Best SaaS Management Platforms Compared

SaaS adoption is at an all-time high. According to some recent research, almost 85% of all enterprise software will be SaaS applications. 

But managing a growing stack of applications can quickly become overwhelming. IT teams face challenges like shadow IT, rising SaaS costs, security risks, and SaaS sprawl–all of which require a structured approach to SaaS management.

Shadow IT accounts for 29% of IT security concerns.

This is why SaaS management has become the next great pillar of IT management. SaaS management platforms help organizations discover all applications in use, ensure access control, and optimize costs. However, not all platforms offer the same capabilities. Some focus on cost optimization, while others emphasize security or workflow optimization.

In this guide, we compare the best SaaS management platforms, breaking down their strengths and limitations.

Key SaaS Management Features To Look For 

Comprehensive SaaS Discovery

A SaaS management platform with multiple discovery methods, such as browser extension, desktop agents, and native connects, ensures no rogue apps slips through the cracks.

Usage Tracking and Insights

Tracking SaaS usage is crucial for maximizing the value of your subscriptions. With detailed insights into how frequently apps are being used, you can identify underutilized tools and eliminate unnecessary expenses.

Cost Management

Monitoring all your SaaS licenses and costs in one place with insights into usage data ensures that no licenses go to waste or expire without properly used. With better visibility into license allocation, you can optimize your SaaS investments.

Integrations

Seamless integrations with your existing directory like Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID helps match your users with their accounts for better context.

Actionable Controls

Enable IT teams to take immediate action by warning users when they attempt to access unauthorized or risky apps. Block access to these apps altogether, ensuring only approved apps are used within the organization.

Top 7 SaaS Management Tools for IT Teams

JumpCloud

Best for: IT teams looking for a single solution to manage identities, access, devices, and SaaS apps

JumpCloud SaaS Management simplifies the way IT teams discover, secure and manage SaaS usage across their organization. Organizations can leverage JumpCloud to prevent shadow IT, secure access, optimize costs, and achieve compliance mandates–all from a single, unified platform.

What sets JumpCloud apart from the other top SaaS management platforms:

• Unified approach: Offers identity, access, and device management as well as SaaS management, making it ideal to eliminate the cost of point solutions and data sprawl.
• Multiple discovery methods: Browser extension, native connectors, desktop agent, manual app tracking.
• Warn/Block Functionality: Allows admins to manage unapproved apps effectively, which is crucial for maintaining security and compliance.
• Personal Account Detection: Identifies when users log in with non-company email addresses is valuable for shadow IT detection.
• User-Account Matching: Better matches users with their SaaS accounts using the full user list as JumpCloud is where all your identities unite across all devices and different platforms like HRIS and other directory tools. You get the full picture of a user, from accounts, devices, and access to SaaS logins.

Insert quote block: “Within minutes, our IT team quickly found important SaaS apps. They also discovered some unauthorized or unused accounts that had gone unnoticed. This efficiency lets our IT team focus on strategic work. It also keeps our IT environment secure and well-managed.” –Ricky Jordan, president, 96firm

Key Features:

• Discover shadow IT: Identify and track SaaS applications and accounts through multiple discovery methods like the JumpCloud browser extension, native connectors like Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, Slack, Atlassian, GitHub, and more.
• Block access to unauthorized apps: Prevent access to unauthorized applications that are not approved by IT. Mitigate security and compliance risks by displaying warnings and policies that guide employees to take appropriate actions.
• Increase SSO coverage: Determine which applications are already integrated with JumpCloud SSO and identify additional apps that can be connected to enhance secure SSO access.
• Optimize SaaS spend: Monitor usage of SaaS applications and report on employee engagement to minimize unnecessary spending on applications that are not actively utilized.
• Secure SaaS Usage: Get SaaS security insights like shadow accounts, shared accounts, former employee accounts, OAuth permissions, and app-to-app connections.

Zylo

Best for: Large enterprises looking to reduce SaaS costs and manage renewals effectively

As a SaaS management platform, Zylo primarily focuses on SaaS cost optimization and license management. The platform helps IT and finance teams track software spending, monitor SaaS usage, and optimize software renewals.

Key Features:

• SaaS discovery: Identifies SaaS apps through integrations and financial records.
• License optimization: Analyzes license utilization to cut unnecessary costs.
• Renewal management: Tracks contract renewals and provides insights to avoid surprise renewals.
• Vendor management: Helps evaluate and negotiate vendor contracts.
• Integrations: Connects with finance and procurement systems.

Pros

• Strong financial tracking and renewal management capabilities
• Well-suited for large enterprises with complex SaaS spend
• Helps eliminate redundant software purchases

Cons

• Lacks built-in identity and access management
• No enforcement capabilities for SaaS security policies
• Primarily finance-focused, making it less useful for IT security teams

Josys

Best for: IT teams that prioritize automation for managing SaaS access

Josys is a SaaS management platform designed to automate IT operations, particularly for onboarding, offboarding and lifecycle management of SaaS apps. Common use cases it covers are streamlining software provisioning, managing app usage, and optimizing costs.

Key Features

• SaaS discovery: Identifies SaaS apps in use and tracks employee engagement.
• Automated user provisioning and deprovisioning: Helps grant and revoke access to apps.
• License optimization and cost management: Detects underutilized software.
• Security and compliance monitoring: Assists with enforcing access controls and compliance requirements.
• Device management and IT asset tracking: Offers additional IT asset management for a broader view of software and hardware.

Pros

• Strong automation for onboarding and offboarding workflows
• Combines SaaS management with device tracking
• Useful for companies with high employee turnover

Cons

• Lacks advanced identity and access management (IAM) capabilities
• More focused on workflow automation than deep security enforcement
• Limited customization compared to larger enterprise-grade platforms

Nudge Security

Best for: organizations looking for a user-centric approach to SaaS security without heavy-handed enforcement

As one of the best SaaS management tools, Nudge Security leans more on the cybersecurity side, designed to help organizations discover shadow IT, manage SaaS sprawl, and secure user access. It emphasizes security awareness and behavioral nudging to encourage employees to adopt safer SaaS usage habits.

Key Features:

• Shadow IT detection and alerts: Automatically discovers unauthorized SaaS usage.
• Security nudges for employees: Sends security reminders to employees.
• SaaS risk assessment: Evaluates the security posture of newly detected apps.
• OAuth and SSO visibility: Tracks risky third-party integrations with identity providers.

Pros

• Proactive security approach with user awareness nudges
• AI-powered security insights for SaaS apps
• Strong SaaS discovery methods leveraging email, DNS, and OAuth monitoring

Cons

• Lacks deep SaaS license optimization and cost management features
• No browser extension
• No direct SaaS access control

Zluri

Best for: organizations looking for SaaS cost optimization and license management

Zluri is a SaaS management tool built for IT and finance teams looking to optimize software spend, automate user provisioning, and improve compliance. It helps organizations discover, manage, and secure SaaS apps while offering cost-control features.

Key Features:

• SaaS discovery: Using methods like integrations, SSO and OAuth monitoring, credit card and expense monitoring, and network traffic analysis.
• License and cost optimization: Helps IT teams track underutilized licenses and eliminate redundant apps.
• Automated user provisioning and deprovisioning: Streamlines onboarding and offboarding for SaaS apps.
• Security and compliance monitoring: Assesses app risks and enforces governance policies.

Pros

• Comprehensive discovery methods
• Strong cost optimization features
• Automated onboarding and offboarding for SaaS apps

Cons

• Heavility finance-driven
• Complex setup, requiring extensive integrations and customization for full functionality

BetterCloud

Best for IT teams that need automation and security enforcement for SaaS apps

BetterCloud is a SaaS management and security platform designed for IT teams that need deep visibility, automation, and security policy enforcement across multiple SaaS apps. It discovers SaaS apps through methods like direct API integrations, SSO and identity provider (IdP) integrations, OAuth and API token analysis, and manual imports.

Key Features:

• SaaS discovery
• Automated IT workflows: Streamlines onboarding and offboarding for SaaS apps.
• Security policy enforcement: Enforces security settings across SaaS apps.
• User and data governance: Controls access permissions.
• File and data security controls: Monitors file sharing and enforces security policies within SaaS environments.

Pros

• Strong automation capabilities for workflows
• Deep security policy enforcement for SaaS apps
• File and data governance tools

Cons

• Lacks a more detailed cost management compared to other solutions
• Complex setup and maintenance due to its workflow-heavy approach

Torii

Best for: Organizations focused on reducing SaaS spend and streamlining software renewals

As a SaaS management solution, Torii is designed to help IT teams discover, optimize, and automate SaaS usage. It provides strong SaaS discovery, cost tracking, and workflow automation capabilities, making it useful for managing the growing complexity of SaaS environments.

Key Features:

• SaaS discovery: Identifies SaaS apps with methods like browser extension, integrations, SSO and OAuth monitoring.
• Cost optimization: Helps track usage, software contracts, and sends renewal alerts.
• Security and compliance monitoring: Provides visibility into risky apps and enforces governance policies.

Pros

• Comprehensive SaaS discovery methods
• Strong cost control features
• Automation for onboarding and offboarding

Cons

• Requires multiple integrations for full functionality
• Doesn’t actively block or restrict SaaS access

Start Uncovering SaaS Apps with JumpCloud

Managing SaaS sprawl doesn’t have to be a challenge.

With JumpCloud, IT teams can discover, monitor, and control SaaS usage and costs. Unlike traditional SaaS management tools, JumpCloud goes beyond just tracking apps–it unifies SaaS management with identity, access, and device management, giving you full visibility and control over your IT environment.

Ready to take control of your SaaS ecosystem? Try JumpCloud today.