For years, "Salesforce-Outlook integration" meant one thing: a single desktop add-in that bolted Salesforce onto your inbox. That era is ending. As Salesforce for Outlook retires in December 2027, the integration landscape has split into several distinct products, each solving a different slice of the problem. Some log emails. Some sync automatically in the background. Some run your Salesforce processes right inside Outlook. None of them does everything.
That's the most important thing to understand before you choose: there is no longer a single "Salesforce for Outlook" you can install and call it done. You pick the option (or the combination) that matches what your reps actually do in the inbox. This guide walks through the four main options and compares them side by side, so you have a simple way to decide.
Your Outlook-to-Salesforce integration options
In 2026, four products cover the vast majority of Outlook-to-Salesforce integration needs. Here's what each one actually does, where it's strong, and where it stops.
The Outlook Integration add-in
What it does: The Outlook Integration is Salesforce's modern, web-based add-in, and the official successor to Salesforce for Outlook. It puts a Salesforce sidebar next to the email you're reading, showing the matched Contact, Lead, Opportunity, or Case. From there you can log the email to a record, create tasks and events, and view record details without leaving Outlook. It runs across Outlook desktop, web, and mobile.
Strengths: It's free with most Salesforce licenses, it's officially supported, and it covers the core email-logging and record-visibility workflow that most teams relied on in the old desktop add-in. Because it's web-based, it works everywhere Outlook does.
Limits: Logging is manual (a rep has to click to relate each email), so capture depends on discipline. And it's built for visibility and logging, not automation: it does not run Salesforce Screen Flows. If your processes live in Flows, the Outlook Integration alone won't surface them. See the Outlook integration feature page for how FlowRunner layers Flow execution on top of this baseline.
Einstein Activity Capture
What it does: Einstein Activity Capture (EAC) syncs emails and calendar events from Outlook to Salesforce automatically, in the background, based on rules an admin configures. There's no sidebar to click and no manual logging. Once a user's mailbox is connected, matching emails and events flow into Salesforce on their own.
Strengths: Automatic capture means near 100% coverage without relying on reps to remember to log anything. It's the right answer when activity data needs to be complete for forecasting, analytics, or compliance.
Limits: It costs around $25/user/month as a standalone add-on, or comes included with Sales Cloud Einstein. The big caveat is where the data lives: captured activity is stored in the Einstein Activity Capture data store and shown on the activity timeline, rather than as standard Task records. That means it doesn't report the same way standard activities do, a real consideration if your team builds reports and dashboards on Tasks. EAC also doesn't run Screen Flows. For a deeper look, see our Einstein Activity Capture comparison.
FlowRunner (Screen Flows in the inbox)
What it does: FlowRunner runs Salesforce Screen Flows directly inside Outlook and Gmail, with the email's context (sender, recipients, subject, matched records) pre-filled into the Flow. Instead of just viewing or logging a record, a rep can launch a qualification Flow, an opportunity-update Flow, or a case-routing Flow and complete it without leaving the inbox. Admins choose which Flows appear and when.
Strengths: It's the only option here that executes full Screen Flows in the inbox. If you've built Flows that reps avoid because they require opening Salesforce, FlowRunner closes that gap and drives adoption. It works in both Outlook and Gmail, and admins keep full control over what's exposed. Pricing starts at €12/user/month plus a €50/org/month base.
Limits: FlowRunner is focused on Flow execution. It isn't a sales-engagement suite, so it doesn't provide email open tracking, templates, or sequences, and it isn't an automatic background sync tool. It pairs well with the free Outlook Integration (for logging) or EAC (for capture) rather than replacing them.
Cirrus Insight
What it does: Cirrus Insight is a sales engagement platform that lives in Outlook (and Gmail). On top of Salesforce sync and email logging, it adds engagement tooling: email templates, open and link tracking, meeting scheduling, and cadences/sequences.
Strengths: If your reps need more than CRM sync, and email tracking, templates, and scheduling are part of the daily workflow, Cirrus Insight bundles those into one add-in. It's a mature product with a long track record in the Salesforce ecosystem.
Limits: It's priced per seat at roughly $29-$59/user/month, which adds up across a team. And like the others, it isn't built to run Salesforce Screen Flows. It's an engagement suite, not a process-automation tool. See our Cirrus Insight comparison for the full breakdown.
Comparison: Outlook CRM integration options
| Option | What it does | Runs Screen Flows? | Auto-sync? | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outlook Integration | Sidebar, manual email logging, record view | Free (with most Salesforce licenses) | Email logging and record visibility | ||
| Einstein Activity Capture | Automatic email & calendar sync | ~$25/user/month (or Sales Cloud Einstein) | Hands-free capture for analytics/compliance | ||
| FlowRunner | Runs Screen Flows in Outlook & Gmail | From €12/user/month + €50/org/month | Running Salesforce processes in the inbox | ||
| Cirrus Insight | Sales engagement suite + CRM sync | $29-$59/user/month | Templates, tracking, scheduling, cadences |
How to choose
Don't start from the product. Start from what your team needs to happen in the inbox, then match the need to the option:
- You just need to log emails and see records: Use the free Outlook Integration. It covers the core workflow most teams used in the old desktop add-in, at no extra cost.
- You need every email and meeting captured automatically: Use Einstein Activity Capture. Hands-free sync gives you near-complete activity data. Just keep the EAC data-store reporting caveat in mind if you build reports on standard Tasks.
- You need reps to run Salesforce processes or Screen Flows without leaving the inbox: Use FlowRunner. It's the only option that executes Screen Flows in Outlook and Gmail with email context pre-filled.
- You need a full sales-engagement suite: Use Cirrus Insight (or a similar platform) when templates, tracking, scheduling, and cadences matter as much as CRM sync.
These aren't mutually exclusive. A common, effective stack is the free Outlook Integration for logging, plus FlowRunner so reps can run your Screen Flows on the same email. Another is EAC for automatic capture alongside FlowRunner for the actions reps take by hand. Pick the baseline that fits your data needs, then add the layer that drives the behavior you want.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Outlook Integration the same as Salesforce for Outlook?
No. Salesforce for Outlook is the legacy desktop add-in that is retiring in December 2027. The Outlook Integration is Salesforce's modern, web-based add-in that replaces it. The Outlook Integration runs across Outlook desktop, web, and mobile, shows a Salesforce record sidebar next to your email, and lets you log emails and create records. It is free with most Salesforce licenses. If you are still on Salesforce for Outlook, the Outlook Integration is the official path forward.
Which option runs Salesforce Screen Flows in Outlook?
FlowRunner. The native Outlook Integration and Einstein Activity Capture handle email logging and sync, but neither runs Salesforce Screen Flows. FlowRunner is built specifically to launch and complete Screen Flows directly inside Outlook (and Gmail), with the email's context pre-filled. If your team has built qualification, opportunity-update, or case-routing Flows and wants reps to run them without leaving the inbox, FlowRunner is the option that does that.
Is the Outlook Integration free?
Yes. The Outlook Integration add-in is included free with most Salesforce licenses. It provides manual email logging and a Salesforce record sidebar inside Outlook. You only pay extra when you add capabilities beyond it. For example, Einstein Activity Capture for automatic sync (around $25/user/month standalone, or included with Sales Cloud Einstein), or a third-party add-in such as FlowRunner (from €12/user/month plus €50/org/month) to run Screen Flows in the inbox.