Demystifying Salesforce License Types​

One of the very important and basic features when working with Salesforce is understanding different Salesforce License Types. Every user must have a license assigned which gives them the base level access to the features of the platform. There are different Salesforce License Types that gives users access to different features.

Admins and Developers new to Salesforce may find it scary and complex to learn about Salesforce Licenses and their types, but in this article I will try to start from the basic to advanced and help you get a clear picture as to why do we actually need licenses.

Table of Contents

1. Why do we need Licenses ?
2. Salesforce Editions vs. Salesforce License Types
3. Different Salesforce License Types
   • User Licenses
   • Permission Set Licenses
   • Feature Licenses
   • Usage-Based Licenses
4. Experience Cloud (Community) Licenses
5. Summary

Backdrop: Why do we need Licenses

Remember the times when we used install software from the internet which would require somekind of keyword to activate it. Licenses server a similar purpose, it simply gives the access to tools, features or application to the assigned users.

Lets say you own a Lamborgany and you have two keys one for you and the other a valet key. Here Lamborgany is the Salesforce Org, you key is a license which give you complete access to the car where as valet key is a different license which gives limited access to the car and its features.

Salesforce license types determine the features and functionality that users can access within the Salesforce platform. Each user must have a user license assigned, and additional features can be granted through permission set licenses and feature licenses.

Salesforce Editions vs. Salesforce License Types

Before we dig deeper into Salesforce License Types there is another concept that you may find useful, these are Salesforce Edition. You can think of Salesforce Edition like different sizes of Salesforce product with different features, each edition is for different business purpose. Like a local kirana store might not require the same Edition which a large MNC might require.

We will go deeper into Salesforce Editions in a different article. Today lets focus only Salesforce Licenses.

Different Salesforce License Types

There are four types of Salesforce licenses available, you can find these inside the company information section of your salesforce org.

• User Licenses
• Permission Set Licenses
• Feature Licenses
• Usage based Licenses

Click Gear Icon (top right), Setup -> Quick Find (Left Search bar) -> Company Information.

User Licenses

User licenses determine the baseline features a user can access. Every user must have a user license assigned which given them base level access to the platform, they can additionally add more permissions/ access which will give me visibility to records, object and metadata within salesforce org.

There are different Standard user licenses, which are:

• Salesforce: Full access to standard CRM and Force.com functionality. Ideal for sales and service teams who need full CRM capabilities.
• Identity: Access to Identity features such as the App Launcher. Suitable for users who need single sign-on (SSO) access without full CRM functionality.
• Chatter Free: Access to standard Chatter features without a Salesforce license. Great for users who only need to collaborate via Chatter.
• Salesforce Platform: Access to custom apps but not standard CRM functionality. Best for developers and users who need access to custom applications.
• Salesforce Integration: This license is created for integration purpose only. It gives access to the underline salesforce data with more control and visibility of transactions made at each integration point. Earlier when this license was not available, we need to create a user with Salesforce Platform license and treat it like an integration user. With this new license type, it makes it easier to track and create integration users.

Permission Set Licenses

Permission Set Licenses in Salesforce allow users to access additional features beyond those included in their assigned user licenses. These licenses can be assigned to users to extend their functionality without changing their profiles. For example, if a user has a Salesforce Platform user license but needs access to Lightning console apps, you can purchase and assign a Lightning Console permission set license to grant them the necessary permissions.

Permission set licenses are available in both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience, although their availability depends on the edition requirements for permission sets and related features. Admins use permission sets to control the subset of permissions each user has, tailoring licenses to fit various user roles. To access additional functionality, users must be assigned both the permission set license and a permission set containing the feature permissions. Some permission set licenses come with auto-generated standard permission sets, simplifying the administration process. For detailed information on specific permission set licenses, refer to the related feature documentation.

You can read more about Permission Set licenses from the Salesforce documentation here.

Feature Licenses

Feature licenses in Salesforce grant users access to additional features that are not included in their standard user licenses, such as Marketing or WDC. Users can be assigned multiple feature licenses based on the enabled features within their organization. To obtain feature licenses, you need to contact your Salesforce account representative. These licenses allow organizations to customize user access to specific functionalities, enhancing the overall user experience and productivity.

You can read more about Permission Set licenses from the Salesforce documentation here.

Usage-Based Licenses

Usage-based entitlements in Salesforce are limited resources that your organization can utilize periodically. These entitlements can be persistent, meaning they provide a fixed amount of resources that remain constant unless your contract changes.

For example, if your company purchases monthly subscriptions for 50 members to access a Partner Community, those 50 individuals can log in as many times as they want within the month.

You can read more about Usage-based licenses from the Salesforce documentation here.

Experience Cloud (Community) Licenses

Experience Cloud User Licenses in Salesforce are designed for external users and include various types such as

• Customer Community,
• Customer Community Plus,
• Partner Community,
• External Apps,
• External Identity
• Channel Account licenses.

Community licenses function similarly to standard internal Salesforce licenses, but they are used to allowing external users with member-based licenses to access a community without restrictions on the number of logins.

However, these external users do not have access to the internal Salesforce org. The External Identity license is a standalone option for delivering identity services like single sign-on and passwordless login, and it can be upgraded to a community license to expand user access and capabilities.

You can read more about Experience Cloud licenses from the Salesforce documentation here.

Summary

Understanding the Salesforce license types and their features is essential for optimizing your Salesforce implementation. By choosing the right licenses, you can ensure that your organization has access to the necessary tools and functionality to succeed.

If you are preparing for an upcoming Salesforce Interview, you can read the below articles:

Salesforce Apex Interview Questions and Prep Guide

Salesforce Admin Interview Questions 2025

Salesforce Interview: Strategies for Salesforce Interviews

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