Top SaaS Providers for Small Businesses

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a cloud-based application delivery and consumption model where users pay for software on a subscription basis, depending on monthly or annual usage, the number of licenses, and the features in use. SaaS has become increasingly popular as it offers predictable recurring revenues for software providers and provides customers with flexibility and scalability. The global SaaS market is expected to grow by $99.99 billion between 2021 and 2025. In this article, we will discuss the top SaaS providers for small businesses.

Key Features of SaaS Companies

SaaS companies offer a range of features that make them attractive to users. Here are five essential features that SaaS companies should offer:

1. Application hosting on the cloud: SaaS companies leverage cloud technology to deliver their software solutions. This allows for easy monitoring of consumption, scalability when needed, and the ability to end subscriptions if necessary.

2. An easily extensible marketplace of integrations: SaaS companies make their products easily extensible through native integrations or open application programming interfaces (APIs) and software development kits (SDKs). They should have an online catalog or marketplace where customers can download the integrations they want.

3. Flexibility and scalability: SaaS software applications should be scalable and able to be deployed for small teams with 5-100 licenses as well as for enterprises with several thousand users.

4. A straightforward pricing catalog with a predetermined feature set: SaaS companies typically follow a straightforward and predictable pricing model, where a specific set of features has an assigned price point that changes with the number of users.

5. Hassle-free implementation and no maintenance efforts: SaaS applications can be implemented without any setup or integration hassles, with the SaaS vendor providing training support or managed implementation. SaaS companies also simplify maintenance by delivering over-the-air (OTA) updates via the cloud.

Top SaaS Providers for Small Businesses

Now let’s take a look at the top SaaS providers for small businesses. These companies have been trailblazers in the SaaS industry and are at the forefront of the market’s growth.

1. Adobe

Adobe is a market leader in design and marketing/CX management, offering a range of SaaS products such as Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Experience platform. With a revenue of $11.6 billion from SaaS out of its total annual revenue of $13 billion, Adobe is an undeniable leader in the industry.

1. Atlassian

Atlassian provides collaboration tools for remote and distributed teams. Its products address project management, security use cases, team collaboration, IT services, and core product development. Atlassian has a revenue of $411.6 million from SaaS in Q3 2020.

1. Freshworks

Freshworks offers end-to-end business solutions for small to mid-sized organizations, including tools for customer and employee engagement, HR, IT service management, CRM, and enterprise telephony. Freshworks has seen rapid growth and secured $150 million in funding in 2019.

1. Google

While not a SaaS-only provider, Google offers a range of SaaS products such as Google Workspace (formerly G-suite), which includes productivity tools like Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. Google’s SaaS products have gained incredible traction in recent years.

1. Microsoft

Microsoft has rapidly made inroads in SaaS with its Microsoft 365 suite, which includes familiar desktop tools like Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, as well as web-native SaaS products like SharePoint and Teams. Microsoft is explicit about its growing investment in cloud-based software services.

1. Salesforce

Salesforce is a SaaS-only company that provides a comprehensive solution for customer experience management and sales team management. It offers solutions for CRM, marketing, and customer service, tailored for different industries and businesses of different sizes.

1. Xero

Xero provides cloud-based accounting software for businesses, allowing them to link their bank accounts and access payments with online-based invoices. Xero is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses looking for finance and accounting management solutions.

1. ServiceNow

ServiceNow is a workflow management company that lets businesses digitalize workflows and create white-labeled applications. It offers a platform with AI, analytics, automations, and GUI-based UI optimization for building custom solutions.

1. Zoho

Zoho offers a suite of business tools and productivity enablers delivered via a SaaS model. It provides independent solutions that can be deployed as standalone units or a unified SaaS-based digital operating system, Zoho One.

1. Zoom

Zoom started as a SaaS-based video conferencing tool and has grown to offer a wide range of communication capabilities, including chat, telephony, webinars, HD meetings, and conference room solutions. Zoom is known for its ease of use and scalability.

These SaaS providers offer a range of solutions for small businesses, covering areas such as design, collaboration, customer experience management, accounting, workflow management, and communication. Depending on the specific needs of your business, you can choose the SaaS provider that best fits your requirements.

In conclusion, SaaS is revolutionizing the way businesses consume software, providing predictable recurring revenues for software providers and offering flexibility and scalability for users. The top SaaS providers for small businesses discussed in this article are leaders in the industry and are driving the growth of the SaaS market.