Picking the best customer relationship management (CRM) software can make a massive impact on your business running smoothly. Salesforce offers several CRM options to suit a variety of business needs, although narrowing down which option to choose can take a little time. We’ve done the heavy lifting to help you sort out how much Salesforce costs and which plans might be best for your situation.
What is Salesforce?
Founded in San Francisco in 1999, Salesforce got its start as a cloud-based CRM. It now has more than 150,000 customers across the globe and offers solutions for every company in every stage, from startup to small business to global enterprise. It also offers artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, including the ability to write sales emails, conduct customer service, handle sensitive data, and more.
How many types of Salesforce CRM software are there?
It’s no secret that Salesforce has a ton of CRM options, with nearly 100 products in its arsenal. For smaller businesses and startups, there are simple packages with essential sales tools and customer service functionalities. For more comprehensive options required of larger companies, Sales Cloud and Service Cloud help manage sales processes and customer interactions. There are also specialized CRMs, such as for healthcare, retail, finance, and more. Chances are, if you have a specific need, Salesforce has a solution for it.
To appreciate the breadth of Salesforce’s offerings, you should understand how these CRM tools can enhance customer interactions at every level of business.
Popular small business CRM services from Salesforce
| Product name | Lowest monthly rate | Best for | Company size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Suite | Starter Suite per user | Email marketing | Up to 10 employees |
| Sales | $25.00 per user | Lead management | Up to 50 employees |
| Service | $25 per user | Customer support | Up to 100 employees |
| Marketing | $1,500 for up to 10,000 contacts | Multi-channel marketing | Up to 200 employees |
| Slack | Free | Collaborating | Any size |
| Starter Suite | |
|---|---|
| Lowest monthly rate | Starter Suite per user |
| Best for | Email marketing |
| Company size | Up to 10 employees |
| Sales | |
| Lowest monthly rate | $25.00 per user |
| Best for | Lead management |
| Company size | Up to 50 employees |
| Service | |
| Lowest monthly rate | $25 per user |
| Best for | Customer support |
| Company size | Up to 100 employees |
| Marketing | |
| Lowest monthly rate | $1,500 for up to 10,000 contacts |
| Best for | Multi-channel marketing |
| Company size | Up to 200 employees |
| Slack | |
| Lowest monthly rate | Free |
| Best for | Collaborating |
| Company size | Any size |
More Salesforce services
- Tableau
- Commerce Cloud
- MuleSoft
- Marketing Cloud Account Engagement
- Einstein AI
- Salesforce CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote)
- Quip
How much does Salesforce CRM cost for small businesses?
Salesforce has a variety of plans suited for small businesses, all designed for various budgets and company needs. Most prices are per user per month, allowing you to scale up or down as staff sizes vary. Below is a detailed breakdown.
Salesforce Starter Suite: best for email marketing
For small businesses and startups that need to manage customer relationships, including through email marketing, Salesforce Starter Suite is a good option. It’s an affordable way to get started and comes with essential tools to engage with and grow your audience.
Salesforce Starter Suite
| Base price: | Starting at $25.00 per user, per month* |
| Free trial length: | 30 days |
| Free plan available: | No |
at Salesforce
Pros
- Account, contact, lead, and opportunity management
- Lead assignment and routing
- Web-to-lead capture
- Customizable email templates
Cons
- Lacks AI tools
- No advanced reporting or forecasting features
- Lacks sales territory features
- No built-in quote or contract tools
- Limited collaboration features
at Salesforce
Why we like it
Salesforce Starter Suite is a great entry point for small businesses and startups to build a CRM foundation. With this tool, businesses can manage their contact, conversations, leads, and opportunities. It comes with custom email templates, lead capturing for those inquiring about your product or signing up for a newsletter, and these all get put in as a lead in the CRM system.
From there, the contact’s information is tracked, managed, and then followed up on by your sales team via email marketing or through a phone call. This saves time on manual data entry, allowing the sales team to reach out when a lead is warmer, which can improve conversion rates.
Learn more: read our Salesforce Starter Suite review.
Salesforce Starter Suite pricing & plans
With Salesforce Starter Suite, you can get its basic plan, as well as a pro plan with even more features.
| Plan name | Key features | Monthly rate | Annual rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Suite | Sales, service, marketing | $25 per user | $300 |
| Pro Suite | Application programming interface (API) calls, custom apps, web messaging, and forecast management | n/a | $1,200 |
| Starter Suite | |
|---|---|
| Key features | Sales, service, marketing |
| Monthly rate | $25 per user |
| Annual rate | $300 |
| Pro Suite | |
| Key features | Application programming interface (API) calls, custom apps, web messaging, and forecast management |
| Monthly rate | n/a |
| Annual rate | $1,200 |
Salesforce Small Business Sales: best for lead management
To turn leads and prospects into customers, the Salesforce Small Business Sales plan makes it easy. Track your leads, automate your workflows, and get detailed analytics to make informed decisions throughout the entire sales process.
Salesforce Small Business Sales
| Transparent pricing? | Yes, starting at $25.00 per month |
| Free trial length: | 30 days |
| 24/7 customer support? | Yes, via phone and chat |
at Salesforce
Pros
- Sales automation tools to streamline workflows
- Detailed reporting and analytics for data-driven decisions
- Track and manage leads
Cons
- Can be complex for smaller businesses or solo entrepreneurs
- Higher cost compared to simpler CRM solutions
- Must pay for its most expensive package for AI
at Salesforce
Why we like it
When you need to streamline sales operations, Salesforce Small Business Sales is the tool that’ll get you there. It will automate your lead management so that each potential client is followed up on, and each touchpoint along the way is tracked along the way. With detailed reports and analytics, businesses can pivot and make informed decisions that drive growth. Set up a custom workflow to tailor Salesforce to your businesses’ specific needs. While it’s a heavier tool than some of the simpler CRM sales solutions and will require more extensive onboarding, it’s an invaluable resource for the right business.
Salesforce Small Business Sales pricing & plans
From small teams to large enterprises, Salesforce Small Business Sales has a solution for you. While monthly rates are listed for budgeting purposes, all of these plans are only billed annually.
| Plan name | Key features | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Professional | Forecast management, quotes, contracts, and custom reports and dashboards | $80 per user |
| Sales Enterprise | Pipeline management, workflows, and approvals | $165 per user |
| Sales Unlimited | AI, GPT, and sandboxes | $330 per user |
| Sales Professional | |
|---|---|
| Key features | Forecast management, quotes, contracts, and custom reports and dashboards |
| Monthly rate | $80 per user |
| Sales Enterprise | |
| Key features | Pipeline management, workflows, and approvals |
| Monthly rate | $165 per user |
| Sales Unlimited | |
| Key features | AI, GPT, and sandboxes |
| Monthly rate | $330 per user |
Salesforce Small Business Service: best for customer service
With Salesforce Small Business Service, businesses can manage customer service cases, automate their service processes, and solve problems quickly. Here’s a closer look.
Salesforce Small Business Service
| Transparent pricing? | Yes, starting at $25.00 per month |
| Free trial length: | 30 days |
| 24/7 customer support? | Yes, via phone and chat |
at Salesforce
Pros
- Multichannel support, including chat, phone, and self-service portals
- AI-driven insights and automation
- Customizable workflows to match specific business needs
Cons
- Can be complex and overwhelming for smaller businesses
- It’s expensive
- Requires a structured customer service process to leverage its capabilities fully
at Salesforce
Why we like it
We like Salesforce Small Business Service because it allows businesses to provide the best customer support no matter what the service channel—self-service options, through chat, email, or phone. Businesses can manage interactions with customers from a central database and see each contact point in one place, so queries resolve themselves quickly. With AI features, cases route intelligently, and workflows are automated so customer service agents can be more efficient, which improves overall customer satisfaction.
With AI-powered chatbots to handle simple, routine inquiries, agents are free to handle more complex tasks, such as escalated service requests. With a self-service portal, customers can look up answers without ever having to reach out to a customer service agent.
Salesforce Small Business Service pricing & plans
From basic support features to AI-driven tools, Salesforce Small Business Service has several options for a variety of needs. As with the Sales product, all plans are billed annually.
| Plan name | Key features | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Service Professional | Omnichannel case routing, computer telephony integration (CTI) integration, and advanced reporting | $80 per user |
| Service Enterprise | AI-driven insights, self-service help center, and workflow automation | $165 per user |
| Service Unlimited | 24/7 support, AI-powered chatbots, and full customization | $330 per user |
| Service Professional | |
|---|---|
| Key features | Omnichannel case routing, computer telephony integration (CTI) integration, and advanced reporting |
| Monthly rate | $80 per user |
| Service Enterprise | |
| Key features | AI-driven insights, self-service help center, and workflow automation |
| Monthly rate | $165 per user |
| Service Unlimited | |
| Key features | 24/7 support, AI-powered chatbots, and full customization |
| Monthly rate | $330 per user |
Salesforce Small Business Marketing: best for multi-channel marketing
Leveraging AI, Salesforce Small Business Marketing lets businesses create targeted, multichannel campaigns to bring in customers. Here’s what you need to know.
Salesforce Small Business Marketing
| Transparent pricing? | Yes, starting at $1,500 per month |
| Free trial length: | 30 days |
| 24/7 customer support? | Yes, via phone and chat |
at Salesforce
Pros
- Send time optimization for better engagement
- Multichannel marketing capabilities, such as email and short message service (SMS)
- AI-driven campaign creation and optimization
Cons
- Higher cost compared to simpler marketing tools
- Complexity may be overwhelming for small teams
- Some features may be unnecessary for businesses with basic needs
at Salesforce
Why we like it
AI has swept the world by storm, and small businesses can harness its power thanks to Salesforce Small Business Marketing. Salesforce uses Einstein Copilot to generate entire campaigns, segment your list, and develop email content all with a single prompt. Best of all? This takes only minutes to do. You can train the AI to make better outputs too, so your campaigns sound human-like and not at all like a robot.
In addition to all of its AI-powered tools, businesses can grow their customer base by meeting them where they hang out most. Whether this is through email or SMS, Salesforce looks at data across each department—sales, service, and commerce—so you’re taking the next right action based on all the data, rather than looking at the next action in a silo.
Any time a lead engages across any one of your marketing channels, a notification is sent to the sales team. This way, they can hop on any hot leads and know when it’s time to onboard a customer.
Salesforce Small Business Marketing pricing & plans
There is one plan offered under the Salesforce Small Business Marketing umbrella. Here’s what you need to know:
| Plan name | Key features | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AI-powered campaigns, multichannel optimization, forms, landing pages, and send time optimization | $1,500 for up to 10,000 contacts (billed annually) |
| Growth | |
|---|---|
| Key features | AI-powered campaigns, multichannel optimization, forms, landing pages, and send time optimization |
| Monthly rate | $1,500 for up to 10,000 contacts (billed annually) |
| Key features | |
| Monthly rate |
Salesforce Slack: best for collaboration
With a centralized system for project management and communication, Slack is ideal for businesses that need to keep in touch in real time. It has been a communication powerhouse for years and was acquired by Salesforce in 2021.
Salesforce Slack
| Transparent pricing? | No, there are discrepancies in pricing across Slack |
| Free trial length: | 30 days |
| 24/7 customer support? | Yes, via phone and chat |
Pros
- Real-time messaging, file sharing, and project management features
- Centralized platform for communication and collaboration
- Extensive integration capabilities with various tools and apps
Cons
- Potential for distractions due to constant notifications
- Learning curve for nontechnical teams
Why we like it
With more than 2,600 apps, you can integrate with a ton of other products to centralize your workflows and collaborate across teams so that you don’t have to switch between different programs or tools constantly. With channels, huddles, and Workflow Builder, you can automate tasks and communicate in real time, so employees are all on the same page. With Slack, you can share files, manage projects, and communicate across departments.
Businesses can organize their conversations by topic with unlimited channels too. For example, create an off-topic channel for intermittent chatter or have a channel for human resources (HR) updates or company-wide announcements. With huddles, users can have real-time audio and video meetings, which is ideal for teams small and large.
Salesforce Small Business Sales pricing & plans
To accommodate a variety of communication needs, Slack by Salesforce offers several plans both with and without integrations. However, the pricing between what’s offered through its small business channel and directly through Slack is different. Here’s a breakdown:
| Plan name | Key features | Monthly rate | Annual rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Basic lead management, contact tracking, and email automation | $25 per user | $300 per user |
| Pro Suite | Advanced sales automation, custom reports, and forecasting | $100 per user | $1,200 per user |
| Free at slack.com | Basic messaging, 90-day message history, and 1:1 video calls | $0 | $0 |
| Pro at slack.com | Unlimited message history, app integrations, and group video calls | $4.38 per user for the first 3 months, then $8.75 per user | $30.89 per user |
| Business+ at slack.com | Advanced security features, unlimited integrations, and enhanced support | $15 per user | $180 |
| Enterprise Grid at slack.com | Custom security controls, unlimited workspaces, and priority support | Custom | Custom |
| Starter | |
|---|---|
| Key features | Basic lead management, contact tracking, and email automation |
| Monthly rate | $25 per user |
| Annual rate | $300 per user |
| Pro Suite | |
| Key features | Advanced sales automation, custom reports, and forecasting |
| Monthly rate | $100 per user |
| Annual rate | $1,200 per user |
| Free at slack.com | |
| Key features | Basic messaging, 90-day message history, and 1:1 video calls |
| Monthly rate | $0 |
| Annual rate | $0 |
| Pro at slack.com | |
| Key features | Unlimited message history, app integrations, and group video calls |
| Monthly rate | $4.38 per user for the first 3 months, then $8.75 per user |
| Annual rate | $30.89 per user |
| Business+ at slack.com | |
| Key features | Advanced security features, unlimited integrations, and enhanced support |
| Monthly rate | $15 per user |
| Annual rate | $180 |
| Enterprise Grid at slack.com | |
| Key features | Custom security controls, unlimited workspaces, and priority support |
| Monthly rate | Custom |
| Annual rate | Custom |
Which Salesforce CRM product is right for me?
Ana Moura, global customer CRM senior manager – CDP advisor at Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., says, “CRM programs give companies the opportunity to design, implement, and refine processes that involve different teams. It offers an opportunity for all these teams to work together and share customer-focused KPIs [key performance indicators] that can also help match such processes with the marketing technology best suited to support and improve them.” While a CRM is important for any business, investing in a Salesforce CRM product takes both time and financial resources, so getting it right the first time can save a lot of trouble.
Here are some questions to ask yourself before signing up:
- What is the primary goal you want to achieve with a CRM? Is it to improve sales, customer service, or marketing?
- How large is your team, and what level of complexity can they handle?
- Do you need advanced features, such as AI-driven insights or workflow automation?
- What’s your budget, and how much are you willing to invest in a CRM solution?
- Is it for you to have multichannel support, such as chat, phone, and self-service portals?
If you’re still not sure which plan is right for you, consider going with its basic Starter plan, which costs $25 per user, per month. This way, you’re not diving in headfirst to a CRM that’s too big or complicated for your business’s requirements. You can always scale up as your needs evolve. Another option is to hop on a phone call with its sales team, and they can make suggestions based on your business size, needs, and pain points.
Compare Salesforce alternatives
 Zoho CRM |  Pipedrive |  Freshsales |
|---|---|---|
| Base monthly cost per user | Base monthly cost per user | Base monthly cost per user |
| Starts at $20.00; free plan for up to three users | Starts at $24.00 per user, per month | Starts at $11.00; free plan for up to three users |
| Maximum number of users | Maximum number of users | Maximum number of users |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Free trial length | Free trial length | Free trial length |
| 15 days | 14 days | 21 days |
| Learn more | Learn more | Learn more |
| View offer at Zoho CRM | View offer at Pipedrive | View offer at Freshsales |
Frequently asked questions
Can I upgrade my Salesforce plan as my business grows?
Yes, as your business needs evolve, you can upgrade your Salesforce plan. Many businesses start with its Starter plan and then upgrade their plan as their business grows.
Is Salesforce suitable for solo entrepreneurs?
While Salesforce charges per user and you can use its tools as a solopreneur, there are simpler, less-expensive CRM options out there that might be a better fit.
Does Salesforce offer a free trial?
Yes, Salesforce has a free trial so you can test out the features to see how it works for your business. The trial period is 30 days.
