What Is Analytics as a Service? Benefits & More in 2025

Key Takeaways

• Analytics as a Service defined: The outsourcing of analyses. When SaaS providers deliver AaaS, they include analytics features and functions as part of their app.
• 7 Benefits of AaaS: Improves user experience, delivering real-time insights and easing decision-making. For SaaS providers, AaaS speeds time to market and increases revenue.
• Comparison Chart: Analytics as a Service vs. embedded analytics vs. traditional BI
• Is AaaS right for You? Consider if our list of benefits aligns with your current needs

Most B2B SaaS applications help users collect and store data and automate processes. In most cases, this data is inherently valuable and the insights that can be gained from analysis are exceptionally useful for improving operations. Running analyses to gain insight is often an integrated component of Software as a Service, described specifically as “Analytics as a Service.”

What is Analytics as a Service (AaaS)?

Once we’ve stopped giggling at the acronym, we’ll define AaaS. It can refer to outsourcing analyses to a third-party service provider. For example, Capgemini offers enterprise data analytics services, serving as consultants to help clients develop their own data science capabilities.

Traditional Business Intelligence (BI) platforms are dedicated tools for data analysis, reporting, and visualization. BI platforms are used by consultants as well as by organizations in-house to analyze their own data.

SaaS providers often equip users with analytical capabilities embedded directly within their applications. SaaS companies can build these capabilities in-house, or leverage a third-party solution to embed robust analytics directly into their platforms.

How Does Analytics as a Service (AaaS) Work?

Once a SaaS provider has embedded analytics, they’re able to provide their users with all of the benefits of analytics as a service. Below is a simplified workflow of how this process typically functions.

Step	Description
Data Ingestion	SaaS platform collects raw data from user interactions and system events.
Data Storage & Management	AaaS platform performs data management and organization tasks while data remains within the SaaS provider’s cloud, ensuring data security.
Data Processing	Data is cleaned, transformed, and prepared for analysis, which may involve aggregation, filtering, or normalization.
Analysis	Prepared data is analyzed using various tools and techniques, such as statistical modeling, machine learning, or data mining.
Visualization & Reporting	Customizable dashboards and reports are created.
Delivery & Integration	Insights and reports are delivered to end-users.
User Interaction	Users interact with the analytics, gaining insights within the SaaS app.

As the only purpose-built solution for multi-tenant analytics, Qrvey simplifies this process.

Benefits of Analytics as a Service

1. Empower Informed Decision-Making

Providing users with rapid access to vital data and insightful analytics enables them to make quicker, more informed decisions. This can lead to improvements in key performance indicators.

2. Expand Revenue Streams

Reporting can distinguish your offerings and allow for revenue growth through the monetization of analytics. Options include premium user tiers, add-on products that extend functionality, and professional services. These options create new revenue sources beyond standard software subscriptions.

3. Enhance User Experience

Requiring users to export data from an application, import it into another tool, and then generate reports is a time-consuming and error-prone process. Seamlessly integrating reports within an application streamlines analysis, providing users with the necessary insights efficiently.

4. Save Users Time with Greater Efficiency

Eliminating manual report generation saves users valuable time. To succeed in today’s marketplace, companies must be able to make quick, data-driven decisions. Embedded reporting puts the power into users’ hands to get the insights needed.

5. Provide Real-Time Data Insights

Embedding reporting enables users to access real-time data within their existing application environment. This immediate access eliminates the need to export data for analysis in another tool, making insights readily available within their workflow. Consequently, apps become more essential to users, boosting your customer retention.

6. Enable Automated Business Operations

Embedded reporting solutions with integration capabilities can allow you to offer users automation options. For example, a report can be automatically generated when inventory levels fall below a certain point. This can then trigger actions, such as notifying staff or initiating an order through an external API system.

7. Speed Time to Market 

Leveraging a third-party embedded reporting solution enables SaaS providers to enter the market faster than developing in-house. Third-party reporting also reduces your development team’s workload, facilitates more advanced functionality, and can result in a lower overall investment.

Examples of Successful Analytics as a Service 

Workflow Management Software TrueContext 

TrueContext enables insight-driven decision making with powerful analytics. Users can capture in-the-moment insights on their critical assets and provide visibility to key stakeholders.

Reports and analytics, such as the real-time form submission dashboard, are available to all users, Advanced analytics, including customizable reports, are offered only at the higher priced tiers of “Advanced,” and “Enterprise.”

Fundraising Software CrowdChange

CrowdChange helps users maximize what matters, supporting their efforts to drive positive change and share a purpose. The fundraising platform includes robust reporting, putting real-time analytics at users’ fingertips.

Gainsight, World’s #1 Platform For Customer Success

Gainsight provides dashboards and health scorecards to all users, and offers a “Product Experience”add-on with advanced product analytics, including path and funnel analysis.

Analytics as a Service vs. Embedded Analytics vs. Traditional BI

Feature	Analytics as a Service (AaaS)	Embedded Analytics	Traditional BI
Deployment	Cloud-based analytics, managed by provider	Integrated into existing application	Standalone software, on-premise or cloud
Maintenance	Provider handles updates and maintenance	Part of application maintenance	Often requires dedicated IT support
Integration	API-based, seamless integration	Tightly integrated with application workflows	Requires data extraction and loading into BI tools
User Experience	Designed to blend with platform’s UX	Part of the application’s UI	Separate interface, may require training
Cost	Subscription-based, varies with usage	Included in app fees, potentially as upgraded tier	Licensing, infrastructure, and IT support costs
Scalability	Easily scalable with provider’s infrastructure	Scalability depends on app infrastructure	Scalability requires infrastructure upgrades or higher tier licensing
Data Accessibility	Within the SaaS platform	Within the app	Separate environment, data access and security need to be managed
Key Benefit	Fast integration, reduced development costs	Enhanced user experience, data-driven workflows	Comprehensive analytics, detailed reporting
Target User	SaaS providers wanting to embed analytics	App developers, product managers	Business analysts, data scientists

Is Analytics as a Service Right for You?

With so many possible benefits, it’s tempting to simply reply to this question, “Yes, of course!” But to help determine if it’s a good fit for your organization, consider if these benefits align with your current needs:

• Decision-Making: Do your users need quick and easy access to data for informed decisions?
• Revenue: Could you monetize analytics through premium tiers, add-ons, or services?
• UX: Would seamlessly integrating reports enhance user experience?
• Time Savings: Would automating reports or other downstream actions help your users derive greater value from your app?
• Real-Time Insights: Is real-time data access within the workflow valuable to your users?
• Automations: Do your users need to automate actions based on data insights, such as triggering orders based on inventory levels?
• Time to Market: Do you want to launch new functionality quickly, while keeping your development team focused on your core capabilities?

Qrvey: All-in-One Reporting for Your SaaS Customers

Qrvey is the massively scalable, fast to implement, multi-tenant analytics software for SaaS teams. From scaleups to enterprises, Qrvey empowers SaaS providers to build less, deliver more.

• 10X faster development of new analytics features

Save hundreds of developer hours with components built for SaaS applications. Whether you want full self-service analytics or simpler multi-tenant security, Qrvey’s embeddable components and scalable data management remove the guess work.

• 50X lower costs for cloud infrastructure

A data lake powered by ElasticSearch scales out query performance at a fraction of the cost of traditional data warehouses for multi-tenant analytics.

Ready to improve how you deliver analytics to your customers? Schedule a demo today and see how Qrvey can get your AaaS into shape in 2025 and beyond.