- SAM tools at a glance
- Eleven software asset management tools
- SAM tools by the problem you have
- Why the NCSC starts with an inventory
- Classic SAM or SaaS management?
- Questions to ask before you choose a SAM tool
- Signs you've lost track of your software
- My plain advice on software asset management
- Frequently asked questions
Software asset management tools track what software and SaaS a business owns, who uses it and whether the licences match. Some are enterprise SAM suites built for vendor audits, others are newer SaaS management tools that find unused seats and forgotten renewals. Eleven options follow in no particular order.
Every company has software nobody remembers buying. A trial that quietly became a subscription, a team tool a leaver signed up for, a licence that renewed for staff who left a year ago.
Software asset management finds those. The eleven tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. For a quick first pass, my subscription creep audit shows how to spot the obvious waste by hand.
SAM tools at a glance
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site names a free plan, a free version, a free account, a free edition or an open source release. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| CerteroX | IT asset management platform | One view of licences, SaaS and cloud | Not stated |
| CloudEagle | SaaS management and AI governance | Finding unused SaaS seats | Trial only |
| Eracent | SAM, ITAM and SBOM solutions | Audit-ready licence compliance | Not stated |
| Flexera One | IT asset management software | Enterprise licence optimisation | Not stated |
| Ivanti | IT asset management software | ITAM linked to service management | Not stated |
| Licenseware | Modular software asset management | Starting SAM without a big project | Yes |
| ManageEngine AssetExplorer | IT asset management software | Tracking hardware and software together | Yes |
| Snow Atlas | IT asset management platform | Teams already on Snow | Not stated |
| Torii | SaaS and AI management | Shadow IT and SaaS sprawl | Not stated |
| USU | IT and service management suite | SAM with SaaS management | Not stated |
| Vertice | Procurement platform for software | Cutting software waste at renewal | Not stated |
Eleven software asset management tools
CerteroX
Best for: IT teams who want software licences, SaaS apps, cloud providers and endpoints brought into one independent asset platform.
CloudEagle
Best for: Companies with sprawling SaaS stacks who want to spot unused licences and govern AI tools, with a free trial.
Eracent
Best for: Large organisations facing vendor audits who want software licence compliance plus software bills of materials.
Flexera One
Best for: Enterprises with big on-premises and cloud estates who want licence optimisation and asset data at scale.
Ivanti
Best for: IT departments already using the same vendor for service management who want asset management in the same family.
Licenseware
Best for: SAM teams and consultants who want modular licence analysis they can switch on piece by piece, starting on a free plan.
ManageEngine AssetExplorer
Best for: Mid-sized IT teams who want hardware and software assets tracked from purchase to expiry, with a free edition.
Snow Atlas
Best for: Organisations that grew up on Snow Software and want its SaaS-based asset platform, now part of Flexera.
Torii
Best for: Finance and IT teams who want to discover every SaaS and AI tool staff use and manage renewals in one place.
USU
Best for: Enterprises who want software asset management alongside SaaS management and IT monitoring from one vendor.
Vertice
Best for: Finance and procurement teams who want software renewals, contracts and waste handled in one procurement platform.
SAM tools by the problem you have
- Big estates and vendor audits: Flexera One, Snow Atlas or Eracent.
- Independent, all-in-one asset data: CerteroX or USU.
- Starting SAM without a big project: Licenseware.
- Hardware and software together: ManageEngine AssetExplorer or Ivanti.
- SaaS sprawl and shadow IT: Torii or CloudEagle.
- Handling renewals and contracts: Vertice.
Why the NCSC starts with an inventory
The National Cyber Security Centre's 10 Steps to Cyber Security includes asset management as a step of its own. It tells organisations to know what data and systems they manage and what business need they support, and to create and maintain an asset inventory.
That's a security argument, not just a tidiness one. Software you don't know about can't be patched, can't be offboarded when someone leaves and can't be checked for a licence breach. The inventory is where every other control starts.
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Classic SAM or SaaS management?
Classic SAM grew up around installed software from big publishers, where an audit can bring a large true-up bill. It's strong on licence rules and compliance.
SaaS management tools are newer. They connect to your single sign-on, finance and email systems to find the apps people use, many of which IT never approved.
Larger firms often need both. Smaller ones, with little installed software, usually get more from a SaaS management tool.
For a picture of the devices behind those licences, our list of network mapping software covers discovery and mapping tools.
Questions to ask before you choose a SAM tool
- How does it discover software and SaaS you don't know about?
- Which publishers' licence rules does it understand?
- Can it flag unused seats before they renew?
- Does it connect to your finance and sign-on systems?
- Will it help when a vendor audit letter arrives?
- Who owns the data once you've collected it?
Licence tracking has a technical cousin, and this guide to software bill of materials tools sets out tools that list the components inside an application.
Signs you've lost track of your software
- Nobody knows who owns an app. Build an inventory.
- Leavers keep their logins. Tie apps to offboarding.
- Renewals surprise you. Track dates centrally.
- An audit letter arrives. Check licence positions fast.
Do you make software asset management or SaaS management? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on software asset management
Pull the past twelve months of card and invoice records and list every software supplier on them before you look at any tool. That list, and the number of names nobody can explain, will tell you whether you need a SaaS management tool, a full SAM suite or just a spreadsheet and a calendar reminder.
If staff are signing up for AI tools on their own, my piece on shadow AI in small businesses covers the risks and what to do about them.
Frequently asked questions
What is software asset management?
It's the practice of tracking what software and SaaS a business owns, who uses it and whether its licences match, so you can stay compliant and stop wasted renewals.
What's the difference between SAM and ITAM?
IT asset management covers hardware and software. Software asset management focuses on licences, usage and compliance for software and SaaS.
What is SaaS management?
It's a newer type of tool that finds the cloud apps staff use, often through sign-on and finance data, and manages their licences and renewals.
Why does the NCSC care about asset management?
Its 10 Steps to Cyber Security tells organisations to know what systems they manage and keep an asset inventory, because you can't protect what you can't see.
Is there free software asset management software?
Some tools offer a free plan or free edition. Check the free plan column above and confirm on each vendor's site.
Do small businesses need SAM tools?
Many start with a simple list of suppliers and renewal dates. A tool becomes useful once you have dozens of apps or face publisher audits.
