Enterprise Software Giants Rethink Pricing as AI Adoption Surges

Salesforce and Workday are using hybrid pricing models that combine traditional subscription fees with usage-based charges to monetize their artificial intelligence (AI) offerings.

The approach has led to significant growth in AI-related bookings for both companies. Salesforce's annual recurring revenue from its AI agent platform, Agentforce, surpassed $1.5 billion in the fiscal second quarter, up more than 240% from a year earlier.

Workday reported that AI products accounted for over $100 million of new annual contract value in its fiscal second quarter, representing over 25% of total new ACV. AI product ARR reached approximately $600 million, up more than 200% year over year.

The companies are prioritizing AI adoption over immediate revenue expansion and offering flexible pricing models to customers. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said that some customers buy based on the number of users or agents, while others want to pay based on usage or business outcomes.