Introduction

Today, businesses are increasingly reliant on software solutions, whether being on-premise or in the cloud, these solutions help businesses to drive operations, improve upon innovation and become competitive. This increased uptake on software, especially for SaaS applications, has also led to potential risks, such as vendor failure, loss of access to critical applications and compliance with stringent regulations. Software escrow (also known as source code escrow) and SaaS escrow agreements have emerged as a vital tool for mitigating these risks, ensuring business continuity, safeguarding software investments and ensuring regulation compliance.

This blog explores the importance of software escrow and SaaS escrow for businesses and answers the frequently asked question – How much does software escrow cost? We highlight the transparent and comprehensive pricing offered by Escrow London and will explain the costs associated with our services as well as discussing our Express Escrow option.

Understanding these elements will help businesses make informed decisions about investing in software escrow and how Escrow London’s clear pricing structure supports this growing and vital need.

How Much Does Software Escrow Cost?

Escrow London’s pricing structure is designed to be straightforward and transparent with no surprises. Our base fee for software escrow services starts at £1,695/A$3,295 /€1,950 per year, which includes several key features:

• Unlimited Source Code Repositories: Businesses can securely store as many source code repositories as needed without worrying about additional costs.
  
  
• Automated Deposits: The service includes automated deposits, ensuring the most up-to-date versions of the source code are always available.
  
  
• 1TB of Storage: This generous storage allocation covers most business needs for databases and files, with additional storage available at clear, upfront costs.
  
  
• Regional data storage locations: In order to assist our clients complying with data sovereignty regulations, we provide the option for data to be stored in the UK, EU, USA and Australia.
  
  
• Professional Liability Coverage: A substantial £2.5 million (equivalent in AUD and Euro) professional liability coverage is included, providing peace of mind and added security.

For companies that are utilising SaaS applications and want security and continuity of service, our SaaS Access Continuity solution for AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud starts at £2,995/A$5,795/€3,445 per year and includes the following features:

• Secure deposit of production environment access credentials
• Unlimited updates of access credentials
• Verification of access credentials (quarterly)
• Integrates with AWS, Microsoft Azure & Google Cloud

We also offer a Managed SaaS Continuity solution which includes a replica of SaaS environment and databases hosted by Escrow London as well as 90 days live continuity​ and Unlimited automated deposits (Git, SFTP, S3, Azure, Google). The Managed SaaS Continuity services require additional scoping to provide an accurate proposal.

Verification Services

Verification of the deposit materials is a crucial inclusion for any software escrow service. This provides the assurance to the beneficiary that if the deposit materials are ever released, they are usable and can be deployed into a functioning version of the software. Pricing for verification services start at £10,995/A$21,350/€12,695. The verification services are almost always paid for by the beneficiary.

Express Escrow Services For Developers

For the developer community needing a basic solution and an accelerated setup, Escrow London offers Express Escrow which is a quick and easy way to put in place a secure, robust and legally binding software escrow agreement.

Express Escrow offers two pricing plans; an Unlimited Plan for a single beneficiary including unlimited Git repositories, and a Multi Beneficiary Plan for 5 initial Beneficiary registrations with unlimited repositories. As a self-service offering all completed online, Escrow London are able to offer lower prices in addition to a no setup fee.

All pricing plans include automated deposits from the developer’s Git repos, supporting all popular platforms including GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps and more. The Express Escrow solution does have some limitations including payment by debit or credit card and the agreement terms and conditions may not be amended.

Five Top Reasons To Use Software Escrow

Some benefits of software escrow and SaaS escrow agreements include:

1. Protect your investment: Software escrow and SaaS escrow ensures that you have access to the source code of your custom software in the event that something happens to the software development company.
   
   
2. Ensure continued support: If the software development company is unable to provide ongoing support and updates, the software escrow agent can release the code to you or a new development team.
   
   
3. Provide peace of mind to customers: By using software escrow or SaaS escrow, you can show your customers that you take the security and support of their custom software seriously.
   
   
4. Comply with industry standards: In some industries, using software escrow is a standard practice and may be required by law.
   
   
5. Avoid costly disputes: In the event of a dispute with the software development company, having the source code in escrow can help avoid costly legal battles and allow you to continue using and maintaining the software.

Conclusion

Escrow London are one of a few software escrow companies who provide clear and transparent pricing on their website. We aim to provide clear communication at every step, making us a reliable partner in software escrow and SaaS escrow services. We have account managers located in UK/Europe, USA and Australia to provide round the clock advice and support. Businesses can confidently invest in their services, assured by the clear and honest breakdown of costs and the significant value offered in return.

For more detailed information on software escrow costs, visit Escrow London’s pricing page.

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About Escrow London

Escrow London is a global software and SaaS escrow company with offices in London, UK, and Sydney, Australia. Our North American division called The Escrow Company, is based in Atlanta, US.

We have invested considerable resources into innovation to reinvent software escrow for a SaaS world. Escrow London provides a range of SaaS continuity escrow solutions suitable for AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud hosted SaaS applications. We support a wide range of clients includes major law firms, banks, central banks, insurance companies, technology companies and government organisations.

To find out more about Escrow London and our software escrow and SaaS continuity escrow solutions, visit our YouTube channel.