Articles & Case Studies
AdTech Is Now the Top US SaaS Vertical
Across 3,068,152 SaaS companies indexed by DiscoLike, Advertising & marketing has passed Software as the largest SaaS vertical in the US, while Education leads outside the US. Healthcare ranks in the top four in both regions.
Something fascinating is happening in SaaS.
For more than 20 years, Software was the dominant sub category among SaaS companies. Now it has fallen to second place.
AdTech Is Now the Top SaaS Vertical in the US
In the US, the new leader is AdTech.
And that may tell us something about where the US sees the next opportunity.
AI tools such as Claude can dramatically reduce the time, engineering effort and capital required to turn an idea into working software.
Now you have to sell it.
Distribution, customer acquisition, targeting, attribution and advertising become even more valuable. The US SaaS market appears to be moving in that direction, with more companies helping businesses compete for attention and customers.
Education Leads SaaS Outside the US
Outside the US, the picture looks very different.
Education is moving to the top.
AI can explain algebra, teach languages, tutor students, personalize lessons and make high quality instruction available at a fraction of the historical cost.
For developing countries, that could change the economics of education.
Higher education levels can mean stronger economies, more skilled workers and a much larger pool of engineers, scientists, founders and researchers entering the global economy.
Selling vs Learning: Two Different SaaS Bets
So there is an interesting contrast emerging.
The US appears to be investing heavily in selling more effectively.
Much of the rest of the world appears to be investing in learning more effectively.
Which turns out to be the smarter move?
Healthcare SaaS Is Rising in Both Markets
Healthcare is also rising in both tables.
Healthcare has enormous administrative complexity, expensive skilled labor and constant pressure to improve access while lowering costs, making it one of the clearest areas where AI enabled SaaS can create value.
How to Target SaaS Companies by Vertical
These are also the SaaS companies, in total and across each individual subvertical, that you can target with DiscoLike
We have spent years building SaaS specific market visibility down to individual niches and subverticals, with coverage and SaaS specialty visibility that none of our competitors comes close to matching.
And this is only a fraction of the data.
We are publishing some 4K pages of additional SaaS market statistics on our website today, covering hundreds of individual verticals and subverticals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest SaaS vertical in the US?
Advertising & marketing. DiscoLike counts 65,654 US SaaS companies in that vertical, 9.1% of the US total, ahead of Software at 54,744 (7.6%) and Healthcare at 54,574 (7.6%).
Which SaaS vertical is largest outside the US?
Education. Outside the US, DiscoLike counts 195,977 Education SaaS companies (8.3%), ahead of Software at 187,179 (8.0%) and Advertising & marketing at 165,733 (7.1%).
Why is AdTech overtaking Software in the US?
AI tools cut the time, engineering effort and capital needed to build working software, so the harder problem becomes selling it. That raises the value of distribution, customer acquisition, targeting, attribution and advertising, which is where more US SaaS companies are now concentrated.
Can I target SaaS companies by subvertical?
Yes. DiscoLike classifies SaaS companies down to individual niches and subverticals, so you can target the whole SaaS market or a single subvertical such as healthcare or education SaaS. The public SaaS market statistics pages show counts by vertical and subvertical.
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