What is the difference between the Salesforce Platform license and Chatter Only license?

Question

Salesforce Platform License: Designed for users who need access to custom apps but not to standard CRM functionality. Users with this user license are entitled to use custom apps developed in your organization or installed from Force.com AppExchange. In addition, they are entitled to use core platform functionality such as accounts, contacts, reports, dashboards, documents, and custom tabs. However, these users are not entitled to some user permissions and standard apps, including standard tabs and objects such as forecasts and opportunities.

Salesforce Chatter Only - These users can access standard Chatter people, profiles, groups, and files, plus they can: View Salesforce accounts and contacts Use Salesforce CRM Content, Ideas, and Answers Modify up to ten custom objects

I must be missing something but I don't see the difference between these two sets of functionality.

Answer 1

Salesforce Platform licenses are designed for users who only need access to custom apps, and NOT the standard CRM functionality. Salesforce Platform users DO have access to the "core" Salesforce Standard Objects and functionality, like...

Accounts
Contacts
Reports
Dashboards
Documents
Custom Tabs

So, if a user only needs to access custom Force.com or AppExchange apps, it's OK to assign them a Salesforce Platform license. On the other hand, if a user needs access to any CRM functionality (eg Sales or Service Cloud), they must be assigned a Salesforce license.

and Chatter Only (aka Chatter Plus) Access to Chatter for people in your company without a Salesforce license PLUS access to accounts & contacts. Additional cost. hope you find the differences ..!

Answer 2

You're right that the difference isn't that clear. Salesforce aren't very good at explaining their license options.

Two major differences I can see:

Salesforce Platform gives read/write access to Contacts and Accounts
vs
Chatter Plus gives read-only access to Contacts and Accounts

and

Salesforce Platform gives read-write access to an unlimited number of Custom Objects (within the overall limit of the org - 200 objects I think?)
vs
Chatter Plus gives read-write access to 10 custom objects - a bit like a Community license.

Answer 3

In addition to what Vineeth said, Chatter Only (aka Chatter Plus) user include :

• Access dashboards and reports
• Use and approve workflows & Content library
• Use the calendar to create and track activities
• Modify up to ten custom objects

I hope this might be useful for you. if i am wrong for any point then please correct me.