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One-Person SaaS Valuation
Estimate what your solo SaaS is worth with indie/micro-SaaS multiples: revenue, SDE, and profit methods, adjusted for growth, churn, track record, and how much the business depends on you.
Result
Valuation methods
- Revenue Multiple$60,000 ARR3x$180,000
- SDE Multiple$48,000 SDE2.5x$120,000
- Profit Multiple$48,000 Annual Profit3.5x$168,000
Valuation factors
- Growth rateNeutral
5% monthly growth is modest. Higher growth commands premium multiples.
- Churn rateNeutral
3% monthly churn is within the typical 2-5% micro-SaaS band. Reducing it would directly increase valuation.
- Owner dependencyNeutral
15h/week is moderate. Automating or documenting processes would improve valuation.
- Track recordNeutral
2 years is early. More history increases buyer confidence.
Key insight
A $5,000 MRR SaaS with 3% monthly churn and 5% monthly growth lands at roughly $120,000 to $180,000 on this tool's heuristic indie/micro-SaaS multiple bands.
How to use it
- Enter your ARR and annual profit (revenue minus all business costs, before anything you pay yourself). If you already pay yourself a salary before profit, enter it under owner pay already deducted so SDE adds it back. Buyers assess both top-line and bottom-line multiples, so the gap between revenue and profit matters.
- Set your monthly growth rate and monthly churn rate. These are the two strongest drivers of valuation multiples in indie/micro-SaaS transactions.
- Enter years in operation and owner hours per week. Longer track records and lower owner dependency both increase multiples because they reduce buyer risk.
- Read the three valuation methods — Revenue Multiple, SDE Multiple, and Profit Multiple — along with the blended estimate and range.
- Review the valuation factors (positive, negative, neutral) to understand what drives your multiple up or down. Reducing churn and owner dependency are typically the highest-impact improvements.
Questions people usually ask
What multiples does this use?
Indie/micro-SaaS multiples, not VC multiples. Revenue: 2-5x ARR, SDE: 2-4x, Profit: 3-6x. The bands and their adjustments are editorial heuristics for small software sales, not a model fitted to a deal dataset; compare them with current listings on marketplaces such as Acquire.com before you set a price.
What is SDE?
Seller's Discretionary Earnings = annual profit + any owner pay that was already deducted to reach that profit. For a solo founder whose profit is their whole take, SDE equals the profit. If you pay yourself a salary first, enter it under owner pay already deducted and the tool adds it back.
What drives the multiple up or down?
Higher multiples come from: high monthly growth (>5%), low churn (<3%), low owner dependency (<10h/week), and 3+ years of operation. Lower multiples come from: flat/declining growth, high churn (>5%), high owner dependency (>30h/week), and <1 year track record.
How is the blended estimate calculated?
The blended estimate weights Revenue Multiple at 30%, SDE Multiple at 40%, and Profit Multiple at 30%. This balances top-line potential, owner-adjusted earnings, and bottom-line profitability.
Is this tool free and private?
Yes. All calculations run in your browser. No data is sent anywhere. No signup required.
Is this a professional valuation?
No. This is a planning estimate using typical indie/micro-SaaS multiples. For a formal valuation tied to a sale or investment, engage a business broker or M&A advisor.
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Articles
- 10 min read One-Person SaaS Valuation: A $180k ARR Acquisition Walk
One-person SaaS at $180k ARR valued three ways: blended midpoint $430k. Owner-dependency tax can swing the closed price by 30% either direction.
- 12 min read How to Read SaaS Multiples as a Seller, Not a Buyer
SaaS multiples brokers quote are revenue-based; buyers pay on SDE adjusted for owner hours and churn. A seller method walks through every adjustment.
- 11 min read Valuation: Revenue vs SDE vs EBITDA for Solo Founders
Valuation across three methods on the same business: $500k revenue, $240k SDE, $225k EBITDA. The blended midpoint of $321,667 is defensible.
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Use it from code
The same calculation as a JavaScript module you can import. It runs where you import it, with no request, key or rate limit.
import { compute } from "https://aibizhub.io/engines/one-person-saas-valuation.js"; Input and output contract, TypeScript types and the guide for agents.