--- description: UK software spending is set to rise in 2026. Capterra reveals how better planning, faster decisions, and user reviews can help SMBs achieve ROI. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/capterra/og_logo-e5a8c001ed0bd1bb922639230fcea71a.png?auto=format%2Cenhance%2Ccompress title: Capterra UK 2026 Software Buying Trends Report --- # Most firms in the UK expect to spend more on software in 2026, here’s how to get the best ROI Canonical: https://www.capterra.co.uk/blog/7673/software-buying-trends-uk-successful-adopters Published on 23/10/2025 | Written by David Jani. ![Most firms in the UK expect to spend more on software in 2026, here’s how to get the best ROI](https://images.ctfassets.net/63bmaubptoky/5LVT8qHzD0d1ZZDWjwEYBe/32c8f8e3848ecbf649136bf9479a7c7b/05-CAP-US-Header-HR_Employees_Say_Half_Of_Their_Software_Systems_Perform_Overlapping_Functions_INTL_1200x630_DLVR.png) > Adoption of new software is accelerating as technological advancements press UK businesses to transition to better systems to keep up with competition. However, finding the right platform is still a major challenge. Capterra UK investigates how to get that process right. ----- ## Article Content Adoption of new software is accelerating as technological advancements press UK businesses to transition to better systems to keep up with competition. However, finding the right platform is still a major challenge. Capterra UK investigates how to get that process right.In this articleHow successful software buyers sidestep regret1. Define outcomes and requirements early2. Seek feedback from actual users3. Act decisively to maintain momentum4. Execute smoothly with a detailed implementation plan5. Be a successful software adopterTechnological advancements are seen as evermore critical for organisational goals by UK software buyers and having the right software is rightfully seen as essential for success. However, choosing new software doesn’t always go to plan and disappointment is high in the UK. This is crucial, as data shows that this disappointment leads to higher software expenses, as well as disruption and lost time down the line.  There is a wide market and each step of selection may lead to mistakes that affect the success of onboarding a new software. To understand where the points of success and failure lie, Capterra studied the responses of 299 participants in the UK (from 3,385 globally), specifically analysing the buyers who successfully adopted a software system as well as those who experienced disruption and disappointment.\*Key takeaways:Most UK software buyers end up disappointed: Only about 1 in 4 (27%) experienced no disruption or regret from a software purchase, compared with 34% globally.Unexpected disruption predicts purchase regret: 92% of software buyers in the UK who regret their purchase experience implementation disruption, the joint highest worldwide alongside France and Australia.Successful adoption equals savings: 81% of UK-based disappointed buyers expect to spend more on software next year, compared with 60% of successful adopters.User reviews get results: 54% of successful adopters in the UK use reviews to inform their software buying research.Decisive action pays off: Successful adopters in the UK normally round out their software selection in 3 months on average, with longer time frames more likely to lead to dissatisfaction.Plan ahead, don’t regret: Over half of successful adopters in the UK create an implementation plan, reducing the risk of disruption. How successful software buyers sidestep regretUK businesses adopt new software to maintain a competitive edge by enhancing workflows, reducing time spent on tasks, and to help foster growth in an organisation. However, just over a quarter (27%) end up satisfied with their choice of system. Many more experience disruption and regret their chosen software.  We assessed these trends by splitting our sample into two key groups of buyers:Successful software adopters, comprising 27% of our UK sample, who found the software they neededDisappointed software buyers, making up just under half (47%) of our UK sample, who experienced unexpected implementation disruptions and subsequent purchase regret  The remaining buyers either experienced regret without disruption or disruption without regret.Why avoiding regret is criticalUnfortunately, regret seems most common, with half (52%) of buyers in the UK regretting one or more software purchases. This is often influenced by unexpected disruptions during implementation, a trend we observed globally, where these setbacks are present for 89% of buyers experiencing regret. In the UK, however, this rises to 92%. It thus stands to reason that avoiding implementation disruption is a major step to successful software adoption. Disappointment costs money.We found that successful UK adopters are mostly planning to spend more next year but below the levels seen among global peers. However, a much higher quantity (81%) of disappointed UK buyers plan to increase their spend.Many buyers pick systems that can’t scale or work smoothly. Poor integration with other tools adds to the problem. When workflows break, disappointment follows.Security is also a major factor here. Insecure systems affect around a quarter (27%) of disappointed buyers. While it’s unclear whether this is due to a security breach or a fear of one, this element needs to be accounted for when choosing new software or reevaluating an existing platform. Security is an urgent concern for UK businessesMajor hacks impacting businesses such as the Co-op, Marks and Spencer, and Jaguar Land Rover have had devastating consequences for their operations, including the shutdown of production and digital sales platforms.\[1\] These are significant logistical problems for big companies, but smaller companies could be even more adversely affected. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) estimates that over a quarter (27%) of businesses have suffered a cyber attack between June 2024 and 2025. Worse still, 73% of business leaders expect disruption from security incidents over the next two years. \[2\]Bottom line: Security matters when choosing software. Successful UK adopters focus on:Protection from breaches (47%)Regular security updates (38%)Vendor’s track record (33%)This is why it’s vital to get a clearer view of the different steps of the buying process. In the following five sections, we look at how successful adopters and disappointed buyers each approach the software buying process and what can be done to achieve success.1. Define outcomes and requirements earlyPlanning software adoption takes time, but it’s essential for success. There is a wide gap in the preparation methods of successful adopters and disappointed buyers in the UK. In fact, successful respondents are more likely to have a clear idea of the budget and features needed ahead of the search, by a difference of 27 percentage points. Additionally, they are more likely to define and understand the outcomes of their new software than those experiencing disappointment. This clearly shows that dedicating time to the formative stages of the process makes a difference. Clearly understanding goals that fit your specific organisational requirements and workflows means you’re more likely to find a tool that will provide a good return on investment (ROI).Furthermore, focusing on the desired outcomes as early as possible can help anticipate some of the issues seen from buyers, such as poor integration and security concerns. Prioritising these factors early means they are less likely to be missed until it’s too late to turn back. It’s notable that 44% of disappointed buyers in the UK say that they would perform a needs assessment to avoid software regret in the future, while almost as many (43%) say they would perform a security review. Failure to understand your requirements properly in the early stages can have avoidable repercussions later on.2. Seek feedback from actual usersSuccessful UK adopters rely on user reviews and comparison sites comparatively more than disappointed buyers.Feedback from user experience proves a decisive factor for getting good ROI on software. User reviews and comparison sources especially make a considerable difference in getting to this point.Comparing and researching the available products is a key step to assessing the options available. However, with a market of hundreds—and sometimes thousands of options—filtering down those choices with credible information is key.Our findings show that successful adopters in the UK rely most on user reviews and software comparison site sources to achieve success in their selection. Conversely, disappointed buyers are far less likely to use this information.Industry expertise is also a top resource used by successful buyers. However, while industry advice helps, user feedback makes the bigger difference.Expertise and experience are great criteria for choosing a new software system for a few reasons. They offer insight into critical factors like usability, security, and price. Successful adopters focus on these elements the most.Help confirm that essential features are included and work as expected.Reveal whether vendor promises hold true after signing the contract.3. Act decisively to maintain momentumSuccessful UK adopters set clear goals and shortlist fewer vendors, leading to faster, more focused decisions.Clearer goals can equal a more streamlined buying process. In fact, our research shows that successful software adopters in the UK are, on average, more likely to have a shorter evaluation period than those who end up disappointed with a purchase.This starts from creating the shortlist, with most adopters listing fewer vendors on their shortlist, indicating a more focused and pinpointed approach informed by research. Generally, the more vendors listed and engaged, the worse it is for overall success.This does not mean that successful adopters rush the selection process. In fact, the opposite seems true. The initial effort made to understand goals and requirements clearly results in a much more focused search and time saved.In fact, longer searches are likely when buyers have unclear goals, as a lack of coordination or direction leads to searches that don’t have a central aim or have ones that change frequently. We can see this from the data, which shows an almost inverse relationship between shorter searches of 3 months or under vs four months or longer, in terms of successful and unsuccessful outcomes. However, as successful buyers enter the selection process with a better idea of their requirements, they can also move faster and more decisively through the process. This can explain their accelerated movement through the buying journey as well as why it ends up more successful at the end of it.The data shows us that acting decisively with the right information is a benefit on many fronts. Additionally, not allowing the process to drag also helps support a shorter transition time between a software system in need of urgent replacement and a new, better-fitting option.Beyond that, a clearer view of what you are searching for, a good plan of priorities, as well as reliable information for research, prevents a drawn-out decision process when negotiating with vendors. 4. Execute smoothly with a detailed implementation planSuccessful buyers plan implementation early, unlike many disappointed buyers who skip this step.Many software buyers wrongly regard the signing of a contract for a product as the endpoint of the adoption. This neglects a major step in the process: implementation.At this point, carefully planning and actualising how the new acquisition will roll out to the business is vital. Failure to plan at this stage will often result in disruption and eventual disappointment. This came across in our findings, where just over half of successful adopters formally plan for implementation during the buying process. This is a major contrast to disappointed buyers, where only 18% of buyers prioritise this step.There are a few key things to think about when onboarding a system, which need to fit around your business requirements. These include the following areas:Change management: Creating an implementation team of stakeholders to manage the roll-out.Technical configuration: Tweaking settings in the software so they fits the business workflows and the expectations of its main users. Data migration: Ensuring that data is readable by the new system and ready to be securely transferred.Testing: Doing an experimental run-through of a common task the software will need to perform before going live.Staff training: Introducing the functions and features of the new system and highlighting any major changes in workflows necessary.Taking these steps ahead of full adoption will prevent disruption, downtime, and possible staff unfamiliarity and resistance that could derail the software’s use.Making sure expectations also align with the amount of onboarding and ongoing support from the vendor is also a factor to think about here. We found that 17% of disappointed UK buyers feel they received poor vendor support overall after a purchase, while a fifth found themselves undone by inadequate training and onboarding generally. However, perhaps the biggest consequence of not judging the implementation correctly is disruption. We already know that this correlates very heavily with regret and it often manifests via a number of problems.Among the UK’s disappointed buyers, the most common causes of disruption include:Delays: 39%Integration issues: 33%Insufficient vendor support: 33%Inadequate user training: 30%Data migration problems: 29%These are, therefore, the failure points to prepare contingency plans around most comprehensively. This will help avoid regret in these later stages of software buying and adoption.5. Be a successful software adopterSuccessful adoption takes planning, while poor goal-setting drives UK buyer dissatisfaction, even as software spending rises.Ultimately, every software buyer wants to be a successful adopter, but the path is not always smooth. Successful software adoption requires meaningful effort and planning; it doesn’t happen on its own.Our data clearly shows that dissatisfaction with software purchases is high in the UK. This is a result of disruption and underdeveloped goal-setting by buyers. Notably, spending on software is set to increase over the coming year, with 76% in the UK expecting their firms to spend 5% to over 15% more on software in the next 12 months. However, we also observe that successful adopters plan to spend comparatively less than disappointed buyers, likely because they do not need to replace ill-performing or unfitting software.To achieve success, it’s essential to focus on setting objectives that align the new software with your business goals. From this stronger starting point, firms can then use feedback and industry expertise to help narrow the choices from the wide range of options available. Plus, they should make sure not to widen the search too far to avoid wasting time. Beyond that, it’s simply a case of making sure the implementation is fully realised to help ensure success is realised. Looking for review feedback for a software product? Capterra’s extensive directory of software types features up-to-date user reviews for thousands of products. ## Disclaimer > Methodology\*Capterra’s 2026 Software Buying Trends survey was conducted online in August 2025 among 3,385 respondents in Australia (n=281), Brazil (n=278), Canada (n=293), France (n=283), Germany (n=279), India (n=260), Italy (n=263), Mexico (n=288), Spain (n=273), the U.K. (n=299), and the U.S. (n=588), at businesses across multiple industries, ages (1 year in business or longer), and sizes (5 or more employees). Business sizes represented in the survey include: 1,676 small (5-249 full-time employees), 822 midsize  (250-999), and 887 enterprise (1,000+). The goal of this study was to understand the timelines, organizational challenges, research behaviors, and adoption processes of business software buyers. Respondents were screened to ensure their involvement in business software purchasing decisions. SourcesThe true cost of cyber attacks - and the business weak spots that allow them to happen, BBC RICS releases digital risks in buildings paper, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors ## About the author ### David Jani David is a Content Analyst for the UK, providing key insights into tech, software and business trends for SMEs. Cardiff University graduate. 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