Research · Integration · Updated October 2026
Average number of apps per company: 2026 integration benchmarks
The average company now runs close to 100 apps, and large enterprises run hundreds. Less than a third of them talk to each other. We pulled together the latest Okta, MuleSoft, Zylo and Salesforce data, explained what each one measures, and set out what it means for your CRM or ERP project.
- Sources cited and dated
- Updated October 2026
- Written by a Zoho and Odoo partner
- Measures explained
Average apps per company, 2026
Apps deployed through Okta, by company size and region
Source: Okta, Businesses at Work 2026 (data Nov 2024 to Oct 2025). See Sources.
Key takeaways
Apps per company: the short answer
- The average company uses 98 apps (Okta, 2026), down 3% from a record 101 the year before. Small businesses average 72, large enterprises 259, and companies in EMEA 77.
- Counting every application, not just those behind single sign-on, the average large enterprise runs 897, and only 29% are integrated (MuleSoft, 2025).
- IT teams spend 39% of their time building custom integrations (MuleSoft, 2025), and organisations leave 36% of SaaS licences unused (Zylo, 2026).
- Disconnected systems now hold back AI: 51% of sales leaders using AI say they slow their AI initiatives (Salesforce, 2026).
- For a CRM or ERP project, the lesson is to consolidate where you can, integrate deliberately where you cannot, and plan integrations at the start, not after go-live.
App counts
How many apps does the average company use?
About 100. The figure has been broadly flat for several years, but the gap between small and large organisations is wide.
Okta's annual Businesses at Work report is the most widely cited source. It counts the apps that Okta customers deploy through its identity platform. In the 2025 edition, the average passed 101 apps per company for the first time, after years of flat growth. The 2026 edition, covering 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025, shows a slight fall to 98.
Average apps per company by segment
Okta Businesses at Work 2026, with change on the previous year
| Segment | Average apps | Change |
|---|---|---|
| All companies | 98 | Down 3% (from 101) |
| Small businesses (under 2,000 employees) | 72 | Up 1% |
| Large enterprises (2,000+ employees) | 259 | Up 5% |
| EMEA | 77 | Up 5% |
| United States | 109 | n/a |
Sources: Okta, Businesses at Work 2026 press release (April 2026); Okta, Businesses at Work 2025 (March 2025).
For a UK SME, the Okta data suggests a realistic estate of roughly 70 to 100 apps once you count email, finance, CRM, HR, file sharing, marketing, collaboration and specialist tools. Each of them holds data that someone, somewhere, re-keys into another system.
Methodology
Why do app-count figures differ so much?
98, 259 and 897 are all “correct”. They simply count different things.
Before quoting any app statistic, check what was counted. Okta counts apps connected to its identity platform, so it misses tools used without single sign-on. MuleSoft surveys IT leaders at large enterprises about every application they run, including on-premise and custom systems. Zylo analyses SaaS spend and licence data. The figures are useful side by side, but they should not be compared as if they measured the same thing.
What each benchmark actually measures
Use the right figure for the point you are making
| Source | What it counts | Basis | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okta, 2026 | Apps deployed through Okta single sign-on | Okta customer data, Nov 2024 to Oct 2025 | 98 apps on average |
| MuleSoft, 2025 | All applications in large enterprises | Survey of 1,050+ IT leaders | 897 apps, 29% integrated |
| Zylo, 2026 | SaaS spend and licence usage | Zylo SaaS management data | $9,455 per employee, 36% of licences unused |
| Salesforce, 2026 | Impact of disconnected systems on sales | Survey of 4,050 sales professionals | 51% say they slow AI |
Sources: Okta 2026; MuleSoft 2025; Zylo 2026; Salesforce 2026. MuleSoft, Zylo and Salesforce are vendors with a commercial interest.
Integration
How many business apps are actually integrated?
Less than a third. The rest rely on exports, re-keying and manual workarounds.
MuleSoft's 2025 Connectivity Benchmark found the average enterprise runs 897 applications, but only 29% of them are integrated. IT teams spend 39% of their time building custom integrations. Zylo's 2026 SaaS Management Index adds a cost angle: median SaaS spend of $9,455 per employee, and 36% of licences left unused. App counts are largely flat, but large enterprises still add about 21 new apps a month.
The integration gap in numbers
Headline findings from 2025 and 2026 benchmark reports
Sources: MuleSoft Connectivity Benchmark 2025; Zylo SaaS Management Index 2026; Salesforce State of Sales 2026. “Not integrated” is calculated from MuleSoft's 29%.
Disconnected apps cost more than IT time. Sales teams work from out-of-date customer records, finance re-keys orders, and AI tools cannot see the full picture. That is the strongest argument for either a unified suite, such as Zoho One or Odoo, or a planned integration layer around your core CRM or ERP.
Integration planning
What this means for your CRM or ERP project
A practical five-step approach we use on Zoho and Odoo projects.
Map your estate
Step 1List every app that holds customer, order, stock or finance data, who owns it and how data moves today.
Consolidate first
Step 2Retire tools the new platform replaces. Zoho One and Odoo both cover many functions in one database.
Choose a system of record
Step 3Decide which system owns each entity, such as customers, products and invoices, so data flows one way.
Prefer standard connectors
Step 4Use native or marketplace connectors before custom APIs. They are cheaper to run and easier to upgrade.
Monitor and own it
Step 5Log failures, alert owners and review integrations after each release. Integrations need support like any system.
Thoughtlogik practitioner guidance. See our Zoho integrations and Odoo integrations services.
Typical integrations
Which integrations do Zoho and Odoo projects usually need?
Common categories we plan for, not survey statistics. Your list depends on your processes.
Common integration categories on Zoho and Odoo projects
How each is usually handled; check current connectors during scoping
| Category | Typical examples | On Zoho | On Odoo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email and calendar | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace | Native CRM integrations | Native integrations |
| Accounting and finance | Xero, Sage, QuickBooks | Zoho Books, or a Marketplace connector | Odoo Accounting, or App Store connectors |
| Payments | Stripe, GoCardless, PayPal | Zoho Books payment gateways | Payment provider integrations |
| eCommerce | Shopify, WooCommerce, own site | Zoho Commerce or a connector | Odoo eCommerce or App Store connectors |
| Shipping | DHL, UPS, FedEx, Royal Mail | Shipping aggregators via Zoho Inventory | Official carrier connectors; Royal Mail typically via an aggregator |
| Payroll (UK) | Existing HMRC-recognised payroll | External payroll (Zoho Payroll is not available in the UK) | Employment Hero connector, or post payroll journals |
| Telephony and messaging | VoIP, WhatsApp | CRM and Desk telephony integrations | VoIP and messaging apps |
| Bespoke and legacy systems | In-house databases, industry tools | Zoho Flow, Creator connectors or APIs | External API (Custom plan) or custom modules |
Thoughtlogik guidance based on project experience and vendor documentation, October 2026.
Ready-made connectors in each ecosystem
As published by Zoho and Odoo; each figure counts something different
| Ecosystem resource | Published count | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Odoo community apps (all types, not only connectors) | 40k+ | 2026 |
| Zoho Marketplace extensions | 1,800+ (800+ for CRM) | 2023, updated 2024 |
| Zoho Flow connectable apps | 1,000+ cloud and on-premise apps | 2026 |
| Zoho Creator prebuilt connectors | 1,000+ | 2026 |
| Zoho Desk app integrations | 360+ | 2026 |
Sources: odoo.com; Zoho blog, Marketplace; Zoho Flow; Zoho Creator; Zoho Desk. Counts measure different things and are not a like-for-like comparison.
Suites reduce the count too. In October 2022, nearly half of Zoho One customers used 20 or more Zoho apps, replacing tools that would otherwise need integrating. Odoo takes the same approach for operations, with sales, inventory, manufacturing and accounting in one database. If you are weighing the two, see Zoho vs Odoo by use case.
FAQs
Apps and integrations: common questions
Cannot see your question? Our UK consultants are happy to talk it through.
What is the average number of apps per company?
Okta's Businesses at Work 2026 report puts it at 98 apps per company, down 3% from 101 the year before. Small businesses with under 2,000 employees average 72, large enterprises average 259, and companies in EMEA average 77. These figures count apps deployed through Okta's identity platform.
How many apps does a small business use?
Okta's 2026 data shows 72 apps on average for companies with fewer than 2,000 employees. Very small firms will use fewer. For a typical UK SME, 70 to 100 apps is a realistic estimate once you include email, finance, CRM, HR, file sharing, marketing and specialist tools.
What percentage of business apps are integrated?
MuleSoft's 2025 Connectivity Benchmark found only 29% of enterprise applications are integrated, across an average of 897 apps per large enterprise. The rest rely on manual exports, re-keying or one-off workarounds, and IT teams spend 39% of their time building custom integrations.
Why do Okta and MuleSoft give such different app counts?
They measure different things. Okta counts apps connected to its single sign-on platform across its customer base. MuleSoft surveys IT leaders at large enterprises about every application they run, including on-premise and custom systems. Both are valid, but they should not be compared directly.
How many integrations does a CRM implementation need?
There is no standard number. Most Zoho and Odoo projects we deliver start with email and calendar, accounting, and one or two operational systems such as eCommerce or payments, then add more in later phases. Mapping your app estate in the first weeks sets a realistic scope.
Is a suite like Zoho One or Odoo better than integrating best-of-breed apps?
It depends on how specialised each function needs to be. Suites remove integrations by keeping data in one place, which suits many SMEs. Best-of-breed gives depth but adds integration cost. Many businesses mix both, with a suite at the core and a few planned integrations around it.
Who should own integrations after go-live?
Name a business owner for each data flow and a technical owner for monitoring. Integrations break when either side changes, so they need alerts, logging, documentation and a clear support arrangement that covers both ends of each connection. Our Zoho and Odoo support plans cover this.
Sources
Every figure on this page, with its year. Vendor sources are labelled.
- Okta, Businesses at Work 2026, press release, April 2026 (data 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025). okta.com/ja-jp/newsroom/press-releases/okta-businesses-at-work2026
- Okta, Businesses at Work 2025, March 2025. okta.com/blog/2025/03/businesses-at-work-2025
- MuleSoft (Salesforce), Connectivity Benchmark Report 2025 (vendor). salesforce.com/blog/mulesoft-connectivity-benchmark-2025
- Zylo, 2026 SaaS Management Index, January 2026 (vendor). zylo.com/news/2026-saas-management-index
- Salesforce, State of Sales report, February 2026 (vendor). salesforce.com/news/stories/state-of-sales-report-announcement-2026
- Zoho blog, Zoho Marketplace crosses 1 million installs, March 2023, updated September 2024. blog.zoho.com/index.php/marketplace/1-million-installs.html
- Zoho, Zoho Desk home page: 360+ app integrations (2026). zoho.com/desk
- Zoho, Zoho Creator home page: 1,000+ prebuilt connectors (2026). zoho.com/creator
- Zoho, Zoho Flow home page: 1,000+ cloud and on-premise apps (2026). zoho.com/flow
- Odoo, home page: 40k+ community apps (2026). odoo.com
- Enterprise Times, Zoho One turns five, October 2022. enterprisetimes.co.uk/2022/10/14/zoho-one-turns-five
Figures checked on 18 October 2026. Integration categories and the five-step approach are Thoughtlogik guidance. You are welcome to cite this page with a link.
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