There’s a reason you’re hearing about new SaaS businesses everywhere you go. As a business model, Software as a Service is objectively one of the most profitable and scalable options out there. The SaaS market is absolutely booming as thousands of SaaS companies are thriving globally. Experts anticipate that by the end of 2024, 99% of companies worldwide will be using a SaaS product.
If you’re looking for an in-depth look at how SaaS applications work from the business perspective, I’ve got you covered. In the next few minutes you’ll look at 21 different examples of SaaS businesses, each of which are currently seeing tremendous success. Some of them are already massive, established companies with a worldwide presence, while others are fast growing startups with bright futures. From project management software to CRMs, you’ll quickly see why SaaS is taking the tech world by storm.
First things first: let’s get the basics out of the way. SaaS, or Software as a Service, is a business model where software is delivered to customers online via the cloud. Using their web browser, customers can access the software they need to run their business, manage their personal projects, or stay in touch with colleagues. Pricing for SaaS products is generally subscription-based, giving the customer the ability to pay for the features they need.
The benefits of SaaS for the customer are huge. Most importantly, all of the updates, maintenance, and data storage are handled in real-time by the SaaS provider. This way, end users get to focus on what matters to them while the SaaS vendor manages its own product.
You’ve likely also heard of PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), which are other cloud-based business models. We’re zeroing in on SaaS today, but you can learn more about SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS and how they differ from each other in the SaaS Academy blog.
SaaS solutions need little more than a solid internet connection. Using SaaS apps in place of traditional software is cost-effective and user-friendly, and cuts down significantly on annoyances like onboarding, installations, and delays. Let’s look at a few SaaS platforms that have already started making their customers’ lives easier with their products.
Slack is a messaging application that is most frequently used to connect team members in a workplace.
If email is a bridge, Slack is a teleportation device, connecting colleagues instantly. For the highly collaborative team, Slack’s channels allow for organized project management and discussion between coworkers. Its instant messaging is ideal for quick communication and reducing email clutter.
Slack’s most striking features include:
Docusign took signatures to the cloud, delivering a platform for electronic signatures that can be used for everything from personal correspondence to legal documents.
In situations like real estate purchases, Docusign has made it possible for high volumes of documents to be signed remotely. Docusign can be used from anywhere, reducing the need for countless in-person meetings to put pen to paper.
Docusign allows for:
A visually exciting project management software, monday.com acts as an assistant to streamline your workflows.
Monday.com leaves behind the boring spreadsheets of yesteryear and delivers an interactive and customizable platform. Ideal for customer relationship management, it organizes tasks and supports a deadline-driven atmosphere.
Monday.com offers:
Salesforce is one of the most popular SaaS companies on the market. It’s a CRM platform designed to promote conversions and offer every department a holistic view of each customer’s needs.
All of your customer data is in one place, accessible from anywhere to support the entire life cycle of a sale. Used by sales representatives, customer support specialists, and everyone in between, Salesforce paints a picture for your whole team that prioritizes both conversions and customer satisfaction.
Key features of Salesforce:
Asana is another project management tool that makes it easy for teams to manage unified workflows across specified time periods.
Asana promotes collaboration between team members, allowing customized permissions and assigned tasks. It functions well for managing deadlines and dividing responsibility among colleagues.
Asana supports:
Mailchimp takes email marketing to new heights, giving you resources for designing and launching email campaigns that get results.
Expertly targeting the right leads, Mailchimp’s premise is built on the idea that success starts with the right marketing strategy. With Mailchimp, your customers receive a personalized email experience via automations and sophisticated data analytics.
Mailchimp’s best features include:
Dropbox is the go-to cloud-based software for large file sharing.
Dropbox gives end users secure file sharing in a simple, intuitive platform. It makes large file transfers a breeze, giving teams the ability to collaborate in real-time without losing time waiting for lengthy downloads.
Features:
Canva makes graphic design so simple, anyone can do it.
Ideal for designing attractive and effective social media campaigns, organizing the perfect presentation, or even creating birthday party invitations, Canva has optimized their design functionalities for everyone from busy parents to small businesses to global marketing organizations.
Canva features:
Shopify is an e-commerce platform that provides a simple way for businesses to manage their online stores.
Shopify provides the technology and interface for your online store to run efficiently. It promotes scalability and gives you peace of mind knowing your customer’s personal data is secure.
Features:
Despite having been around for over a decade, Zoom skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic, bringing colleagues, family, and friends together remotely.
For teams spread out across the globe or families looking for a way to connect from a distance, Zoom provides options for large-scale video and audio conferencing.
Zoom’s best features include:
Using a subscription-based SaaS model, Netflix created a world where all your favorite television shows and films are stored in the cloud for on-demand access.
With a click, users can access a trove of popular films, cult classics, nostalgic TV shows, and original content. The algorithm recommends content based on your viewing history and delivers a personalized experience to each customer.
Features:
Microsoft Azure is Microsoft’s cloud computing platform that brings infrastructure to businesses for app development, leaving on-premises software behind.
For entrepreneurs looking to create their own apps and utilize cloud storage, Microsoft Azure provides a secure platform for development.
Microsoft Azure offers:
One of the most well-known SaaS service providers on the market, Google Workspace is a cloud-based productivity suite that can be used in both B2B and B2C capacities.
Gmail functions as the suite’s email platform, used by individuals and businesses to manage and send data with vast cloud storage options. Google Docs allows for collaborative editing, notes, and content management. Google Sheets transforms spreadsheets into modern tools for data management.
Features:
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a pay-as-you-go platform for users who need cloud services, APIs, data storage, and more.
AWS provides scalable cloud-based computing solutions, enabling businesses to deploy applications, store data, and run complex analytics efficiently.
AWS’s features include:
Hubspot is a popular CRM platform for businesses of all sizes, helping them manage their marketing, sales, customer service, and content management.
Hubspot users can design customized campaigns to target their ideal customer. The platform allows team members across multiple departments to address customer needs and analyze trends.
Hubspot provides several varied CRM elements, including:
Zendesk streamlines customer service to deliver support and manage the entire length of a customer relationship.
Zendesk’s aim is to provide businesses with a platform that keeps customer interactions in one place, so that each touch point is sufficiently documented and efficiently resolved. It gives the customer a personalized experience that addresses their needs holistically.
Zendesk offers businesses several tools for customer management, such as:
TimeJam makes tracking timesheets fun for employees, encouraging data accuracy and promoting ethical timekeeping.
TimeJam lets employees treat clocking in and out and time management like a game, offering motivating competitions and a platform for social engagement among coworkers.
TimeJam’s many exciting features include:
Appy Pie is a no-code software development solution for users who want to create an app, but lack the coding background to do so.
For a small business wanting to cook up its own mobile app, Appy Pie provides the ingredients. Users can customize their apps, integrate advertising, and simplify a technically complicated process with DIY tools.
Appy Pie’s features include:
Streamline your social media management with Planable, which makes it easy for multiple team members to access, plan, update, and work on several social media accounts in one easy place.
Planable is an organizational tool for businesses to create timelines, meet deadlines, and plan and manage content. Its analytical tools provide effective feedback to allow targeted improvement to outreach campaigns.
Planable can provide a plethora of features:
Culture Amp is a unique HR management app for businesses who want to optimize their employees’ experiences in the workplace.
If you’re looking to gather feedback from employees, promote high morale, and encourage employee participation in company culture, Culture Amp can do it all. It provides strategies for improvement based on the data it collects.
What can Culture Amp do?
Zapier’s time-saving solution for businesses and individuals working within multiple platforms allows integrations that increase productivity.
For companies that use multiple apps for everyday workflows, Zapier integrates those platforms to save time and money by creating an information hub that communicates between apps. Zapier can send data between apps to reduce time spent on manual data entry and constant updates.
Key features of Zapier:
Without question, SaaS has changed the way we think about software. With limitless opportunities for implementing your business ideas and delivering them as SaaS products, there is ample flexibility within the model. SaaS provides a new way for businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals to get the services they need at the scale they need them, and without overpaying for features they’ll never use. Software as a Service is the future, so make sure you don’t get left behind.