Comparison
Five ways to audit a Salesforce org, and when each one fits
You can hire a consultant, run a free org checker, take a partner-led scan, buy a subscription platform, or run a self-serve scan that prices what it finds. They answer different questions. This page compares them by type, and says plainly when VanguardOps is not the right one.
By VanguardOps, written by a Salesforce architect with 13+ years in enterprise orgs. Updated November 11, 2026.
How do the options compare?
These describe each kind of option as it usually works. Individual products and firms vary, so check the specifics of any one you are considering.
| Option | How you start | First result | What you get | Price model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A consultant’s audit | How you start: Calls, a statement of work | First result: Weeks | What you get: A written report and recommendations, shaped by interviews | Price model: A project fee, usually thousands of dollars |
| A free org checker | How you start: Install it in your org or run it from the command line | First result: Same day | What you get: A long list of issues ranked by severity or count | Price model: Free; your time to interpret it |
| A partner-gated scan | How you start: A form, then a partner or sales contact | First result: After a readout is scheduled | What you get: A scan with a guided walkthrough, often benchmarked against other orgs | Price model: Free scan; paid plans by quote |
| A subscription-only platform | How you start: A trial or a demo | First result: Days, after setup | What you get: Ongoing dependency maps, change tracking, documentation | Price model: Monthly or annual subscription |
| VanguardOps | How you start: Sign in with Salesforce. No form, no card. | First result: Usually a few minutes | What you get: A health score and findings, each priced in dollars, worst first | Price model: First scan free; $2,500 one-time pilot; monthly plans from $299 |
When is each one the better choice?
A consultant’s audit
Best when the real questions are about the business: which processes matter, what to retire, what to build. People can interview your teams and weigh trade-offs a scan can’t see. The cost is time and money before you learn anything, and the quality depends on who you get.
A free org checker
Best when you are technical, have time, and want everything to stay inside your org. Open-source checkers run in your own org or on your own machine, so nothing leaves it. That is a real advantage for a strict security team. What you get is a list: it tells you what is wrong, not what it costs or what to do first, and the user running it often needs broad permissions.
A partner-gated scan
Best when you want someone to walk you through the results and you are open to a services conversation afterwards. Benchmarks against thousands of other orgs are easier for larger vendors to offer. The trade is that you talk to someone before or after you see your numbers, and pricing usually comes by quote.
A subscription-only platform
Best for a team that changes the org every week and needs dependency maps, change tracking and documentation that stay current. Many hold security certifications a small vendor doesn’t. It is a larger commitment than an audit, and in our experience many don’t put a dollar figure on individual findings.
VanguardOps
Best when you own the org, need to know what is costing the most and what to fix first, and want that today without a call. Every finding carries a one-time fix cost and a 3-year cost from a published formula, which is what gets a cleanup funded.
Where VanguardOps is the wrong choice
- You need a SOC 2 report from every vendor. VanguardOps doesn’t have one today.
- Nothing may leave your org. VanguardOps is a web app. It stores scan metadata in its own database in the United States. An open-source checker that runs inside your org fits better.
- You need Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud or Data 360 covered. Scans cover Sales Cloud and Service Cloud.
- You want the free scan on a sandbox. The free scan works on production and Developer Edition orgs. Connecting a sandbox needs an account.
- You want benchmarks against other orgs. The report grades your org on its own; it doesn’t compare you to a peer group.
- You want continuous monitoring. Scans run only when you start one.
Common questions
- What is the fastest way to audit a Salesforce org?
- A self-serve scan or a free org checker. Both return results the same day without a sales call. A consultant's audit usually takes weeks, and a partner-led scan waits on scheduling a readout.
- Is there a free Salesforce org health check?
- Yes, several. Free open-source org checkers run inside your org and list problems by severity. Some vendors offer a free scan delivered through a partner or a form. VanguardOps offers one free scan per org with no form before it: you see a health score, the total estimated cost and your top 3 findings priced in dollars, then add an email for the full report.
- Which option puts a dollar cost on each finding?
- VanguardOps does, using a published formula. A consultant can, if it is in the scope. In our experience, free checkers and many subscription platforms rank findings by severity or count instead.
- When is a consultant the right choice?
- When the questions are about your business, not your metadata: which processes to keep, how teams should work, what to build next. A scan can tell you what is in the org and what it costs. It can't interview your sales team.
- Does VanguardOps replace a DevOps or org intelligence platform?
- No. Those are for teams changing an org every week: deployments, dependency maps, change tracking. VanguardOps is an audit: what's wrong, what it costs, what to fix first. Teams often want an audit first to decide whether they need the platform.