and the more documents and routines, the clearer the profit.

When does it pay off?not? If you are a small team with few documents, a well-structured shared folder can go a long way. Don't build an intranet because it sounds modern - build it when the search actually costs you time and money.

Consider safety

An intranet gathers sensitive internal information in one place – personnel data, contracts, routines. That makes it practical, but also a target worth protecting. Proper login, well-thought-out authorizations and protection of personal data according to GDPR must be in place from the start. It is an obvious part of howZORCbuilds.

How does ZORC help you with intranets?

OnZORCwe start with the question of whether you actually need an intranet, or whether a simpler solution will suffice. If necessary, we build an intranet that suits the way you work - searchable, secure and easy to keep up to date - either on a ready-made platform or tailored, depending on what is worthwhile for you.

Is your team spending time looking for information that should be in one place? Get in touch with ZORC, and we'll look at your needs and propose a solution that actually gets used – not another system that collects dust.