cicada

The best Salesforce Agentforce alternatives

Salesforce Agentforce is the agent platform inside Salesforce: admins build agents on the CRM and Data 360, with Coworker for each employee, billed per action, conversation or user. If you're not on Salesforce Enterprise, want agents in your team's own messages, or want something running this week, these are worth a look.

Updated 3 November 2026. Every option is checked against its own site; sources are at the foot of the page.

Why look past Salesforce Agentforce

What Salesforce Agentforce doesn't do.

It needs a Salesforce Enterprise org

Agentforce runs on Enterprise, Performance or Unlimited Edition with Einstein generative AI and Data 360, plus add-on licences by agent type.

Its messaging is for your customers

WhatsApp, SMS and Apple Messages for Business are customer-service channels sold as add-ons; your own team uses it in Salesforce, Slack and email.

Admins build the agents

Agents are built in Agentforce Builder with subagents, Flow, Apex and Agent Script.

Several meters to watch

Flex Credits ($500 per 100,000, an action is 20) or $2 a conversation, add-ons from $125 a user a month, and Data 360 credits billed separately.

At a glance

7 Salesforce Agentforce alternatives, side by side.

OptionBest forWhere it worksPrice
CicadaAnyone whose work happens in chats: a team, a group, or one person who wants an agent in their messages and apps (meeting notes on the Business plan).iMessage and WhatsApp (one-to-one and group chats), Slack, email and a web appA 3-day free trial, then Starter at $29 a month (300 credits, 3 agents, one person), Growth at $99 (up to 10 people) or Business at $249 (no limit on people). Credits are shared across the workspace, with no charge per person.
Microsoft Copilot StudioOrganisations on Microsoft 365 with makers and admins to build agents grounded in SharePoint, Outlook and Teams.Teams, Microsoft 365 Copilot, SharePoint, websites and apps; Slack, Telegram, SMS (Twilio) and email through Azure Bot ServiceCopilot Credits: $200 a month for 25,000, or $0.01 each pay-as-you-go; employee use inside Microsoft 365 Copilot ($30 a user a month) at no extra charge
GumloopTeams that want to build and govern many custom agents, with a developer surface (API, SDKs, MCP).Web app, Slack, Microsoft Teams, email (each agent can have its own inbox), a Chrome extension, an API and CLI; texting over iMessage, RCS and SMS one-to-one on EnterprisePro from $37 a month for 20,000 credits, plus an 8% orchestration fee and compute per minute; 14-day trial with a card; Enterprise custom; unlimited seats, credits shared
LindyTeams that work in Slack, iMessage and Gmail and want one shared assistant with meeting notes.iMessage, SMS and RCS, Slack, email, a Chrome extension in Gmail, meetings (Meet, Zoom, Teams) and phone callsFree week with $50 of credits; Team from $29.99 a month for every active user (3,000 credits each, pooled), with 5,000-credit and larger tiers; Enterprise priced on request
ViktorA team that wants one shared AI employee inside its Slack or Teams.Slack and Microsoft Teams, web chat for Slack workspaces, its own email address and an APIUp to $100 of free credits; Team plan from $50 a month per workspace, credits shared rather than per seat
ChatGPTAnyone who wants the most widely used general assistant for their own writing, research, images and code.Web, desktop and mobile apps; Slack and Microsoft Teams on business plans; WhatsApp in the EEA only; a phone line in the US and CanadaFree; Go $8, Plus $20 and Pro from $100 a month; Business priced per seat, with dots on its Premium seats
ClaudePeople who do deep work themselves: writing, analysis, code and documents.Web, desktop and mobile apps; Claude Tag in Slack (beta, Team and Enterprise); Office and Google add-ins; ChromeFree; Pro $20 a month ($17 billed yearly); Max $100; Ultra $200; Team from $20 a seat a month, billed yearly
01

Cicada

by Cicada Labs

An AI workforce for your own team, with no Salesforce org required: every employee gets a teammate they text on WhatsApp or iMessage, add to group chats, mention in Slack or email. A coordinator hands jobs to specialists across 1,400+ apps, Salesforce and HubSpot included, with a Full, Ask first or Read-only lock on each.

What it is
AI agents you text on iMessage and WhatsApp, mention in Slack or email, and add to your group chats, where they keep every message and file and follow up on what people promised.
Where it works
iMessage and WhatsApp (one-to-one and group chats), Slack, email and a web app
What it costs
A 3-day free trial, then Starter at $29 a month (300 credits, 3 agents, one person), Growth at $99 (up to 10 people) or Business at $249 (no limit on people). Credits are shared across the workspace, with no charge per person.
Worth knowing
Built for work rather than personal shopping and errands, and phone calls are switched off for now.
Start free trial
02

Microsoft Copilot Studio

by Microsoft

If your company runs on Microsoft 365: makers build agents grounded in SharePoint, Outlook and Teams.

What it is
A low-code platform where makers build and manage agents for Microsoft 365, Teams and websites, governed through Power Platform.
Where it works
Teams, Microsoft 365 Copilot, SharePoint, websites and apps; Slack, Telegram, SMS (Twilio) and email through Azure Bot Service
What it costs
Copilot Credits: $200 a month for 25,000, or $0.01 each pay-as-you-go; employee use inside Microsoft 365 Copilot ($30 a user a month) at no extra charge
Worth knowing
WhatsApp has been closed to new agents since 23 October 2026, iMessage isn't listed, and agents are built and approved by makers and admins.
03

Gumloop

by Gumloop (AgentHub Inc.)

A multiplayer agent builder that isn't tied to a CRM, in Slack, Teams and the web, with per-tool approval rules.

What it is
A multiplayer AI agent builder: teams build shared agents with subagents, triggers and approval rules, and each person also gets a personal agent, Gumball.
Where it works
Web app, Slack, Microsoft Teams, email (each agent can have its own inbox), a Chrome extension, an API and CLI; texting over iMessage, RCS and SMS one-to-one on Enterprise
What it costs
Pro from $37 a month for 20,000 credits, plus an 8% orchestration fee and compute per minute; 14-day trial with a card; Enterprise custom; unlimited seats, credits shared
Worth knowing
Texting is Enterprise-only and one-to-one (group chats are ignored), WhatsApp is a connector rather than a channel, and its privacy policy lets it train on self-serve customers' content.
04

Lindy

by Lindy

One assistant your team shares, in iMessage, SMS, Slack and email, with a meeting notetaker and phone calls.

What it is
An AI assistant a team shares, that you text, mention in Slack or email, with a meeting notetaker, phone calls from its own number and internal apps it builds.
Where it works
iMessage, SMS and RCS, Slack, email, a Chrome extension in Gmail, meetings (Meet, Zoom, Teams) and phone calls
What it costs
Free week with $50 of credits; Team from $29.99 a month for every active user (3,000 credits each, pooled), with 5,000-credit and larger tiers; Enterprise priced on request
Worth knowing
No WhatsApp that we could find, every active user is billed, and its integration docs say guardrails apply in shared Slack threads, not in DMs, iMessage or SMS.
05

Viktor

by Viktor

One AI employee for a Slack or Teams workspace, priced per workspace.

What it is
One shared AI employee for a Slack or Microsoft Teams workspace.
Where it works
Slack and Microsoft Teams, web chat for Slack workspaces, its own email address and an API
What it costs
Up to $100 of free credits; Team plan from $50 a month per workspace, credits shared rather than per seat
Worth knowing
Not in iMessage or WhatsApp that we could find, and it reads notes from notetaker apps rather than joining calls.
06

ChatGPT

by OpenAI

If your team already uses ChatGPT: workspace agents and Slack and Teams on business plans.

What it is
OpenAI's general AI assistant for writing, research, images and code, with scheduled tasks, plugins for 4,000+ apps and always-on dots on its top plans.
Where it works
Web, desktop and mobile apps; Slack and Microsoft Teams on business plans; WhatsApp in the EEA only; a phone line in the US and Canada
What it costs
Free; Go $8, Plus $20 and Pro from $100 a month; Business priced per seat, with dots on its Premium seats
Worth knowing
You open it to use it: no iMessage, WhatsApp only in the EEA, group chats were retired in July 2026, and personal plans train on your chats unless you opt out.
07

Claude

by Anthropic

If your team already uses Claude: connectors to your apps and Claude in Slack on Team and Enterprise.

What it is
Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and documents, with background and scheduled tasks and connectors to your apps.
Where it works
Web, desktop and mobile apps; Claude Tag in Slack (beta, Team and Enterprise); Office and Google add-ins; Chrome
What it costs
Free; Pro $20 a month ($17 billed yearly); Max $100; Ultra $200; Team from $20 a seat a month, billed yearly
Worth knowing
You open it to use it: no first-party iMessage, WhatsApp or SMS channel, and no notetaker that joins your calls that we could find.
How to choose

Start from what you need.

If you needLook at
No Salesforce org requiredCicada, Gumloop, Lindy or Viktor
Your team texting it on WhatsApp or iMessageCicada
Agents inside Microsoft 365Copilot Studio
Build custom agents across toolsGumloop
One shared assistant in SlackLindy or Viktor
A general assistant for every seatChatGPT or Claude
Questions

Salesforce Agentforce alternatives, answered.

What is the best alternative to Agentforce?

For an AI workforce your team uses from WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack and email with no Salesforce org, Cicada. On Microsoft 365, Copilot Studio. To build your own agents across tools, Gumloop.

Is there an Agentforce alternative for small businesses?

Yes. Cicada is free for 3 days, then from $29 a month, and needs no Enterprise edition, Data 360 or add-on licences; it connects to Salesforce or HubSpot if you use them.

Does Agentforce work in WhatsApp for my team?

Agentforce's WhatsApp is a customer-service channel sold as a messaging add-on. Cicada is for your own team: text it on WhatsApp or iMessage, or add it to the team's group chat.

How is Agentforce priced?

Flex Credits at $500 per 100,000 (an action is 20 credits) or $2 a conversation, add-ons from $125 a user a month, Coworker at $50 a user a month or in Foundations, with Data 360 credits separately. Cicada is free for 3 days, then from $29 a month.

Can I use Cicada with Salesforce?

Yes. Connect Salesforce and Cicada's agents read and update records, prep call briefs and log activity, with Salesforce set to Full, Ask first or Read-only.

Sources

Products change fast. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at support@cicadalabs.io and we'll fix it.

The full comparison

Salesforce Agentforce vs Cicada, feature by feature

Other alternatives

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