How do you find and choose SaaS tools for your business? Do you just go with the cheapest?
Curious to know how Indiehackers choose which tools to use in their own products. I would guess most indiehackers go with the cheapest.
Curious to know how Indiehackers choose which tools to use in their own products. I would guess most indiehackers go with the cheapest.
There are so many great tools on the market - and new ones launching daily. It is tough to decide which to choose.
I typically spend way too much time looking for tools but it seems to pay off. In no particular order here's my framework for evaluating products.
I read a ton of reviews - Product Hunt, G2, YouTube (even affiliate because they typically do a demo which is helpful during the review process)
Price is definitely a consideration but so is the scalability of the product when applicable. Does the vendor scale with the growth of my product?
I also consider the pricing model. Are they charging for too many extras or is their pricing model aligned with my growth. For example, consider an email service provider. Do they charge for growth - $x.xx for some number of emails and $y.yy for more emails? Pricing models are all over the place and most SaaS have them wrong in my opinion.
I also look for access to customer support. How accessible will the vendor be in a time of need? I look for clues, do they charge extra through a tiered pricing model for help? I never understood this - I realize support can be expensive BUT I look at it as a marketing expense. Good service can move someone from a lower tier to a higher tier - vs the buyer giving up on your product because the buyer can't solve their issue.
Of course, does it solve my problem/need? However, if it is a new product, I want to see a product roadmap to understand where they are headed.
Before buying I do a search for "Alternatives to x" If it is an established product, you can count on someone having written a review on an alternative to what you are looking to buy.
I like to kick the tires. What I also prefer on a product that requires some set-up, let me set things up, and when I launch/activate start charging me. The cost to the vendor is minimal if I am just setting things up - for example, a one-page website.
Wow I love this. With so many competing tools that aim to solve the same problem, it's useful to think about factors of decision making both for when buying, but also when building our own products and selling. Thanks for the detailed response.
The pricing page is the very first of a SaaS website I check. If it's completely out of my pricing league, I move on to another tool without bothering to investigate the original tool further.
Otherwise I thoroughly explore the site cover to cover, carefully read the list of features, sample the tutorials and documentation, browse the company blog, have a look at any official community, and use the tool if a free tier or trial is available. I addition I google for tech press coverage, user reviews, and independent tutorials. All this information and experience helps me compare the tool with similar ones.
I don't necessarily choose the cheapest. For example, for my website I switched from Weebly to Squarespace even if cheaper alternatives exist such as Wix.
Good point on looking at community when choosing tools. Some times a good community can be another form of support.
The one recommended by my peers
Ditto this. Ask people you respect and open a thread on Indie Hackers or another startup community.
Hey Richard 🤙,
For my part, I attach importance to the user experience and the price/features.
User experience :
Price/features :
Hey Victor 🤙
How do determine if a feature is a "useless feature" ?
I list the essential features to have a MVP product. And exclude the overflow functionality.
At first it's enough for me to launch the project.
And often I get to the cheapest plan.
Comparing specs only goes so far. I like to try free trials and then I'll usually know which option I prefer pretty quickly. I prefer the cheapest but I'll pay more for something that works better for me.
That's a good way to make a decision. When you find something that works for you, do you always try the alternative? Or do you stop your search once you find something you like and that's in your preferred price range? Thanks.
Usually, I won't try the alternatives after I decide, unless I feel like I'm overpaying for the value received, then I'll keep looking around.
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"An escape plan"
That's something interesting I haven't heard yet. I can see why that would be important. Good insight there.
My process is largely similar as well :)