What is the average margin expected in SaaS?
From my point of view, knowing the margin of your business is a fundamental value.
But it is curious, as in ecommerce models, Amazon FBA, Ads, you usually know the expected average margin to know if you are good/bad.
But in the SaaS sector I do not know that average margin that I indicated that you are on the right track.
I have heard people say that margins in the SaaS world are above 40-50% and others say that the expected margin is above 15%.
What do you think?
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Been in SaaS ecosystem and I also write about 'Cost Analysis' in my Micro SaaS Ideas Newsletter every week to 25K subs.
For simple SaaS that only use Infra (Servers/DB) with simple DB/API calls, the margins are huge, I would say 90%-95%. But for SaaS that needs external APIs, that depend on other SaaS etc, the margins will be lesser as they have to pay for other people. There are exceptions to SaaS that uses huge compute power to process image, create images etc may incur more Infra costs than simpler SaaS products.
Usually around 65-85% assuming infrastructure, CS costs and payment processing fees are covered in COGS.
Majority of SaaS spend is in marketing costs. Not uncommon to see 50% of the revenue used for marketing.
that is a question i regularly have so thanks to post about it
I've heard around 80% is typically expected for SaaS businesses and that's what I generally target.
https://www.chargebee.com/resources/glossaries/saas-gross-margin/
The average margin expected in SaaS (Software as a Service) can vary depending on various factors, such as the specific industry, the maturity of the company, the pricing model, and the overall market conditions. It is important to note that there is no fixed or standardized average margin for SaaS as it can range significantly.
In general, SaaS companies tend to have higher margins compared to traditional software companies due to the economies of scale and the recurring revenue nature of their business model. SaaS companies typically generate revenue through subscriptions or usage-based pricing, which allows for consistent and predictable cash flow.
While it is challenging to provide an exact average margin, it is not uncommon for successful SaaS companies to achieve gross margins ranging from 70% to 80%. However, it's essential to consider that these numbers can vary based on factors like the cost structure, competitive landscape, customer acquisition costs, and ongoing operational expenses.
Ultimately, the specific margin expected in SaaS will depend on the unique characteristics of the company and the industry in which it operates.