Is my SaaS actually making money?
Your SaaS makes money when revenue minus all the real costs is positive — not just when payments land in your account. Subtract what it actually costs to run (hosting, payment fees, support, your own time, marketing) from revenue. If what is left is negative, you are subsidising your customers. The month revenue finally covers costs is your break-even.
Money in the bank is not profit
It is easy to feel rich when Stripe payouts hit your account and forget the costs flowing out: servers, payment fees, the tools you pay for, the marketing to get customers, and — the one founders ignore — your own unpaid time. Add those up and subtract them from revenue. That is whether you actually make money.
Plenty of SaaS founders are "growing" and quietly losing money on every customer. The revenue line looks great; the profit line is red.
The words: gross margin, break-even, profit
After the direct cost of serving a customer (hosting, fees, support), what is left as a % of revenue is your gross margin. After all the other monthly costs, what is left is your operating profit. The month that turns positive is your break-even. Healthy SaaS keeps a high gross margin (often 70-85%).
Knowing these three turns "I think I am doing ok" into "I make €X profit a month and break even in month Y".
See your real numbers
Our viability model takes your revenue, costs and team and shows your gross margin, your monthly profit, your break-even month and a 3-year picture — so you can see if you actually make money, not just collect it.
FAQ
Why does my SaaS feel profitable but the numbers say otherwise?
Usually because the felt version counts the money coming in but not all the money going out — especially payment fees, tools, marketing and your unpaid time. Subtract every real cost and the picture changes.
What gross margin should a SaaS have?
Healthy subscription SaaS is usually 70-85% gross margin. Much lower and the direct cost of serving customers (hosting, fees, support) is eating your model; much higher (95%+) often means you forgot to count fees.
Check your own numbers.
Startkeel tells you in minutes whether your SaaS holds up.
Last updated: June 25, 2026. For information only — not financial advice.