How Much Does Salesforce Cost for a Small Business?
Shyam Singh
Last Updated on: 14 October 2026
Salesforce's small business plans start at £20 per user per month for Starter Suite and £80 per user per month for Pro Suite, excluding VAT. But licences are only part of the bill. Set-up, add-ons, support and integrations can change your real cost considerably.
This guide explains what Salesforce costs a UK small business in 2026: each plan's price, which plan suits which business, the extras most people miss, and example first-year budgets for 5, 10 and 25 users.
- Starter Suite: £20 per user per month, paid monthly or annually. About £1,200 a year for 5 users.
- Pro Suite: £80 per user per month, annual contract. About £4,800 a year for 5 users.
- Set-up: from staff time only (simple) to around £15,000 with a partner for a small business.
- Plus extras: apps, AI add-ons, storage, support and integrations.
Salesforce Small Business Plans and UK Prices (2026)
Salesforce publishes UK prices in pounds, per user per month, excluding VAT. Prices below were checked in October 2026; Salesforce changes pricing periodically, so confirm on its UK pricing page before you buy.
| Edition | Price (per user / month) | Billing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Suite | £0 | Free | Trying basic CRM features with a very small team |
| Starter Suite | £20 | Monthly or annual, same price | Small teams needing simple sales, service and email marketing |
| Pro Suite | £80 | Annual contract | Growing teams needing quoting, forecasting, automation and apps |
| Enterprise | £140 | Annual contract | Businesses needing API integrations and advanced customisation |
| Unlimited | £280 | Annual contract | Larger teams wanting the full feature set and higher limits |
Prices exclude VAT. Salesforce also sells higher AI-focused editions and many add-ons priced separately.
Starter Suite and Pro Suite are Salesforce's dedicated small business plans. They bundle sales, service and marketing basics into one licence, so you don't need to buy separate clouds to get started.
Which Salesforce Plan Suits Your Business?
Starter Suite (£20)
A good fit if you're moving from spreadsheets or a basic CRM and need:
- Contacts, accounts and a sales pipeline
- Simple customer service case tracking
- Basic email marketing
- Standard reports and dashboards
- The option to pay monthly without an annual commitment
Starter Suite is deliberately limited. For example, Salesforce reserves sales quoting for Pro Suite, and customisation and automation are restricted.
Pro Suite (£80)
A good fit if you have a growing sales or service team and need:
- Sales quoting and forecasting
- More customisation of fields, objects and page layouts
- Workflow automation
- Access to apps from the Salesforce AppExchange
Be aware that full API access for integrations is included from Enterprise upwards, and is an extra-cost add-on on Pro Suite. If you need Salesforce to connect to accounting, ecommerce or other systems, factor that in.
Enterprise (£140)
Usually the right choice once you need several integrations, complex automation, more advanced security and admin controls, or custom development on the platform.
Salesforce Set-Up and Implementation Costs
Salesforce works best when it's configured around your sales and service process. Set-up options for a small business typically look like this:
| Approach | What it involves | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Self set-up | Using Salesforce's guided set-up on Starter Suite, importing contacts, basic training | Staff time only |
| Quick-start with a partner | Pipeline and fields configured, data import, users and training | £3,000 – £8,000 |
| Tailored small business set-up | Custom fields and automation, data migration, an integration or two, reports and training | £8,000 – £15,000 |
| Complex implementation | Multiple integrations, custom development, several teams | £15,000+ |
Indicative ranges excluding VAT and licences.
For a detailed breakdown by project size, read our guide to Salesforce implementation costs in the UK. Moving from another CRM? See our Salesforce data migration services.
Hidden Costs to Budget For
- Annual contracts: Pro Suite and above are annual, so you pay for every licence for the year even if headcount drops.
- Edition upgrades: features such as API access or advanced automation may require a higher edition or add-on.
- AppExchange apps: e-signatures, document generation, data enrichment and other apps usually charge per user.
- AI features: Einstein and Agentforce capabilities are often priced as add-ons or usage-based credits.
- Data storage: extra storage beyond your allowance costs more.
- Support: premium support plans cost extra on top of licences.
- Integrations: connecting accounting, ecommerce, phone or marketing systems.
- Admin time: someone needs to look after users, data quality and changes.
- VAT: published prices exclude VAT.
Example First-Year Salesforce Budgets
Illustrative totals for UK small businesses, excluding VAT, apps and premium support:
| Scenario | Licences (year 1) | Set-up | Approximate first year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 users on Starter Suite, self set-up | £1,200 | Staff time | About £1,200 |
| 5 users on Starter Suite, partner quick-start | £1,200 | £3,000 – £8,000 | £4,200 – £9,200 |
| 10 users on Pro Suite, tailored set-up | £9,600 | £8,000 – £15,000 | £17,600 – £24,600 |
| 25 users on Pro Suite, tailored set-up and integrations | £24,000 | £10,000 – £20,000 | £34,000 – £44,000 |
| 25 users on Enterprise, integrations and custom work | £42,000 | £15,000 – £40,000 | £57,000 – £82,000 |
Licence figures are users × monthly price × 12. Set-up ranges are indicative.
Tell us your team size and processes. We'll recommend the right edition and estimate set-up costs in GBP.
Get a free Salesforce estimateIs Salesforce Worth It for a Small Business?
Salesforce is a strong choice if:
- You plan to grow your sales or service team significantly
- You need a CRM that can be customised to your processes
- You'll integrate the CRM with other business systems
- You want one platform that can scale from a small team to a large organisation
A simpler CRM may be better if:
- You have a very small team with straightforward needs
- You want the lowest monthly cost and no annual contract
- You don't have anyone to manage the system
Lower-cost alternatives popular with UK small businesses include HubSpot, Zoho CRM and Pipedrive. Compare features and total cost, not just the entry price. If none of the off-the-shelf CRMs fit, a bespoke CRM is another option for businesses with unusual processes.
How to Keep Salesforce Costs Down
- Start on the lowest edition that meets your must-haves. You can upgrade later.
- License only active users. Review licences before each renewal.
- Use standard features first before buying apps or commissioning custom development.
- Plan integrations early, as they may decide which edition you need.
- Clean your data before migrating, so you don't pay to move or store records you don't need.
- Negotiate at renewal, especially when adding users or editions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Salesforce cost for a small business in the UK?
Salesforce's small business plans start at £20 per user per month for Starter Suite and £80 per user per month for Pro Suite (on an annual contract), excluding VAT. A five-person team would pay about £1,200 a year on Starter Suite or £4,800 a year on Pro Suite in licences, plus any set-up, add-ons and support.
Does Salesforce have a free plan?
Yes. Salesforce offers a heavily limited Free Suite for very small teams to try basic CRM features. Most businesses that rely on Salesforce day to day move to a paid plan.
Can I pay for Salesforce monthly?
Starter Suite can be paid monthly or annually at the same price. Pro Suite and higher editions are sold on annual contracts, so you commit to at least a year.
Which Salesforce plan is best for a small business?
Starter Suite suits small teams that need contact, deal and case management with simple email marketing. Pro Suite suits growing teams that need quoting, forecasting, more customisation, automation and AppExchange apps. Enterprise is usually needed when you require API integrations, complex automation or more advanced controls.
How much does it cost to set up Salesforce for a small business?
A simple Starter Suite set-up can be done in-house for little more than staff time. A partner-led set-up for a small business typically costs from a few thousand pounds to around £15,000, depending on data migration, customisation, integrations and training.
Do Salesforce prices include VAT?
Salesforce's published UK prices are shown per user per month and exclude VAT. VAT-registered businesses can usually reclaim the VAT they pay.
What hidden costs come with Salesforce?
Common extra costs include annual commitments, upgrading editions to unlock features such as API access, AppExchange apps, extra data storage, AI and Agentforce add-ons, premium support, implementation partner fees, data migration, integrations, training and internal admin time.
Is Salesforce worth it for a small business?
Salesforce is worth it if you expect to grow, need a CRM that can be customised and integrated deeply, or want to stay on one platform long term. Very small teams with simple needs may find lower-cost CRMs such as HubSpot, Zoho CRM or Pipedrive easier and cheaper to start with.
We'll help you choose the right edition, plan set-up and integrations, and avoid paying for features you don't need.
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