A growing number of small companies are building their own business apps with AI coding tools such as Anthropic's Claude Code, Replit and Lovable.dev, and dropping legacy SaaS products like Salesforce and HubSpot. Some report cutting software costs by 40% to 80%. The Information reported the trend (story ).
Build vs. Buy · The AI Coding Shift
Small firms ditch Salesforce to build their own apps with AI
A wave of small companies are using tools like Claude Code, Replit and Lovable.dev to assemble task-specific software in hours — and dropping legacy SaaS. Some report cutting software costs by 40% to 80%.
40–80%
Reported cut in software costs
~$100K
Annual saving claimed by one firm
Hours
To build a simple CRM or MVP
One firm's annual cost: before vs. after
Greenleaf Management — Salesforce replaced by a custom CRM (claim, not independently verified)
→
~$3,600/yr
Custom app (~$300/mo)
The tools driving the shift
Claude Code
Anthropic
Agentic tool that reads a whole codebase and performs cross-file edits and tests via natural language.
Replit
Replit
Browser-based AI-assisted development; generates apps from prompts, integrates with Claude Code.
Lovable.dev
Lovable
Full-stack generator covering frontend, backend, auth and deployment from natural language.
Supporters
Non-technical users build an MVP or simple CRM in hours
Lovable praised for polished, consistent UI
Claude Code offers low cost and control
Critics
Lock-in and limited extensibility with Lovable and Replit
Claude Code demands real technical knowledge
Friction with maintenance, scaling and complex integrations
Where it fits
Custom AI-built apps are emerging as a real alternative to generic SaaS — starting with smaller firms.
For large enterprises with complex integration, security and compliance needs, established SaaS is still widely seen as the stronger option.
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