At some point in every Salesforce Admin or Architect’s journey, a familiar question comes up: should we build a custom solution or install something pre-made? It’s honestly a classic crossroads, and one that’s becoming even more relevant as business needs grow more complex and the Salesforce ecosystem continues to expand.
Our Salesforce Architect Survey revealed just how layered this choice really is, and why the hidden costs of “Let’s just build it!” might be catching teams off guard.
What Architects Are Actually Doing
When asked directly whether they prefer building in-house or buying third-party apps, over half (59.7%) of the architect respondents said they had no strong preference. At first glance, this seems neutral. However, if you dig deeper, you’ll find that this isn’t a matter of choice, but constraints.
You’d think that the respondents with more experience would be the ones who usually prefer building solutions from scratch. After all, they’re more familiar with the platform’s capabilities and would know how to tailor functionality to specific needs. Interestingly, the survey reveals that newer architects (those with 0–5 years of experience in the role) and those with fewer certifications are actually the ones who tend to lean more toward building in-house. This may paint a picture not necessarily of overconfidence, but rather, of limited exposure to the broader options offered by third-party solutions.
Meanwhile, more seasoned architects tend to prefer buying, which shows what they’ve learned from years and years of experience: that with too much customization, there is a significant maintenance burden that may come down the line.
When Building Isn’t the Best Investment
The survey results show that companies have fairly large budgets set aside for Salesforce (according to their architects). With an average budget of over $700,000 per year, it’s easy to think about how many organizations can afford to build whatever they need.
But then, cost is surface-level. Simple cost figures don’t tell the full story of what these budgets are actually spent on, but these stats can help paint a clearer picture of real-world decision-making:
- On average, 63% of the architect respondents spend their time with Salesforce products, and yet, when it comes to critical areas like backup, archiving, and data quality, the majority still favor third-party tools (or none at all!).
- Over a third of the respondents (36.9%) don’t use a backup tool, but among those who do, third-party options are favored.
- The same pattern emerges when it comes to archiving, with 62% not using any tool, and in data quality, where 60.6% lack a solution. But again, for those who do have them, external tools are preferred.
The key point here is that when it comes to high-stakes areas like data quality, or keeping backup solutions for long-term reliability, experience in Salesforce does not mean loyalty to native features. Experienced teams turn to third-party solutions they trust, even if it entails additional spend.
Custom Work is Still Manual
Yes, we’re in the age of AI. But it’s still an ongoing debate whether smart automation can truly replace experience-driven decisions. Even with tools like Agentforce or ChatGPT becoming more common, only a small percentage of architects feel confident designing solutions using AI capabilities. While these AI tools are helping, only a small percentage feel confident about architecting solutions using Agentforce or other AI-native tools, which contributes to the chances for custom builds to be error-prone.
And so, the work remains largely manual. In fact, 94% of architects say they still do hands-on technical work themselves (despite their strategic role). After all, deploying custom solutions doesn’t just mean building the thing; it also requires alignment with internal stakeholders, testing, documentation, and ongoing support once built. Even after all that, the moment the original builder leaves or shifts focus, technical debt creeps in.
It’s no surprise, then, that hiring priorities give us a glimpse of where teams feel the pressure. When respondents were asked what role they’d hire first if budget allowed, the top answer was Developer at 19.9%, followed by Technical Architect at 11%, with Business Analyst and Administrator both at 9%. The top two answers suggest where teams urgently need support – and that is to execute technical builds and translate requirements, which are both common pain points in technical development.
The Buy Case is Stronger Than You Think
With all that said, you may feel discouraged when it comes to custom builds at this point. But of course, building isn’t the enemy. When done thoughtfully, custom development is what makes Salesforce truly adaptable to every business’s needs. Instead, know when to pick which method.
You should consider buying instead of building when:
- The feature you need is standard (necessary, but not unique to your business).
- There’s an AppExchange solution that meets most of the requirements.
- You lack the bandwidth or expertise to maintain it long-term.
- The need for built-in support, updates, and compliance outweighs the costs and responsibilities that come with building.
- You’re aiming to reduce tech debt in your org.
On the other hand, build if:
- The process or feature needed is tightly coupled with your unique business model.
- You need full control and customization.
- You’re solving for unique internal workflows that can’t be met by existing or pre-made.
Final Thoughts
Customization is not a plain technical decision or a question of how the solution should be built. Since it entails considering various factors and maintenance, it’s an architectural decision! One of the biggest mistakes you can make when deciding is viewing it as an execution task and not a strategic one, and this is also why there is no single definitive answer when asked to choose when to build a custom solution or buy one.
If you think the cost lies in the solution’s price or the hours spent building – think again. It’s time to update that mindset because the smartest orgs aren’t building more. They’re building smarter.
If you haven’t yet, check out the results from our Salesforce Architect Survey for deeper insights into how architects work, prioritize, and make decisions.
