I’m trying to decide between using Salesforce’s built-in Agentforce versus external workflow automation tools like n8n. Both seem to handle automated processes and can work with AI language models, but I’m not sure which direction to go.
The third-party options seem to offer more flexibility and can integrate with lots of different systems beyond just Salesforce. On the other hand, staying within the Salesforce ecosystem might be simpler for our team.
I’ve only tested both platforms briefly, so I don’t have deep hands-on experience yet. Has anyone here worked extensively with either approach? I’d love to hear about the advantages and disadvantages you’ve encountered when choosing between native Salesforce automation versus external workflow tools.
We went with n8n about 8 months ago. Cost was the main factor - Agentforce gets expensive fast when you scale up automation. n8n gives us way better budget control. Yeah, there’s a learning curve, but the flexibility is worth it. We can integrate with tons of systems that Salesforce just can’t handle well. We’ve automated our ERP, marketing tools, and custom databases without expensive middleware that Salesforce would’ve required. Maintenance isn’t too bad, but you definitely need someone technical on the team for when things break.
Been running Agentforce for about a year - the native integration is a game changer. Sure, external tools like n8n give you more flexibility, but staying in Salesforce’s ecosystem cuts down complexity big time. Data governance is way simpler when everything runs through Salesforce’s security instead of juggling permissions across different platforms. Downside? You’re locked into their ecosystem and it costs more. But honestly, the reduced maintenance made it worth it for us. If you’re already Salesforce-heavy and have the budget, Agentforce covers most automation without dealing with external dependencies.
really comes down to your teams tech skills. if you got devs who can fix stuff, n8n is gr8. but if your crew just wants ease of use, agentforce is prob worth the extra money to skip the hassle.