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SaaS vs Two-Sided Apps — Which Should You Build First?

saas-two-sided-app
merdashi
merdashi

When you start brainstorming app ideas, most of them fall into one of two big categories:
SaaS or Two-Sided (Marketplace) Apps.
Both can make money and scale — but they’re totally different games.

💡 What’s a SaaS App?

A SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) app sells a service directly to users or businesses for a subscription.

Examples:

  • Notion, Figma, ChatGPT, or any tool you pay monthly for.
  • You build one experience your product and your job is to make it so good people stay subscribed.

Key traits:

  • Single type of user (the customer).
  • Clear value exchange: they pay → they get the service.
  • Predictable revenue (subscriptions).
  • Focus on retention and product quality.

Example use case:
A content-generator app where users log in, create text or designs, and pay $10/month.

🔁 What’s a Two-Sided App?

A two-sided app connects two types of users like sellers & buyers, drivers & passengers, hosts & guests.

Examples:

  • Uber, Airbnb, Fiverr.
  • You’re not just building a product you’re building an ecosystem.

Key traits:

  • Two (or more) user roles.
  • Requires liquidity both sides need to exist.
  • Early growth is harder (you can’t have riders without drivers).
  • Monetization often comes from transaction fees or commissions.

Example use case:
A platform where tutors offer lessons and students can book them.

🚀 Which Should You Build First?

If you’re an indie founder or small team:
👉 Start with SaaS.

Here’s why:

  • You only need to serve one type of user.
  • You can validate the idea faster.
  • You can get paying users within days, not months.
  • You can pivot more easily.

Once you’ve built experience (and maybe revenue), you can move into two-sided apps they’re powerful but operationally heavy.

⚙️ How I’m Making This Easier

I built QuickFounder to help you skip the hardest part setup.

Whether you’re building:

  • A SaaS app (users subscribe and log in), or
  • A two-sided app (buyers & sellers connect),

QuickFounder gives you ready-to-use boilerplates with:

  • Authentication
  • Subscriptions via Stripe
  • Supabase database
  • Landing page
  • Dashboard

So you can start from the core product idea, not boilerplate setup.