Introduction: Strategic Shopping for SaaS Solutions this Black Friday
The frenzy of Black Friday presents the perfect opportunity for founders to upgrade their tech stacks at discounted rates and integrate useful new SaaS tools into their workflows. With so many promotions and markdowns available, it can be tempting to impulse buy new software just because it's on sale. However, the savviest founders carefully strategize their purchases to maximize savings on solutions that specifically align with their business goals and streamline operations.
This guide will outline the best SaaS deals across essential categories including website builders, analytics, email marketing, eCommerce, and project management. You'll discover stellar discounts on mainstream platforms along with hidden gems from indie makers and bootstrapped startups. We'll also provide insider tips for setting budgets, evaluating features beyond price cuts, extending free trials to properly vet tools, and smoothly onboarding your new stack. Follow our advice to find deals that solve your real pain points instead of grabbing at bargains that collect virtual dust.
Craft Your Game Plan
Before perusing deals, take time to identify your needs and define parameters:
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Make a wishlist of pain points and desired features to address. What problems do you want new tools to solve?
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Determine must-have capabilities that are non-negotiable for your workflows.
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Set a clear budget for new software and stick to it. Avoid impulse buys.
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Thoroughly research tools and pricing in advance. Create wishlists on vendor sites.
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Extend free trials before redeeming discounts to properly evaluate integrations.
Hot Deal Categories to Watch
Some essential categories primed for stellar deals include:
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Website builders and themes
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SEO and analytics
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Email marketing and automation
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eCommerce platforms
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Project management
Website Building Deals
Refreshing your online presence with a new website builder can be game-changing. But with endless options on sale, focus on scalability, seamless integrations, hosting, and migration support beyond the discounted price tag. Top platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, and Webflow tend to offer particularly compelling Black Friday website builder promotions.
WordPress Goldmines
For WordPress users, prime deals include:
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Bluehost's managed WordPress hosting at 65% off
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StudioPress'spremium themes discounted at 30% off
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Beaver Builder's page builder plugin at 25% off
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SEMrush's SEO toolkit starting at 40% off
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Site migration services from WP Engine at $500 off
Website Builder Blowouts
Leading website builder deals:
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Squarespace's premium plans at 30% off
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Wix's unlimited annual plan at 25% off
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Webflow's full suite at 20% off
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Bubble's monthly plans at $10 off
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Zyro's 2 month free trial period
SEO and Analytics Steals
SEO and analytics platforms offer major markdowns for Black Friday. Strategically invest in elevated site optimization and traffic analysis without breaking the bank.
Vet features like custom reporting, data integrations, competitor tracking, and preparing workflows to effectively onboard new tools. Leading platforms like Moz Pro, Ahrefs, and Semrush run killer promos.
SEO Dealstands
Major SEO deals include:
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Moz Pro free for 1 year with purchase
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Ahrefs 7 day $7 trial
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SEMrush 25% off Pro plan rates
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Serpstat bonus 3 months added on plans
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Botify 50% off first payment
Analytics Alternatives
Beyond Google Analytics, watch for:
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Hotjar's Pro plan at 40% off
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Matomo's unlimited free tier
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Heap's free t-shirts and stickers
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Pendo's free training workshops
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Fathom's two month free trial
Email Marketing Bargains
Email service providers heavily discount rates around Black Friday, but avoid choosing purely based on price. Carefully evaluate deliverability, segmentation capabilities, and automation when comparing options.
Strategically leverage extended trials to test products before redeeming discounts. Watch for bargains on ESPs like ConvertKit, Omnisend, GetResponse, MailerLite, and ActiveCampaign.
ESP Deals
Top email service provider deals include:
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ConvertKit's free 2 month trial period
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Omnisend's bonus 15,000 email credits
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GetResponse's 50% off for 3 months
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MailerLite's 45% off for 1 year
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ActiveCampaign's free domain for a year
Automation Discounts
Leading automation tool deals:
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Customer.io's custom onboarding and training
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Mailchimp's 35% off for 6 months
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Omnisend's email personalization workshop
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Sendinblue's free templates
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Drip's 2 month free trial period
eCommerce Platform Steals
Black Friday presents the perfect opportunity to save on top-rated eCommerce platforms to launch or migrate online stores.
Look beyond discounted pricing to compare critical features like built-in marketing capabilities, hosting, and secure payment integration. Score major deals on Shopify, Squarespace, Gumroad, and BigCommerce.
Hosted Carts
Top hosted cart deals:
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Shopify's extended 90 day free trial
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Squarespace's 10% off online store plans
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BigCommerce's free themes
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Gumroad's custom pricing for Pro plan
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Snipcart's 2 months free
Flexible Carts
More lightweight cart deals:
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Payhip's 25% off Pro plan rates
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Ecwid's free migration assistance
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Foxy.io's 14 day free trial period
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Gumroad's waived transaction fees
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Snipcart's 90 day free trial
Project Management Steals
For founders managing complex projects and distributed teams, Black Friday presents the perfect chance to upgrade project management systems at a discount.
Compare time tracking, task management, and collaboration capabilities. Also evaluate integrations, API flexibility, and migration options beyond discounted pricing. Score major savings on leading platforms like Trello, Asana, Basecamp, and Wrike.
Mainstream PM Discounts
Top mainstream PM tool deals:
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Trello Business Class 35% off
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Asana Business 60% off for 1 year
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Basecamp 50% off first year
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Wrike 25% off Professional plan
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Teamwork free CRM with purchase
Lightweight PM Deals
More open source and lightweight PM discounts:
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ClickUp custom nonprofit pricing
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Airtable free templates and courses
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Notion free Team plan
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Ora discounted migration rates
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Monday.com 2 month free team trial
Conclusion and Recommendations
This Black Friday, take time to find SaaS deals that truly align with your business goals versus impulse buys that simply drain your budget. Thoroughly evaluate features, support, scalability, and ease of integration beyond temporary price slashes. With the right strategy, you can take your workflows to the next level while staying on budget. Be sure to subscribe to our email list for exclusive Black Friday and Cyber Monday SaaS deal alerts tailored to founders and indie hackers!
