Lightning Platform Light App
Lightning Platform Light App is a Salesforce user license type at the lower-cost tier of the Lightning Platform license family, intended for users who need limited Salesforce access.
Definition
Lightning Platform Light App is a Salesforce user license type at the lower-cost tier of the Lightning Platform license family, intended for users who need limited Salesforce access. Light App users get access to a smaller subset of custom objects (typically up to 10), a smaller subset of standard objects (Account, Contact, Activities, Files, Chatter), and limited or no access to Sales and Service Cloud-specific objects. The license trades full platform power for substantially lower per-user pricing, making it a fit for users who only occasionally interact with Salesforce in narrow ways.
Common use cases include lookup-only users (employees who need to find customer records but never edit them), light-touch internal-app users (HR self-service portal where employees check their own information), and partner-tier users (external partners with a tiny scope of access). Light App licenses sit alongside the broader Lightning Platform Enterprise App license and the full Sales or Service Cloud licenses; picking the right tier per user persona is one of the biggest cost-optimization levers in any Salesforce contract.
When Light App fits the use case and when it does not
What the Light App license includes
Light App licenses give users access to up to 10 custom objects (the limit varies by edition), a curated subset of standard objects (Account, Contact, Activity, Files, Chatter), and limited reporting. The license excludes Opportunity, Quote, Case, and the broader Sales and Service Cloud feature set. Light App users can run custom Apex and Lightning components but the limits on API calls and storage are tighter than Enterprise App.
The 10-custom-object cap
The 10-custom-object cap is the most-cited limitation. Apps with broader data models do not fit on Light App; if the user persona needs read or write access to more than 10 custom objects, they need the Enterprise App license instead. The cap counts every custom object the user touches, not just the primary ones.
Pricing tier
Light App is the cheapest Lightning Platform license, often priced at 25-40 percent of an Enterprise App license. The savings are significant for users with truly narrow access needs; assigning Light App to users who need broader access creates friction that costs more in lost productivity than the license savings.
Common use cases
Three patterns suit Light App. Reference-only users (employees who occasionally look up customer information, like marketing teammates browsing accounts). Self-service portal users (employees checking their own HR data via a small custom-object app). Limited-access partner users where the partner needs a tiny slice of Salesforce data and the full Customer Community license would be overkill.
Limits and the upgrade path
Light App licenses have lower API limits, smaller report-generation allowances, and stricter data-storage quotas than higher-tier licenses. Users hitting these limits should upgrade to Enterprise App or higher rather than try to work around the caps. Salesforce account teams support license upgrades on contract terms.
Mixing with Enterprise App and full CRM
Most large orgs use a mix: Light App for reference users, Enterprise App for custom-app users, full Sales or Service for CRM users. Profile and permission-set design must respect each license''s boundaries. Mistakes (granting Opportunity access via permission set to a Light App user) result in access errors, not silent overrides.
Identity Cloud as the cheapest tier
Below Light App in cost is Identity Only license, which lets users authenticate into Salesforce as an identity provider but not access any Salesforce data. For pure SSO use cases, Identity Only is cheaper than Light App. Pick Light App only when the user genuinely needs limited Salesforce data access.
Decide between Light App, Enterprise App, and full CRM
The decision turns on how many custom objects the user touches and whether they need Sales or Service Cloud features.
- List object access per user persona
For each user persona, list the standard and custom objects they need to read or write. Be specific; over-estimating leads to license over-spend.
- Check the 10-custom-object cap
If the persona touches more than 10 custom objects, Light App does not fit. Move up to Enterprise App.
- Check Sales and Service Cloud needs
If the persona needs Opportunity, Quote, Order, or Case, they need a Sales or Service license. Light App and Enterprise App both exclude these.
- Default to the cheapest license that fits
Once the requirements are clear, pick the lowest-tier license that covers them. License over-spend is one of the biggest hidden costs in Salesforce contracts.
- Configure permission sets within the license
Layer least-privilege permission sets on top of the license. The license sets the ceiling; permission sets set the floor.
- Coordinate at contract time
Salesforce account teams structure license mixes. Get the mix right at contract; mid-term changes are painful.
- The 10-custom-object cap is hard. Users hitting it need an Enterprise App upgrade; permission sets cannot bypass the cap.
- Light App users cannot access Opportunity, Quote, or Case. Mistakenly assigning the license to a sales user blocks their work.
- API and storage limits are tighter than higher-tier licenses. Heavy-usage users may need an upgrade even when the object access fits.
- Identity Only is cheaper than Light App for pure SSO. Pick Light App only when the user needs actual Salesforce data access.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- User License TypesSalesforce Help
- Lightning Platform PricingSalesforce
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Lightning Platform Light App.
- Salesforce EditionsSalesforce Help
Hands-on resources to go deeper on Lightning Platform Light App.
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
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