--- title: Sales Force Automation vs CRM: A Comprehensive Comparison description: Many business buyers might be wondering about the difference between Sales Force Automation (SFA) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). What do these two types of enterprise software do, and how do they complement each other? Compare Top Sales Force Automation and CRM Software Leaders The answers can be hard to come by. Some companies actually --- # Sales Force Automation vs CRM: A Comprehensive Comparison Last Reviewed: March 6, 2026 4 min read [1 comment](https://www.selecthub.com/sales-force-automation/sfa-and-crm-whats-unique-sales-force-automation-software/#comments) [ ![Manogna Chandrika Matta](https://www.selecthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Manogna-Headshot-96x96.png) ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/manogna-chandrika-matta/) [Written by Manogna Chandrika Matta](https://www.selecthub.com/author/manogna-chandrika-matta/) Technical Content Writer [ ![Pooja Verma](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4f22202f68158fa4b012b18a196e08ea151f6f9427b194cce3330634ff0dd1b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g) ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/pooja-verma/) [Edited by Pooja Verma](https://www.selecthub.com/author/pooja-verma/) Content Editor Table of Contents * [Different Philosophies](#Different%5FPhilosophies) * [Different Features](#Different%5FFeatures) * [Integrating These Systems](#Integrating%5FThese%5FSystems) * [Conclusion](#Conclusion) Many business buyers might be wondering about the difference between Sales Force Automation (SFA) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). What do these two types of enterprise software do, and how do they complement each other? [Compare Top Sales Force Automation and CRM Software Leaders](https://pmo.selecthub.com/request-custom-scorecard/?category=Sales%20Force%20Automation) The answers can be hard to come by. Some companies actually use the two terms interchangeably, and others have their own definitions for the particular feature sets that may be housed under either Sales Force Automation or Customer Relationship Management architectures. However, with some background on both of what these terms mean, it’s a lot easier to understand the difference between them, and how to pursue both kinds of functionality for a business. ## Different Philosophies One of the most fundamental differences between Sales Force Automation and Customer Relationship Management is that while Sales Force Automation looks at the entire sales process and tracks the efforts of salespeople internally, Customer Relationship Management is different. It’s all about the customer. Customer Relationship Management has emerged as one of the most prominent types of enterprise software. In its early days, Customer Relationship Management was a bit less sophisticated, and had several core features that all pointed in one direction. Customer Relationship Management has always been a customer-focused tool, and focuses primarily on relationships between a business and its customers. One of these most common and fundamental CRM tools is a set of detailed customer profiles. Many CRM vendors and people describing the software talk about ‘putting names to faces’ and ‘doing business intelligence’ on individual customers. Many CRM systems have been adapted into videophone systems, to help [call center](https://www.selecthub.com/call-center-software/) workers or sales people to have customer profiles in front of them while they speak. Another major feature of CRM is customer histories. A repository of customer behavior and purchase information is stored in individual accounts, to help people understand customer motivations, and what their relationship with the business has been like. Sales Force Automation is very different philosophically. It’s [aimed at looking at the sales process](https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/sales-force-automation-SFA), and automating a lot of what used to be done manually. Sales Force Automation tackles logistical and practical issues involved in generating leads, making sales and closing deals. ## Different Features With that in mind, Sales Force Automation and Customer Relationship Management platforms will have different sets of features. For example, as mentioned, since CRM is customer-focused, many of the main features may include different types of customer profiling tools and communications tracking features. Some features will be geared towards customer retention, and others may aggregate data for general business intelligence. Essentially, many businesses use CRM as a communications tool, to know more about who they’re speaking to at every single touch point on the way to an eventual deal. _So what are the unique types of functionality that businesses use sales force automation for?_ Think of SFA platforms as a comprehensive set of features for navigating the sales process. Most [Sales Force Automation software](https://www.selecthub.com/c/sales-force-automation-software/) start with lead management, with lead evaluation and lead handling resources. These platforms may include pricing tools, call center functionality, or workflow handling resources. They’ll often monitor the sales funnel, and help to make sales operations more transparent, while putting in place automation functions that remove manual complexity and labor-intensive sales maintenance. These are some of the major assistive technologies that [Sales Force Automation software](https://www.selecthub.com/c/sales-force-automation-software/) delivers — it’s not CRM, it’s comprehensive sales support. Many features are focused on internal operations, tracking quotas, helping with competitive sales contests, and generally making sure that the business is doing all it can to boost its profits through capable sales force management. ## Integrating These Systems When it comes to practically integrating Sales Force Automation and Customer Relationship Management, understanding the vendor choices can be difficult. For example, while Salesforce is a well-known CRM platform, the company [also sells Sales Force Automation software](https://www.salesforce.com/products/sales-cloud/overview/) and talks about it separately on its website. The same is true for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, another customer relationship management leader. [Compare Top Sales Force Automation and CRM Software Leaders](https://pmo.selecthub.com/request-custom-scorecard/?category=Sales%20Force%20Automation) ## Conclusion The best rule of thumb is to talk to vendors, and ask about functionality for individual Sales Force Automation and Customer Relationship Management packages. Look in detail at the semantics to understand which types of functionality are part of Sales Force Automation, and which are part of a Customer Relationship Management offering. Then figure out which types of tools are the most helpful to your particular business, and act accordingly. Buyers might end up having a CRM tool that includes Sales Force Automation functionality, or purchasing two different standalone pieces and connecting them to an entire IT architecture. ### Trending Topics #### [Sales Force Automation](https://www.selecthub.com/category/sales-force-automation/) [Sales Force Automation Integration: A Comprehensive Guide](https://www.selecthub.com/sales-force-automation/5-best-software-sales-force-automation-integration/) [According to Webopedia, sales force automation (known to some as SFA software) is “a technique… ](https://www.selecthub.com/sales-force-automation/5-best-software-sales-force-automation-integration/) [ ![Manogna Chandrika Matta](https://www.selecthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Manogna-Headshot-96x96.png) Manogna Chandrika Matta ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/manogna-chandrika-matta/) May 13, 2026 #### [Sales Force Automation](https://www.selecthub.com/category/sales-force-automation/) [The Top 9 Sales Force Automation (SFA) Features & Functionality](https://www.selecthub.com/sales-force-automation/sales-force-automation-software-requirements/) [Sales force is more than just a software provider, it is the name for the… ](https://www.selecthub.com/sales-force-automation/sales-force-automation-software-requirements/) [ ![Bergen Adair](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b9985f5202fbae2efa5a566d409354bbe99c18f8fd579991494c86a2c184dc2b?s=96&d=mm&r=g) Bergen Adair ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/bergen/) Oct 28, 2025 Originally published in August 2024 and last updated in March 2026\. Contributions from Manogna Chandrika Matta, and Pooja Verma. ## About the Contributors The following team members helped research, create, and review this content. [ ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/manogna-chandrika-matta/) Written by [Manogna Chandrika Matta](https://www.selecthub.com/author/manogna-chandrika-matta/) Technical Content Writer Manogna Matta was a Technical Content Writer at SelectHub who delivered content for CRM, mental health, marketing and fundraising. An alum of the University of Hyderabad, Manogna did Communication and Psychology courses in her B.A. and M.A. She's also an avid coin collector and a fashion enthusiast. When not typing away on the keyboard, Manogna plays mother hen to her tiny birds, watches sitcoms and makes bad-quality dad jokes. [See Full Bio](https://www.selecthub.com/author/manogna-chandrika-matta/) [ ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/pooja-verma/) Edited by [Pooja Verma](https://www.selecthub.com/author/pooja-verma/) Content Editor Pooja Verma is a Content Editor and Technical Content Writer at SelectHub. She has over 5 years of experience covering software categories like CRM, marketing automation, supply chain management and endpoint security. Pooja earned a literature degree from Miranda House, DU and also holds a Master’s in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication in India. [See Full Bio](https://www.selecthub.com/author/pooja-verma/) Bergen AdairThe Top 9 Sales Force Automation (SFA) Features & Functionality * ‹ * › ### Conversation (1) ![Avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/281d3616cf761f3582c0d76c23517846?s=32&d=mm&r=g) Write a response [Cancel reply](https://www.selecthub.com/sales-force-automation/sfa-and-crm-whats-unique-sales-force-automation-software/#respond) Your message Your name \* Your email \* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. * ![Avatar photo](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/08e8811f17b77e2970794f1c7be64e19e3e2c820b5624add0590c9688ac4c6bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g) #### **Ridha Fathima AM** \- April 19, 2022 Thanks for the article on Sales Force Automation vs CRM: Comparison of the Difference Between Them.Looking forward for more articles like this. **[Reply](#comment-125781)** Compare **Tier 1:** Fully/moderately supported out-of-the-box allowing for quick and easy deployment. Fully or moderately supported out-of-the-box with industry-leading capabilities and is immediately available after installation without needing any add-ons, integrations, or custom development. **Tier 2:** Supported with workarounds or add-ons that may require additional costs. Not directly available in the software, but can be accomplished using other built-in features, workarounds, or add-ons/products from the vendor with or without any additional cost. **Tier 3:** Requires partner integrations or custom development that is often at an additional cost. Requires additional integrations, plugins, marketplace applications from a third-party vendor, or custom development using the APIs, libraries, extensions, and development framework supported by the software, with or without any additional cost. 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