--- schema_version: "1" id: dca83e2f602fb4710a7b84474c00cf02ede84909cf17ac91d417f0359f14e4a4 title: External Client Apps and Connected Apps collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/xcloud/264-0-0/external_integrations.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.external_integrations.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 3d7e6a1f25c6978545a8cb29f5d69d5d6ebf7c49e505150800dab6dfbc9f2f47 description: There are two options to connect your Salesforce data with third-party applications. Both connected apps and external client apps are frameworks to integrate data. External client apps are the next generation of connected apps. They’re fully metadata-compliant and include structural improvements to maintain separate user roles and allow second-generation managed packaging. products: - Security - Cross Cloud release: "264" --- # External Client Apps and Connected Apps There are two options to connect your Salesforce data with third-party applications. Both connected apps and external client apps are frameworks to integrate data. External client apps are the next generation of connected apps. They’re fully metadata-compliant and include structural improvements to maintain separate user roles and allow second-generation managed packaging. We recommend that you use external client apps in all situations and migrate existing local connected apps to local external client apps. However, some features are only available through connected apps. See the [Comparison of Connected Apps and External Client Apps Features](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.connected_apps_and_external_client_apps_features.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Connected apps offer a framework to provide external applications with your Salesforce data. However, there are aspects of the framework that make it impossible to define separate user roles and difficult to package connected apps. External client apps were designed to be as useful at connecting external applications with your data as connected apps while addressing these shortcomings."). ![Tip](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-xcloud-identity-264-0-0-production-enus/699dab6f-8f1a-4662-b24f-6521d5b747f7/images/icon_tip.png) Tip Setup with Agentforce can help you work with external client apps and connected apps more efficiently. For more information, see [Setup with Agentforce](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.setup_agentforce_overview.htm&language=en_US) and [Identity Management in Setup with Agentforce](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.setup_agentforce_identity.htm&language=en_US). - **[Comparison of Connected Apps and External Client Apps Features](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.connected_apps_and_external_client_apps_features.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)** Connected apps offer a framework to provide external applications with your Salesforce data. However, there are aspects of the framework that make it impossible to define separate user roles and difficult to package connected apps. External client apps were designed to be as useful at connecting external applications with your data as connected apps while addressing these shortcomings. - **[Monitor App Security on the Insights Page](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.monitor_app_insights.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)** Use the Insights page to check whether your org's connected apps and external client apps comply with Salesforce's required OAuth and proof-of-possession controls. For apps that you develop, turn on the missing controls to come into compliance with Salesforce requirements. For apps developed elsewhere, contact the app developer and consider disabling the app until the developer updates the security controls. These controls are critical to protecting your org and data from known cyber threats. - **[Connected App to External Client App Migration](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.connected_app_to_external_client_app_migration.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)** Create an external client app based on one of your existing connected apps. External client apps provide many of the features of connected apps while offering increased security. - **[External Client Apps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.external_client_apps.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)** External client apps are packageable frameworks to enable a third-party application to integrate with Salesforce using APIs and security protocols. External client apps provide single sign-on (SSO) and use SAML and OAuth protocols to authorize third-party applications. Third-party applications that are integrated with Salesforce can run on the customer success platform as well as other platforms, devices, or SaaS subscriptions. - **[Connected Apps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.connected_app_overview.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)** A connected app is a framework that enables an third-party application to integrate with Salesforce by using APIs and standard protocols, such as SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect. Connected apps use these protocols to authenticate, authorize, and provide single sign-on (SSO) for third-party applications. The third-party applications that are integrated with Salesforce can run on the customer success platform, other platforms, other devices, or even SaaS subscriptions. For example, when you log in to your Salesforce mobile app and see your data from your Salesforce org, you’re using a connected app.