What does each one do?
Salesforce is a CRM platform with built-in AI. For small businesses it sells Starter Suite, with sales flows, lead routing and email nurture, and Pro Suite, with quoting, forecasting and more automation [1][2]. Larger Sales Cloud editions add more [1].
Torchrunner is one app for solo operators and small teams who do client work. Leads, contacts, companies and engagements sit on one record with the inbox (unlimited Gmail and Outlook accounts, plus Slack, WhatsApp, SMS, LinkedIn and Telegram), a business phone line, calendar and booking pages, projects and tasks, documents and notes, and your own books.
Archie and nine specialists do the work across those modules. Runners are automations that start on a real event and log every step. Anything that leaves the business, moves money or deletes data waits for a person's yes unless you choose otherwise.
Where do they overlap?
Both keep leads, contacts, accounts and deals, log email against the record and automate follow-ups.
Salesforce is a platform that grows with a sales organization and often needs an admin. Torchrunner is set up for client work from day one: the engagement carries the projects, documents, meetings and invoices.
What does Torchrunner replace, and what does it connect to?
The CRM, plus for most solo operators the separate inbox, phone, scheduling and project tools around it.
Gmail and Microsoft through their official APIs, your own Stripe account, your clients' QuickBooks Online, and your own AI. Torchrunner does not list a Salesforce connection today.
How does pricing compare?
Salesforce notes that the Starter Suite price is a starting price. Torchrunner's price covers the CRM plus the inbox, phone line, projects, documents and your own books.
| Salesforce [1][2] | Torchrunner | |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Suite | $25 per user per month, billed monthly or annually | One plan: $199 a month with 1 seat and 1 engagement |
| Pro Suite | $100 per user per month, billed annually | Extra seat $79, extra engagement $99, per month |
| Billing | Pro Suite requires an annual contract | Month to month |
| Inbox, phone, projects, books | Not part of the CRM suites | Included |
Who should pick which?
You are building a sales organization, need deep customization and the AppExchange, or your clients and partners already run on Salesforce.
You are a solo operator or small team doing client work, without an admin, and you want the CRM and the work after the sale in one place.
Switching: what moves over?
Leads, contacts, accounts and opportunities move over during setup, and connected email accounts attach past mail to the matching contact.
Implementation, including setup and data migration, is done by AtPace, our implementation partner, and priced by AtPace. Once you are in, your data stays yours: export your records as a ZIP at any time, or schedule backups to your own SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox.
Questions
Is Torchrunner a Salesforce alternative?
For solo operators and small teams, yes. For a sales organization that needs deep customization, Salesforce is the better fit.
How much is Salesforce compared with Torchrunner?
Salesforce Starter Suite is $25 per user per month and Pro Suite is $100 per user per month billed annually. Torchrunner is $199 a month with 1 seat and 1 engagement, month to month.
Do I need an admin for Torchrunner?
No. Views for clients, engagements and tasks are set up on day one, and you can change any of them. AtPace handles implementation.
Does Torchrunner connect to Salesforce?
Torchrunner does not list a Salesforce connection today.
Sources, checked October 25, 2026
Every Salesforce price, limit and feature above comes from Salesforce's own pages, opened on October 25, 2026. Vendors change prices often; check the source before you buy. Where a page did not say, we left the fact out.
- ›1. Salesforce Sales Cloud pricing: https://www.salesforce.com/sales/pricing/
- ›2. Salesforce small business pricing: https://www.salesforce.com/small-business/pricing/
- ›Torchrunner prices: https://torchrunner.ai/pricing
Salesforce is a trademark of Salesforce, Inc.. Other product names belong to their owners. Torchrunner is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Salesforce.
- ›Torchrunner vs your whole stack: the eleven-tool stack, tool by tool
- ›Platform: every module, and Archie and the nine specialists
- ›Pricing: one plan, month to month, with worked examples
- ›Request access: access is by application