Best Shadow IT Discovery Tools in 2026: 9 Tools Compared by Company Size and Requirements

Top picks by situation

• A 100-person startup on Google Workspace

  Nudge Security

  Reading mailboxes needs no endpoint agent, and the published plan is $750 per month for 150 users, with $5 for each additional person.

  From: $750 per month billed annually (Essential, up to 150 users)

• A security lead who wants browser-level visibility

  Push Security

  Its extension observes sign-ins and new accounts in the browser, includes shadow AI apps, and is priced at $5 per user monthly with annual billing.

  From: $5 per user/month billed annually

• A small IT team on a modest budget

  Admina

  Third-party listings put it near $5 per user monthly, with 200+ integrations and a quick Google Workspace connection.

  From: $5 per user per month (third-party listing)

• An enterprise that wants to block risky apps

  Netskope

  Its CASB classifies apps seen in inline traffic, with a confidence index covering 80,000+ services, and admins can block, limit actions or run data inspection.

  From: Contact sales

• An IT team automating onboarding and offboarding

  BetterCloud

  No-code user lifecycle workflows pair with license tracking, and the Spend Optimization Basic tier is listed at $0 per month.

  From: $0/month (Spend Optimization Basic)

• A large company with a dedicated SaaS owner

  Zylo

  Discovery, licenses, spend and renewal alerts sit in one platform, and reviewers like the alerts that arrive months before auto-renewals.

  From: Contact sales

Shadow IT Discovery Tools comparison table

Shadow IT Discovery Tools compared

Tool	Best for	Starting price	Free plan	Free trial	G2 rating
Admina	Small and mid-size IT teams that want a low per-user entry price	$5 per user per month (third-party listing)	No	Yes	4.6 (6 reviews)
Push Security	Security-led teams that want shadow IT and shadow AI visibility from the browser, including unmanaged devices	$5 per user/month billed annually	No	Yes	4.8 (9 reviews)
Nudge Security	IT and security teams under 1,500 users that want published prices	$750 per month billed annually (Essential, up to 150 users)	No	Yes	4.6 (32 reviews)
Torii	IT teams wanting discovery plus workflow automation	Contact sales	No	No	4.5 (315 reviews)
Zluri	IT teams combining SaaS management with access reviews and onboarding automation	Contact sales	No	No	4.6 (177 reviews)
Zylo	Mid-size to large companies with a dedicated SaaS or IT ops owner	Contact sales	No	No	4.7 (53 reviews)
Netskope	Security teams already deploying or evaluating an SSE/SWG and wanting app risk scoring in the same inline path	Contact sales	No	No	4.4 (68 reviews)
BetterCloud	IT teams that want no-code on/offboarding and Google Workspace controls alongside license tracking	$0/month (Spend Optimization Basic)	Yes	Yes	4.4 (479 reviews)
Josys	Mid-size companies with Japanese operations or SmartHR as HRMS (Japanese pricing pages and HRMS integration)	Contact sales	No	Yes	4.4 (106 reviews)

What are shadow IT discovery tools?

Staff adopt tools on their own all the time: a team signs up for a free design app, or a department expenses a sales platform. Shadow IT discovery tools uncover those purchases and sign-ups by reading identity logs, mailbox receipts, browser activity, card or ERP records, or network traffic, then list each app with the people using it. Security staff judge risk from that list, while IT teams spot duplicate spend. Finding the apps is only step one, and better products help you act on them.

Core capabilities

• App and account discovery

  Builds an inventory of the applications and user accounts in use, including ones nobody registered with IT.

• Multiple discovery sources

  Combines signals such as identity provider logs, mailbox scanning, browser extensions and network traffic to widen coverage.

• App risk scoring

  Rates discovered apps on security attributes so a team can decide which ones deserve attention first.

• AI tool detection

  Spots generative AI apps and the data employees paste or upload into them.

• Remediation workflows

  Turns findings into action, such as alerting an owner, blocking an app or removing a departed user's access.

• Integrations

  Connects to identity providers, email, device management and chat so discovery data reaches the systems IT already runs.

The 9 best shadow IT discovery tools, reviewed

1

Admina

$5 per user per month (third-party listing)

Money Forward, a Japanese fintech group, makes Admina, which pairs API connectors with an optional Chrome and Edge extension. Third-party listings put it near $5 per user monthly. It has fewer features than high-end suites, and its Western review base is small.

• 1-10: no data
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: strong fit
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Small and mid-size IT teams that want a low per-user entry price
• Companies with Japanese subsidiaries or Money Forward accounting already in use

Look elsewhere if

• Buyers who need a large Western-market review base to validate the vendor (G2 has only 6 reviews)
• Teams that need deep risk scoring or security remediation playbooks

Key features

Discovery sources

API/OAuth connectors to SaaS apps plus Chrome/Edge browser extension; blog also names ERP and accounting software as sources

Agent or extension required

No endpoint agent stated; browser extension optional for apps without APIs

Remediation workflows

Provision and de-provision users per G2 listing; no remediation playbooks verified

Pricing

About $5 per user per month per third-party listings; enterprise custom

Integrations

200+ direct SaaS integrations (OAuth, API or scraping)

What users like

• Google Workspace connection is quick to set up
• Pricing described as straightforward and good value

Common complaints

• Fewer features than high-end SaaS management suites

Full Admina profileRequest an offer

2

Push Security

$5 per user/month billed annually

Push Security runs as a browser extension that observes logins and account creation, which surfaces shadow SaaS, shadow AI use and weak credentials. Deployment can use MDM or self-enrollment. Policies can block unsanctioned tools, and alerts go to Slack or Teams. Price is $5 per user monthly.

• 1-10: no data
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: strong fit
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Security-led teams that want shadow IT and shadow AI visibility from the browser, including unmanaged devices
• Companies under 500 employees wanting a published per-seat price

Look elsewhere if

• Finance teams seeking spend, contract and renewal management (not a described feature)
• Buyers who cannot deploy a browser extension

Key features

Discovery sources

Browser extension watches logins and account creation

Agent or extension required

Yes, browser extension (MDM, direct install, email enrollment, self-enrollment, BYOD)

Remediation workflows

Policy enforcement can block unsanctioned tools; Slack and Teams alerts

AI app detection

Shadow AI apps, agentic browsers (Comet, Atlas, Dia), AI prompt and upload monitoring, AI OAuth permissions

Pricing

Per employee per month

Integrations

SIEM (Sentinel, Splunk, Datadog, Panther, Cribl, SentinelOne), Slack, Teams, Tines, Okta, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, REST API

What users like

• Near-complete visibility into SaaS in use

Common complaints

• Individual alerts lack context

Full Push Security profileRequest an offer

3

Nudge Security

$750 per month billed annually (Essential, up to 150 users)

Nudge Security finds apps by scanning employee mailboxes in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, with an optional browser extension for login activity. Published plans cover up to 1,500 users. The Essential plan costs $750 monthly for 150 users. Reviewers want finer access control settings.

• 1-10: no data
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: strong fit
• 500+: no data

Best for

• IT and security teams under 1,500 users that want published prices
• Companies with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 who want agentless discovery

Look elsewhere if

• Companies without Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 mailboxes
• Finance teams that want ERP or card-feed based spend analytics

Key features

Discovery sources

Mailbox scanning in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 plus browser extension for login activity

Agent or extension required

No endpoint agent; browser extension optional

AI app detection

Discovers GenAI tools in use per pricing page

Pricing

Flat $750 per month up to 150 users, then $5 per user per month

Integrations

Sample: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Okta, Salesforce, Snowflake, Zoom; no count published

What users like

• Good visibility into apps in use
• Useful notifications
• Clean interface

Common complaints

• Access control settings
• Contact accuracy
• Fewer features than larger competitors

Full Nudge Security profileRequest an offer

4

Torii

Contact sales

Torii discovers apps, follows spend and renewals, and runs access workflows automatically within one SaaS management product. Only quotes are available, and an AI Management product is sold too. Users like the visibility but report gaps in integrations, onboarding workflows and reporting.

• 1-10: no data
• 11-50: no data
• 51-500: no data
• 500+: no data

Best for

• IT teams wanting discovery plus workflow automation
• Companies that want one vendor for SMP and identity governance

Look elsewhere if

• Buyers who need public pricing to budget
• Teams reporting integration and onboarding workflow gaps

Key features

AI app detection

AI Management product

Pricing

Quote only

Integrations

Integration list published on vendor site; count not confirmed by the vendor

What users like

• Clear visibility into the SaaS stack

Common complaints

• Missing features, especially integrations and onboarding workflows
• Reporting is weak

Full Torii profileRequest an offer

5

Zluri

Contact sales

Zluri builds an identity graph that shows who has access to what across SaaS, cloud and enterprise software, and layers access reviews and onboarding automation on top. Pricing is by quote. Certain integrations need the connected app's enterprise plan, which can raise total cost.

• 1-10: no data
• 11-50: no data
• 51-500: strong fit
• 500+: no data

Best for

• IT teams combining SaaS management with access reviews and onboarding automation
• Mid-size companies wanting security certifications up front

Look elsewhere if

• Buyers who need published pricing
• Teams that cannot pay for enterprise tiers of connected apps

Key features

Discovery sources

Discovers identities across SaaS, cloud and enterprise apps via an identity graph; specific sources not confirmed by the vendor

Pricing

Quote only

What users like

• Access review and onboarding automation

Common complaints

• Some integrations need the connected app's enterprise plan, raising total cost

Full Zluri profileRequest an offer

6

Zylo

Contact sales

Zylo handles discovery, licenses, spend and renewals for large SaaS portfolios, with annual quotes that deal data places around $35,000 yearly at the median. A standalone discovery product, Zylo Discover, arrived in 2024. Usage tracking depends on logins going through the SSO tool.

• 1-10: poor fit
• 11-50: poor fit
• 51-500: strong fit
• 500+: strong fit

Best for

• Mid-size to large companies with a dedicated SaaS or IT ops owner
• Buyers wanting discovery, license and renewal in one platform

Look elsewhere if

• Small companies on a tight budget (Vendr data shows about $35K per year median)
• Teams wanting public pricing or self-serve start

Key features

Discovery sources

Zylo Discover: standalone SaaS discovery and inventory launched 2024; specific sources not confirmed by the vendor

Pricing

Quote only

What users like

• Automated usage tracking and a consolidated dashboard
• Strong customer success team
• Renewal alerts give months of notice before auto-renewals

Common complaints

• Usage tracking depends on logins going through the SSO tool (Okta), so other logins go untracked
• Data can need manual cleanup
• Some reviewers wanted coverage beyond SaaS (non-SaaS products)

Full Zylo profileRequest an offer

7

Netskope

Contact sales

Netskope's security service edge platform contains a cloud access broker that spots unsanctioned apps in inline traffic and rates them in its Cloud Confidence Index. Traffic must be steered through its client or proxy. Enterprises with a security team fit, license tracking does not.

• 1-10: no data
• 11-50: poor fit
• 51-500: no data
• 500+: strong fit

Best for

• Security teams already deploying or evaluating an SSE/SWG and wanting app risk scoring in the same inline path
• Enterprises needing to block, restrict or DLP-inspect risky app use, not only discover it

Look elsewhere if

• IT or finance teams wanting license and renewal tracking (not what the CASB provides)
• Small companies without a security team to run traffic steering

Key features

Discovery sources

Inline traffic analysis; apps classified with GenAI models

Agent or extension required

Traffic must be steered through Netskope (client/proxy); exact options not confirmed by the vendor

App risk scoring

Cloud Confidence Index scores 80,000+ SaaS apps on 50+ attributes

Remediation workflows

Block, restrict specific actions, redirect users to sanctioned alternatives, apply DLP inspection

AI app detection

GenAI-based app classification; AI app coverage specifics not confirmed by the vendor

Pricing

Quote-based

What users like

• Strong zero trust enforcement
• Real-time threat protection and DLP

Common complaints

• Can feel less user-friendly than identity tools such as Okta (G2 AI summary)

Full Netskope profileRequest an offer

8

BetterCloud

$0/month (Spend Optimization Basic)

Beginning with Google Workspace administration, BetterCloud now tracks licenses, contracts and renewals. Buyers choose among modules named Workspace Management, User Automation and Spend Optimization. Usage data arrives via SSO, direct links and a Chrome extension. Reviewers say pricing climbs for smaller organizations.

• 1-10: no data
• 11-50: workable
• 51-500: no data
• 500+: no data

Best for

• IT teams that want no-code on/offboarding and Google Workspace controls alongside license tracking
• Teams that want to buy only the modules they need (Spend Optimization, User Automation, Workspace Management)

Look elsewhere if

• Finance-led buyers who need card and ERP spend feeds as the main data source (vendor describes SSO, direct integrations and a Chrome extension)
• Buyers who want published prices beyond the free Spend Optimization Basic tier

Key features

Discovery sources

SSO, direct integrations and a Chrome extension for usage insights (vendor pricing page)

Agent or extension required

Browser extension only for usage insights

Remediation workflows

Workflow automation can act on findings

Pricing

License-based custom quote, modular

Integrations

100+ native integrations plus open API

What users like

• Responsive support and quick onboarding wizard (G2 summaries)
• Workflow automation for user lifecycle

Common complaints

• Pricing can be high for smaller organizations, especially with many SaaS apps
• Some integrations missing or lacking full functionality, and hard to configure without outside help
• Documentation described as thin

Full BetterCloud profileRequest an offer

9

Josys

Contact sales

Josys finds apps by reading Okta, Entra ID or Google Workspace, watching activity signals and, optionally, the browser, and then adds access reviews and secure offboarding. It lists 350+ native integrations. The count of governed identities sets the price, quoted per customer.

• 1-10: no data
• 11-50: no data
• 51-500: strong fit
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Mid-size companies with Japanese operations or SmartHR as HRMS (Japanese pricing pages and HRMS integration)
• IT teams wanting discovery plus access reviews and on/offboarding in one tool

Look elsewhere if

• Buyers who need public list prices (price set per governed identity, quote only)
• Teams needing very deep integrations with every niche SaaS: some reviewers cite a limited range for certain apps

Key features

Discovery sources

IdP integrations (Okta, Entra ID, Google Workspace), activity signals, browser extension; 50K-app shadow IT engine

Agent or extension required

Browser extension optional; IdP-based discovery needs none

Remediation workflows

Access reviews, secure offboarding, policy drift detection

AI app detection

AI-agent and non-human identity discovery listed

Pricing

Per governed identity, quote only

Integrations

350+ native integrations (SaaS plan page says 300+ direct)

What users like

• Centralized view of accounts and devices

Common complaints

• Price viewed as relatively high versus other Japanese services
• Limited integration range for some SaaS apps

Full Josys profileRequest an offer

How to choose shadow IT discovery tools

Feature coverage at a glance

A check means the vendor documents the capability publicly (hover for the detail). A dash means we found no public documentation, which is a question to put in your request, not proof the feature is missing.

Integration ecosystems compared

Integrations decide how much manual work stays after go-live. These are the integration counts each vendor publishes; check that your own systems are on the list before you shortlist.

• Josys350+
• Admina200+
• BetterCloud100+ native

Bar length uses a square-root scale so smaller ecosystems stay readable.

Shadow IT Discovery Tools requirements checklist

Use this list to write down what your team actually needs. Sorting requirements into must-have, should-have and nice-to-have is what lets vendors quote accurately instead of pitching their biggest plan.

Turn this checklist into a request

Questions vendors will ask you

Have answers ready for these, and your first conversation with a vendor starts at pricing instead of discovery.

1. How many employees and contractors need coverage?Several vendors price per user or by a flat plan up to a user ceiling.
2. Which email, identity and device management systems do you run?Discovery methods depend on Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Okta or MDM.
3. Can you deploy a browser extension to all employees, including unmanaged devices?Extension-based tools see more but need a rollout.
4. Is your main goal security, cost control or both?Security-led and finance-led tools weigh features differently.
5. Do you want to block apps or only report on them?Enforcement is a different product tier at several vendors.
6. Which other systems should receive alerts?Integration breadth affects setup time and total cost.

Example request

Write your own request

Shadow IT Discovery Tools FAQ

The bottom line

Decide first whether the goal is security visibility, cost control or both, and which discovery source your environment supports, whether mailbox, identity or browser. Those two answers remove most of the field. A precise request on SaaSBid lets vendors quote the right plan and rollout effort, so you can compare offers on coverage and enforcement instead of headline per-user prices.

Related categories

• Business Password Managers
• Mobile Device Management Software
• Business Intelligence Software
• Software Asset Management Tools