Blog Synopsis : Are you having perplexing thoughts about SaaS and dedicated web2print solutions? You have ended up in the right place. This blog is all about an in-detail comparison between SaaS and dedicated web2print solutions, which will help you choose the most appropriate one per your business needs.
The global commercial Print industry’s size is witnessing the sharpest growth recently. While its value was USD 489.63 billion in 2022, it is expected to amplify substantially at a CAGR of 2.8% from this year, i.e., 2023 to 2030. Also, North America plays one of the most significant roles in the commercial printing market in 2023, holding a share of more than 33.15% of the global revenue.
Along with this substantial development of the print industry, what has grown equally, and revolutionized modern printing is web2print. Most print businesses worldwide can’t think of their operations without a web to print software today. It has become a must for any print service provider like you to meet evolving consumer demands.
But what remains a constantly baffling topic among print brands is: what’s the difference between SaaS and dedicated web to print solutions? Which is better, SaaS or a dedicated web to print solution? and a lot more about this comparison.
We at Onprintshop have often witnessed our clients getting perplexing thoughts about Saas and a dedicated web to print shop or solution, which one will be better for their business model.
In this blog, we will elaborate on this buzzing topic of the print industry: SaaS vs. Dedicated Web to Print solutions. But before we explore in depth, let’s understand the basics first.
What is a SaaS Web to Print Solution?
A SaaS web to print solution is one such w2p technology that is 100% hosted on the cloud, so print businesses don’t have to download any software or plugin to get started. Instead, the entire process takes place online. It is super easy to use. A SaaS web to print solution typically has monthly or annual fees for using the application.
It is a custom web to print solution with all its data stored on cloud platforms. Companies offering SaaS web2print solutions are typically responsible for ensuring the software works at par. You need to buy this solution and subscribe to it. The SaaS web to print, in turn, will use the internet to streamline your print business operations.
What is a Dedicated Web to Print Solution?
A dedicated web to print solution is also known as an on-premise web to print solution. It is not cloud-driven; the software must be physically installed and ingrained within your print business system. Unlike web to print SaaS, the dedicated web to print solution and its crucial data can’t be stored on servers.
The company that buys dedicated web to print software has to maintain it independently. This kind of software can be purchased, including or without including a support and maintenance contract.
So, you must already have got an idea about the maximum agility and convenience of SaaS print management compared to dedicated w2p solutions.
SaaS vs. Dedicated Web to Print Solution
SaaS and dedicated web to print solutions are the two precisely diametric ways of print business digitization. Both have their own perks and working styles, making them compatible for print businesses with different needs. Whether you choose SaaS or a dedicated w2p solution depends on what your business priorities are.
As discussed above, the SaaS web to print solution stands ahead of its dedicated counterpart regarding agility, convenience, and sustainability. However, let’s compare both based on their critical capabilities for a clearer picture.
The Working Approach Comparison
The functional approach of SaaS and dedicated web to print solutions are different. While the former works entirely online, the latter is physically hostable.
Though the physical hosting feature of a dedicated web to print solution brings solid reliability, a SaaS solution is much easier to manage and 100% safe too. When it comes to the on-premises web to print solutions, you must install a single printer for each machine, and there will be a driver update. However, SaaS web to print has a centralized system for managing all print operations.
While the SaaS web to print online designer can innovate your designing processes, you can also streamline your order management, workforce management, and vendor management approaches using the operational advancements of a SaaS web to print solution.
The Customer Experience Comparison
Cloud based printing or SaaS printing has made it highly effortless for print buyers to get delivery of their orders quickly. And that too directly at their doorsteps!
Thus, the SaaS w2p solution is often referred to as the best web to print solution nowadays, with 90% of print service providers preferring SaaS over a hosted w2p.
However, if you opt for a dedicated web to print software, ideally, your customers have to visit your store in person to place an order and explain their needs. Also, they must depend on your time and skills to get the final orders in their hands.
Hence, with dedicated web to print software, you can’t offer your customers the required ease of use. But with a SaaS w2p solution, your customers can craft and customize their print orders anytime and get them delivered at the earliest!
Moreover, when it comes to print order management, SaaS web to print plays a very significant role. Unlike hosted w2p solutions, SaaS has a centralized platform to automate the real-time management of orders, tracking of delivery updates, calculating shipping costs, ensuring smooth pre-production and production stages in a consolidated way.
The Automation Comparison
Automation has become a critical key to the success of any industry. And the print industry is no different. In fact, according to the latest statistics, 90% of organizations believe that the modern business environment is a lot about the rising demand for automation.
Thus, web to print open source or SaaS web to print is gaining much traction. Effective SaaS solutions can automate most processes in a print business. For example, starting from the procedure of print order management to organizing workflow, managing diverse inventory, and whatnot! You can reduce human preferences and functions as much as possible, making your work environment less error prone.
However, in case of the dedicated web to print solutions, no automation is involved. With on-premises w2p software, everything is manual. And this is considered one of the most significant disadvantages of this kind of conventional printing technology.
Safety & Security Comparison
Regarding IT safety & security, Cloud is always the best! It is a widely well-known fact. According to one of Checkpoint’s best cloud security reports, more than 52% of businesses prefer cloud solutions because of their native safety measures.
When it comes to SaaS and dedicated w2p solutions, the Cloud-driven one among the two is the Software as a Service (SaaS) version.
SaaS w2p has a cloud-based system that can help amplify security levels with innovative data encryption and lets you track all your valuable print business data via cloud. This is one of the crucial factors why SaaS web to print storefront solutions are preferred more. SaaS web to print takes care of 100% print business security and ensures your customers’ critical data are kept safe, helping you grow your print business remarkably.
But when it comes to the dedicated web to print solutions, it is not often sure that the solution provider will offer the data encryption capability. Some on-premises web to print software provides this feature, and some do not. However, primarily, data security is not involved with dedicated w2p solutions. The buyer of the software (i.e., print businesses like yours) has to take care of the fact that security is at par.
Deployment & Access Comparison
A significant factor you will consider before purchasing a web to print solution for your print business is how easy it will be to handle and access.
If we compare SaaS and dedicated web to print solutions, there is a massive gap between the two in this perspective.
The former has nothing to do with the buyer’s local hardware. Instead, it is hosted on the vendor’s servers or any public cloud services like Azure, AWS, etc. Because of this, SaaS w2p software has zero downtime and runs smoothly. It further helps a SaaS web to print software to streamline all your business processes, increase your business efficiency, and transform the post-purchase experiences of your clients or customers. However, dedicated web to print solutions are always deployed on the local hardware of a company.
What’s more, when it comes to access, dedicated w2p software can only be accessed from the organizational firewall or with the help of a VPN. But SaaS or Cloud web to print solutions can be accessed anywhere via a stable internet connection.
SaaS or Dedicated W2P Solution: Which One is the Top Pick?
In this data-driven era, the printing industry will collapse without the state-of-the-art web to print technology.
Yes! It’s very important. And the discussion above already gave you a thorough idea of which w2p technology, out of SaaS and dedicated, makes a remarkable difference and solves most print business challenges.
Of course, it’s the SaaS web2print software.
Apart from the above ways a SaaS web to print solution is better than a dedicated one, many other factors prove SaaS superior to dedicated W2P solutions. Among them, the most crucial ones are:
- SaaS doesn’t have any hardware or software limitations, but dedicated web to print software has.
- SaaS web to print boasts many advanced features like online proofing, online storefront, and automatic calculations. These are mostly not available in dedicated web to print solutions.
- Overall costs involved with SaaS w2p are much less than dedicated w2p because, in case of SaaS, you must bear the costs for only the number of active printers. But dedicated web to Print comes with a massive investment like license cost and additional costs for support, upgrades, and maintenance.
So, what are you waiting for?
Understand your print business’s exact web to print needs and choose the best solution per your needs. Remember to contact us today and talk to one of our web to print experts.
The post SaaS vs Dedicated Web to Print Solution: Which One Brings More Value? appeared first on OnPrintShop.
