In today’s digital-first world, 91% of businesses use cloud services to stay competitive. But when it comes to choosing the right platform, the “Salesforce vs AWS” debate quickly comes into play. Salesforce and AWS are both cloud giants, but they serve very different purposes. Pick the wrong one, and you could end up overspending or building on the wrong foundation.
So how do you choose? This guide breaks down the differences between Salesforce and AWS. We’ll talk about their strengths, weaknesses, and what kind of business benefits most from each.
What is Salesforce?
Salesforce is a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. It helps businesses manage leads, customers, marketing campaigns, support tickets, and more—all in one place. Think of it as your go-to platform for sales, service, and marketing.
What is AWS?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud infrastructure platform. It offers over 200 services including computing power, storage, databases, machine learning, and more. AWS is what developers use to build and scale software, apps, and IT systems.
Use Case: Business-Facing vs Developer-Focused
When comparing Salesforce vs AWS, think about your primary need:
- If you’re looking to improve customer engagement, sales processes, or marketing automation, Salesforce is built for that.
- If you’re building software, hosting websites, or running analytics at scale, AWS gives you the tools.
Salesforce Use Cases:
- B2B sales teams
- Call centers and customer support
- Marketing teams tracking campaigns.
- Small to mid-sized businesses with limited IT resources
AWS Use Cases:
- Startups building mobile or web apps.
- Enterprise IT infrastructure
- Big data analytics
- AI/ML model development
Pricing: Predictable vs Pay-as-You-Go
Salesforce typically charges per user, per month. Plans are tiered and can range from affordable to enterprise-level pricing, depending on features. The starting price is $25 per month per user for Salesforce Starter Suite. A 30-day free trial period is also available.
AWS uses a pay-as-you-go model. You only pay for what you use, but pricing can get complicated fast. It’s flexible but can spike if not managed carefully. New AWS users can take advantage of the AWS Free Tier. It gives you free access to certain services for 12 months. The Free Tier also includes 1 GB of storage, 100,000 standard read API calls and 10,000 read/write API calls.
Integration and Customization
Salesforce
Salesforce shines with built-in integrations. It has an app marketplace (AppExchange) where you can plug in tools like Slack, Zoom, HubSpot, and thousands more. You can also build custom apps using its low-code platform, Salesforce Platform.
AWS
AWS is a developer’s playground. You can build anything from scratch, but it takes technical knowledge. Integrations aren’t plug-and-play and you’ll need engineers. So if you want flexibility and have a dev team, AWS is great. But for out-of-the-box functionality, Salesforce wins.
Security and Compliance
Both platforms take security seriously.
- Salesforce offers built-in compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and other major standards.
- AWS provides deeper control over security settings, firewalls, encryption, and access management but you need to configure it yourself.
If you don’t have a dedicated security team, Salesforce is easier to manage.
Scalability
When it comes to scaling:
- Salesforce scales smoothly for sales and marketing teams.
- AWS can handle anything from a startup to Netflix-scale systems.
In other words, AWS has almost no limits but again, you need the right talent to tap into that power.
Support and Learning Curve
Salesforce offers guided onboarding, plenty of how-tos, and Trailhead (their learning platform). Even non-tech users can get up to speed fast.
AWS offers training too, but there’s a steeper learning curve. You’ll need more time or developer experience to get comfortable. If you want to hit the ground running, Salesforce is easier for most teams.
Decision Guide: Which One Is Right for You?
| Need | Go With |
| Sales & marketing CRM | Salesforce |
| Building a mobile/web app | AWS |
| Quick setup, minimal coding | Salesforce |
| Full control over infrastructure | AWS |
| Want plug-and-play integrations | Salesforce |
| Need to scale a product or platform | AWS |
| Manage customer relationships | Salesforce |
Still unsure? Here’s the truth: it’s not always either/or. Many businesses benefit from Salesforce + AWS together. One for customer experience, the other for infrastructure muscle.
Salesforce vs AWS: Can You Use Both?
Yes, you can use AWS and Salesforce together as many businesses do. The Salesforce AWS integration creates a powerful and scalable solution that gives you the best of both worlds.
For example:
- You can use AWS Lambda to run backend automation triggered by Salesforce events.
- Pull in AWS machine learning models to enhance customer insights directly inside Salesforce.
- Store large files like documents, images, or videos in Amazon S3, while referencing them from Salesforce records.
Moreover, Salesforce runs some of its services on AWS. So, they aren’t enemies and can complement each other when used right.
Summary
Choosing between Salesforce vs AWS comes down to your business goals. If you need a powerful, user-friendly CRM that gets you running fast, Salesforce is your go-to. If you’re building infrastructure, and apps, or want full backend control, AWS is the stronger choice.
Or better yet? Use both where they shine.
If you’re looking for expert guidance on cloud solutions, PixelConsulting is a great partner to consider. They will help you make smart cloud decisions based on your unique needs. Whether it’s Salesforce setup, AWS consulting, or integrating the two, we’ve got your back. Let’s build smarter, together.
FAQs: Salesforce vs AWS
Q. Is Salesforce hosted on AWS?
Yes, parts of Salesforce are hosted on AWS infrastructure, especially outside the U.S.
Q. Can AWS replace Salesforce?
Not really. AWS can help you build your own CRM, but it takes more time and resources. Salesforce is a purpose-built CRM.
Q. Which is cheaper: Salesforce or AWS?
It depends. Salesforce offers predictable pricing. AWS may start cheaper but can cost more if not optimized.
Q. Is AWS more secure than Salesforce?
AWS gives you more security controls, but also more responsibility. Salesforce has strong built-in protections for non-technical users.
Q. Can Salesforce integrate with AWS?
Yes, via APIs, middleware, or tools like MuleSoft. It’s a common setup for advanced use cases.