HaloPSA vs Salesforce Starter: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of HaloPSA and Salesforce Starter to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
HaloPSA
7.1/10
HaloPSA is a professional services automation platform for managed service providers and IT service teams. It combines ticketing, projects, time tracking, billing and reporting.
Salesforce Starter
5.7/10
Salesforce Starter Suite is an entry-level CRM bundling sales, service and email marketing tools with Slack and AI for small businesses.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | S Salesforce Starter |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.1/10 | 5.7/10 |
| Analytics | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Customization | 9/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Security | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | £66/user/mo Halo (single plan) | $25/user/mo Starter Suite |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | $250/mo Starter Suite |
| Features | ||
| Collaboration | Not listed | |
| Contact Management | Not listed | |
| Customer Support Management | Not listed | |
| Integrations | Not listed | |
| Lead Management | Not listed | |
| Marketing Automation | Not listed | |
| Mobile Access | Not listed | |
| Opportunity Management | Not listed | |
| Reporting & Analytics | Not listed | |
| Sales Automation | Not listed | |
| More features | ||
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| Client collaboration | Not listed | |
| App integrations | Not listed | |
| Task management | Not listed | |
| Time tracking | Not listed | |
| Workflow automation | Not listed | |
| Dashboards | Not listed | |
| Reporting | Not listed | |
| Knowledge base | Not listed | |
HaloPSA vs Salesforce Starter cost by team size
| Team size | HaloPSA | Salesforce Starter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | Contact for pricing | $25/moStarter Suite |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | $125/moStarter Suite |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | $250/moStarter Suite |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | $625/moStarter Suite |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | $1,250/moStarter Suite |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose HaloPSA
- Higher Customization score (9/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (7/10 vs 2/10)
- Better fit for mid-market (8/10 vs 5/10)
SWhy choose Salesforce Starter
- Better fit for startups (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for freelancers (4/10 vs 2/10)
Pros & Cons
HaloPSA
Pros
- One per-agent plan includes every module and the AI features, with no paid add-ons.
- Portal customers and end users are free, so client collaboration does not add licence cost.
- More than 250 integrations, including accounting and RMM tools, are included at no extra charge.
- Broad compliance coverage includes ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP and HIPAA, plus SSO and audit logs.
- Reviewers describe the browser interface as modern and fast.
Cons
- Reviewers say the configuration menus are convoluted, and a consultant is often needed to get the most out of it.
- A paid onboarding package is mandatory and its price is not published.
- The project features are oriented toward IT service delivery rather than complex professional services projects.
- Some users report slowness and weaker calendar, notification and stock-control features.
- Per-agent costs add up for larger teams.
SSalesforce Starter
Pros
- At $25 per user per month with monthly billing, it is one of the cheapest ways to get onto the Salesforce platform.
- Sales, service and email marketing come in one product instead of separate clouds.
- Includes a free Slack workspace connected to the CRM, which helps team collaboration.
- Salesforce lists no maximum user count, and teams can upgrade to Pro and higher editions without migrating data.
- Reviewers praise its reporting and its unlimited contacts.
Cons
- Moving from Starter to Pro Suite quadruples the price to $100 per user per month and requires an annual contract.
- Reviewers report limited customization and automation compared with higher Salesforce tiers.
- Reviewers say it has a steeper learning curve than HubSpot or Pipedrive.
- Reviewers say support on the cheaper plans is weak, and Trustpilot complaints mention difficulty cancelling contracts.
- Salesforce states that transaction fees apply to Starter.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
HaloPSA scores higher on our CRM criteria: 7.1/10 against 5.7/10 for Salesforce Starter. The largest gap is in Customization: 9/10 for HaloPSA and 5/10 for Salesforce Starter.
No, neither HaloPSA nor Salesforce Starter lists a free plan.
HaloPSA is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 7/10 for them, against 2/10 for Salesforce Starter.
