Build a SaaS with an independent developer
A SaaS is software people sign up for and pay for on a subscription. The first version needs accounts, one valuable workflow and a way to bill, and everything else can wait. ErdiBuilds is an open marketplace where clients post app, SaaS, website and game projects, see which independent developers from the EU fit best based on what they have already built, and pay per milestone.
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What makes a SaaS different from a web app
A SaaS is a web app plus a business model. It has to handle many customers at once, keep their data apart, charge them on a schedule and let them change or cancel a plan without help.
People build scheduling tools, reporting dashboards, niche CRMs, content and design tools, automation helpers and industry specific software. If you only need a browser app without billing, start from the web app page. To scope the first release, read SaaS MVP scope and cost and what is an MVP.
Parts almost every SaaS needs
- Sign up, login, password reset and email confirmation.
- Teams or workspaces, if several people share one account.
- A plan page with checkout, upgrades, cancellation and invoices.
- An admin view for you to see accounts and fix problems.
- Transactional emails such as welcome, receipt and password reset.
- Basic analytics, so you learn which feature people use.
Typical technologies
A common modern setup uses Next.js for the app, Postgres for data and Stripe for subscriptions. Find My Stack can narrow this down for your idea.
- Multi-tenancy is the key design topic. Row Level Security in Supabase is one way to do it.
- Webhooks keep your database in sync with Stripe subscription states.
- Background jobs handle reports, emails and imports.
- Hosting, monitoring and backups are part of the job, even if they are invisible to users.
An example plan in milestones
Each milestone is funded before work starts and runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. Milestones are from 50 to 2,000 each in your project currency. A SaaS MVP often fits into this order:
| Topic | Example timing | Focus | Test it by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | For example, weeks 1 to 2 | Design, accounts, data model, permissions | Creating two accounts and checking that they cannot see each other |
| Phase 2 | For example, weeks 3 to 6 | The core workflow that users pay for | Finishing the main job from start to end |
| Phase 3 | For example, weeks 7 to 8 | Plans, checkout, invoices, cancellation | Paying with a test card and changing plans |
| Phase 4 | For example, weeks 9 to 10 | Emails, admin view, monitoring, public launch | Inviting a few first users |
Phase 1
- Example timing
- For example, weeks 1 to 2
- Focus
- Design, accounts, data model, permissions
- Test it by
- Creating two accounts and checking that they cannot see each other
Phase 2
- Example timing
- For example, weeks 3 to 6
- Focus
- The core workflow that users pay for
- Test it by
- Finishing the main job from start to end
Phase 3
- Example timing
- For example, weeks 7 to 8
- Focus
- Plans, checkout, invoices, cancellation
- Test it by
- Paying with a test card and changing plans
Phase 4
- Example timing
- For example, weeks 9 to 10
- Focus
- Emails, admin view, monitoring, public launch
- Test it by
- Inviting a few first users
The weeks are for illustration. Developers set the length of each milestone in their proposal, and each real milestone runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. Billing details change from country to country, so ask your developer how tax is handled.
What belongs in the project description
- Who the customer is and what job the product does for them.
- Your pricing idea in words, such as a free plan, one paid plan or per seat pricing. Exact prices can follow later.
- The single workflow that must work in version one, and a list of things that wait.
- Whether accounts belong to one person or to a team.
- Tools you must connect to, such as email, calendars or a data source.
- Where customers live, because tax and privacy rules depend on it.
- Existing designs, brand rules and competitor products you like.
How to recognise a suitable developer
Look for someone who has shipped a product with logins and payments before, and who asks what you will charge for before they talk about screens. Good signs are a clear data model, tests around billing and a plan for what happens when a payment fails.
The match score on each proposal gives a quick start. Developers need at least 40 to apply, and 80 or more gets a Top match badge. Read the reasons, then check the portfolio. Developers are independent professionals, not our employees.
Frequently asked questions
What should the first version of a SaaS include?
Accounts, the one workflow customers pay for and a simple way to charge. Teams, many integrations and advanced settings can come later, once real users ask for them.
Link to this answerHow do my customers pay me?
Usually through a payment provider such as Stripe, connected to your own account. Your developer builds the checkout and keeps your database in sync.
Link to this answerHow is customer data kept apart?
By design from the start: every record belongs to an account, and permission rules in the database or the code enforce it. Ask the developer to explain their approach in your first chat.
Link to this answerDo I need a mobile app too?
Not at the start in most cases. A web app that works well on phones is often enough. If you need an app later, see SaaS plus mobile app.
Link to this answerHow are milestones paid?
Each milestone is funded before work starts and runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. Funds are released after you approve the delivery and a short holding period, and you can ask for changes first.
Link to this answerRelated pages
- Build a web app with an independent developerHow to plan a browser-based web app: common technologies, an example milestone plan, what to write in the brief and how to judge a developer.
- Build a SaaS plus mobile app with a developerPlan a subscription product with a browser app and a phone app on one shared back end: technologies, milestone order, brief and developer fit.
- Hire a Stripe integration developerAdd payments or subscriptions to your product. What a Stripe developer does, what to ask, example milestones and how matching works.
- Hire a Next.js developer for your projectWhat a Next.js developer does, which projects it suits, what to ask before you hire and how milestones and matching work on ErdiBuilds.
- SaaS MVP Scope and Cost: What to Build FirstWhat belongs in the first version of a SaaS product, what can wait, and how scope decisions shape your cost and timeline.
- How to Split a Project Into MilestonesSplit a software project into milestones that each deliver something you can see and approve. Rules, an example plan and a free planner tool.