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How popular is the SaaS development industry? Is it worth making an investment in this niche? Here’s a quick crisp answer:
SaaS is everywhere, and in the long run, it is going nowhere!
From small to large scale, every company and individual is becoming dependent on SaaS platforms. As of 2022, the SaaS industry is worth $170 billion, which is a huge revenue and a clear-cut indication of how fruitful it is to develop a SaaS platform.
Did you know?
The SaaS development industry successfully increased its size by approximately 500%within the past seven years.
Said that SaaS is considered the most important tech when it comes to business success. So, before you plan for Saas development, let’s quickly skim through the 10 most popular software as a service platforms to understand who you are going to compete with.
What is a software as a service?
“Software as a Service,” also referred to as SaaS, is a software licensing mode. It gives access to the software on a subscription basis, with the software being located on external servers rather than on the customer’s local computer. The SaaS provider hosts the application, and customers access it remotely through the Internet. This type of service is also known as “on-demand software” due to its ability to be scaled according to demand.
As an end user, you are likely using SaaS products on a daily basis. Consider Google Drive, where your documents and files are stored online rather than on your hard drive, or Gmail, where your email inbox is hosted by Google’s servers. Both of these are examples of Software as a Service because they are applications that can be accessed from any device with an internet connection.
SaaS provides many benefits for both service providers and customers:
- Customers enjoy lower upfront costs since no additional hardware or infrastructure is required;
- Additional storage space can be allocated faster and easier;
- Updates, maintenance, and backups are all managed by the vendor;
- Services can easily scale according to demand;
Popular Examples of SaaS
There are many SaaS (Software as a Service) examples out there that have been very successful in generating revenue.
The list below is just some of the most popular ones that have stood out from the crowd:
1. Salesforce
It’s one of the most popular SaaS solutions available—and it offers both individuals and teams a number of ways to enhance their overall productivity.
The user-friendly interface makes it easy to learn how to use Salesforce. You can also customize its features based on your specific business needs and integrate it with other applications such as Gmail and Slack. It’ll also provide you with powerful analytics tools that can help you make more informed decisions about everything from your pricing strategy to your marketing campaigns.
| Launch Year | 1999 |
| Price | From $25/month |
| Users | More than 150K active customers |
| Revenue | $26.45 billion (2022) |
| USP | Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) software that provides a platform for sales teams to manage and organize their contacts, sales pipelines, email marketing campaigns, and more. |
2. Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud-based file storage system. It provides users with the ability to store, access and edit files from anywhere on multiple devices. Further, it enables users to share files with other people who may or may not be Dropbox users.
Dropbox has a free version that allows you to store up to 2 GB of data, as well as several premium versions that offer more storage space for a monthly fee.
| Launch Year | 2008 |
| Price | From $0; Plus plan $9.99/mo |
| Users | 500 million registered users |
| Revenue | $1.4 billion |
| USP | Dropbox is a highly secure platform that keeps files synced and safe. All your data, like photos, docs, and videos, can be easily shared, and users can never lose the data. |
3. Slack
Slack is a collaboration that provides real-time messaging services for teams as well as file storage, search features, and document collaboration tools. It’s a place where conversations take place, decisions are made, and information is always at your fingertips.
The service is available for free, as well as multiple paid tiers with additional features such as unlimited message archiving and dedicated support resources. Slack currently supports apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices in addition to a desktop app for Windows machines and Mac machines that run macOS 10.10 or newer.
| Launch Year | 2013 |
| Price | From $0 for small teams; Standard package: From $6.67/month |
| Users | 10 million daily active users |
| Revenue | $273 million USD (2022) |
| USP | The highly user-friendly interface of Slack offers users the ideal mode of communication and collaboration. The integration with various app features makes Slack a go-to make virtual headquarters for many businesses. |
4. Zoom
The service was originally free to use, known as a web conferencing platform. Zoom now offers a paid service for enterprise video conferencing and comes with the benefit of an integrated chat feature. Its pricing tiers are based on the number of users and meeting time needed, so it’s affordable for any size business (especially considering the traditional cost of most enterprise software).
| Launch Year | 2011 |
| Price | From $5/month |
| Users | 300 million daily active users |
| Revenue | $1.06 billion (2021) |
| USP | With a super simple user interface, Zoom is an all-in-one video communications platform embedded with top-line features. |
5. Hubspot
Hubspot offers a complete software suite designed to streamline the process of marketing, selling, and servicing customers. Salespeople can use it to nurture prospects more effectively and monitor pipeline efficiency. Marketers can create personalized campaigns for their users, and service agents can resolve customer issues quickly with its powerful ticketing tools. Hubspot works well for businesses of all sizes, from SMBs to enterprises. Many customers are in the B2B sector, but there are also plenty of B2C companies using Hubspot as well.
It helps businesses improve their marketing across email, social media, landing pages, and more. It’s a cloud-based solution that can be used on any device at any time. Its sales tools allow salespeople to track where prospects are in the buyer’s journey so they know when to follow up or close a deal. Its service tools let service agents manage tickets efficiently so they can respond to customers faster than ever before. The company has a reputation for providing outstanding customer support, which has helped them grow into one of the most popular SaaS solutions on the market today.
| Launch Year | 2006 |
| Price | From $40/month |
| Users | 135,000+ customers |
| Revenue | $1.3 billion USD (2021) |
| USP | HubSpot offers customers with relevant guidance in inbound marketing and sales, helping them make more leads. Its simple UI and automation services are the key attraction. |
6. AWS
Amazon web services is another great example of SaaS that offers more than 150 services to users. Several necessary tools like IoT, machine training, corporate apps, security, blockchain, robotics, storage, customer commitment, and more are offered to businesses and individuals by AWS. Used by leading companies like Netflix, NASA, and United States Navy, AWS is a perfect example of a successful SaaS platform.
| Launch Year | 2002 |
| Price | Varies from service to service |
| Users | More than a million users |
| Revenue | $62 billion(2021) |
| USP | All the services are cloud-based, allowing the users to use the tools on any device through the internet. |
7. Zendesk
Zendesk is a SaaS company that provides cloud-based customer service software, support ticketing, and help desk solutions for small to medium-sized businesses. According to the company, more than 100,000 organizations use Zendesk products around the world.
In 2009, Zendesk launched its first product: a help desk ticketing system designed for companies who wanted to provide excellent customer service without spending tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on enterprise software. The platform offers several functionalities, like interactive voice response, queue management, inbound and outbound call centers, and analytics reporting.
| Launch Year | 2007 |
| Price | From $5/month |
| Users | More than 100,000 organizations |
| Revenue | More than $5 million |
| USP | The automatic ticket generation feature, integration with third-party applications, and open APIs are key attracting points of customers. |
8. Shopify
Shopify is a versatile SaaS that provides an e-commerce platform for all types of businesses. With Shopify, you can create and manage an online store and sell your products online using their tools. The platform itself is quite easy to use and has many great features, like an app store where you can add apps to customize your store.
For example, if you want to run live chat with your customers, there are dozens of options in the Shopify app store. In addition, there are apps for payments, shipping, marketing, reviews, and more.
Shopify helps you sell just about anywhere: on social media (like Pinterest), in person, or online. You can sell digital goods or physical goods and even use Shopify POS at a brick-and-mortar location or pop-up shop.
| Launch Year | 2006 |
| Price | From $29/month |
| Users | 2.1 million active users |
| Revenue | $4.6 billion (2021) |
| USP | People with no coding experience can effortlessly set up their e-commerce platforms with Shopify. Also, the built-in features like access to apps, SEO functions, and integration with multiple payment gateways make Shopify highly beneficial. |
9. Box
The Box is a cloud-based multi-purpose software that allows businesses to collaborate, share, automate, and manage content and files over the cloud. It provides business and personal users with secure file sharing. They provide a freemium service that allows you to store up to 10GB of files for free. If you are looking for more storage capacity, they have subscription plans that offer various levels of storage space.
The Box is used by businesses, teachers, and students to collaborate, exchange ideas, and store information in the cloud so it can be accessed remotely. They currently have over 41 million individual users, and 90% of Fortune 500 companies use their services. It’s also one of the best software as a service example out there because they have over 17 years of experience in providing top-notch support to its customers.
| Launch Year | 2005 |
| Price | From $5/month |
| Users | 95K companies |
| Revenue | 770 million USD (2020) |
| USP | Box Relay is an impeccable SaaS feature that allows users to automate workflows throughout their business, including sales, human resources, admin, marketing finance, and others. |
10. Netflix
Netflix is an entertainment media company offering an online streaming service for subscribers. It came into the market as a DVD rental service. But in 2007, the platform became a popular site to stream films and TV shows instantly.
It has become incredibly popular thanks to its huge library of films, TV shows, documentaries, and cartoons. You can watch Netflix on your smart TVs, game consoles, PCs, tablets, and mobiles. It’s available in over 190 countries too.
| Launch Year | 1997 |
| Price | From $9.99/month to $19.99/month |
| Users | 214 million subscribers (2021) |
| Revenue | $6.64 billion (2021) |
| USP | The high-quality entertainment content streaming everywhere, anytime, is its proposition of value. Also, it gives access to a large catalog of content offering on-demand streaming with no advertisements. |
Want To Develop Your Own SaaS Platform?-Connect With Idea Usher
You’ve got an idea for a software as a service (SaaS) platform but don’t know how to get started.
Don’t worry; we got your back! Idea Usher offers SaaS development in any configuration you can imagine. Our team consists of trained and experienced software developers who will work with you to ensure your project meets all of your needs. Whether you want to build something that aids your business processes or create a platform that both businesses and consumers can use, Idea Usher has the expertise to make it happen.
For more information and a detailed understanding of the application development process, you can contact them at.
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone Numbers : (+91)9463407140, (+91)8591407140, and (+1)7329624560
Final Thoughts
SaaS (Software as a Service) is the future of business; that’s an indisputable fact. Services that have previously been used to augment or complement software products have now been replaced by cloud-based applications. SaaS software will continue to thrive in the years ahead and become a larger part of the world’s software landscape. With the right agency, SaaS development integration can be painless, allowing you to focus on more important things like your core business goals.
In a few years from now, we might look back at some of the steps we are taking today and see that they changed the way we approached SaaS in 2022. While our current market is yet to be saturated, there’s no telling what will happen with all the competition and merger deals in place. Once a large chunk of our economy has shifted towards SaaS, possibly making it a mainstream business decision, things like innovation and disruption will still be roiling below the surface.
FAQS
Q. Why would I need a custom-made SaaS application?
You might be wondering why you would need to have a custom-built SaaS product when there are so many great platforms already out there to choose from.
There are two main reasons:
- The existing products are not meeting your needs completely. They may be missing some features you want, or they may not be working properly on your platform.
- The existing products don’t take your business model into account.
Q. What are the benefits of SaaS development?
- You can access SaaS from anywhere with an internet connection; no need to install special software or worry about compatibility with different operating systems.
- No servers or maintenance is required.
- Since SaaS is subscription-based, costs are economical.
- No infrastructure needed
- Simplicity: since it’s hosted by the vendor, SaaS is easier to implement than on-premise software because there’s no need for IT infrastructure and maintenance.
- Scalability: when your business grows, you can purchase more licenses from your vendor; if your business shrinks, you can cut back on licenses and save money.
- Innovation: many software vendors are able to roll out new features frequently—sometimes even daily—which is great for users who want the latest and greatest functionality without having to buy a new version every time it comes out.
Q. Can I Customize A SaaS Solution?
Yes! While each program has a standard set of features that users have access to, most companies provide options for customizing or adding new features to their products. You can also use a third-party developer to create these customizations for you.
