Salesforce Sales Cloud Licenses Explained

Salesforce’s core product, Sales Cloud, first launched in 1999, has advanced tremendously over the years, including different versions with various limitations and add-ons available across the board. Navigating them can be difficult. So let’s break it down for you.

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Sales Cloud License Types

Starter & Pro Edition

These are Salesforce’s newer “suite” offerings designed for SMBs to get themselves started with their CRM journey.

Starter Suite - £20/user/month

Key features include:

• Lead, Account, Contact and Opportunity Management.

• Email Integration (with Gmail or Outlook) and productivity tools.

• Task Management and Activity Feed.

• Customisable Reports and Dashboards (pre-built dashboards for sales, service, marketing).

• Simplified Setup & Onboarding with built-in guidance.

• Basic Service & Marketing capabilities (case management, email campaigns) plus direct payment links/portal (commerce) in some markets.

Limitations:

• Limited customisation: fewer custom objects/apps, less automation.

• Basic reporting and analytics only (no advanced forecasting or AI built-in).

• Designed for simpler sales processes and smaller teams.

Pro Suite - £80/user/month

Key features include:

• It includes everything in Starter Suite plus:

• Greater customisation and automation (custom objects/apps, workflow automation).

• Quoting and contract management (create and manage quotes, price books) in sales.

• Forecast management and more advanced sales tools (insights, predicting pipeline) in many markets.

• Access to the AppExchange marketplace of integrations/extensions.

Limitations:

• While more powerful than Starter, it still doesn’t include the full enterprise-grade capabilities (for example unlimited sandbox, unlimited custom apps, highest API limits).

• Teams with very complex processes, large custom development or heavy integration needs may still need to move to Enterprise.

• Some advanced features (e.g., full AI/Einstein, massive data cloud/agent capabilities) may still require add-ons or higher editions.

Enterprise Edition - £140/user/month

The main Sales Cloud license type we work with; this allows full customisability of the platform.

Core features include: Everything in Pro Suite plus advanced pipeline management & deal insights, advanced forecasting. Web API access, integrations, unlimited custom apps/objects (or much higher limits)... you can configure the core platform to cater for almost any part of a business outside of sales, including:

• Order management

• Application / approval management

• Customer onboarding and service workflows

• Multi-department custom workflows

• Integration with ERP, inventory, finance systems

• Advanced reporting, data access, roles/permissions, record types, testing sandbox.

Limitations:

• While very capable, it may still lack the top-tier support, highest limits (API calls, sandboxes), and some of the most advanced AI features which are reserved for higher editions.

• Higher cost and complexity more likely needs specialist implementation to realise full value.

• Some advanced generative AI or autonomous agent capabilities may require separate licences or add-ons.

Unlimited Edition - £280/user/month

Feature details:

• This edition gives you the CRM for sales with intelligent automation and developer support built in.

• Everything in Enterprise plus top-tier support: 24/7 Premier Support, full sandbox environments for dev/test, highest customisation limits (custom apps/objects, API calls)

• Access to predictive AI, conversation intelligence and deeper sales engagement tools.

• Ideal for organisations needing maximum scalability, customisation, integration and support.

Limitations:

• Even at top tier there may still be additional add-ons or modules required (e.g., for specific AI/analytics) so implementation planning remains key.

Agentforce 1 Sales - £440/user/month

Feature details:

• This is the complete Sales CRM with built-in AI and unified data one platform that does it all.

• Everything in Unlimited plus full suite of AI features: unmetered Agentforce usage for employees, built-in AI sales agents (lead nurture, sales coaching, quoting automation)

• Trailhead

• Includes advanced modules like Sales Planning, Sales Programs, Maps, Tableau, Slack Enterprise+ (depending on region)

• Designed for organisations adopting AI-first sales operations, high automation, high data scale, advanced autonomy.

  
  

Limitations:

• Best suited to larger enterprises with complex sales operations and dedicated data/AI teams.

• Implementation complexity is higher (AI agents, data cloud, autonomous workflows).

• ROI depends strongly on data maturity and change-management capability — must ensure you’re ready for that level of automation.

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Final Thoughts

Sales Cloud offers multiple licence paths—from simple Starter packages to highly customisable enterprise-grade options. Choosing the right license depends on your business size, processes, and how much automation or customisation you require.

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Quick Guide:

• If you’re just starting with CRM and need a quick, out-of-the-box solution: go with Starter Suite.

  
  

• If you’re growing and need more automation/customisation: Pro Suite.

  
  

• If you have complex workflows, integrations and need deep customisation: Enterprise Edition.

  
  

• If you need maximum scalability, developer power and customisation: Unlimited Edition.

  
  

• If you’re ready for AI-first, next-level sales operations: Agentforce 1 Sales.

  
  

• If you’re unsure which edition fits your business best, we can guide you through sizing, setup, and how to evaluate your current processes to find the right fit.