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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
33rd
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
IT Service Management (ITSM) (32nd)
Salesforce Service Cloud
Ranking in Help Desk Software
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
CRM Customer Engagement Centers (1st), Knowledge Management Software (4th), IT Alerting and Incident Management (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Help Desk Software category, the mindshare of Hornbill Systems Supportworks is 1.1%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Salesforce Service Cloud is 1.9%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Help Desk Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Salesforce Service Cloud1.9%
Hornbill Systems Supportworks1.1%
Other97.0%
Help Desk Software
 

Featured Reviews

it_user1262703 - PeerSpot reviewer
Service Desk Team Leader at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees
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.
reviewer2688993 - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead Solutions Architect at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
Leverage top-tier automation capabilities while streamlining complex naming conventions
Salesforce Service Cloud offers pre-built packages that are best in class. The automation capabilities have evolved over time, consolidating previous features into Salesforce flows. However, these work best when everything is within Salesforce Service Cloud and everyone has a license. Without an enterprise MuleSoft license, external interactions complicate automation significantly.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is quite user friendly to use and has a lot of very useful features that makes the analyst/technician's life easier."
"We've definitely seen an ROI; we've had the system in place for eight years, and it's provided a solid platform for us to deliver our services during that period."
"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."
"Service Cloud has allowed our organization to centralize multiple tools and resources into one tech stack that has optimized our ability to coordinate service efforts across the organization."
"In terms of visibility to my boss and the team, it does help a lot."
"Salesforce is much more easily configured so it can change as your business processes change; it’s extremely scalable so it can grow as your business grows, and its API is extensive so you can integrate with back office systems in a relatively straightforward way."
"It's a great tool for collaboration because it can track and share everyone's input."
"I don't have the specific details, but I'm aware that Salesforce is used for campaigns, decision-making processes, and order submissions. I'm currently in the learning phase and not familiar with all the details."
"The most valuable feature was the ability to quickly add customizable fields (and by quickly, I mean in less than two minutes) that were easily incorporated into the existing framework."
"I love this product."
"Nobody can compete with Salesforce Service Cloud's scalability."
 

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."
"Customer Service: I'd rate it as a 5/10 or 6/10."
"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."
"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."
"They need to improve the email integration with Outlook. At the moment the plugin is very unstable, and crashes from time to time."
"Since customization can increase the cost from an implementation standpoint, we focus on showcasing Service Cloud's built-in features and possibilities."
"The support team is limited and does not typically go above and beyond like some companies. Unless you have premium support, assistance is restricted."
"The treatment of email processing in the Service Cloud is still reminiscent of email processes appropriate to sales."
"I'm not deeply engaged with this team, so I don't have extensive experience with it. As you mentioned, I haven't used it much yet, so my experience is limited."
"The initial set up can be a non-event. However, most businesses would need complex customizations."
"Reporting needs improvement as sometimes we need to export data and work with it in Excel."
 

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."
"Salesforce Service Cloud is a highly expensive solution"
"Salesforce is not a cheap product. It can be expensive."
"Salesforce is very cost-effective."
"The tool is pretty expensive."
"Only enterprise businesses can afford the solution, and small companies cannot afford it."
"The solution is priced at 50 dollars a month per user."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for Salesforce Service Cloud, which is expensive."
"Salesforce Service Cloud is a bit expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Financial Services Firm
14%
University
9%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Performing Arts
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise25
 

Questions from the Community

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Salesforce Service Cloud?
Regarding pricing, I would say Salesforce field service is affordable, but the cost is increasing a little bit.
What needs improvement with Salesforce Service Cloud?
While Salesforce Service Cloud is more customer-focused, I believe a little more focus on assets is necessary. Customers who are asset-heavy prefer to stay with ServiceMax and other field service a...
What is your primary use case for Salesforce Service Cloud?
I mainly use Salesforce Service Cloud for field service. Field Service Lightning is a major feature I have used in the product. It definitely assists on-site support operations.
 

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: March 2026.
884,976 professionals have used our research since 2012.