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Hornbill Systems Supportworks vs Salesforce Service Cloud comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 1, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Hornbill Systems Supportworks
Ranking in Help Desk Software
39th
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
IT Service Management (ITSM) (36th)
Salesforce Service Cloud
Ranking in Help Desk Software
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
53
Ranking in other categories
CRM Customer Engagement Centers (2nd), Knowledge Management Software (3rd), IT Alerting and Incident Management (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Help Desk Software category, the mindshare of Hornbill Systems Supportworks is 0.7%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Salesforce Service Cloud is 2.2%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Help Desk Software
 

Featured Reviews

it_user1262703 - PeerSpot reviewer
Excels in call logging and call flows but is limited in terms of scalability
I'd advise others to map their processes out before starting with the solution. Hornbill has recently generated a new version of its product and it meets some of the requirements that we would have been looking for. It's a bit more scalable, a bit more responsive to a customer-focused model for support, and they've improved a lot of things like process flow and self-service. In terms of rating the solution, it's difficult to grade. It really depends on the size of the organization that's trying to use it as that tool. One of the reasons why we're looking to shift is because we've grown quite a bit over the years that we've had it, which makes it difficult for it to meet our demands. However, for an organization the size of what we were when we started our journey with it, I'd rate it ten out of ten. Where we are now, with our company size and needs, I'd rate it six out of ten.
ChanchalSaxena - PeerSpot reviewer
High scalability with good plugins and excellent customer visibility
The solution should improve: 1. Reports & dashboard - The product should be capable of delivering complex reports as per company requirements without the need for a Tableau license. 2. Einstein has limited capabilities, and it suggests the analysis by predefined algorithms - but in a practical scenario, businesses need to ask real-time questions, and AI products should be capable of delivering the exact answers. Generic answers may not be effective.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution's business process flow is quite strong. Its reporting is quite good. The standard, basic ITSM functionality like call logging and call flow, for example, are areas the solution really excels in."
"With Salesforce Service Cloud, customers can have end-to-end visibility from inquiry to delivery."
"We are very happy with the support team from Salesforce."
"The interface is quite user-friendly."
"It's a cloud tool, so it is easy to set up."
"Salesforce Service Cloud improved our organization with its mobile capabilities."
"The main benefit of Salesforce Service Cloud is that everything is in the cloud. We can track the entire customer journey from lead to account or opportunity. The CRM is in the cloud, while the financial transactions are in NetSuite. By integrating these applications, we get a complete view of the business. Some integrations are event-driven, while others are batch integrations that run at scheduled times. We also build reports using our in-house analytics tool to help leadership make decisions."
"In terms of visibility to my boss and the team, it does help a lot."
"Salesforce accelerates time to market and streamlines workflows through automation. Integrating with other software systems, such as HR or ERP platforms, allows for seamless data exchange and enhances efficiency."
 

Cons

"It's worked well for us for a significant period of time. However, we are kind-of outgrowing it at the moment. We're struggling a bit with making it meet our requirements."
"The solution’s user interface could be improved and enhanced."
"The solution could continue improving its artificial intelligence capabilities."
"The solution's integration with the main ERP is a little cumbersome."
"Knowledge Management platform could use some intelligence improvements. Data mining techniques for recommending the most relevant knowledge articles would be beneficial. Currently, that selection process is more administrative. AI could be used here."
"It is kind of a struggle to get a report that shows something you want it to show."
"There is room for improvement in pricing."
"Salesforce Service Cloud's report functionality could be improved."
"One minor drawback is that its implementation requires some preparation. It's not something you can implement instantly; it takes time. The only issue I've encountered is that you need to ensure the implementation is done properly, which can be time-consuming. So, it requires some time and attention."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our organization pays about $40,000 annually. There are ongoing consultancy costs and if we want to change anything, we're charged a day rate. Other than that, there are no other extra costs involved in working with the solution."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for Salesforce Service Cloud, which is expensive."
"The product is expensive. There is a need to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the product."
"The licensing is flexible. Companies pay for what they use. However, a company with very small needs might find it difficult to justify the cost. Overall, it's in the medium price range."
"The price is too expensive."
"Only enterprise businesses can afford the solution, and small companies cannot afford it."
"Salesforce is not a cheap product. It can be expensive."
"The price of the solution depends on how many users need access to it"
"Salesforce is very cost-effective."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Financial Services Firm
19%
Computer Software Company
12%
Educational Organization
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Salesforce Service Cloud?
The approximate licensing costs for Salesforce Service Cloud are around three hundred dollars a year per user.
What needs improvement with Salesforce Service Cloud?
The pricing of Salesforce Service Cloud is expensive compared to other solutions like our current SAP CRM ( /products/sap-crm-reviews ), which is much cheaper.
What is your primary use case for Salesforce Service Cloud?
I used Salesforce Service Cloud ( /products/salesforce-service-cloud-reviews ) for our sales agents to track visits, gather feedback from customers, and capture orders.
 

Also Known As

Supportworks
Service Cloud
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aylesbury Vale District Council
Stanley Black & Decker, Coca-Cola, Activision, Wells Fargo, Spotify, Aldo, Philips, The Red Cross, Blue Shield of California, Sprouts Farmers Market, Direct Energy Solar, Inspirato, Kiva
Find out what your peers are saying about Hornbill Systems Supportworks vs. Salesforce Service Cloud and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.