In the modern enterprise, software is often the second largest operating expense after payroll. Yet, unlike payroll, software spend is notoriously difficult to track, verify, and control. In our analysis of over 500 corporate IT portfolios, we discovered a striking metric: an average of 28% of software budgets are wasted on unused, underutilized, or duplicate subscriptions.
The most common form of waste is the "inactive seat"—a license purchased for an employee who has either left the company or simply never logs into the platform. When a team manager requests 50 licenses for a tool like Figma, Zendesk, or Salesforce, they are typically bought as an annual contract. If only 30 employees use it actively, the company continues paying for 20 empty seats month after month.
A 150-person product company buys 45 Figma Enterprise Editor licenses at $45/user/month. A quick SSO audit reveals that 14 users haven't opened Figma in 60 days. Reclaiming those licenses saves $630/month, or $7,560/year, on just one tool.
How often does an employee sign up for a "free 14-day trial" using a corporate credit card, forget to cancel it, and leave the department to pay the monthly charge? Over time, these forgotten tools form a layer of "Ghost SaaS" that sits on balance sheets completely unnoticed. Because many recurring tools cost under $50/month, they slip past accounting thresholds.
To regain control of your SaaS budgets, we recommend a three-step action plan:
"Managing SaaS waste isn't about cutting tools that teams need to be productive. It's about ensuring you aren't paying premium prices for licenses that sit completely untouched."
Connect your SSO in under 10 minutes and let The Spend Shift scan your stack for unused seats.