Top 7 Tools to Identify Unused SaaS Licenses
October 19, 2025
Walter Write
12 min read
Key Takeaways
Q: Why do companies waste so much on unused SaaS licenses?
A: Companies waste an average of $18 million annually on unused SaaS because of decentralized purchasing, lack of visibility into actual usage, and employee turnover leaving orphaned licenses active.
Q: What should IT leaders look for in SaaS management tools?
A: Look for real-time usage monitoring across applications, automated license reclamation alerts, shadow IT discovery, integration with HR systems for offboarding, and actionable cost-saving recommendations.
Q: How quickly can organizations see ROI from SaaS management platforms?
A: Most organizations reclaim significant costs within the first quarter, with some recovering over $50,000 in unused licenses within 90 days by rightsizing subscriptions and eliminating redundant tools.
Q: Can these tools help with shadow IT?
A: Yes, the best platforms discover unsanctioned applications (which account for ~30% of apps in use) by monitoring actual usage patterns across devices and networks, helping IT consolidate onto approved platforms.
Companies waste about $18M annually on unused SaaS. In many stacks, 30–50% of licenses show near‑zero activity and ~30% of apps are shadow IT. Without continuous usage visibility, orphaned accounts persist after offboarding and redundant tools multiply—driving cost, risk, and complexity. Modern platforms expose real usage, flag waste, discover unsanctioned apps, and recommend rightsizing.
What Makes a SaaS Management Tool Effective?
Before diving into specific platforms, let's establish what actually matters when you're trying to eliminate software waste. Not all SaaS management tools are created equal, and understanding the key capabilities will help you make the right choice for your organization.
Effective SaaS management platforms connect to your existing infrastructure through integrations with identity providers like Okta or Azure AD, HR systems like Workday or BambooHR, financial tools, and optionally deploy lightweight device agents to capture application usage that happens outside sanctioned systems. This comprehensive approach ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
The best tools provide
• Real-time usage visibility: Track actual application engagement at the user level, not just login counts
• Automated waste detection: AI-powered alerts when licenses go unused for configurable periods
• Shadow IT discovery: Identify unsanctioned applications before they become security or compliance risks
• Cost optimization recommendations: Actionable insights on consolidation opportunities and license rightsizing
• Integration with offboarding workflows: Automatically flag and reclaim licenses when employees leave
• Automated waste detection: AI-powered alerts when licenses go unused for configurable periods
• Shadow IT discovery: Identify unsanctioned applications before they become security or compliance risks
• Cost optimization recommendations: Actionable insights on consolidation opportunities and license rightsizing
• Integration with offboarding workflows: Automatically flag and reclaim licenses when employees leave
Let's look at the platforms leading this space.
| Waste signal | Data source | Example threshold | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unused license | SSO + app telemetry | No use in 60–90 days | Reclaim or downgrade seat |
| Orphaned account | HRIS + IdP | Employee departed | Deprovision; reclaim license |
| Redundant tools | Spend + usage mapping | 3+ apps for same use case | Consolidate to one vendor |
| Low adoption | Feature‑level telemetry | Less than 30% active weekly | Reduce seats; address training |
How Does Abloomify Identify Unused SaaS and Where Does It Fit?
Abloomify takes a unique approach to SaaS waste by connecting software usage to actual productivity outcomes, giving IT leaders context beyond simple "hours logged" metrics.
Unlike traditional SaaS management tools that only track whether someone opened an application, Abloomify integrates with your work systems (Jira, GitHub, Slack, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and more) to understand how tools contribute to output. This means you can identify not just unused licenses, but also underutilized tools that aren't delivering value despite active usage.
Key capabilities for license optimization
• Continuous monitoring of application usage across devices with privacy-first device agents (Mac, Windows, Chrome extension)
• AI-powered insights that flag unused or underutilized software with cost impact calculations
• Shadow IT discovery through device-level monitoring that respects employee privacy
• Integration with HR systems to automatically identify orphaned licenses from departed employees
• Bloomy AI agent that answers questions like "Which software tools have the lowest utilization across departments?" or "Show me cost-saving opportunities in our SaaS stack"
• AI-powered insights that flag unused or underutilized software with cost impact calculations
• Shadow IT discovery through device-level monitoring that respects employee privacy
• Integration with HR systems to automatically identify orphaned licenses from departed employees
• Bloomy AI agent that answers questions like "Which software tools have the lowest utilization across departments?" or "Show me cost-saving opportunities in our SaaS stack"
What sets Abloomify apart
Abloomify doesn't just tell you a license isn't being used—it helps you understand why. Is it because employees found a better tool? Is training needed? Are workflows inefficient? This context transforms license management from a cost-cutting exercise into strategic technology governance.
One client reclaimed over $50,000 in a single quarter by identifying unused licenses and consolidating redundant project management tools. With companies wasting approximately 50% of purchased licenses on average, Abloomify's comprehensive visibility helps IT leaders make data-driven decisions about their technology stack.
When Is Zylo Effective and What Are Its Tradeoffs?
Zylo focuses exclusively on SaaS management and has built deep capabilities specifically for license optimization and vendor management.
The platform excels at discovery, using multiple data sources including SSO providers, expense management systems, and network traffic to build a comprehensive inventory of SaaS applications. Zylo's benchmarking database helps IT leaders understand if they're paying competitive rates for licenses.
Strengths
• Deep SaaS-specific features and workflows
• Strong vendor management and renewal tracking
• Industry benchmarking for contract negotiations
• Comprehensive application discovery methods
• Strong vendor management and renewal tracking
• Industry benchmarking for contract negotiations
• Comprehensive application discovery methods
Considerations
• Focused on SaaS inventory and cost; doesn't connect usage to productivity outcomes
• Requires dedicated resources to act on insights
• May need complementary tools for broader IT analytics
• Requires dedicated resources to act on insights
• May need complementary tools for broader IT analytics
How Does Torii Automate SaaS Operations?
Torii positions itself as a SaaS operations platform, emphasizing automation of license lifecycle management and workflow creation.
The platform shines with its workflow engine, allowing IT teams to automate common tasks like license provisioning during onboarding and reclamation during offboarding. Torii's integration marketplace includes hundreds of applications, making it relatively easy to get comprehensive coverage.
Strengths
• Strong workflow automation capabilities
• Extensive integration library
• User-friendly interface for IT teams
• Good shadow IT detection
• Extensive integration library
• User-friendly interface for IT teams
• Good shadow IT detection
Considerations
• Pricing can escalate with larger application portfolios
• Analytics focused primarily on spend rather than business impact
• May require manual setup of custom workflows
• Analytics focused primarily on spend rather than business impact
• May require manual setup of custom workflows
How Does Productiv Measure Adoption Quality?
Productiv emphasizes data-driven insights and employee engagement scoring for SaaS applications, helping IT understand not just usage but adoption quality.
The platform creates engagement scores for each application based on feature usage depth, frequency, and business outcomes. This nuanced view helps IT distinguish between true adoption and superficial usage.
Strengths
• Sophisticated engagement scoring methodology
• Strong analytics and reporting
• Good support for usage-based licensing models
• Integration with IT service management tools
• Strong analytics and reporting
• Good support for usage-based licensing models
• Integration with IT service management tools
Considerations
• May be overkill for smaller organizations
• Requires time investment to interpret engagement scores meaningfully
• Less emphasis on cost optimization compared to usage optimization
• Requires time investment to interpret engagement scores meaningfully
• Less emphasis on cost optimization compared to usage optimization
Where Does BetterCloud Focus Beyond Cost?
BetterCloud brings an IT operations perspective to SaaS management, with strong emphasis on security, compliance, and operational efficiency alongside cost optimization.
The platform is particularly strong for organizations heavily invested in Google Workspace, Slack, Microsoft 365, and other core productivity suites, offering granular policy management and automated remediation capabilities.
Strengths
• Strong security and compliance features
• Deep integrations with core productivity platforms
• Automated policy enforcement
• Good for managing SaaS operations beyond just cost
• Deep integrations with core productivity platforms
• Automated policy enforcement
• Good for managing SaaS operations beyond just cost
Considerations
• More focused on operational efficiency than pure cost optimization
• Best suited for organizations with specific SaaS governance requirements
• Pricing model may not align with smaller IT budgets
• Best suited for organizations with specific SaaS governance requirements
• Pricing model may not align with smaller IT budgets
When Is Zluri a Good Fit?
Zluri emphasizes automation and simplicity, positioning itself as an easy-to-deploy solution for mid-market companies looking to gain control of SaaS spend quickly.
The platform offers a clean interface and straightforward workflows for license management, with particular strength in automated discovery and quick time-to-value.
Strengths
• Fast deployment and quick wins
• Intuitive user interface
• Good automated discovery capabilities
• Competitive pricing for mid-market
• Intuitive user interface
• Good automated discovery capabilities
• Competitive pricing for mid-market
Considerations
• Less sophisticated analytics compared to enterprise platforms
• Smaller integration ecosystem than established players
• May lack advanced features needed by larger enterprises
• Smaller integration ecosystem than established players
• May lack advanced features needed by larger enterprises
How Does Vertice Combine Management with Procurement?
Vertice differentiates itself by combining SaaS management with procurement expertise, helping organizations not only identify waste but also negotiate better contracts.
The platform includes a team of procurement specialists who assist with vendor negotiations, potentially delivering savings beyond simple license reclamation.
Strengths
• Combines technology with procurement expertise
• Can help negotiate better rates with vendors
• Good contract management capabilities
• Performance-based pricing model aligned with savings
• Can help negotiate better rates with vendors
• Good contract management capabilities
• Performance-based pricing model aligned with savings
Considerations
• Procurement focus may not suit all organizational structures
• Less emphasis on real-time operational insights
• May require longer engagement cycles for full value
• Less emphasis on real-time operational insights
• May require longer engagement cycles for full value
How Do You Choose the Right SaaS Management Platform?
Selecting a SaaS management platform isn't one-size-fits-all. Your decision should align with your organization's specific challenges, technology stack, and strategic priorities.
Consider Abloomify if
• You want to connect software usage to business outcomes and productivity, not just track logins
• Your organization struggles with both SaaS waste and broader productivity challenges
• You need an AI agent that can answer complex questions about your technology stack
• You want privacy-first monitoring that respects employees while providing IT visibility
• You're looking for a platform that addresses multiple workforce challenges, not just cost
• Your organization struggles with both SaaS waste and broader productivity challenges
• You need an AI agent that can answer complex questions about your technology stack
• You want privacy-first monitoring that respects employees while providing IT visibility
• You're looking for a platform that addresses multiple workforce challenges, not just cost
Consider specialized SaaS management platforms if
• Your primary goal is SaaS vendor management and contract optimization
• You need extensive application-specific integrations beyond major productivity suites
• Your organization has dedicated SaaS management resources
• Cost reduction through license optimization is the singular focus
• You need extensive application-specific integrations beyond major productivity suites
• Your organization has dedicated SaaS management resources
• Cost reduction through license optimization is the singular focus
Key evaluation criteria
• Integration breadth: Does it connect to your existing HR, identity, and productivity systems?
• Discovery capabilities: Can it find shadow IT and unsanctioned applications?
• Actionability: Does it provide clear, automated recommendations you can act on immediately?
• Context: Does it show you the "why" behind usage patterns, not just the "what"?
• Privacy approach: Does it respect employee trust while giving IT necessary visibility?
• Discovery capabilities: Can it find shadow IT and unsanctioned applications?
• Actionability: Does it provide clear, automated recommendations you can act on immediately?
• Context: Does it show you the "why" behind usage patterns, not just the "what"?
• Privacy approach: Does it respect employee trust while giving IT necessary visibility?
| Platform | Primary focus | Discovery sources | Notable strengths | Fit notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abloomify | Usage ↔ outcomes; waste + productivity | Device agents, app telemetry, HRIS, IdP | Context‑rich insights; early savings | Great for proactive, outcome‑aware ops |
| Zylo | SaaS inventory & vendor management | SSO, expenses, network | Benchmarking; renewals | Strong for contract & spend control |
| Torii | Automation & workflows | Integrations; SSO; HRIS | Lifecycle automation | Fits teams prioritizing automation |
| Productiv | Adoption quality & engagement | Feature telemetry; integrations | Nuanced adoption scoring | Best for adoption depth analysis |
What Is the Hidden Cost of Doing Nothing?
Here's what's often overlooked in discussions about SaaS waste: the opportunity cost of not addressing it.
Every dollar spent on unused licenses is a dollar that could fund innovation, hire talent, or invest in tools that actually drive results. When IT budgets are under scrutiny and every expenditure must justify its ROI, allowing millions in waste to continue is increasingly indefensible.
Beyond direct cost, unused licenses create other problems:
• Security risks: Orphaned accounts from former employees become attack vectors
• Compliance gaps: Untracked applications may violate data governance policies
• Inefficiency: Teams using multiple tools for the same purpose create integration nightmares
• Budget credibility: Finance teams lose confidence in IT's ability to manage resources
• Compliance gaps: Untracked applications may violate data governance policies
• Inefficiency: Teams using multiple tools for the same purpose create integration nightmares
• Budget credibility: Finance teams lose confidence in IT's ability to manage resources
Modern SaaS management platforms pay for themselves quickly—often within the first quarter—by identifying waste that's been hiding in plain sight. The question isn't whether you can afford the investment; it's whether you can afford not to make it.
Beyond Cost Savings: Strategic Technology Governance
While eliminating waste is the immediate benefit, the best SaaS management platforms deliver something more valuable: strategic control over your technology landscape.
With comprehensive visibility into how tools are actually used, IT leaders can:
• Guide adoption effectively: Identify training needs when good tools show low adoption
• Prevent shadow IT proactively: Understand why teams seek unsanctioned solutions
• Optimize the tech stack strategically: Make consolidation decisions based on data, not politics
• Justify new investments: Show how new tools will be used based on adoption patterns of similar tools
• Align technology with business goals: Connect tool usage to departmental and company objectives
• Prevent shadow IT proactively: Understand why teams seek unsanctioned solutions
• Optimize the tech stack strategically: Make consolidation decisions based on data, not politics
• Justify new investments: Show how new tools will be used based on adoption patterns of similar tools
• Align technology with business goals: Connect tool usage to departmental and company objectives
This strategic perspective transforms IT from a cost center that says "no" into a business partner that enables productivity while managing costs responsibly.
Abloomify's approach particularly shines here because it connects software usage to outcomes. When you can show that consolidating from three project management tools to one actually improved delivery velocity (because you have the Jira and GitHub data to prove it), you're having a strategic conversation, not just a cost conversation.
Real-World Impact: What Organizations Achieve
Let's ground this in reality. What do organizations actually accomplish when they implement effective SaaS management?
Typical outcomes in the first 90 days:
• 15-25% reduction in SaaS spending through license reclamation and rightsizing
• Discovery of 20-40 shadow IT applications not previously tracked by IT
• Elimination of 30-50% of completely unused licenses
• Recovery of dozens of orphaned licenses from former employees
• Discovery of 20-40 shadow IT applications not previously tracked by IT
• Elimination of 30-50% of completely unused licenses
• Recovery of dozens of orphaned licenses from former employees
Strategic benefits over 6-12 months:
• Consolidation of redundant tools (e.g., combining three communication platforms into one)
• Improved vendor negotiations armed with actual usage data
• Reduced security risk from unmanaged applications
• Better budget forecasting based on usage trends
• Higher employee productivity from optimized tool sets
• Improved vendor negotiations armed with actual usage data
• Reduced security risk from unmanaged applications
• Better budget forecasting based on usage trends
• Higher employee productivity from optimized tool sets
One mid-size tech company using Abloomify identified that while they had licenses for three different design tools, 80% of design work happened in one platform. By consolidating, they saved $40,000 annually and eliminated the confusion of scattered design assets across multiple systems.
Making Your Decision
Eliminating SaaS waste isn't about installing software and watching savings appear—it requires commitment to using the insights these platforms provide.
The right platform for you depends on whether you want point-solution SaaS management or comprehensive productivity operations that address software waste as part of broader workforce optimization.
If you're ready to tackle SaaS waste while also gaining insights into productivity, employee engagement, and technology effectiveness, explore how Abloomify provides comprehensive visibility into your workforce.
For a quick assessment of your current SaaS waste, request a demo where we can analyze your technology stack and identify immediate savings opportunities.
The millions you're wasting on unused software could fund innovation, hire talent, or drive growth. Every quarter you wait is another quarter of waste. The tools exist to solve this problem—the only question is when you'll start.
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Walter Write
Staff Writer
Tech industry analyst and content strategist specializing in AI, productivity management, and workplace innovation. Passionate about helping organizations leverage technology for better team performance.