Salesforce Introduces AgentForce with Consumption-Based Pricing

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced digital economy, businesses are rapidly adopting AI to enhance productivity, streamline operations, and drive innovation. However, many organizations face challenges in scaling AI adoption due to cost constraints and rigid pricing models. Recognizing this, Salesforce, the global leader in AI-powered CRM, has unveiled a revolutionary new pricing strategy for Agentforce, its digital labor platform.

Announced on May 15, 2025, this flexible pricing model is designed to help businesses of all sizes experiment, scale, and optimize their AI investments. By aligning costs with actual business outcomes, Salesforce empowers companies to deploy AI agents across sales, service, HR, IT, and more without the fear of unpredictable expenses.

1. The Need for Flexible AI Pricing

According to Salesforce’s CIO AI Trends research, 90% of CIOs report that managing AI costs is limiting their ability to drive value. Traditional AI pricing models often involve fixed fees or per-conversation charges, which can lead to:

• Overspending on underutilized AI agents
• Inability to experiment with new AI use cases
• Budget lock-in, preventing companies from scaling AI where it delivers the most ROI

Salesforce’s solution? A consumption-based pricing model that ensures businesses only pay for the AI-driven actions that generate real value.

2. Salesforce Three Major Pricing Innovations

A. Flex Credits: Pay-Per-Action AI Consumption

Key Features:

• $500 for 100,000 Flex Credits
• Each AI action consumes 20 credits ($0.10 per action).
• Actions include updating records, automating workflows, resolving cases, etc.

Why It Matters:

• No wasted spending – pay only for what you use.
• Scalable – buy credits in bulk and allocate them strategically.
• Transparent tracking – monitor AI usage via the Salesforce Digital Wallet.

Example Use Case:

A customer service team deploys an AI agent to automate case resolution. If the agent handles 5,000 actions per month, the cost is just $500 (vs. traditional per-conversation pricing, which could be far more expensive).

B. Flex Agreement: Shift Investments Between Human & Digital Labor

Key Features:

• Convert user licenses ↔ Flex Credits as business needs change.
• Reallocate budget from human labor to AI agents (or vice versa).

Why It Matters:

• Future-proof AI investments – no need to commit to rigid contracts.
• Experiment freely – test AI in one department, then expand.

Example Use Case:

A sales team initially buys 100 user licenses but later realizes they can automate lead qualification with AI agents. With the Flex Agreement, they can convert unused licenses into Flex Credits to fund AI automation.

C. Agentforce User Licenses & Add-Ons: Unlimited Employee-Facing AI

Key Features (Coming Summer 2025):

• Per-user, per-month (PUPM) pricing for unlimited AI agent usage.
• Specialized AI agents for sales, service, HR, IT, and industries.

Why It Matters:

• No usage caps – employees can interact with AI agents freely.
• Seamless Slack & Salesforce integration – AI works where teams already collaborate.

Example Use Case:

An HR team deploys an AI onboarding assistant that answers employee questions 24/7. With a PUPM license, there’s no extra cost for high usage.

3. Industry & Customer Reactions

What Leaders Are Saying:

✔ Elia Wallen, CEO of Engine:

“Salesforce’s new pricing aligns costs with business value, letting us deploy AI beyond traditional CRM.”

✔ Kirsten Rhodes, Deloitte US:

“This gives organizations flexibility to adapt AI investments as needs evolve.”

✔ Ritu Jyoti, IDC:

“Salesforce is leading the shift to outcome-based AI pricing.”

✔ Patrick Moorhead, Moor Insights & Strategy:

“The ability to swap licenses for AI credits lowers barriers to adoption.”

✔ Sheryl Kingstone, 451 Research:

“Businesses want AI pricing tied to outcomes Salesforce delivers.”

4. Pricing & Availability

Special Offer:

• Enterprise Edition customers get 100,000 free Flex Credits via Salesforce Foundations.

5. Why This Matters for the Future of AI in Business

Salesforce flexible pricing marks a paradigm shift in AI adoption:

✅ Democratizes AI – SMBs and enterprises alike can scale AI affordably.
✅ Encourages experimentation – no long-term commitment required.
✅ Aligns costs with ROI – pay only for AI that delivers value.

As Agentforce expands into new industries, this model ensures businesses can adapt AI strategies dynamically, driving smarter, faster, and more efficient operations.

Conclusion: Salesforce Introduces AgentForce

Salesforce new AgentForce platform introduces flexible, consumption-based pricing, empowering businesses to scale AI-driven customer service efficiently. By paying only for what they use, companies can optimize costs while leveraging advanced automation and analytics. This move aligns with the growing demand for adaptable, cost-effective SaaS solutions.

AgentForce enhances customer interactions with intelligent agents, driving productivity and satisfaction. For organizations seeking scalable, budget-friendly AI tools, Salesforce’s latest innovation offers a compelling solution to modernize customer service without hefty upfront investments.