Replace SaaS Guide

The case for replacing SaaS

Most teams pay for 15–40 SaaS products. A meaningful subset — note-taking, scheduling, basic CRM, content drafting, internal search — can be replaced with open-source tools, AI workflows, or a single custom app. The goal is not zero SaaS. The goal is paying only for tools that are genuinely hard to replicate.

Step 1 — SaaS audit (spreadsheet)

List every subscription. For each row:

Tool | Monthly cost | Seats | Core job | API? | Replace difficulty (1-5) | Risk if removed

Sort by annual cost × replace difficulty. High cost + low difficulty = first targets.

Common quick wins:

| SaaS category | Replace with |

|---------------|--------------|

| Meeting notes | Whisper + local LLM summary |

| Social scheduling | Buffer clone or cron + API |

| Simple CRM | Notion/Airtable → Postgres + UI |

| Helpdesk (basic) | Email + AI draft replies |

| Design mockups | Figma stays; AI for asset gen only |

| Knowledge base | Git-backed Markdown + search |

Keep payment processing, email deliverability, and auth on proven vendors unless you have ops capacity.

Step 2 — Replacement decision matrix

Score each tool 1–5:

| Factor | Question |

|--------|----------|

| Frequency | Daily driver or quarterly? |

| Integration depth | Does 5 other tools depend on it? |

| Compliance | SOC2, HIPAA, PCI in the loop? |

| Build cost | Hours to replicate core workflow? |

| Exit cost | Export available? Lock-in clauses? |

Replace if: high frequency + low integration + good export + build cost < 6 months of fees.

Keep if: compliance-critical, deeply integrated, or replacement saves less than $200/month.

Step 3 — The replacement stack pattern

Most replacements follow this shape:

Data layer    → Postgres / SQLite / Markdown in git
Automation    → n8n, Windmill, or cron scripts
AI layer      → Claude API, local Ollama, or OpenRouter
Interface     → Retool, Streamlit, or Next.js app
Auth          → Clerk, Auth.js, or SSO you already have

Do not rebuild auth, billing, and UI for a tool five people use. A spreadsheet plus AI plus Slack often wins.

Step 4 — Migration playbook (per tool)

1. Export everything — JSON, CSV, Markdown, attachments
2. Build parity MVP — only the 3 features your team actually uses
3. Run parallel for 30 days — old SaaS stays active
4. Cut over one team — smallest group first
5. Cancel or downgrade — after zero rollbacks for 14 days

Never big-bang migrate production data on a Friday.

AI-specific replacements

| Job | Workflow |

|-----|----------|

| Internal FAQ | Embed docs in vector store; Slack bot answers |

| Report generation | Scheduled prompt → Google Sheet or PDF |

| Code review | Two-model review (see that guide) |

| Content drafts | Brief template → AI → human edit |

| Lead enrichment | Scrape + LLM summarize → CRM field |

AI replaces labor inside the workflow, not always the whole product.

Cost comparison template

Current: Tool X @ $49/mo × 8 seats = $392/mo = $4,704/yr
Replacement: VPS $20/mo + API $30/mo + 8 hrs build = $600/yr + one-time labor
Break-even: month 2 (if build ≤ 8 hrs at your rate)

Add 20% buffer for maintenance. If break-even exceeds 12 months, keep the SaaS.

Rollback plan (required)

Before canceling any subscription:

• Full data export stored offline
• SaaS account downgrade path confirmed (not delete)
• Team knows which URL to use if rollback needed
• Rollback tested once (restore one record, one workflow)

90-day roadmap

| Month | Action |

|-------|--------|

| 1 | Audit + pick 2 targets under $100/mo each |

| 2 | Build MVPs; run parallel 30 days |

| 3 | Cut over; log savings in one-page summary |

Keep payment, email deliverability, and auth on proven vendors. Never big-bang migrate on a Friday.