# Choosing internal, identity and Experience Cloud licenses

*Platform Identity and Access Management Architect Study Guide · Salesforce Identity · Last updated October 16, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/identity-and-access-management-architect/salesforce-identity/choosing-internal-identity-and-experience-cloud-licenses*

How to pick a user license from requirements: internal versus external, Identity Only, Salesforce Platform and Salesforce Integration for employees and systems, and External Identity, Customer Community, Customer Community Plus, Partner Community, Channel Account and External Apps for external users, with member-based versus login-based pricing, person-account fit and scale guidance.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform Identity and Access Management Architect
- Exam section: Salesforce Identity
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/identity-and-access-management-architect

**Official exam objective:**

> Give a set of requirements, recommend the most appropriate Salesforce license type(s).

## What the exam expects

- Decide internal versus external from who the user is and what privileges they need, not from whether they are on the payroll.
- Choose among Identity Only, Salesforce Platform and Salesforce Integration for employees and systems, including Identity Only's complimentary count, edition limits and custom-object limit.
- Choose among External Identity, Customer Community, Customer Community Plus, Partner Community, Channel Account and External Apps from the objects, sharing, person-account model and scale the requirement implies.
- Choose member-based or login-based licenses from login frequency, and count daily unique logins.

Key terms: **internal license** (for employees or anyone treated as one; logs in through login.salesforce.com or My Domain); **external license** (Experience Cloud sites only); **Identity Only** (employee license for identity services such as SSO); **login-based license** (a pool of monthly logins, one per user per day); **Channel Account** (partner license counted per partner account).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Consultants who administer the org | Internal license | [Internal or External License](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_internal_external_license_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| External users | Only sites they're members of; no internal org | [Internal or External License](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_internal_external_license_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Complimentary Identity Only | 100 in Professional, Enterprise, Unlimited, Performance | [Salesforce Identity Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.identity_licenses.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Identity Only in Professional Edition | SAML SSO only as service provider | [Salesforce Identity Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.identity_licenses.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Identity Only custom objects | 10, contractual | [Salesforce Identity Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.identity_licenses.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Salesforce Integration | API only; no user interface | [Integration Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.integration_user.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Leads and opportunities | Partner Community and Channel Account only | [Experience Cloud User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Channel Account | Up to 40 pooled users per partner account | [Experience Cloud User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Person accounts | Not with Partner Community | [Experience Cloud User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| 100+ million users | Customer Community or External Apps | [Experience Cloud User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Login-based usage | One login per user per day, site switches free | [Experience Cloud User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| One license per user | Changing it removes permission sets | [User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_understanding_license_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why do consultants who administer the org need internal licenses?
- When does Channel Account beat Partner Community?
- Which three Experience Cloud licenses can be used with person accounts?
- When is a login-based license the better buy?

## Sources

- [Salesforce Identity Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.identity_licenses.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Experience Cloud User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [When to Use an Internal or External License](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_internal_external_license_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.users_understanding_license_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Standard User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.users_license_types_available.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [External Identity License Details](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.users_license_types_external_identity.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Give Integration Users API Only Access](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.integration_user.htm&language=en_US&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 17 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform Identity and Access Management Architect pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams