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Amazon Connect vs Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

Amazon Connect logo

Amazon Connect

Customer Support

Cloud contact center from AWS

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Salesforce Service Cloud Chat logo

Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

Live Chat

Live chat integrated with Salesforce Service Cloud

From
$25/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amazon Connect has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Connect telephony is charged separately from the platform, so the $0.038 per minute voice rate is not the whole cost of a call; Salesforce Service Cloud Chat entry-level pricing of $25 per user per month is relatively expensive for small businesses
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Connect covers Voice, Salesforce Service Cloud Chat covers Live chat messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Connect and Salesforce Service Cloud Chat actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Connect and Salesforce Service Cloud Chat differ
AttributeAmazon ConnectSalesforce Service Cloud Chat
Starting priceFree$25/month
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile apps
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20061999

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon Connect

  • Voice
  • Chat
  • Tasks
  • ML-powered analytics
  • Contact Lens
  • Outbound campaigns
  • Forecasting
  • Salesforce

Only in Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

  • Live chat messaging
  • CRM integration
  • Agent desktop integration
  • Visitor tracking
  • Salesforce ecosystem
  • Slack
  • Gmail
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon Connect

  • Cloud contact centre with no per-seat licencenot Salesforce Service Cloud Chat
  • Voice, chat, email and SMS in one queuenot Salesforce Service Cloud Chat
  • Conversational analytics and agent assistnot Salesforce Service Cloud Chat
  • Outbound campaigns and automated contactnot Salesforce Service Cloud Chat
  • Workforce scheduling for contact centre agentsnot Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

  • Customer engagementnot Amazon Connect
  • Lead generationnot Amazon Connect
  • Customer supportnot Amazon Connect
  • Sales automationnot Amazon Connect

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon Connect

  • Telephony is charged separately from the platform, so the $0.038 per minute voice rate is not the whole cost of a call
  • Every channel is metered individually: $0.010 per chat message, $0.080 per email and $0.014 per SMS
  • Rates vary by region and by third-party provider, so a published figure is indicative rather than final
  • Cost tracks contact volume, which makes forecasting hard for a queue with seasonal peaks

Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

  • Entry-level pricing of $25 per user per month is relatively expensive for small businesses
  • Requires Salesforce CRM setup and integration for full functionality
  • Limited standalone capability outside of Salesforce ecosystem
  • Complex configuration required for advanced features

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Connect

Free
  • Pay-as-you-go$undefined/mo
    • Chat: $0.010 per message sent or received
    • Voice: $0.038 per minute
    • Email: $0.080 per message sent or received

Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

$25/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Salesforce Service Cloud Chat review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Connect if

  • You need voice.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want chat.
Amazon Connect review

Choose Salesforce Service Cloud Chat if

  • You need live chat messaging.
  • You work on Web, Mobile apps.
  • You also want crm integration.
Salesforce Service Cloud Chat review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Connect or Salesforce Service Cloud Chat better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Connect starts at Free and Salesforce Service Cloud Chat at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Connect or Salesforce Service Cloud Chat?
Amazon Connect has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amazon Connect and $25/month for Salesforce Service Cloud Chat.
Does Amazon Connect or Salesforce Service Cloud Chat run on more platforms?
Amazon Connect runs on Web. Salesforce Service Cloud Chat runs on Web, Mobile apps.
Can I use Amazon Connect for free?
Yes. Amazon Connect has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salesforce Service Cloud Chat starts at $25/month.
What is Amazon Connect best used for?
Amazon Connect is most often used for cloud contact centre with no per-seat licence, voice, chat, email and sms in one queue, conversational analytics and agent assist, outbound campaigns and automated contact. Of those, cloud contact centre with no per-seat licence and voice, chat, email and sms in one queue are not what Salesforce Service Cloud Chat is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Connect do that Salesforce Service Cloud Chat cannot?
Amazon Connect covers Voice, Chat, Tasks, ML-powered analytics. Salesforce Service Cloud Chat covers Live chat messaging, CRM integration, Agent desktop integration, Visitor tracking. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon Connect: How much does Amazon Connect cost?

Amazon Connect uses pay-as-you-go pricing with no minimums or long-term contracts. Costs are $0.010 per chat message, $0.038 per voice minute, $0.080 per email message, and $0.014 per SMS or third-party messaging message.

Source
Salesforce Service Cloud Chat: What is Salesforce Service Cloud Chat?

Salesforce Chat is a real-time customer engagement tool enabling businesses to connect with customers through personalized live chat interactions embedded in apps and on websites, with AI-powered chatbot support.

Source
Amazon Connect: Is Amazon Connect free to try?

Amazon Connect offers a free trial option for new customers to get started at no cost. Ongoing usage is charged based on consumption with no minimum commitment required.

Source
Salesforce Service Cloud Chat: What is the pricing for Salesforce Service Cloud Chat?

Salesforce Service Cloud entry-level pricing starts at $25 per user per month, with multiple tiers available and add-ons ranging from $50 to $75 depending on required features.

Source
Amazon Connect: What are Amazon Connect's per-channel pricing differences?

Communication channel costs vary: voice at $0.038 per minute is the most expensive, email at $0.080 per message, SMS at $0.014 per message, and chat at the lowest rate of $0.010 per message. All pricing is per message or per minute consumed with no unused portions charged.

Source
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