Free tool · SaaS spend per employee
Is your SaaS spend per employee normal?
Published averages run from US$1,741 to US$9,455 per employee a year, depending on company size and whose data it is. Enter two numbers to see where you sit against each one, and how much of your spend is likely unused.
Your SaaS spend
per employee a year
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Worked out from the numbers you entered. Nothing leaves your browser. Where the benchmarks come from
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The benchmarks
Every published benchmark comes from a company that sells software management tools, Fewer included. Each measures its own customers, which is why the platform figures run higher than the survey of smaller companies. We show them side by side instead of picking one. Each figure was read on its publisher's own page on 4 November 2026.
| Benchmark | Per employee a year | Whose data |
|---|---|---|
| Companies with 50–100 staff | US$2,583 | Cledara 2025 Software Spend Report: survey of 200+ companies under 200 staff in the US, UK and EU, 2024 |
| Companies with 100–200 staff | US$1,741 | Same Cledara survey |
| Productiv customers, average | US$5,607 | Productiv 2024 State of SaaS Spend: software managed by IT, 2024 |
| Vertice customers, average | US$9,450 | Vertice: US$75bn+ of processed spend, Q3 2026 (preliminary) |
| Zylo customers, median | US$9,455 | Zylo 2026 SaaS Management Index: 40 million licences, US$75bn of spend, 2025 |
How the unused range is worked out
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Low end | 16% of spend | Vertice: 16% of licences sit in tools nobody uses at all, August 2026 |
| High end | 36% of spend | Zylo 2026 index: organizations leave 36% of SaaS licences unused against recommended utilization |
Both figures count licences, not apps. Not every software bill is priced per seat, so treat the range as a guide to how much is worth checking, not a saving you can bank. To get your real number, compare seats paid for with people who used each tool in the last 90 days.
Questions
What is the average SaaS spend per employee?
It depends on company size and whose data it is. Cledara's 2025 survey found US$2,583 per employee a year for companies of 50–100 staff and US$1,741 for 100–200. Averages from SaaS management platforms run higher: US$5,607 (Productiv, 2024), US$9,450 (Vertice, Q3 2026) and a US$9,455 median (Zylo, 2026).
How much should a company spend on software per employee?
There is no single right number. Smaller companies spend more per head because everyone needs the same core tools; Cledara found about US$8,000 per employee for companies of up to 20 staff, falling to US$1,741 at 100–200. The useful question is how much of your spend is unused, not whether the total matches an average.
Why do SaaS spend benchmarks disagree so much?
They measure different companies and different spend. Cledara surveyed companies under 200 staff. Productiv counts software managed by IT. Vertice and Zylo report across the customers of their own platforms. Per-employee spend also changes with company size, so a single average hides a wide spread.
How much SaaS spend is wasted?
Vertice found 16% of licences sit in tools nobody uses at all (August 2026). Zylo's 2026 index found organizations leave 36% of SaaS licences unused against recommended utilization. Applied to your spend, that is the range this calculator shows.
How do I work out my SaaS spend per employee?
Add up what you paid software suppliers over the last 12 months. In Xero or QuickBooks, a spend-by-supplier report filtered to software suppliers gets you there in a few minutes. Divide by your headcount.
How do I find which licences are unused?
For each tool, compare the seats you pay for with the people who signed in during the last 90 days. The free software license cost calculator does this tool by tool; Fewer does it across everything you pay for.
More free tools: Software license cost calculator · Recurring meeting cost calculator