Blog - Native vs. Integrated FAQs
5 questions in this category
A native platform is built directly on Salesforce and stores all event data inside your org, using the same database and security model as the rest of your CRM. An integrated platform runs on separate infrastructure and pushes data into Salesforce through an API or middleware. The practical difference shows up in three places: native apps don’t consume API calls for core functions, they inherit your org’s permissions automatically, and there’s no sync delay between an action happening and it appearing in Salesforce.
The main benefits are real-time data with no sync lag, zero API consumption for core operations, automatic inheritance of your org’s security and permission model, and the ability to build standard Salesforce reports and dashboards directly on event data. For teams running events as a strategic, pipeline-connected function, those benefits translate into less admin overhead and more trustworthy reporting.
Integrated platforms typically sync data through REST or SOAP APIs, middleware like MuleSoft, or third-party connectors like Zapier. Sync frequency varies — some platforms push updates in near-real-time, while others batch sync on intervals of 15 minutes to several hours. Each sync cycle consumes Salesforce API calls, and any field mapping errors or contact matching issues can create duplicate or orphaned records.
No. The AppExchange lists both native apps, like Blackthorn Events, and integrated tools that simply offer a Salesforce connector. The listing itself doesn’t always make the distinction clear, so it’s worth checking whether an app’s data lives in your org or in an external database before assuming “available on AppExchange” means “native.”
Check whether it needs API calls to function, whether it inherits your Salesforce permissions automatically, and whether you can report on its data using standard Salesforce tools with no connector. If all three are true, it’s native. For a fuller vendor-vetting checklist, see the quick questions above or the complete guide linked below.