SaaS
Commission software for SaaS teams too small for an enterprise tool
Somewhere between five and fifty reps, most SaaS companies reach the same fork. The founder's Google Sheet can't keep up with ramps and accelerators any more, and the established tools want an annual contract and an implementation project. Earnest is the option in between: the plan mechanics a SaaS sales team actually uses, set up by you, at a flat monthly price.
How SaaS sales teams are usually paid
Account executives typically get an on-target earnings figure split roughly half base and half variable, with commission on new ACV against a quarterly or annual quota and accelerators past 100%. SDRs often earn per meeting held or per qualified opportunity. New hires ramp into their quota, sometimes with a guaranteed minimum for the first months, and some teams pay on cash collected and claw commission back when a customer churns early.
What the Google Sheet gets wrong
Ramps
The formula assumes everyone carries a full quota. The new AE in month two doesn't.
Quarter-to-date true-ups
Month three has to account for what months one and two already paid, and that's the cell people overwrite.
January
Half the team changes territory, the plan changes with them, and last year's tab still feeds this year's.
Rep visibility
Reps rebuild their numbers from CRM reports because they can't see the sheet, and the first week of the month goes on reconciling their version with yours.
How it works in Earnest
Export closed-won deals from HubSpot or Salesforce as a CSV and upload it. Earnest applies quotas, tiers and accelerators, handles ramps and quarter-to-date true-ups, and pays SDRs per meeting on a unit-based plan. Payouts come out as drafts you review and publish, and reps and managers each get a dashboard and a statement.
There's no live CRM sync. For a team this size a monthly upload is usually manageable, but if you need deals to flow in on their own, a CRM-native tool will suit you better.
Where a bigger tool fits better
- No HubSpot or Salesforce sync.
- No ASC 340-40 commission capitalization or accounting accruals.
Common questions
- How does Earnest compare with QuotaPath?
- QuotaPath syncs with your CRM and, per its pricing page in October 2026, starts with a $525 monthly platform fee on an annual plan. Earnest is free for up to 5 reps and managers, then $149 or $299 a month flat, month to month, with uploads instead of sync.
- Can AEs and SDRs be on different plans?
- Yes. SDRs usually sit on a unit plan that pays per meeting or opportunity, and AEs on a revenue plan with a quota.
- What does it cost?
- Nothing for up to 5 reps and managers, and admins don't count toward that. After that it's $149 a month for 6 to 19 people, $299 for 20 to 50 and $799 above that, billed month to month with every feature on every plan.
Set up next quarter's plan
Build the plan, upload last quarter's closed-won deals and compare the payouts with your sheet. Free for up to 5 reps and managers, and no card.