Secret

What is Secret

Secret is a marketplace platform designed for startups and entrepreneurs to find exclusive deals and discounts on a wide range of Software as a Service (SaaS) products. The core purpose of Secret is to help new and growing businesses reduce their operational costs by providing significant savings on essential tools for marketing, sales, development, project management, and more. The platform gathers hundreds of offers, from extended free trials and percentage discounts to substantial service credits, all in one place. By joining Secret, founders can access tools that might otherwise be too expensive, allowing them to build and scale their companies more efficiently. The platform operates globally, serving a large community of businesses looking to optimize their software spending.

Secret Features

Secret provides a straightforward service focused on delivering value through software deals. Its main features include:

• Extensive Deals Marketplace: The platform features a large collection of deals from hundreds of SaaS vendors. These deals are organized into categories like AI, Marketing, Development, and Finance, making it easy to find relevant tools.
• Free and Premium Tiers: Secret offers two levels of access. A free membership grants access to a substantial number of deals, while a Premium membership unlocks the most exclusive and high-value offers for an annual fee.
• Negotiated Offers: Many of the deals on Secret are negotiated directly with the software companies. This ensures that the offers are often better than what is publicly available.
• New Deals Weekly: The marketplace is regularly updated with new offers, providing continuous value to its members.
• White Label Solution: For venture capitalists, accelerators, and online communities, Secret offers a white-label solution. This allows organizations to offer the entire deals marketplace to their own members or portfolio companies under their own branding.
• Tool Discovery: Beyond savings, the platform serves as a discovery tool, helping founders find new and useful software to improve their business operations.

Secret Pricing Plans

Secret's pricing is structured into three main offerings:

• Free Plan: This plan costs nothing and gives users access to a large portion of the deals available on the marketplace. It is ideal for founders who are just starting and want to save money without any upfront investment.
• Premium Plan: This is a paid annual subscription targeted at startups and small businesses. It provides unlimited access to all deals on the platform, including exclusive, high-value offers not available to free members. This plan is designed for companies that are actively using and purchasing software and want to maximize their savings.
• White Label for Partners: This solution is for larger organizations like VCs, incubators, and communities. It comes with custom pricing and allows the organization to provide Secret's deal marketplace as a perk to their members. It includes features like a branded portal, API access, and the ability to add custom deals.

Secret Free Plan

Secret offers a robust free plan that allows anyone to sign up and start saving immediately. The free plan includes access to hundreds of software deals across various categories. Users can browse, claim, and use these offers without paying any membership fee. The primary limitation of the free plan is that it does not include the 'Premium' deals, which are typically the offers with the highest monetary value or from the most in-demand software companies. The free plan is a great way to experience the platform's value before deciding to upgrade.

How to use Secret

Using Secret is a simple process designed to get you savings quickly:

1. Sign Up: Create an account on the Secret website. You can start with the free plan by providing basic information like your name and email.
2. Browse for Deals: Once logged in, explore the marketplace. You can search for a specific tool by name or browse through categories such as 'Project Management', 'Marketing', or 'AI'.
3. Select a Deal: Click on any deal that interests you to see the details of the offer, including the potential savings and any specific terms.
4. Claim the Offer: Follow the instructions to claim the deal. This usually involves clicking a unique link that takes you to the software vendor's website and automatically applies the discount or credit.
5. Upgrade for More (Optional): If you find a 'Premium' deal you want to access, you will need to upgrade to the Premium membership. After payment, you will gain immediate access to all exclusive offers.

Pros and Cons of Secret

Pros:

• Significant Cost Savings: The primary benefit is the potential to save thousands of dollars on software subscriptions and credits.
• Wide Variety of Tools: The platform covers a broad range of software categories, catering to nearly every need of a startup.
• Discover New Software: It's a useful resource for discovering new and helpful tools that you might not have known about.
• Generous Free Plan: The free plan offers substantial value with access to hundreds of deals without any cost.
• Simple to Use: The website is easy to navigate, and claiming deals is a straightforward process.

Cons:

• Annual Fee for Premium: The cost of the Premium plan might be a barrier for some very early-stage or bootstrapped startups.
• Deal Eligibility: Some offers are only for new customers of a particular software, which means you cannot use them for tools you already subscribe to.
• Value is User-Dependent: The platform's value is directly tied to whether you need the specific software that has deals available.

Secret Integrations

Secret, as a marketplace, does not directly integrate with other software in a user's workflow. Its primary function is to provide links and codes to get discounts on other platforms. However, for its White Label Solution, Secret provides API access. This allows partners, such as VCs and accelerators, to integrate the Secret deals marketplace directly into their own websites or internal portals, providing a seamless experience for their members.

Secret Alternatives

• AppSumo: A well-known marketplace that focuses on lifetime deals (LTDs) for software products. It's great for getting a tool for a one-time fee, but the selection is often from newer, less-established companies.
• FounderPass: A similar membership platform that offers a curated list of software discounts and perks for founders. It operates on a subscription model like Secret's Premium plan.
• Startup Stash: A large, curated directory of tools and resources for startups. While its primary function is discovery, it also features deals and discounts on various products.
• SaaS-Specific Startup Programs: Many large companies like AWS, Google Cloud, and HubSpot have their own startup programs (e.g., AWS Activate, Google for Startups). These offer significant credits and support but require individual applications for each program.

Secret API

Yes, Secret provides an API for its partners. The API is specifically for those who subscribe to the White Label Solution. It allows these organizations to pull the entire list of deals and display them on their own branded platform. This gives their community members a native experience without having to visit the Secret website. To get access to the API, you must be a White Label customer. You would need to contact the Secret sales team to discuss a partnership and get API credentials and documentation. An API is not available for individual Free or Premium users.

Secret Affiliate Program

Information about a public affiliate or referral program is not prominently displayed on the Secret website. Platforms like this often work with partners on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in promoting Secret, the best approach is to contact their support or partnership team directly through their website. You can inquire about opportunities for collaboration, becoming a partner, or joining any influencer programs they may have. This direct contact will provide the most accurate information on commission rates and how to join.