      growthunhinged.com · 2025-11-12
      · 203d
    

What's Really Going On in Software: 2025 SaaS Benchmarks Report

Analysis of 800+ B2B SaaS companies reveals continued stabilization in core metrics while highlighting divergence between AI-native startups (growing 3x faster) and traditional SaaS, with gross margin compression driven by AI costs and significant efficiency gains at later-stage companies. The Efficient Growth matrix combining CAC payback period and NRR emerges as a superior predictor of sustainable growth compared to traditional LTV:CAC ratios.

51 metrics· Cited 0× in the knowledge base ·Open source ↗

Metrics in this report

AI Feature Adoption

70%percent

average

B2B SaaS companies that have launched AI features

AI Feature Adoption

22%percent

average

B2B SaaS companies with AI features on product roadmap

ARR per FTE

$55,000USD

good

Early-stage B2B SaaS companies <$1M ARR

ARR per FTE

$100,000USD

great

Early-stage B2B SaaS companies <$1M ARR

ARR per FTE

$135,000USD

good

Early-growth B2B SaaS companies $1M-$5M ARR

ARR per FTE

$200,000USD

great

Early-growth B2B SaaS companies $1M-$5M ARR

ARR per FTE

$165,000USD

good

Growth-stage B2B SaaS companies $5M-$20M ARR

ARR per FTE

$220,000USD

great

Growth-stage B2B SaaS companies $5M-$20M ARR

ARR per FTE

$270,000USD

good

Scaleup B2B SaaS companies $20M-$50M ARR

ARR per FTE

$350,000USD

great

Scaleup B2B SaaS companies $20M-$50M ARR

CAC Payback Period Improvement

12%percent

average

NRR improvement for companies scaling from $1M to $20M ARR

Gross Margin

74%percent

good

Early-stage B2B SaaS companies <$1M ARR

Gross Margin

80%percent

great

Early-stage B2B SaaS companies <$1M ARR

Gross Margin

77%percent

good

Early-growth B2B SaaS companies $1M-$5M ARR

Gross Margin

85%percent

great

Early-growth B2B SaaS companies $1M-$5M ARR

Gross Margin

80%percent

good

Growth-stage B2B SaaS companies $5M-$20M ARR

Gross Margin

86%percent

great

Growth-stage B2B SaaS companies $5M-$20M ARR

Gross Margin

78%percent

good

Scaleup B2B SaaS companies $20M-$50M ARR

Gross Margin

84%percent

great

Scaleup B2B SaaS companies $20M-$50M ARR

Gross Margin

5 points lowerpercent_difference

average

AI-native startups compared to traditional B2B SaaS

Growth Rate

100%percent

good

Early-stage B2B SaaS companies <$1M ARR

Growth Rate

300%percent

great

Early-stage B2B SaaS companies <$1M ARR

Growth Rate

50%percent

good

Early-growth B2B SaaS companies $1M-$5M ARR

Growth Rate

100%percent

great

Early-growth B2B SaaS companies $1M-$5M ARR

Growth Rate

30%percent

good

Growth-stage B2B SaaS companies $5M-$20M ARR

Growth Rate

70%percent

great

Growth-stage B2B SaaS companies $5M-$20M ARR

Growth Rate

30%percent

good

Scaleup B2B SaaS companies $20M-$50M ARR

Growth Rate

40%percent

great

Scaleup B2B SaaS companies $20M-$50M ARR

Growth Rate

100%percent

median

AI-native B2B SaaS companies <$1M ARR

Growth Rate

75%percent

median

Traditional B2B SaaS companies <$1M ARR

Growth Rate

110%percent

median

AI-native B2B SaaS companies $1M-$5M ARR

Growth Rate

40%percent

median

Traditional B2B SaaS companies $1M-$5M ARR

Growth Rate

90%percent

median

AI-native B2B SaaS companies $5M-$20M ARR

Growth Rate

30%percent

median

Traditional B2B SaaS companies $5M-$20M ARR

Growth Rate

60%percent

median

AI-native B2B SaaS companies $20M-$50M ARR

Growth Rate

35%percent

median

Traditional B2B SaaS companies $20M-$50M ARR

Growth Rate

40%percent

median

AI-native B2B SaaS companies >$50M ARR

Growth Rate

15%percent

median

Traditional B2B SaaS companies >$50M ARR

Net Revenue Retention

100%percent

good

Early-stage B2B SaaS companies <$1M ARR

Net Revenue Retention

116%percent

great

Early-stage B2B SaaS companies <$1M ARR

Net Revenue Retention

104%percent

good

Early-growth B2B SaaS companies $1M-$5M ARR

Net Revenue Retention

110%percent

great

Early-growth B2B SaaS companies $1M-$5M ARR

Net Revenue Retention

103%percent

good

Growth-stage B2B SaaS companies $5M-$20M ARR

Net Revenue Retention

115%percent

great

Growth-stage B2B SaaS companies $5M-$20M ARR

Net Revenue Retention

103%percent

good

Scaleup B2B SaaS companies $20M-$50M ARR

Net Revenue Retention

110%percent

great

Scaleup B2B SaaS companies $20M-$50M ARR

Rule of 40

71%percent

average

High NRR (>106%) + Low CAC payback (<10 months) quadrant

Rule of 40

47%percent

average

High NRR (>106%) + Low CAC payback (<10 months) quadrant

Rule of 40

21%percent

average

High NRR (>106%) + High CAC payback (>15 months) quadrant (enterprise zone)

Rule of 40

33%percent

average

Low NRR (<98%) + Low CAC payback (<10 months) quadrant (high velocity zone)

Rule of 40

5%percent

average

Low NRR (<98%) + High CAC payback (>15 months) quadrant (danger zone)