You have nobody to ask to run a server
If nobody in your company or at a contractor will take care of the server and backups, and you want no technical duties, SaaS takes them off your hands.
We describe typical features of SaaS tools for resource planning, not specific products. Individual tools may differ, so check the current terms of your chosen vendor before you decide.
| Area | Typical SaaS | Sorvelo |
|---|---|---|
| Where Sorvelo has the advantage | ||
| Payment model | A subscription, usually monthly or yearly, charged per person or per account. | One perpetual license. No subscription. |
| Cost as the team grows | Grows with every new person, every month, with no end. | No fee for additional people. Further costs are the upkeep of the server. |
| Where the data is | On the vendor's servers, under the terms of its regulations. | On your side: on your own server or in your cloud. Rates and margins never leave your company. |
| Access to the code and your own changes | Usually none. You report a new field or report to the vendor and wait. | The full source code. Your team or a contractor makes changes, without the vendor's permission. |
| Project finance and margin by phase | Depends on the tool and the plan. Project finance is sometimes an extra module or a more expensive package. | Part of the system: phases with cost and revenue rates, five kinds of margin, a forecast to the end of the project. |
| Month-end billing with a lock | It varies: not every tool closes the period and locks changes made after the fact. | Billing with a checklist and a period lock. After billing, hours and assignments are frozen. |
| CVs and competences | Usually out of scope. Skills are sometimes a simple field or a separate tool. | Profiles and skills with a CV generator to PDF and DOCX, including anonymous CVs. |
| White label | Usually limited or available in the most expensive plan. | Your own logo and system name in the menu, on the sign-in page, in PDF files and in emails. |
| Work without the internet, on your own servers | Requires constant access to the vendor's service. | Runs on your servers, in your company network. You need the internet only for integrations that you turn on yourself. |
| Dependence on the vendor | High: the vendor sets prices, plans and availability of the service, and after you cancel you lose access. | Low: the system and the code stay with you, even if you stop using new versions. |
| Where typical SaaS has the advantage | ||
| Server maintenance | You maintain nothing. The server, backups and infrastructure are on the vendor's side. | The server, backups and their security are on your side. |
| Updates | New versions arrive automatically. | Included: fixes for bugs reported within 90 days (after the promotion: |
| Support and start | Support is usually part of the subscription price, and the account works right after sign-up. | Included: fixes for bugs reported within 90 days (after the promotion: |
Do you already know what you choose? Order a license or calculate your savings.
Honestly
When SaaS is the better choice.
A perpetual license is not for everyone. In these situations a subscription can be the more sensible choice.
You need the tool for a short time
A pilot or a project of a few months: a subscription can be cancelled, while a perpetual license pays back only over time.
Your team is very small
With a few people and a short horizon, a subscription can be cheaper. Check it in the calculator before you decide.