The decision is mostly about object access. If the user needs Opportunity or Case, they need a Sales or Service license; otherwise Enterprise App is the cost-effective choice.
- List the objects each user touches
For each user persona (HR coordinator, project manager, asset administrator), list the Salesforce objects they need to read or write.
- Check for Sales or Service Cloud objects
Opportunity, Quote, Order, Case, Lead (in some interpretations), Forecasting objects all require Sales or Service licenses.
- Default to Enterprise App when possible
Users who do not touch Sales or Service objects get the Enterprise App license at significant savings.
- Verify edition limits
Enterprise App licenses have custom-object and API limits per edition. Confirm the user''s usage fits within the limits.
- Configure permission sets
Even within the license, permission sets control what each user can do. Layer least-privilege permission sets on top of the license.
- Coordinate license purchase with the account team
Salesforce account executives can structure contracts mixing license types. Get the right mix at contract time; adjusting mid-term is painful.
- Enterprise App users cannot access Sales or Service Cloud objects. Mistakenly assigning the license to a sales user blocks their core work.
- License changes mid-contract require Salesforce account team coordination. Pricing-tier changes are not self-serve.
- Mixing license types adds permission-set complexity. Each license has different object visibility; permission sets must respect the license boundaries.
- Edition limits apply per license. High-usage Enterprise App users may hit API or custom-object limits before they would on a full license.