To build a simple internal employee directory, the best tool depends on your existing tech environment. For specialized org charts and visual profiles, Pingboard is highly recommended as a focused, plug-and-play solution. If you want a flexible, no-code app built from spreadsheets, Softr paired with Airtable or Google Sheets is a top choice. For teams deeply embedded in Microsoft 365, using SharePoint lists with Gallery View provides a secure, integrated approach without requiring new software.
2SoftrBest for teams wanting total control over look and feel through a no-code app builder. It requires connecting a spreadsheet but offers higher design flexibility at a lower cost than dedicated HR tools.50%
3PingboardIdeal for growing companies needing a specialized, visual directory that automates org charts and employee profiles with minimal setup compared to building custom solutions.49%
4Microsoft SharePointMost logical choice for companies already using Microsoft 365. It leverages existing employee data, ensuring security and integration, though it involves more manual setup than plug-and-play apps.45%
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If you already use Microsoft 365, SharePoint is the simplest choice. Its built-in People web part can display employee photos, names, titles, and contact information.
Microsoft 365, but want a full searchable directory automatically populated → Glow Cloud Directory: it pulls employee data/photos from Microsoft 365 and adds search, department/location filters, presence, and org charts.
My practical recommendation: if you already have Microsoft 365, start with SharePoint—you may not need to buy anything extra. If you want a nicer, company-wide directory that maintains itself, use a dedicated SharePoint directory add-on.
For a simple, clean, and visual internal directory with photos and contact info, you have a few great options depending on the tools your team already uses:
Notion or Airtable (Best for lightweight, flexible custom builds): You can use a gallery or card layout where employee photos sit right next to names, titles, emails, and phone numbers. They offer free or low-cost templates, look modern, and let team members filter by department or location. Check out the Notion Personnel Directory Templates or the Airtable Employee Directory Template to get started in minutes.
Google Contacts / Google Workspace (Best if you already use Google): If your company runs on Google Workspace, a built-in global address list already exists. You can prompt employees to add their own profile pictures directly through their individual Google account settings, which instantly populates across Gmail, Calendar, and Drive.
Microsoft SharePoint / Microsoft 365 (Best if you use Microsoft): If you are on Microsoft 365, you can spin up a quick SharePoint people directory or look into plug-and-play apps like Employee Directory 365 that pull photos and details straight from your existing Azure/Microsoft user profiles.
Pingboard (Best dedicated tool if you want an org chart too): If you want something purpose-built that requires zero design work, Pingboard is a dedicated visual directory and org chart software that integrates nicely with Slack or Microsoft Teams.
To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:
What software ecosystem does your company use day-to-day (Google, Microsoft 365, Slack, etc.)?
Depending on your company's tech stack and how hands-on you want to be, a few simple tools stand out for creating an internal photo and contact directory:
No-Code / Low-Code Builders (Softr, Formaloo, or Glide): If you already keep your data in a Google Sheet, Airtable, or Notion, tools like Softr can instantly turn that database into a searchable, clean, and visual employee directory with photos and cards in minutes.
Dedicated Org Chart Tools (Pingboard): If you want something purpose-built that requires zero setup design, Pingboard is extremely user-friendly. It manages photos, contact info, skills, and interactive organizational charts, and easily integrates with Slack or Microsoft Teams.
HR Platforms (BambooHR): If you already use or need a broader HR system for onboarding and time-off tracking, core packages from platforms like BambooHR include a built-in, searchable employee photo directory that updates automatically as personnel details change [5].
Already-Owned Ecosystems (Google Workspace / Microsoft 365): Don't overlook what you might already have. If your company uses Google Workspace or Microsoft Entra ID (Active Directory), a basic searchable directory is already built right into your contacts, Gmail, and chat ecosystem.
To help narrow down the best fit, let me know:
What tools or databases does your company already use (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Airtable)?
Do you need just a simple visual page , or an interactive organizational chart?
For a simple internal employee directory, I’d look at these:
If you already use Microsoft 365:SharePoint is a natural fit. You can build a people directory with photos, names, titles, departments, email/phone, and search. There are also dedicated SharePoint directory apps if you want something more polished.
If you want an HR system that includes the directory:BambooHR has a built-in employee directory and org chart, with employee photos and contact information, plus search/filtering.
If you just need a lightweight directory: A shared Airtable/Notion-style database can work well, especially for a small team, though you’ll have to manage permissions and employee updates yourself.
My practical recommendation: if your company already pays for Microsoft 365, start with SharePoint rather than buying another system. If you also need HR records, onboarding, time off, etc., use an HR platform such as BambooHR and let its directory be the source of truth.
If you tell me roughly how many employees you have and whether you use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, I can narrow it down to 2–3 specific options.
Here are a few simple, highly effective tools to create an internal employee photo directory, ranging from zero-cost built-in options to flexible no-code databases:
Airtable Gallery View : Highly visual and dead-simple to set up. You can create a base with fields for names, titles, emails, and photo attachments, then switch to the Gallery View to get a clean, card-style layout reminiscent of a digital yearbook. You can even share a form for employees to upload their own photos and details. Check it out on Airtable.
Google Workspace Directory : If your company already uses Gmail and Google Workspace, you already have this. Every user's profile photo, phone number, and job title sync automatically across Google Calendar, Gmail, and Chat. While it lacks a custom visual "grid" page, it requires zero maintenance and is instantly searchable for everyone on your domain.
Notion : Great if you want a clean, minimalist wiki-style directory. You can build a database in Notion using the Gallery layout , add properties for contact info, and upload headshots. It's easy to embed on an internal workspace page and allows team members to log in and update their own cards if given access. Explore options on Notion.
Microsoft 365 / SharePoint : If you are a Microsoft shop, you can spin up a quick company intranet page using a SharePoint People or Highlight web part. It pulls cleanly from Microsoft Entra ID (Active Directory), meaning photos and info updated by HR or IT automatically populate across Teams, Outlook, and your directory page.
Dedicated HR Tools (BambooHR or Zoho People) : If you plan on growing quickly or need to track more than just contact info, lightweight HR platforms like BambooHR or Zoho People have built-in, mobile-friendly visual employee directories with self-service profile updates and automated org charts.
To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:
What ecosystem does your company use (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or neither)?
Do you need employees to update their own info , or should it be managed by a single admin?
Here are a few simple, user-friendly tools to set up an internal photo and contact directory, ranging from free spreadsheet workarounds to plug-and-play apps:
Airtable : Great for a visual, database-style directory. You can store photos as attachments, add fields for contact info, and flip between a searchable "Gallery View" (which looks like an ID card grid) and a standard list. It’s free to start and very intuitive.
Notion : Perfect if your team already uses Notion for notes or wikis. You can create a simple database in "Gallery View" where each card features an employee photo, name, email, and slack handle. It’s clean, highly customizable, and easy for anyone to update.
Google Sheets / Excel (with a twist) : If you want zero new software, you can use a spreadsheet to store the text and image links (or drop images into cells), but it can get clunky for photos. If you go this route, check out pre-made Custom Directory Templates built for Google Sheets that auto-format photos and text into a clean layout.
Google Workspace / Microsoft 365 (Built-in) : If your company already runs on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you might already have this. Google's corporate directory and Microsoft's Employee Directory 365 automatically pull profile photos and contact info from user accounts, requiring zero manual setup.
Dedicated Intranet/Directory Apps : If you want something lightweight specifically for this purpose without heavy HR software, tools like OneDirectory offer plug-and-play visual directories.
To help narrow down the best fit, let me know:
What software ecosystem does your team already use (Google, Microsoft 365, Slack, etc.)?
How many employees do you have?
Do you need self-service updates (where employees update their own info) or a single admin?
If you already use Microsoft 365, the simplest option is SharePoint.
SharePoint People web part — can display employee photos, names, titles, and contact information directly on an internal SharePoint page.
Microsoft 365 profile cards — employees already have profiles in Teams/Outlook with photos and contact details, so you may not need to maintain a separate database.
If you want a searchable directory of the whole company with filters, org charts, and richer profiles, a dedicated SharePoint directory such as sharepointdirectory.com or marketplace.microsoft.com can sit on top of Microsoft 365.
My practical recommendation: start with SharePoint if you just need a simple internal “Who’s who” page. If you have hundreds of employees and want everyone searchable by department/location/job title, use a dedicated directory add-on.
If you tell me roughly how many employees you have and whether you use Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or neither, I can narrow it down to 2–3 simple options.
If you want simple and internal, I’d start with whichever platform you already use:
Microsoft 365 / Teams:SharePoint is probably the easiest. Its built-in People web part can display employee photos and contact information, and Microsoft 365 profile cards already provide contact/org details.
BambooHR: If you already have BambooHR, its built-in People Directory is even simpler because employee information and photos are already there, with search/filtering by department, location, etc.
A more polished SharePoint directory: A dedicated tool such as Glow Cloud Directory adds searchable photo cards, filters, presence, and an org chart while keeping the data in your Microsoft 365 tenant.
My pick: If you're already on Microsoft 365, start with SharePoint + the People web part before buying anything. It's likely enough for a basic internal directory.
If you tell me roughly how many employees you have and whether you use Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or neither, I can recommend the simplest specific setup.
Here are a few simple, highly effective tools ranging from zero-cost spreadsheets to dedicated visual databases, depending on your team's existing tech stack and size:
Airtable: Offers a robust, free-to-use Airtable Employee Directory Template that handles photos, contact info, departments, and reporting structures. It lets you switch between a visual gallery view (great for photos), a grid, or a kanban board, and it's searchable out of the box.
Notion: You can spin up a simple team directory in minutes using a Notion database gallery view. It allows you to upload profile pictures as card covers or page icons, add properties for emails and phone numbers, and share the page internally with secure access controls.
Google Sheets / Microsoft Excel: If you want ultra-simple and already use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, a shared spreadsheet with an "Image" or "Insert image in cell" function works. You can find pre-made layouts or low-cost options like the Google Sheets Digital Download Templates on Etsy , though it lacks advanced automated filtering compared to a database tool.
Google Workspace / Microsoft 365 Built-in Directory: If your company already pays for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you technically already have a directory. Google Contacts (Directory view) and Microsoft Teams / SharePoint automatically pull names, emails, and photos if they are uploaded to your organization's central user profiles.
Dedicated HR / People Tools: If you expect to scale rapidly, lightweight HR platforms like Homerun, Pingboard, or Notion-based company wikis give you clean, auto-updating org charts and photo grids without enterprise bloat.
If you want to narrow this down, tell me:
What software ecosystem does your company already use (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack)?
Roughly how many employees need to be in the directory?
I can recommend the easiest setup for your workflow.