Surely, at some point, you’ve already needed to easily import data from a spreadsheet to create or update records in Salesforce. Or maybe you have wasted time updating data manually and wish you could do it more easily.
To keep your data up to date or import a large volume of data, you won’t need technical support or take hours to edit it manually. Numerous tools make this task easy and quick to perform.
We’ve selected the five most popular options to help you choose the most suitable tool. Each tool has its characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, technical particularities, and forms of use. The choice of the appropriate tool must take into account all these factors. To help you in this analysis, we summarize the main features of each of them, suggesting the most appropriate use cases.
Data Import Wizard
The Data Import Wizard is a Salesforce tool that allows you to import data into various standard objects, including accounts, contacts, leads, and campaign members, up to 50,000 records at a time. You can also import data into custom objects.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| + No need to install + Easy to use + Allows you to ignore automatisms + (Workflows / Process Builders) | – Does not import Opportunities – Does not allow Export or Delete – Non intuitive logs system – Limited configuration |
Best option for:
- Low complexity imports
- Accounts and Contacts imports
Learn more here.
Data Loader
Data Loader is a free application from Salesforce used to manipulate data in bulk. Allows you to insert, update, delete or export Salesforce records, working with CSV files in your operations.This tool is one of Salesforce’s most versatile tools for working data.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| + Works with all types of objects + Allows Insert / Delete / Update / Export operations + Mapping of external IDs + Easy-to-read log files | – Need to install the application – Does not allow ignoring automatisms – May not be intuitive for some users |
Best option for:
- Importing multiple objects
- Imports of objects with relations
- Advanced users
Learn more here.
NPSP Data Import
NPSP Data Importer allows you to create accounts, contacts, and opportunities in a single upload. When the import file is loaded into Salesforce, it is initially inserted into an object that gathers all the information (Accounts / Contacts / Opportunities / etc.). It is possible to query and import the data into the respective objects from this initial object.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| + Allows you to import multiple objects in a single load + Intermediate phase where you can query and correct the data in Salesforce before inserting it into the respective objects | – Intermediate data confirmation phase adds complexity when compared to other tools – Need to configure the tool to recognise the custom fields |
Best option for:
- Imports Accounts / Contacts / Opportunities from a single file
Learn more here.
DataMover
DataMover is a new tool for data import, available on App Exchange. This application combines some of the best features of other import software without any associated cost. As it is a recent software, some features may reveal instability, but the set of options offered is so comprehensive it should be an option to consider.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| + Very versatile tool + Can load multiple objects from one file + You can save used mapping to reuse later + Duplicate control | – Installation via package – Lack of documentation – Intuitive initial setup – Initial version with some bugs |
Best option for:
- Optimize regular imports
- Advanced users
Dataloader.io
Dataloader.io is a cloud-based data import tool developed by Mulesoft. Being a paid tool, its features depend on the contracted plan. Mulesoft allows the base plan to be used for free on a total of 10,000 registrations per month. The great advantage of this cloud is combining a powerful set of tools with a simple and intuitive interface.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| + Versatile tool + Simple and intuitive interface + No need to install + Allows Import/Update/Export/Delete | – Freemium – Paid or limited number of operations per month |
Best option for:
- Efficiency in the data migration process
- Imports of a reduced number of records
Learn more here.
