What is the median Rule of 40 score for SaaS in 2026?

A ten-point move in the median Rule of 40 score in one year is a large shift, and it did not come from growth. Average SaaS growth has fallen to roughly 18 per cent with about 35 per cent of companies reporting year-on-year declines. The score improved because profitability improved, which is the same story the CAC payback and ARR per employee figures tell.

The distribution is what to plan against. The strongest companies are still growing above 25 per cent annually while burning less cash and recovering acquisition cost faster, so the gap between the median and the top quartile is widening on every capital-efficiency measure at once rather than on any single one.