Many objects, deep hierarchies
Related Object Selection archives a root record and its relationships up to 25 levels deep. A few object types are excluded, so check yours, but the coverage is far wider than ours.
Source: Create Archive PoliciesSOLUTIONS FOR CRM / COMPARE
Salesforce Archive, compared honestly.
Salesforce Archive is a broad product. Searchable Archive is a narrow one, built for a single job: moving old Case emails out of Data Storage while keeping them searchable. This page sets out the differences, including the ones that favor Salesforce.
Side by side
Ten topics. Salesforce statements link to the page they come from.
| Topic | Salesforce ArchiveAs documented by Salesforce | Searchable ArchiveEarly access |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Not published. The product page says pricing varies with each customer’s archiving needs and that Salesforce sales tailors a package. Source: Salesforce Archive product page | Published per Salesforce org per month, with no per-user fees and a 14-day in-app trial. See pricing. |
| Objects covered | Policies can archive root records and their related records up to 25 levels deep. Objects that are non-deletable, non-queryable or have no relationship name are excluded. Source: Create Archive Policies · Archive App (Salesforce Help) | EmailMessage on closed Cases (the Cases stay in Salesforce) and flat custom objects after sandbox certification. Objects with business child records are excluded. Arbitrary object graphs are outside the current scope. |
| Files and attachments | A policy can archive a record’s related files and attachments, and ContentDocuments can be archived as a root object. File storage and data storage are licensed separately. Source: Create Archive Policies · Get Started with the Archive App | Existing ContentDocuments stay in Salesforce, so File Storage savings are not promised. Attachments on archived emails are copied within documented size limits. Native mode adds File Storage use for its snapshots. |
| Legal hold and purge | Legal hold stops archived records from being unarchived or deleted. Purge policies permanently delete matching archived records, up to 1,000,000 per run, and skip records under legal hold. Source: Archive App (Salesforce Help) · Purge Policies | Not available today. |
| Searching email content | Archive Search indexes some fields automatically, up to 1,000 per org. EmailMessage HtmlBody and TextBody are listed as fields that cannot be indexed. Source: Manage Index Fields in the Archive App | Searches the subject, addresses and body of supported archived emails. Search speed has not been benchmarked at large scale, and we publish no latency claims. |
| Who can see archived records | Archive Search respects object-level permissions only, not sharing rules or role hierarchy, and Salesforce advises limiting it to admins. The Archive component can apply restriction rules that use archived sharing data. Source: Archive Search · Archive App (Salesforce Help) | Staff see an archived email only if they can currently read its parent Case, and only the fields they can read. Restore is a separate permission. |
| Reports and editing | Archived records are read-only and cannot be included in standard Salesforce reports. Source: Get Started with the Archive App | The same limit applies. Archived emails are read through the app and standard reports do not include them. Export is JSON of the fields the user may read. |
| Restoring records | Unarchived records receive new IDs. “Unarchive with Related References” restores a chain of up to 100 related records per root and fails above that. Emails whose HTML body exceeds Salesforce’s 131 KB limit fail to unarchive. Source: Unarchive from Archive Search or the Archive Component | A restore either undeletes the original (same ID) or, after Salesforce has permanently purged it, re-creates it with a new ID. Not every system field is preserved. Restore is validated against your own schema and automation in a sandbox. |
| Where the archive lives | Archived data is stored in AWS data centers, in the Archive region of your subscription. Source: Archive App (Salesforce Help) | Managed Cloud (default): our AWS account, us-east-1 only at launch. Native: inside your Salesforce org. Security and data flow. |
| Availability and install | Sold through Salesforce sales. Salesforce’s own rollout guide starts in a sandbox. Source: Salesforce Archive product page · Get Started with the Archive App | Early access with an assisted sandbox evaluation. The managed package is not published yet and has not passed Salesforce security review. Install guide. |
“Not available today” and “early access” describe Searchable Archive as of November 10, 2026. Salesforce statements are paraphrased from the linked pages.
Where Salesforce Archive is stronger
If your needs include any of these, start with Salesforce Archive. Searchable Archive does not offer them.
Files and attachments
A policy can archive all files and attachments associated with a root record. Archiving a file breaks its links to other active records, but the file stays reachable from the archived record’s component.
Source: Create Archive PoliciesLegal hold
Records under legal hold cannot be unarchived, deleted or removed, whether through the UI or the SDK. Purge runs skip them.
Source: Archive App (Salesforce Help) · Purge PoliciesPurge policies and right to be forgotten
A purge policy overrides the retention period set at archive time and permanently deletes matching records. Archive Apex supports right-to-be-forgotten deletion of specific archived data.
Source: Purge Policies · Archive App (Salesforce Help)Where a narrower tool may fit
For the closed-Case email problem, these are the differences that can matter.
Search inside email bodies
Salesforce lists EmailMessage HtmlBody and TextBody as fields that cannot be indexed in Archive. Searchable Archive searches the subject, addresses and body text of the emails it archives.
Source: Manage Index Fields in the Archive AppAccess that follows the Case
Salesforce documents Archive Search as object-level only. Searchable Archive shows an archived email only to staff who can currently read the parent Case, and only the fields they can read.
Source: Archive SearchA price you can read
Salesforce says Archive pricing varies and goes through its sales team. Searchable Archive publishes monthly plans per Salesforce org, and the first scan is read-only.
Source: Salesforce Archive product pageSee pricingWhat Searchable Archive does not do yet
Read this before you shortlist us.
- No legal hold, purge policies or right-to-be-forgotten tooling.
- No archiving of arbitrary object graphs. Existing ContentDocuments stay in Salesforce and File Storage savings are not promised.
- Not a backup of your org. The archive is a searchable copy of selected records, not a recovery system.
- Email bodies read through the Salesforce API can be truncated, as Salesforce documents. Source removal requires a trusted proof of the original body. Emails without that proof stay in Salesforce.
- A restore can create a new ID, and it does not preserve every system field.
- Search has not been benchmarked at large scale, and we publish no latency claims.
- No AppExchange security review and no compliance certifications yet. See Security.
- No customer results to show yet. Figures on this site are examples you can change, not measured outcomes.
Early access
Searchable Archive is not an AppExchange-approved release. Installation is assisted, and any production use needs separately agreed commercial and data-handling terms.
Who should choose which
Choose Salesforce Archive if…
- You archive more than email: other standard objects, custom objects with children or hierarchies several levels deep.
- You need files and attachments archived.
- You need legal hold, scheduled purge or right-to-be-forgotten handling.
- You want a product sold by Salesforce and are fine with a sales-led quote.
Choose Searchable Archive if…
- Your storage pressure is mostly EmailMessage on closed Cases, and the Cases stay.
- Agents need to find archived emails by words in the body, within their current Case access.
- You want a published per-org price and a read-only first scan before a sales conversation.
- You are comfortable evaluating early-access software without an AppExchange review.
Look elsewhere if…
- You need a full-org backup and recovery system.
- Your savings depend on freeing File Storage.
- You need a compliance certification or a support SLA today. We have neither.
Compare in your own org
- Pick one cohort. For example, emails on Cases closed more than two years ago. Use the same cohort for every product you try.
- Get a written scope and price from each vendor for that cohort, including file storage and any extra licenses.
- Run each in a sandbox. Check search for words inside email bodies, what an ordinary user can see, and what a restore returns.
- Compare the cash effect, not the gigabytes moved. Storage only saves money if it avoids a purchase or lowers a renewal.
Questions people ask
Is Searchable Archive a full replacement for Salesforce Archive?
No. Salesforce Archive covers more objects, deeper hierarchies, files, legal hold and purge policies. Searchable Archive is narrower: it targets EmailMessage records on closed Cases and flat custom objects. If your needs are wider than that, Salesforce Archive or another broad product is the better fit.
How much does Salesforce Archive cost?
Salesforce does not publish a price. Its product page says pricing varies with each customer’s archiving needs and that its sales team builds a package. Ask Salesforce for a written quote that covers your data and file volumes. We do not quote Salesforce prices on this site because we cannot verify them.
Can Salesforce Archive search inside email bodies?
Salesforce’s Manage Index Fields page lists EmailMessage HtmlBody and TextBody as fields that are not available for indexing in Archive. Searchable Archive searches the body text of the emails it archives, within the completeness limits described on this page. Confirm the behavior you need in a sandbox.
Do restored records keep their original IDs?
In Salesforce Archive, unarchived records are assigned new IDs. In Searchable Archive, a restore can undelete the original record, keeping its ID, while Salesforce can still recover it. A record that Salesforce has permanently purged is re-created with a new ID, and not every system field is preserved.
Does Searchable Archive support legal hold?
No, not today. Salesforce Archive offers legal hold and scheduled purge policies. If you need either, choose Salesforce Archive or another product that provides them.
Is Searchable Archive affiliated with Salesforce?
No. Solutions for CRM is an independent software brand and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Salesforce, Inc. Salesforce and Salesforce Archive are trademarks of Salesforce, Inc.
How current are these comparisons?
The date at the top is when we last re-read every linked Salesforce source. Salesforce changes its documentation, so confirm anything that affects a purchase. Email us if something looks out of date and we will re-check it.
Sources and last checked
We last re-read these pages on November 10, 2026. Salesforce can change them at any time.
See it on your own data.
Start with a read-only assessment, then evaluate in a sandbox. No Salesforce credentials are needed to ask.