As an enterprise Salesforce customer, you may be asked to decide which Salesforce Release Management environment – scratch org or sandbox – is right for your organization. Both of these options provide benefits, but understanding which works best for you will help you determine the best Salesforce backup and recovery, Salesforce release management, and Salesforce security solution for your business.

What is a Scratch Org?

A Scratch org is a fully isolated Salesforce org that is different from the live versions of your environment. A scratch org is an automatically-generated Salesforce org that is based on your current full-copy sandbox or Production Org, and it includes all of the metadata from your full-copy sandbox, including custom objects, custom fields, data types, emails, reports, and dashboards. A scratch org provides a completely new instance of Salesforce org for you to use for testing, development, or training.

What is a Sandbox?

A sandbox is a non-production environment used to test and develop Salesforce applications. It provides a copy of the production system, allowing users to work with production data without affecting the production system. Sandboxes come in various types and provide various features to meet different testing and development requirements.

Which Environment is Best for Salesforce Release Management?

When it comes to Salesforce Release Management, the choice between a scratch org and a sandbox depends on the type of application being developed and the type of data being used. If your organization uses custom apps with complex data, scratch orgs may be the better choice, as they are often faster to setup and easier to maintain than sandboxes. On the other hand, if your organization requires minimal customization and limited data, a sandbox may work better for your Salesforce application development needs.

Pros and Cons of Scratch Org & Sandbox Environments

There are pros and cons to both scratch orgs and sandboxes when it comes to Salesforce Release Management.

Scratch orgs offer a completely isolated environment for development and testing, providing speedier feedback and a more cost-effective way to manage applications. Scratch orgs are also ideal for development teams that work in different locations as they can be quickly and easily spun up across multiple locations. However, scratch orgs are not always ideal for certain complex development projects, and they can be challenging to maintain over an extended period of time.

Sandbox environments are generally considered the best choice for larger, more complex development projects. Sandboxes provide users with an exact copy of the production environment, allowing users to test applications on actual data and ensure changes and new features do not affect the live system. But sandboxes can be complicated to setup and maintain, and they are often not suitable for situations where speed is a priority.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing between a scratch org or a sandbox for Salesforce Release Management, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The best solution depends on the type and size of the application being developed, as well as the data being used. Consider both options carefully and choose the one that is best suited to your specific needs and requirements. Finally, once you've chosen the right environment for your application development needs, it's important to invest in a secure Salesforce backup and recovery, Salesforce Release Management, and Salesforce security solution. This will help ensure that your Salesforce environment is well protected against data loss, data corruption, and potential security breaches.

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“Flosum is the best native release management tool that you will fall in love with. I have gained confidence in my role and has given me the ability to view release management from a whole different perspective.”

Faizan Ali

Faizan Ali
Salesforce Consultant at Turnitin