Salesforce Sales Cloud review
by Salesforce, Inc.Sales CRM
A customizable sales CRM with custom objects, quotes and forecasting from Pro Suite at $100 per user, and editions up to Core, Advanced and Max.
- Free plan
- No card needed
- Self-serve
- Per seat
- Public prices
What you're paying for
- Saves engineering time (main value)
- Compliance included
A sales CRM you can shape to your process, with custom objects, quotes and forecasting from Pro Suite, and editions to grow into.
Pro Suite, at $100 per user a month on an annual contract, adds up to 50 custom objects, quotes, sales forecasting and Flow automation to the contact, account and opportunity basics, so a team can model its own sales process without building a database. Help lists SAML single sign-on in all editions and the Setup Audit Trail and custom profiles on Professional-level editions. Teams that outgrow Pro Suite move up to Core, Advanced and Max in the same product, with the API, Premier Success and Agentforce credits included.
- Custom objects, quotes and forecasting on Pro SuiteThe small-business comparison marks custom objects, quote creation and sales forecast management on Pro Suite, not Starter; the Pro Suite allocations allow 50 custom objects.Evidence: Small-business pricing table and Help: Pro Suite edition allocations (2026-10-16)
- SSO and audit trail without an upgradeHelp lists SAML federated authentication as available in all editions and the Setup Audit Trail, which keeps 180 days of setup history, in Professional-level editions and up.Evidence: Help: SAML SSO and Setup Audit Trail (2026-10-16)
- A full export of your dataThe Data Export service exports all of an org’s data as CSV files: monthly in all editions (every 29 days on Professional) and weekly from Enterprise.Evidence: Help: Export Backup Data from Salesforce (2026-10-16)
- Best for
- Sales teams that want to model their own objects and processes now and expect to grow into a larger Salesforce edition later.
- Good to know
- Pro Suite is billed annually, its API is a $25 per user add-on, and sequences and the dialer are add-ons bought through sales.
How Salesforce Sales Cloud compares
Against 3 other products we reviewed in Sales CRM: what you pay for with each, the five access facts, the plan limits we recorded and each review's bottom line. The note under the table says how each one was checked.
| Metric | Salesforce Sales Cloud | Zoho CRM | HubSpot Sales Hub | Pipedrive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Saves engineering timeA sales CRM you can shape to your process, with custom objects, quotes and forecasting from Pro Suite, and editions to grow into. | Worth the priceA full sales CRM at $14 a user: pipelines, workflows, cadences, forecasting and custom modules on Standard, with SOC 2, ISO 27001 and a HIPAA path. | Worth the priceA free CRM with deals and inbox logging that grows into paid Sales Hub seats, on one platform with HubSpot’s marketing and service tools. | Easy to adoptA visual sales pipeline with unlimited pipelines, SAML SSO and the API on every plan, and email sync, automations and sequences from $39 a seat. |
| Overall score | 5.7 | 9.1Best | 6.8 | 6.7 |
| Free option | Free plan | Free plan | Free plan | 14-day free trial |
| Card to start | No card needed | No card needed | No card needed | No card needed |
| Getting access | Self-serve | Self-serve | Self-serve | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $25/user/mo | $14/user/mo | $20/seat/mo | $14/seat/mo |
| Pricing model | Per seat | Per seat | Per seat | Per seat |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices | Public prices | Public prices |
| Billing unit | Per user per month; Agentforce usage in Flex Credits | Per user per month | Per seat per month; HubSpot Credits for AI and agents | Per seat per month; add-ons per company |
| Free option | Free Suite for 2 users; 30-day trial of paid editions, no card | Free edition for 3 users; 15-day trial, no card | Free CRM for up to 2 users, no card; 14-day trial on the Sales Hub page | No free plan; 14-day trial, no card |
| Reference scenario (5 users, annual) | $500/mo on Pro Suite ($100 × 5), computed | $70/mo on Standard ($14 × 5), computed | $100/mo on Starter at list ($20 × 5), computed; $35/mo at the new-customer offer | $195/mo on Growth ($39 × 5), computed |
| Month-to-month price | Starter Suite only ($25); Pro Suite and up are billed annually | $20 per user on Standard ($20 / $35 / $50 / $65) | $20 per seat on Starter at list ($10 offer); $100 on Professional, annual commitment | $49 per seat on Growth ($24 / $49 / $79 / $99) |
| Sequences | Sales Engagement add-on, $50 per user/mo billed annually, through sales | Cadences from Standard: 20 per module | From Professional ($90, plus $1,500 onboarding) | From Growth: 5 sequences per company (25 on Premium) |
| Forecasting and custom objects | From Pro Suite ($100); 50 custom objects | Forecasting and 10 custom modules on Standard | Forecasting from Professional; custom objects on Enterprise | Forecast view from Growth; no custom objects listed |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | SOC 2 reports and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 for Sales Cloud; Starter and ProSuite excluded from both | SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 (Zoho compliance page) | Own SOC 2 Type 2; ISO 27001 credited to hosting providers | SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (Trust Center) |
| HIPAA BAA | Signed with Salesforce through your account representative | HIPAA settings from Standard; BAA template from Zoho legal | Enterprise, accepted in account settings | Not offered; terms say the services are not designed for HIPAA |
| EU data hosting | Hyperforce regions in the EU; EU Operating Zone is a paid offering | EU data center when signing up from an EU country | Germany data center, assigned by sign-up location, every plan | EU sign-ups hosted in the EU (Frankfurt, Dublin) |
| SSO | SAML federated authentication in all editions (Help) | SAML through Zoho Directory, reached from CRM setup | SAML from Professional | SAML on every plan |
| API | $25 per user/mo add-on on Pro Suite; included from Core | Every edition; up to 100,000 credits a day on Standard | Every plan, Free included | Every plan; 60,000 API tokens per seat a day on Growth |
| Data export | Full CSV export: every 29 days on Pro Suite, weekly from Core | Module exports; 2 free full data backups a month on Standard | Export each object; weekly CRM backups from Starter | Export all data for each item type, XLSX or CSV |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, Sales Cloud gives a small team custom objects, quotes and forecasting from Pro Suite and a long ladder of editions. The API, sequences and the dialer cost extra below Core, Pro Suite is annual only, and the Suites sit outside its SOC and ISO scope. | From its public pages, Zoho CRM puts the most on its entry plan: pipelines, workflows, cadences, forecasting, custom modules, audit logs and HIPAA settings for $14 a user, with SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Quotes start on Professional, and one older comparison page needs updating. | From its public pages, HubSpot Sales Hub is the easiest start here: a free CRM, then Starter at a $20 list price with pipelines, automations and calling. Sequences, forecasting and SSO need Professional and its onboarding fee, and a few HubSpot pages disagree on details. | From its public pages, Pipedrive is a straightforward pipeline CRM with SSO and the API on every plan and sales automation on Growth at $39 a seat. It has no custom objects or HIPAA path, and two pages disagree on which plan has the audit log. |
Evidence: Salesforce Sales Cloud: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Zoho CRM: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; HubSpot Sales Hub: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Pipedrive: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
Score
- Pricing clarity
- 5.0 / 10, Fair
- scenario plan priced; can be bought online; no month-to-month price published; extra AI usage priced; pricing page shows no Flow Builder on Free Suite and Starter, while the comparison PDF and Help list 5 flows; pricing page and Salesforce blog put several sales processes on Pro Suite; Help lists multiple business processes from Enterprise only; Revenue Intelligence is from $220 per user on the pricing page and $250 on the add-ons page; price of the Hyperforce EU Operating Zone not published (request a call)
- Free plan and trial
- 7.5 / 10, Good
- free plan, 2 users, mailbox sync, no workflow automation, 30-day trial, no card needed
- Price for 5 users
- 2.3 / 10, Fair
- $500/mo: Pro Suite at $100 × 5 users, annual terms; no add-on needed: Gmail or Outlook email sync and Flow automation (5 flows per org) are on Pro Suite; no onboarding fee is published; assumes more than one pipeline on Pro Suite, as the pricing page and Salesforce blog describe; Help lists multiple business processes from Enterprise, which would mean Core at $195 per user
- Sales features
- 7.2 / 10, Good
- email sequences enterprise or through sales only; forecasting on the scenario plan; custom objects on the scenario plan; quotes on the scenario plan; calling enterprise or through sales only
- Compliance and data residency
- 3.5 / 10, Fair
- no SOC 2 Type II stated, ISO 27001, HIPAA BAA enterprise or through sales only, EU data storage enterprise or through sales only (stored in the org’s Hyperforce country; how it is chosen is not stated; the EU Operating Zone is a paid offering through sales)
- Admin, API and data export
- 8.5 / 10, Excellent
- SAML SSO on the scenario plan; custom roles on the scenario plan; audit log on the scenario plan; no API on the scenario plan without an extra fee; full data export
Review
Review from public pages
Written from Salesforce Sales Cloud's public pages (pricing, security or privacy, and docs) as read on Oct 16, 2026. We did not sign up, and no hands-on run is published yet.
What the public pages show
We read Salesforce's Sales Cloud pricing page and its comparison table, the small-business pricing, Starter Suite and Pro Suite pages and FAQs, the Free CRM page, the Sales add-ons page, Agentforce pricing, the Starter and Pro Suite comparison PDF, Help articles on edition allocations, SSO, the Setup Audit Trail, data export, record types, business processes and forecasts, the compliance site, the Security, Privacy and Architecture document, the BAA page and the Master Subscription Agreement on Oct 16, 2026; we did not sign up, start a trial or call the API. The pages served us the US English site with US dollar prices.
The ladder is clear: Free Suite for 2 users, Starter Suite at $25 per user billed monthly or annually, Pro Suite at $100 billed annually, then Core ($195), Advanced ($395) and Max ($550). Starter and Pro Suite are bought through self-checkout; Max is sold through sales.
Some points need a question to Salesforce. The pricing table marks a customizable sales process on every edition and Salesforce's blog points to Pro Suite for several sales processes, while Help lists multiple business processes from Enterprise only. The pricing page shows no Flow Builder on Free Suite and Starter, while the comparison PDF and Help list 5 flows. The Security, Privacy and Architecture document excludes the Starter and ProSuite SKUs from its SOC and ISO 27001 scope, and the compliance site lists SOC 2 reports without saying Type II.
Strengths
- Custom objects, quotes and forecasting from $100
Pro Suite, bought online, adds up to 50 custom objects, quotes and sales forecasting to the opportunity basics.
vs HubSpot Sales Hub: HubSpot Sales Hub keeps custom objects on Enterprise, sold through sales; Pipedrive lists no custom objects.
- SSO and audit trail in the base editions
Help lists SAML federated authentication in all editions and the Setup Audit Trail, with 180 days of setup history, in Professional-level editions; Pro Suite allows 3 custom profiles and 10 permission sets.
vs HubSpot Sales Hub: HubSpot Sales Hub starts SAML SSO on Professional; Attio keeps SSO on Enterprise.
- Full CSV export of the org
The Data Export service exports all data as CSV files, every 29 days on Professional-level editions and weekly from Enterprise.
vs Pipedrive: Pipedrive exports one item type at a time.
- Editions to grow into
Core, Advanced and Max add advanced forecasting, the API, Premier Success and 500K to 2.75M Flex Credits a year; extra Flex Credits are listed at $500 per 100K.
Things to know
- The API is an add-on on Pro Suite
The pricing table lists the Web Services API on Pro Suite at an additional $25 per user a month; Free Suite and Starter do not have it. Core and up include it.
Workaround: Budget $125 a month for 5 users (computed), or start on Core if integrations are planned.
- Pro Suite is annual only
Pro Suite is billed annually with a contract. The Master Subscription Agreement says fees are non-refundable, quantities cannot be decreased during the term, and subscriptions renew for a year unless notice is given 30 days before the end.
Workaround: Starter Suite is billed monthly or annually at the same $25 price.
- Sequences and dialer through sales
Sales Engagement (sequences, $50 per user a month billed annually) and the Sales Dialer (from $5 per user) are add-ons on a page that offers "Contact us"; Salesforce does not offer trial licenses for Sales Engagement.
- Compliance scope excludes the Suites
The Security, Privacy and Architecture document excludes Salesforce Starter and ProSuite from its SOC 1, 2 and 3 audits and ISO 27001 scope. A HIPAA BAA is signed through your account representative.
Workaround: Core and up are Sales Cloud editions outside that exclusion; ask Salesforce which report covers your edition.
Pricing reality
Salesforce bills each user per month. For our scenario, 5 users on Pro Suite cost 5 × $100 = $500 a month on an annual contract ($6,000 a year, computed), before tax. That covers opportunities, email sync, forecasting, quotes, 50 custom objects and 5 active flows. If several sales processes need Enterprise-level features, as Help says, the scenario moves to Core at $975 a month for 5 users (computed). Costs rise with the API on Pro Suite ($25 per user), Sales Engagement ($50 per user), the Sales Dialer (from $5 per user), Premier Success on Pro Suite (30% of net license fees) and Agentforce Flex Credits ($500 per 100K). No onboarding fee is published.
Exit path
The Data Export service exports all of an org’s data as CSV files, every 29 days on Professional-level editions and weekly from Enterprise, and the API can pull data on Core and up. The Master Subscription Agreement makes customer data available on request within 30 days after termination; the security document says it is then kept inactive for 120 days before deletion.
Compared with
- Pick Salesforce Sales Cloud when
- You want custom objects, quotes and forecasting on a plan bought online, and SSO and an audit trail in every edition.
- Pick HubSpot Sales Hub when
- You want a free plan with inbox logging and a lower 5-user cost ($100 a month on Starter at list price, computed).
- Pick Salesforce Sales Cloud when
- You need custom objects and quotes without an add-on, and a full CSV export of the org.
- Pick Pipedrive when
- You want monthly billing, and sequences, forecasting and automations at $39 per seat ($195 a month for 5, annual).
- Pick Salesforce Sales Cloud when
- You expect to grow into larger editions with Agentforce credits, Premier Success and the API included.
- Pick Zoho CRM when
- You want cadences, forecasting and custom modules for $70 a month for 5 users on Standard (annual, computed).
Choose it if
- You want to model your own objects and processes in the CRM from the start.
- You need SAML SSO and an audit trail without a higher edition.
- You expect to grow into Core, Advanced or Max with the API and AI credits included.
Look elsewhere if
- You want month-to-month billing on the plan with forecasting and quotes.
- You need email sequences or a dialer without a sales conversation.
- You need the API on a plan under $195 per user without an add-on.
Bottom line
From its public pages, Sales Cloud gives a small team custom objects, quotes and forecasting from Pro Suite and a long ladder of editions. The API, sequences and the dialer cost extra below Core, Pro Suite is annual only, and the Suites sit outside its SOC and ISO scope.
Plan limits at a glance
| Limit | As recorded |
|---|---|
| Billing unit | Per user per month; Agentforce usage in Flex Credits |
| Free option | Free Suite for 2 users; 30-day trial of paid editions, no card |
| Reference scenario (5 users, annual) | $500/mo on Pro Suite ($100 × 5), computed |
| Month-to-month price | Starter Suite only ($25); Pro Suite and up are billed annually |
| Sequences | Sales Engagement add-on, $50 per user/mo billed annually, through sales |
| Forecasting and custom objects | From Pro Suite ($100); 50 custom objects |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | SOC 2 reports and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 for Sales Cloud; Starter and ProSuite excluded from both |
| HIPAA BAA | Signed with Salesforce through your account representative |
| EU data hosting | Hyperforce regions in the EU; EU Operating Zone is a paid offering |
| SSO | SAML federated authentication in all editions (Help) |
| API | $25 per user/mo add-on on Pro Suite; included from Core |
| Data export | Full CSV export: every 29 days on Pro Suite, weekly from Core |
Read from the vendor's public pages on Oct 16, 2026. No hands-on run is published yet. How we check
We have not published a sign-up run for Salesforce Sales Cloud yet. The access facts above were read from its sign-up and pricing pages on Oct 16, 2026.
We have not published API calls for Salesforce Sales Cloud yet.
Salesforce Sales Cloud lists 5 plans. The cheapest paid plan, Starter Suite (billed monthly or annually), costs $25/user/mo.
- Salesforce Sales CloudFreeFree Suite$0/user/moUp to 2 users; no contract or card
- Lead, account, contact and opportunity management
- Email integration with Gmail or Outlook
- Products and 1 price book
- Log in at least once every 60 days to keep it
- Salesforce Sales CloudLowest priceStarter Suite$25/user/moBilled monthly or annually; 30-day trial for up to 10 users
- Automatic email and calendar sync (Activity Capture)
- Campaign management and marketing analytics
- No custom objects
- No Flow Builder on the pricing page
- Salesforce Sales CloudPro Suite$100/user/moBilled annually, contract required
- Sales forecasting and quotes
- Up to 50 custom objects
- Flow automation, 5 flows per org
- Web Services API as a $25 per user/mo add-on
- Salesforce Sales CloudCore$195/user/moBilled annually
- Advanced pipeline management and forecasting
- API included
- Premier Success included
- 500K Flex Credits per org per year
- Salesforce Sales CloudAdvanced$395/user/moBilled annually; Max ($550) is sold through sales
- Everything in Core
- 1M Flex Credits per org per year
- Max adds 2.75M Flex Credits per org per year
Prices as listed, USD, excluding tax; observed 2026-10-16.
Source: salesforce.com pricing page. Prices change; the observed date above is when our agent read them.