noun

SaaS

sass

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SaaS (noun) means Software that you use over the internet through a browser or app and pay for by subscription, with the provider running and maintaining it rather than you installing it on your own machines. Example: “We moved our accounting off the office server and onto a SaaS product.”

noun

technical, business Software that you use over the internet through a browser or app and pay for by subscription, with the provider running and maintaining it rather than you installing it on your own machines.

"We moved our accounting off the office server and onto a SaaS product."

"Her whole company is SaaS — nothing is installed locally."

informal, business A company whose business is selling such software.

"He left banking to join an early-stage SaaS."

How to use SaaS

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSaaS is software you log into and pay for monthly instead of installing and owning.

When to use it

Pronounced as one syllable, rhyming with "pass" in many accents. Written with a lower-case second a by convention. Used both uncountably ("we sell SaaS") and countably ("a SaaS").

Memory tip

SaaS sits alongside PaaS (platform as a service) and IaaS (infrastructure as a service). SaaS delivers a finished application, PaaS delivers an environment to build applications in, and IaaS delivers raw servers and storage.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

PaaS IaaS cloud computing → on-premise

Common pairings

SaaS product SaaS company B2B SaaS SaaS subscription SaaS platform

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

We moved our accounting off the office server and onto a _____ product.

Etymology

An acronym of software as a service.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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software as a service cloud software hosted software subscription software

Antonyms

on-premise software self-hosted software shrink-wrapped software

Rhymes for SaaS

Haas

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between SaaS and cloud computing?

Cloud computing is the broad idea of using computing resources over the internet rather than owning the hardware. SaaS is one layer of it, where what you use is a finished application. Renting bare servers or a development platform is cloud computing too, but not SaaS.

What is the difference between SaaS and installed software?

Installed software runs on your own device or servers, and you usually buy a version outright and update it yourself. SaaS runs on the provider's infrastructure, is reached through a browser or app, and is charged as an ongoing subscription with updates applied for everyone at once.

What is the difference between SaaS, PaaS and IaaS?

They describe how much of the stack the provider manages. With IaaS you rent servers, storage and networking and build everything above them. With PaaS you get a managed environment to deploy your own application into. With SaaS you get a completed application and manage nothing but your own data and settings.

What is the meaning of SaaS?

"SaaS" (noun) means software that you use over the internet through a browser or app and pay for by subscription, with the provider running and maintaining it rather than you installing it on your own machines.