Is SaaS dead or are we forgetting what software is really about?

OpenAI’s CFO recently made a bold claim: “The era of SaaS is over.”

According to her, companies will soon stop buying ready-made software and instead use AI to generate their own, perfectly tailored to their specific needs.

It sounds compelling. But is it true? And more importantly: what does this mean for the future of SaaS?

As the founder and CEO of APPelit, I believe the truth is more nuanced, and a lot more interesting.

The promise sounds logical…

There’s something attractive about the idea. Why buy off-the-shelf software that kind of fits, when AI can help you build something that fits perfectly?

AI lowers the barrier to automation. It enables dynamic logic, faster prototyping, and context-aware decision flows. Yes, it might even allow some teams to build lightweight tools instead of buying generic ones.

But assuming this means the end of SaaS is a misread of how software, and business, actually work.

…but does it really scale better, cheaper, and safer?

Let’s be honest. If building your own internal tools was faster, safer, and more cost-effective, most companies would have done it years ago.

AI may accelerate development. But it doesn’t remove the complexity of architecture, compliance, testing, security, performance, or user experience.

So if you generate your own tooling with AI, new questions emerge:

• Who’s responsible for the generated code?
• How do you validate quality and security?
• Can your team maintain and update it over time?
• What happens when it breaks or scales poorly?
• Who owns the IP and who supports the users?

SaaS exists not because companies are lazy, it exists because trust, stability and support are valuable.

And that’s not going away anytime soon.

''In SaaS, you don't win by getting there first or having the best idea. You win by continually solving the problem better'' - Hiten Shah

What companies should do to keep their SaaS relevant

That said, there’s a real point buried in the AI hype. SaaS products need to evolve: fast.

Today’s users expect:

• Better UX
• Seamless integrations
• Configurable features
• Lightning-fast performance
• Clear value, not feature bloat

If you’re running a SaaS platform, now is the time to:

1. Modularize your product so it can adapt to individual client needs
2. Leverage AI where it helps (think smart recommendations, better onboarding, automated analysis)
3. Refactor outdated architectures and reduce technical debt
4. Invest in UX, speed and insight instead of just new features
5. Keep your team close to your users, and align product decisions with real feedback

Because if SaaS fails, it’s not because of AI. It’s because the product stopped evolving while the user didn’t.

How APPelit can help you

At APPelit, we work with SaaS companies that are ready to grow or transform.

Here’s how we help:

• SaaS modernization We analyze your current architecture, refactor where needed, improve maintainability, and help you scale with less friction.
• Targeted AI integrations We don’t “AI-wash” your roadmap. Instead, we help you apply AI where it truly creates value in speed, insight, or UX.
• Co-creating new features We build the features your users are asking for, with a sharp eye on your business model, scalability, and long-term maintainability.

And we don’t just write code. We stay with you, ask tough questions, and help you stay aligned with the people who matter most: your users.

Final thoughts

The era of lazy SaaS may be over, but the era of SaaS? Absolutely not.

AI isn’t killing SaaS. What it is doing, is forcing us to evolve.

It’s a wake-up call. To build better. To stay closer to your users. And to treat SaaS as a living system, not a static product.

At APPelit, we believe great software isn’t just written, it’s nurtured. With vision. With iteration. With real-world feedback. And yes, with partners who care about your product as much as you do.

If SaaS is going to live, we need to keep it alive: by design.