Learn how to effectively reduce your enterprise's SaaS expenses without impacting productivity. Explore the reasons behind rising SaaS costs, common business errors, and practical tips such as auditing tools, consolidating subscriptions, and utilizing shared accounts. Special mention of RemoteSpace for managing shared subscriptions, optimizing your SaaS budget, and starting to save on costs today!

SaaS (Software as a Service) tools are a necessity for modern businesses, convenience, scalability and efficiency. From project management platforms to analytics tools, businesses rely on SaaS to run and grow. But with convenience comes cost and many businesses are struggling with ballooning SaaS bills.

The good news is you can cut your SaaS spend without losing productivity. In this article we’ll look at why SaaS costs are so high, the common mistakes businesses make and practical tips to manage your software budget.

The SaaS Spend Problem

In recent years SaaS has changed the way businesses operate but the cost of these tools has also skyrocketed. Businesses spend more than they expect because of lack of planning and mismanagement of resources.

Why Are SaaS Costs Going Up?

There are several reasons why SaaS expenses get out of control:

1. Misaligned Purchases

Businesses buy tools that don’t fully meet their needs. This means costly upgrades as teams realize key features are locked behind higher priced tiers.

2. Buying Too Much

Many organizations buy premium plans with features they don’t need. This means wasting money on unused functionality.

3. Unused Software

Subscriptions to tools that are used rarely or never can quietly drain budgets. This is especially common when software is bought for short term projects and left active after the project is finished.

4. Decentralized Purchasing 

In large organizations, individual teams or departments can buy software independently which means duplicate subscriptions and overlapping tools.

SaaS Costs

SaaS spend isn’t just about subscription costs. There are other hidden costs that add up fast:

- Onboarding and Training: Teams need time and resources to learn how to use new tools properly.

- Add-Ons and Upgrades: Key features or extra capacity often require expensive upgrades.

- Integration Costs: Connecting SaaS tools with existing systems may require third party solutions or custom development.

10 Practical Tips to Cut Your SaaS Spend

Now that we’ve looked at the problem, let’s get to the solutions. These tips will help you reduce costs, get more value from your subscriptions and make sure your SaaS spend aligns with your business goals.

1. SaaS Audit

Start by auditing your current software stack:

- List All Subscriptions: Make a list of every SaaS tool your business uses.

- Identify Duplicates: Look for tools with overlapping functionality and consolidate where possible.

- Delete Unused Software: Cancel subscriptions for tools not being used.

This will give you a clear view of your current spend and where you can cut costs.

2. Match to Your Business Needs

Before buying any SaaS product make sure it matches your team’s actual needs:

- Start with Basic: Choose the lowest priced plan that meets your needs. Upgrade only when necessary.

- Use Free Trials: Test tools in real world scenarios before committing to a subscription.

- Don’t Buy More Than You Need: Focus on the essentials not the extras you’ll never use.

3. Get More ROI from Your Existing Tools

Getting more from your current tools can save you from buying new ones:

- Invest in Training: Make sure your team knows how to use all the features of your current tools.

- Standardize: Get teams to centralize workflows on shared platforms.

- Review Feature Usage: Find underused features and find ways to use them in your workflows.

4. Consolidate

If multiple tools do the same job, consider consolidating:

- Choose One Tool: Identify the platform that best meets your needs and get all teams to use it.

- Ask for Consolidation Discount: If you’re moving multiple subscriptions to one provider ask for a discount.

5. Negotiate with Providers

SaaS providers will often negotiate especially for larger contracts:

- Ask for Annual Discounts: Most providers offer discounts for switching from monthly to annual billing.

- Renewal Negotiation: Use contract renewals as an opportunity to renegotiate pricing.

- Ask for Custom Plans: If your needs don’t fit into the predefined tiers ask for a custom solution.

6. Time Your Purchases

SaaS providers often offer discounts at certain times of the year:

- Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals: Many companies offer big discounts during these events.

- End of Year Sales: Providers often run promotions at the end of the fiscal year.

- Off-Peak Purchases: Don’t buy software during peak demand times to get better deals.

7. Shared Subscriptions

Shared subscriptions allow businesses to split the cost of premium tools while keeping the essentials.

Shared Subscriptions Benefits:

- Cost Savings: Reduce individual costs by sharing with other users or teams.

- Collaboration: Get teams working together by centralizing resources on shared platforms.

- Flexibility: Adjust subscription usage as your team’s needs change.

8. Shared Subscription Management Tools

Managing shared subscriptions can be hard without the right tools. RemoteSpace makes it easy.

How RemoteSpace Works:

- Multi-Screen Sharing: Allow multiple users to access one account at the same time without login conflicts, without extra account/seats cost.

- Secure Access Management: Share account access via secure links not passwords.

- Optimized Collaboration: Get real-time team work on shared platforms without extra cost.

9. Monitor SaaS Spend

Monitor regularly to keep your SaaS spend in check:

- Set Renewal Alerts: Don’t auto-renew unused subscriptions.

- Track Usage Data: Review usage regularly.

- Centralize Purchasing: Consolidate software buying under one department to avoid duplicates.

10. Review Your SaaS Stack Annually

Technology changes fast and your needs may change over time. Review your SaaS tools annually to make sure they still match your business goals.

Shared Subscription Plans: A Growing Trend

Shared subscriptions are becoming more and more popular among cost conscious businesses. By sharing resources businesses can reduce costs without sacrificing quality tools.

Examples:

1. Multi-User Accounts: Slack and Trello have plans for teams.

2. Business Family Plans: SaaS tools like SEMrush and Adobe Creative Cloud have family plans for small businesses.

3. Collaborative Licenses: Some providers offer licenses that allow multiple teams to share resources legally.

Shared Subscription Example: SEMrush

SEMrush is a great digital marketing tool but the premium plans are expensive. With a shared subscription model on RemoteSpace businesses without extra account/seats cost and still have all the features.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to sacrifice productivity or quality to save money on SaaS. Audit your current tools, negotiate better deals and use shared subscriptions to cut costs and get more value.

It’s all about intentionality – know your needs, optimize your usage and adjust as your business changes. Tools like RemoteSpace make it easy to collaborate securely and cost effectively.

Get in control of your SaaS spend today and watch your savings grow.