On the hunt for the perfect comms solution for your organization?
Whether you’re looking for a tech to engage a frontline workforce or a modern intranet that puts your organization’s knowledge at your fingertips, we’re comparing techs that can take your internal communication to the next level.
Today we look at Interact vs. Blink to see which is right for you.
Interact vs. Blink — quick facts
Blink and Interact are modern internal communication solutions suited for enterprise and small organizations. Their intuitive user experience and mobile applications lend themselves to a frontline workforce.
However, Interact is mainly an intranet replacement with various social employee engagement features. It is an older solution, and some feel that its features are a little old-fashioned. That includes an inclination towards top-down communications and static intranet pages.
In contrast, Blink packages an intranet with chat, micro-apps, and interactive content management to create an open, engaging digital experience. The priority is on encouraging all employees to participate in discussions and voice their contributions.
How they’re similar
Mobile-focused
Blink is designed with the mobile frontline worker in mind. That means you can reach everything you’d expect to have access to as a desk worker straight from your phone. The features and design flow seamlessly, no matter the screen size, to unite your organization with one application.
Similarly, Interact also caters to companies with a significant number of frontline workers. The intranet software is fully responsive and works on both iOS and Android.
Targeted posts
Both internal employee communication tools recognize that the most effective messages are tailored.
Interact uses “personas” you can define based on qualities you set. More than just dividing workers by role, you can segment your messages based on the training they’ve already received, location, and more.
Blink also allows you to target posts based on certain teams and work functions. The live feed of employee posts, company communications, and important real-time notifications are 100% customizable for each individual.
People directory
Both Blink and Interact make it easy to discover and contact any other member in your organization, breaking down communication barriers.
Blink’s People Directory consists of each team member's photographs, role, time zone, and location.
Interact’s directory adds a bit more content to this directory with customizable bios, interests, and expertise.
How they’re different
Many features set each communication management software apart. Let’s take a look:
SMS
Interact adds multichannel broadcasts that include the option to send a text to employees. One reviewer notes how “beneficial a feature like this would be during a pandemic.”
Although Blink can push notifications to each user’s phone, there is no out-of-the-box feature that allows SMS texting.
Chat
When comparing Interact vs. Blink, one large difference is Blink’s native chat function. Users can start secure group or one-on-one chats. Document-sharing and emoji capabilities also mean your employees have the tools to get their message across, no matter the subject.
In contrast, Interact only has a tagging function to start conversations and, more often than not, will need to integrate with third-party chat platforms.
Digital signage
The Interact software includes built-in digital signage capabilities. That gives your team the ability to display updates, company news, and other useful information in break rooms, conference rooms — anywhere with a screen.
Blink does not offer a feature to create and display digital signage natively in the app but can be configured with integration to serve this purpose.
Micro-apps
Blink offers deep integration with thousands of apps, acting as your one-stop solution to digital workplace technology. Blink also lets you build out integrations for any app you need through customizable micro-apps.
When comparing the customization of Interact vs. Blink, you are slightly more limited with the latter. Although it also offers several integrations, the Interact intranet does not offer a way for users to add ample features themselves.
Extranet
Interact offers additional extranet services that provide a communication platform for business partners. External parties can access FAQs, product pages, blogs, answer surveys, and more through a simple login page.
Blink’s product offering is more narrowly focused on internal communications, so if your team is not looking for an extranet solution, a platform with features solely designed for internal teams may serve you better.
Feed page
Blink’s feed page provides an engaging, personalized experience that enables a sense of connectedness and omnidirectional communication.
When comparing Interact vs. Blink’s newsfeed, Interact’s is more focused on activity updates. For example, when a document is updated or a user joins a new group.
Although users can like and comment, the social aspect is not as prominent. The platform’s forum allows more back-and-forth conversations but does not encourage frequent participation.
Ease of use
Blink takes most of the burden of onboarding and IT off your hands, making it an ideal solution for enterprise companies and lean teams alike. The features are intuitive, requiring little to no training, and once you’re onboarded, Blink handles all the behind-the-scenes IT to keep your hands free.
On the other hand, learning to use Interact’s intranet does take a bit more time. User reviews say, “Its functionality is difficult to administer and labor-intensive. It is also not very intuitive.”
One feature that is consistently said to be difficult to use is its forms. “Forms are a great feature to have, but we've found them cumbersome to create and maintain.”
Interact vs. Blink — pricing
Blink offers four levels of paid service based on company size, while Interact’s pricing structure is a bit more opaque. They offer individualized pricing based on your organization’s exact requirements, so you’ll have to request a quote to see how much it may be for you.
Here’s a look at Blink’s pricing:
- Essential: $3.40 per person, per month
- Business: Price on application
- Enterprise: Price on application
- Enterprise Plus: Price on application
Interact vs. Blink — final thoughts
If you’re looking for a comprehensive, modern intranet with social features, want to maintain a more traditional communication structure, and have the resources to spend a little more time learning how to use the product in the backend, Interact may be the right choice for you.
However, if you want an intranet with engaging, intuitive features that refresh your internal communications with open dialogue, and you want to be able to fully customize your solution’s features, Blink may be your go-to.
Determine if Blink is the right solution for you by booking a demo. Try it free for 14 days.
Looking for more comparisons? Check out Blink Vs Beekeeper
