Understanding Salesforce license types and policies during license procurement allows IT and business leaders to uncover avenues for efficiency and Salesforce cost reduction. In this blog post, we aim to outline the core attributes of Salesforce.com licensing agreements, offering a concise overview of different license categories.

Cymetrix, as a Salesforce Partner, provides Salesforce consulting services, including license consultation. Our consultants align business needs with Salesforce capabilities to recommend the optimal license package. Recognizing that comprehension of Salesforce license types empowers decision-makers to pinpoint optimization possibilities and cost efficiencies during the license acquisition process.

What Salesforce license type should I buy?

On various occasions, both you and your Salesforce admin will need to assess the appropriate Salesforce license type to invest in. This could arise when setting up a new Salesforce CRM system from the ground up, onboarding new team members who will utilize Salesforce, or when enabling custom or AppExchange apps for your Salesforce users.

Each Salesforce user is assigned a singular user license, and the chosen license type dictates the foundational set of features accessible to that user. Not all organizational users necessitate full-fledged CRM capabilities. Some users may only need read-only access to accounts and contacts, while others might not require features like leads or opportunities or even a custom app.

Selecting the appropriate Salesforce license type involves several key steps:

1. Begin by dedicating time to analyzing your users and their primary Salesforce use cases. 

Determine which types of objects they require access to, considering both standard and custom objects. In certain cases, users might interact with CRM objects, but their usage could be relatively light. Assess the extent of reliance on standard CRM features versus custom apps or AppExchange applications. Identify whether certain users can adequately operate with read-only access to fundamental platform features such as accounts and contacts. This evaluation provides an opportunity to streamline Salesforce license expenses. In fact, conducting a comprehensive assessment of user roles and responsibilities through an organizational chart can prove beneficial.

2. Familiarize yourself with the distinct categories of Salesforce licenses.

The subsequent sections of this article will delve into the various types of licenses and their defining characteristics.

Salesforce User License Types

Salesforce.com provides services through user subscriptions, granting organizations the flexibility to opt for various user types and licenses. So, they are primarily divided into User licenses,  Feature licenses, and Permission set licenses. 

a. User licenses

The user license delineates the specific features and functionalities accessible to a user within Salesforce. Each user is required to be associated with a license. Hence, users are allocated data access based on their user profile, potentially supplemented by one or multiple permission sets.

b. Feature licenses

The feature license grants users permission to utilize supplementary functionalities within Salesforce that are not encompassed by their standard user license. These additional capabilities could include areas like Marketing or WDC. A user has the flexibility to possess multiple feature licenses as needed.

c. Permission set licenses

Similar to the feature license, the permission set license empowers users to access functionalities beyond the scope of their user license. This mechanism offers a streamlined approach to granting permissions for various tools and functions within the platform.

Outlined below are actions achievable through the permission set license:

1. Monitoring the count of permission-set licenses in salesforce.com.

2. Assigning these licenses to specific users.

3. Facilitating the removal of an assigned license from a user within the organization.

The success of numerous Salesforce implementations rests on the ability to strategically utilize diverse license types for optimal return on investment (ROI). To achieve this successfully, explore the following array of Salesforce licensing types and options:

1. Salesforce

The Enterprise Edition provides comprehensive access to both standard CRM features and Force.com AppExchange applications. Individuals holding this license can freely utilize any standard or custom app without limitations, comparable to an unlimited access plan in terms of functionality. However, it’s worth noting that users might not fully utilize all available features, potentially leading to unnecessary cost of a salesforce license.

On the other hand, the Salesforce license type known as the Standard user license is tailored for those requiring complete access to standard CRM features and Salesforce AppExchange applications. Users with this license can seamlessly navigate through both standard and custom applications. This Salesforce license type is widely adopted and is available across all Salesforce editions.

2. Salesforce Platform License

This license category is tailored to users who specifically seek access to custom or AppExchange Apps, excluding the standard CRM functionalities.

With this license, users can engage with core platform features like accounts, contacts, dashboards, reports, and documents. It also permits access to custom apps deployed within the organization or acquired from the Salesforce AppExchange.

However, certain aspects are not covered by this license type. It doesn’t include access to features like opportunity management or sales forecasts. Additionally, it omits authorization for specific permissions and standard apps, including standard tabs and objects. Nonetheless, users holding this license are granted offline app access. This license variant is offered in Enterprise, Unlimited, Performance, and Developer Editions.

Users possessing the Salesforce License types can interact with custom apps they’ve developed or incorporated from the Force.com AppExchange. However, they are restricted from accessing standard CRM functionalities. This license type grants entry to fundamental platform functionalities such as accounts, contacts, reports, dashboards, documents, and custom tabs, albeit with some permission and usage limitations. Notably, the creation or modification of dashboards is prohibited.

For many organizations with robust in-house development teams or those that have established custom objects to manage new data sets, these licenses often present an economically advantageous alternative. The sfdc license costs associated with developing comparable objects within Force.com and employing these Platform licenses are generally substantially lower than opting for Salesforce Enterprise Edition licenses for all users. These Salesforce licenses prove to be highly suitable for organizations that have devised their own solutions or custom objects to address specific data needs, thus rendering readymade CRM objects like “Cases,” “Leads,” “Solutions,” and “Campaigns” from the Salesforce Enterprise Edition unnecessary.

3. Salesforce Identity Licenses

Salesforce identity licenses offer users the ability to log in using Salesforce’s single sign-on (SSO) system, eliminating the need for a full CRM license.

Salesforce Identity pricing

For instance, consider the scenario with Pardot (Account Engagement) where Salesforce single sign-on (SSO) has been implemented for Pardot accounts. In essence, this mandates that all users must utilize Salesforce credentials to access Pardot. Users who lack a Salesforce license can be assigned an identity license, enabling Pardot-exclusive users to access the Pardot Lightning app via the Salesforce login. Moreover, it was recently noted that Pardot (Account Engagement) includes the allocation of 100 identity licenses.

4. Salesforce Einstein Licenses

In 2016, Salesforce entered the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) with the introduction of Salesforce Einstein. Rather than being a single product, Salesforce Einstein functions as a technological layer seamlessly integrated into the Salesforce Lightning platform and various Salesforce Cloud offerings.

Understanding Einstein licenses can be a bit intricate, but there are distinct approaches to accessing its features:

1. Einstein Features: Einstein Search and Opportunity Scoring come by default with Salesforce Enterprise edition and higher.

2. Most Einstein Features: The majority of Einstein features are accessible through the Salesforce Unlimited edition.

3. Additional Cost: Some Einstein features require an additional fee on top of Salesforce Enterprise and Performance editions.

Salesforce Einstein Pricing

Different aspects of Einstein are available within specific Salesforce Cloud editions:

– Sales Cloud Einstein: Requires an extra cost and encompasses Einstein Lead Scoring, Opportunity Insights, Forecasting, Account Insights, Automated Contacts, Recommended Connections, and Email Insights.

– Service Cloud Einstein: Also available at an additional cost of a salesforce license and combines several features.

– Marketing Cloud Einstein: Accessible with Marketing Cloud Corporate and Enterprise editions or as an add-on with Pro edition, including a selection of bundled features.

Additionally, there are freemium Einstein features:

– Einstein Next Best Action (NBA): Comes with 5,000 requests per month for Essentials and above, with the option to purchase extra requests in blocks of 10K.

– Prediction Builder: Available for Enterprise edition and above, enabling one active prediction at a time.

– Einstein Discovery: Offered with B2B Marketing Analytics Plus.

In essence, Salesforce Einstein introduces AI capabilities that are deeply integrated into its platform and Cloud products, offering a range of features across editions, some of which come with the base offerings, while others are available at an extra cost.

5. Salesforce Experience Cloud (Community) Licenses

Experience Cloud serves as a gateway for external users, such as customers or partners, to access your Salesforce organization. Hence, it is commonly referred to as a portal or community. Experience Cloud is built atop the standard Salesforce platform, allowing for a higher degree of Salesforce Customization and Configuration.

Salesforce Community license pricing

Experience Cloud encompasses five distinct Salesforce license types:

1. External App: This license type is designed to cater to specific external applications and their users.

2. Customer Community: Geared towards providing a collaborative platform for your customers, allowing them to interact and engage with your organization’s resources and services.

3. Customer Community Plus: Similar to the Customer Community license, this offers enhanced features and capabilities, enabling more advanced engagement and support.

4. Partner Community: Tailored for partners, this Salesforce license type facilitates collaboration and communication between your organization and external partners.

5. Channel: Created for high-volume scenarios, the Channel license type provides streamlined access for partners to access resources and manage their business relationships efficiently.

In summary, Experience Cloud introduces a versatile means for external users to interface with your Salesforce setup, with each license type catering to specific needs such as customer interaction, partner collaboration, and more, while maintaining the potential for deep customization and branding. Contact us for more information and tricks to utilize these licenses at their best.

6. Marketing Cloud Licenses

Navigating Salesforce license pricing can indeed be intricate due to its array of modules tailored to organizational requirements, including Studios and Builders. However, over time, the incorporation of various acquisitions has resulted in the categorization of Marketing Cloud offerings into five distinct bundles.

Each bundle is further segmented into editions, adhering to a per-organization billing structure. So, let’s take the example of the Marketing Messaging and automation bundle, which is pivotal and encompasses fundamental features expected from a marketing automation platform.

Within this bundle, there are four editions available:

1. Basic: Serving as the entry-level tier, designed for organizations with foundational marketing needs.

2. Pro: Offering enhanced features and capabilities for organizations seeking more advanced marketing functionalities.

3. Corporate: Targeting larger organizations with more extensive marketing requirements, this edition provides comprehensive tools for robust campaigns.

4. Enterprise: Representing the highest tier, tailored for sizable enterprises necessitating sophisticated marketing solutions.

In essence, comprehending Salesforce license cost per user involves understanding its module offerings, bundle categories, and edition differentiations, all within the context of your organization’s needs and objectives. Therefore, it’s advisable to engage directly with Salesforce representatives to gain clarity on specific Salesforce license pricing tiers tailored to your requirements.

7. Pardot Licenses (Account Engagement)

Pardot (Account Engagement) operates on a ‘per org billing model’, sometimes referred to as a ‘bucket’ license structure. This approach entails that upon purchasing a single Pardot license, your organization can provide access to as many users as needed, with a few exceptions:

1. B2B Marketing Analytics: These Salesforce licenses must be linked to specific users. In most Pardot (Account Engagement) editions, you’ll find five of these licenses included.

2. Non-Salesforce Users: As previously mentioned, Pardot users lacking a complete CRM license can be allocated identity licenses. This enables them to utilize Salesforce single sign-on (SSO) to access Pardot. As of the latest information, Pardot (Account Engagement) typically offers 100 identity licenses.

In essence, Pardot (Account Engagement) employs a flexible approach that permits extensive user access under a single license, with the exceptions of B2B Marketing Analytics licenses and identity licenses for non-Salesforce users, each with its own distinct rules.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of various Salesforce license types, making it an excellent reference for individuals seeking to comprehend their potential advantages for organizational purposes.

Does your organization have more complicated needs regarding Salesforce Licensing types than outlined here? At Cymetrix, we will be able to provide you with additional guidance.