Updated June 2026
SaaS Spend Benchmarks 2026: How Your Company Compares
Consolidated benchmark data from Zylo, Gartner, Productiv, and Flexera in one vendor-neutral reference. No product to sell, just the numbers.
$9,455
Median spend per employee/yr
305
Avg apps per company
36%
SaaS licenses unused
108%
AI-native SaaS spend growth YoY
SaaS Spend per Employee by Industry
The industry ranges below come from Productiv survey data on a pre-2026 basis and reflect the relative ordering between sectors. They predate the 2026 AI-driven step-up captured in Zylo's $9,455 all-company median, so treat them as a floor rather than a current point estimate, especially for technology and financial-services firms.
| Industry | Annual per Employee | Avg App Count |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | $6,200 - $8,500 | 350+ |
| Financial Services | $5,800 - $7,200 | 300+ |
| Healthcare | $4,900 - $6,100 | 280 |
| Professional Services | $4,500 - $5,800 | 260 |
| Retail | $3,800 - $5,000 | 220 |
| Manufacturing | $3,200 - $4,500 | 180 |
| Education | $2,800 - $3,800 | 150 |
Sources: Productiv State of SaaS (industry splits), Gartner estimates. All-company median anchored to Zylo SaaS Management Index 2026.
SaaS Spend by Company Size
| Company Size | Per Employee/Year | Total Annual SaaS | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMB (under 500) | $3,500 - $5,000 | $350K - $2.5M | 18% |
| Mid-market (500-10K) | $4,500 - $6,500 | $2.5M - $65M | 15% |
| Enterprise (10K+) | $5,500 - $8,500 | $55M - $500M+ | 12% |
IT Spend as Percentage of Revenue
The average across all industries is 3.28% of revenue. This figure includes all IT spending (infrastructure, software, personnel, services), not just SaaS subscriptions. SaaS typically represents 40-60% of total IT spend.
| Industry | IT as % of Revenue |
|---|---|
| Financial Services | 7.0% - 8.0% |
| Technology | 5.0% - 8.0% |
| Healthcare | 4.0% - 6.0% |
| Professional Services | 3.5% - 5.0% |
| Retail | 2.0% - 3.5% |
| Manufacturing | 1.5% - 3.0% |
Sources: Deloitte CIO Survey 2025, Gartner IT Key Metrics Data
Shadow IT: The Untracked Third
One-third of SaaS applications in the average organization are unmanaged. These are subscriptions purchased by individual teams or employees without going through centralized IT procurement. Shadow IT creates three problems:
$2.4M+
Untracked Annual Spend
For a 1,000-person company, shadow IT typically represents $2.4M or more in unmanaged subscriptions.
40%
Duplicate Subscriptions
Nearly half of shadow IT apps overlap with existing approved tools, creating pure waste.
3x
Security Risk Multiplier
Unvetted tools are 3x more likely to suffer a data breach than IT-approved applications.
Where the 36% Waste Comes From
Unused Licenses
Employees who have seats but have not logged in for 30+ days. Common with tools purchased during hiring surges or onboarding of acquired teams. Typical unused rate: 15-25% of total licenses.
Duplicate Tools
Multiple teams paying for competing products that serve the same function. The classic example is three different project management tools (Jira, Asana, Monday) used by different departments in the same company.
Auto-Renewed Contracts
Annual subscriptions that renew automatically for tools that are no longer actively used. The renewal passes through finance without anyone questioning whether the tool is still needed. Common after team restructuring or project completion.