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What is a SaaS?
A SaaS (software as a service) is software used online, in a browser, usually by subscription. Customers install nothing: they create an account and use the service, which you improve for all your customers at once.
1. Validate the need
Before building, check that the problem exists and that customers are ready to pay to solve it. Talk to future users, look at how they cope today, and what the current situation costs them.
2. Start with an MVP
A full SaaS is built in stages. The first version must let early customers do the essential thing, end to end. Our guide to building an MVP covers this step.
3. Plan the foundations of every SaaS
Whatever the idea, most SaaS products share the same foundations:
- Accounts and sign‑in
- Roles and permissions (admin, member, guest)
- Subscriptions and online payment
- Each customer’s dashboard
- Automatic emails (welcome, forgotten password, invoices)
These foundations take time: better to plan them from the start than to add them later.
4. Think about architecture and security
A SaaS holds several customers’ data on the same platform. It must keep them properly separated, protect access, back up data and plan for growth. Personal data must also be handled in line with the GDPR. These choices are invisible, but they decide how reliable the product is.
5. Take care of the interface
In a SaaS, the interface is the product. A customer who doesn’t understand the tool in the first few minutes doesn’t come back. Each screen is designed, tested with real users, then developed.
6. Launch
Launching is more than going live: you need a website that presents the offer, a guided first experience for new accounts and a clear pricing model. Start with a small group of customers, and listen to them closely.
7. Measure and improve
Track what your customers do: the features they use, the ones they don’t, the reasons they leave. New features come from this data, not from a list written at the start.
How much does it cost to build a SaaS?
The cost depends on the scope of the first version, the number of screens, the business features, integrations and design. Starting with an MVP lets you launch sooner and invest later where customers need it. See SaaS pricing.
Getting help
KODAPT offers custom SaaS development: from the first version to the full product, with a live version at every step. For an internal tool rather than a product sold by subscription, see custom web applications.
Frequently asked questions
SaaS or custom web application: what is the difference?
A SaaS is sold to many customers by subscription. A custom web application first serves your own company. The technology is similar, the business model differs.
Can you build a SaaS without being a developer?
Yes. You bring your knowledge of the business and the customers. A provider designs and develops the product, and explains every choice.
How long does it take to launch a SaaS?
The first version follows the same steps as an MVP. The schedule is set in the quote, based on the scope chosen for launch.