Feb 07, 2026

I recently heard about the 2026 SaaS Finance & Operations Tech Stack Report, which analyzed over 450 software solutions used by finance teams in SaaS companies. It’s interesting to see that QuickBooks still leads the accounting software market with roughly 26% share, but its dominance is slowly eroding. Platforms like Sage Intacct and NetSuite are gaining traction, particularly among SaaS firms that are growing and scaling their operations.

When it comes to revenue recognition, spreadsheets are still surprisingly popular, holding about a third of the market. However, there’s a clear shift toward specialized revenue recognition software once companies pass the $5 million annual recurring revenue mark. In payment processing, Stripe remains the dominant player, with PayPal in second place. What stood out to me was that around 27% of SaaS companies don’t accept credit cards yet, which could indicate untapped potential for innovation in payment methods.

Forecasting and budgeting tools are largely dominated by spreadsheets as well, with about 73% of firms relying on Excel or Google Sheets despite heavy investment in financial planning and analysis software. This suggests that adoption of these newer FP&A tools might be slower than expected, or that the market is consolidating around traditional solutions. On the expense management side, Ramp has emerged as the frontrunner, overtaking competitors like Expensify and Brex, signaling a shift in the preferences of SaaS companies.

In customer relationship management, HubSpot and Salesforce together control roughly 80% of the market, leaving limited opportunity for smaller CRM providers. The report also highlights a preference among SaaS firms for best-of-breed point solutions instead of comprehensive ERP systems, especially during early to mid-growth stages. This reflects a strategic focus on flexibility and specialization rather than adopting large, integrated enterprise platforms.

Overall, the findings paint a picture of SaaS companies balancing legacy tools such as spreadsheets with emerging specialized software. There’s a clear trend toward modular tech stacks, favoring specific, high-performing solutions over all-in-one ERP systems, which aligns with the need for agility and scale in the fast-evolving SaaS environment.

Stay Well!