What Secret does

Secret is a SaaS deals marketplace founded in 2019 and operated by the legal entity Tech-Lab from Paris, France. The platform aggregates exclusive discounts, credits, and promo codes from 613+ software vendors across categories including AI, project management, development, marketing, finance, communications, sales, HR, and operations, and makes them accessible to startups, entrepreneurs, agencies, and content creators. The core product is a web-based marketplace (joinsecret.com) built around a freemium model: a free tier offers 338 deals, while a Premium membership at $149/year (or $399 lifetime) unlocks 275 additional premium deals, with new deals added weekly.

The underlying technology is a web-based deal aggregation and distribution platform supported by SEO-optimized category and tool-comparison pages, a weekly email newsletter, and a White Label & Embed widget for partner distribution. Revenue is generated through two streams: recurring Premium subscriptions (the majority of recurring revenue) and affiliate or referral commissions earned when users activate vendor deals. The platform is delivered globally with localization in five languages (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German).

Go-to-market is product-led, relying on organic search, content marketing, a Partners Program for community distribution, a White Label & Embed offering for third-party integration, and a SaaS Listings program for vendor acquisition. The company has registered 256,300+ businesses on the platform, of which 20,000+ are Premium subscribers, and claims members recoup the annual fee within the first 20 minutes of signup through deals such as AWS Activate credits valued up to $300,000. The company operates with a very small team of 1-10 employees, has no disclosed external funding, and runs a capital-efficient, self-funded model.

Name

Secret

Legal name

Tech-Lab

Website

https://joinsecret.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Secret is a Paris-based SaaS deals marketplace that aggregates 613+ exclusive software discounts from vendors like AWS, Notion, and Stripe for startups and entrepreneurs, monetizing via a $149/year Premium subscription and affiliate commissions across a registered base of 256,000+ businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SaaS Deals Marketplace

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734)

akta.pro primary industry

Private/Closed Membership Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAG)

Keywords

• SaaS deals marketplace
• Software discount platform
• Startup software savings
• SaaS aggregation marketplace
• Premium deals membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Premium Membership Subscription: Annual subscription at $149/year providing access to 275 premium SaaS deals, discounts, and promo codes. Also offers lifetime option at $399 one-time payment. The Premium tier drives the majority of recurring revenue while the free tier provides lead generation and market penetration.
2. SaaS Marketplace Commission: Secret earns referral fees or commissions when users activate deals through the platform. The platform aggregates deals from various SaaS vendors and earns revenue when customers redeem exclusive offers through the marketplace.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Secret is a SaaS deals marketplace that aggregates 613+ exclusive software discounts, credits, and promo codes negotiated with vendors such as AWS, Notion, Stripe, and Google Workspace, and distributes them to startups and entrepreneurs. The platform operates on a freemium model with a free tier (338 deals) and a $149/year Premium membership unlocking 275 additional premium deals, supplemented by a Partners Program, White Label & Embed widget, and a SaaS Listings vendor program.

Product overview

Secret is a SaaS deals marketplace operating as a single unified platform with an associated partner ecosystem. The core product is the Deals Marketplace, which aggregates and curates exclusive discounts, credits, and promo codes across 600+ SaaS tools. The platform is split into a Free tier (338+ deals) and a Premium membership ($149/year, 275+ deals). Around the core marketplace, Secret offers a Partners Program (for content creators, agencies, and accelerators to grant Premium access to their communities), a White Label & Embed widget (for embedding the marketplace into third-party products), and a SaaS Listings program (for vendors to list their products). Discovery is aided by Tool Comparison pages, a weekly newsletter, and an organized taxonomy spanning 30+ software categories from AI to Operations Management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secret Deals Marketplace
• Partners Program
• White Label & Embed
• SaaS Listings

Quantifiable outcome

• Members reportedly recoup membership cost within first 20 minutes of signing up
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SaaS Vendors (Notion, Stripe, AWS, Google, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecret maintains partnerships with 613+ SaaS vendors to negotiate exclusive discounts and deals for the startup community. Partners include major platforms like Notion, Stripe, AWS Activate, Google Workspace, Airwallex, Brevo, Xero, and many others across AI, development, marketing, finance, and other categories. These partnerships provide vendors with access to Secret's 256,000+ member community while providing members exclusive pricing.
• Partner Program MembersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganizations including technology platforms, courses, accelerators, content creator networks, and agencies join the Partners Program to grant Premium access to all deals to their communities. This helps partners provide value-added benefits while expanding Secret's reach through distribution partnerships.
• Tech-LabcoreOthersTech-Lab is the legal entity operating the Secret platform (as disclosed in the Cookie Policy). The company is operated under Tech-Lab with headquarters implied to be in a European jurisdiction based on language support for French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German alongside English.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AppSumo: AppSumo is a leading software deals marketplace offering lifetime deals and discounts on SaaS tools. It directly competes with Secret by aggregating SaaS promotions for entrepreneurs and small businesses, with overlapping monetization via subscription/commission models.
• PitchGround: PitchGround is a SaaS deals and lifetime deal marketplace targeted at agencies, startups, and entrepreneurs. It competes directly with Secret in curating exclusive software discounts and operates on a similar marketplace + partner program model.
• SaaSHub: SaaSHub is a SaaS software marketplace and directory where vendors list tools and buyers can compare alternatives. It overlaps with Secret's discovery and comparison functionality, serving a similar SMB/startup buyer profile.
• StackSocial: StackSocial is an online deals marketplace that aggregates discounts on software, gadgets, and digital products. While broader than Secret, it overlaps meaningfully in software deal aggregation and SMB/entrepreneur audience.

Broad incumbents

• G2: G2 is a large, established software marketplace combining reviews, comparisons, and lead generation. It serves a broader enterprise buyer base than Secret but overlaps in software discovery, comparison, and vendor lead monetization.
• Capterra: Capterra is a long-standing software comparison and reviews marketplace owned by Gartner. It serves SMB and enterprise buyers across categories that overlap with Secret's, though with a much broader scope and heavier enterprise tilt.

Emerging players

• Product Hunt: Product Hunt is a launch platform where startups and SaaS vendors promote products to early adopters. It overlaps with Secret in targeting the startup ecosystem and facilitating SaaS vendor discovery, though its primary mechanic is community launches rather than deal aggregation.
• BetaList: BetaList is a startup discovery platform where founders promote upcoming products to early users. It serves a similar startup-founder audience as Secret, with partial overlap in connecting SaaS vendors with early-stage buyers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joinsecret

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Secret