SaaS Discovery Tools: Complete Guide for AI & Shadow SaaS Visibility

What Are SaaS Discovery Tools?

SaaS Discovery tools identify every SaaS and AI app your workforce is using — whether IT approved it or not.
This means:

• Apps signed in with Google Workspace / O365 SSO
• OAuth grants to AI assistants (ChatGPT, Gemini extensions, Notion AI, etc.)
• Apps used via browser uploads
• AI tools connected to Slack, Jira, HubSpot, GitHub
• Extensions installed in Chrome (every extension is now “AI-enabled”)
• Shadow AI apps employees try out for productivity

SaaS Discovery sits at the intersection of:

• SaaS Security (SSPM)
• DSPM (Data Discovery)
• DLP
• AI Data Governance

Because every SaaS app is now an AI app.

Why SaaS Discovery Tools Matter in the AI Era

AI is the biggest forcing function since cloud adoption.

Employees are using:

• ChatGPT
• Gemini
• Claude
• Perplexity
• Notion AI
• Canva AI
• HubSpot AI
• Slack/Teams AI
• GitHub Copilot
• Browser extensions with embedded LLM models

None of these are centrally visible without SaaS Discovery.

Data they put into those apps?
Customer PII, PHI, contracts, internal docs, screenshots, CSVs, code.

Without SaaS Discovery, you have:

• Zero visibility into AI tools employees are using
• No audit trail of where sensitive data is flowing
• Inconsistent access policies across SaaS
• Unknown OAuth permissions (most dangerous)
• Idle but risky AI integrations

SaaS Discovery is no longer optional — AI made it mandatory.

How SaaS Discovery Tools Work

Modern SaaS Discovery tools use a combination of methods:

1. SSO & Identity Log Analysis

Track sign-ins via:

• Google Workspace
• Azure AD / Entra
• Okta
• OneLogin

This surfaces every OAuth grant + scopes such as:

• read emails
• read Drive files
• read Slack messages
• extract contacts
• read calendar data

2. OAuth Consent Insights

Identify all third-party apps users grant access to:

• Chrome extensions
• AI plugins
• SaaS add-ons

3. Network & Browser Visibility

Especially relevant for GenAI interactions.
With browser-based DLP you see:

• file uploads to AI apps
• drag-drop content
• copy-paste text
• screenshot uploads
• PDF uploads

4. SaaS App Integrations (API-Level)

Connect to core apps:

• Google Drive
• Slack
• Notion
• Zendesk
• Confluence
• SharePoint
• Jira
• Salesforce

And map every other connected app inside those platforms.

What Risks SaaS Discovery Tools Solve

SaaS Discovery helps eliminate high-risk gaps across SaaS + AI:

1. Shadow SaaS / Shadow AI

Employees use tools IT doesn't know about.

2. Unmanaged OAuth Permissions

AI apps requesting “read all files in Google Drive.”

3. Data Exfiltration Into AI Assistants

Employees paste sensitive data into:

• ChatGPT
• Gemini
• Perplexity
• Claude
• Copilot
• Browser extensions with LLMs

4. Identity Fragmentation

Multiple accounts, shared credentials, unmanaged accounts.

5. Broken Offboarding

Ex-employees retaining access to:

• Apps they signed into with Google
• AI apps that store chat history
• Extensions that still process data

6. Compliance Gaps:

• SOC 2
• HIPAA
• GDPR
• PCI
• NYDFS
• SEC Cybersecurity Rules

Regulators increasingly ask:
"Do you know where your sensitive data flows across SaaS & AI apps?"

Core Capabilities of SaaS Discovery Tools

Here are the essential capabilities modern SaaS Discovery tools must have:

1. AI App Visibility

Not just SaaS—every AI app.

2. Real-Time Detection

Instant alert when someone OAuth-connects a risky app.

3. Data Exposure Assessment

Which apps can read:

• emails
• drive files
• slack messages
• customer data
• calendars

4. User Access Mapping

Who is using what app?

5. Automated Offboarding

Remove access from apps you don’t control.

6. AI Data Governance

Control sensitive data flowing into GenAI apps.

7. DLP for Browser / SaaS

Real-time block/remediate risky uploads.

Top 10 SaaS Discovery Tools (aka SaaS Discovery Vendors)

Here are the best SaaS Discovery tools in 2025 — with a major shift driven by the AI explosion, OAuth sprawl, and ungoverned AI assistants that employees connect daily.
These platforms help security teams gain visibility into shadow SaaS, AI tools, identity sprawl, OAuth permissions, risky plugins, and unmanaged data flows across the modern workforce.

1. Strac — SaaS Discovery + AI Data Governance (Best Overall)

Strac is the #1 SaaS Discovery platform in 2025 because it’s built for the new reality:
every SaaS app is now an AI app, and every employee is connecting AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Perplexity) without IT knowing.

Where most SaaS Discovery tools stop at OAuth logs, Strac adds real-time AI upload detection, browser DLP, SaaS DSPM, SaaS DLP, and AI governance — all in one platform.

Best For

Companies that want complete visibility + real-time enforcement across SaaS, AI, browser, cloud apps, and data stores.

Key Capabilities

• Workforce-wide SaaS & AI app discovery
• OAuth permission mapping (Drive/Gmail/Slack access)
• AI assistant discovery (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.)
• Browser DLP for file uploads, drag-drop, copy-paste
• SaaS DSPM for Drive, Slack, SharePoint, OneDrive
• SaaS DLP for Slack, Zendesk, Jira, etc.
• Real-time alerts & blocking for risky AI uploads
• Offboarding automation for all SaaS/AI accounts

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Why Strac Is Different

Most vendors only discover apps.
Strac discovers + protects + governs SaaS & AI data flows — real-time.

👉 Internal link: https://strac.io/integrations
👉 Internal link: https://strac.io/blog/saas-discovery

‍

2. BetterCloud — Legacy SaaS Management

BetterCloud is one of the oldest SaaS management tools, more oriented toward IT automation than modern SaaS Discovery.

Strengths

• SaaS lifecycle management
• Offboarding workflows
• Admin automation

Limitations

• Weak AI visibility
• Weak OAuth insight
• No DLP or DSPM
• Not designed for modern AI risk

3. Todyl — Unified Security Platform

Todyl recently added SaaS Discovery inside a larger SMB-focused security suite.

Strengths

• Good for SMBs
• Integrated security stack
• Network-based discovery signals

Limitations

• Limited OAuth intelligence
• Not AI-focused
• Not enterprise-class

4. Wing Security — Browser Extension-Based Discovery

Wing uses a browser agent for SaaS visibility and has added OAuth insights.

Strengths

• Good browser-level SaaS discovery
• Fast install
• Covers Chrome extensions

Limitations

• Limited AI upload analysis
• No DSPM
• Narrow remediation
• Focused more on “SaaS hygiene” than deep governance

5 Lumos — Identity-Driven Access Management

Lumos is primarily an access request platform but includes SaaS Discovery capabilities.

Strengths

• Good for IT access governance
• Nice UX
• Identity-first model

Limitations

• Not security-focused
• Weak AI governance
• Limited SaaS visibility
• No real-time AI upload detection

6. Grip Security — Identity-Based SaaS Discovery

Grip focuses heavily on identity and account takeover and includes SaaS Discovery as part of its identity fabric.

Strengths

• Good identity mapping
• SaaS account risk scoring

Limitations

• No AI monitoring
• No DLP
• Small ecosystem

7. Zluri — SaaS Spend + Management

Zluri is an IT operations tool with SaaS Discovery primarily for procurement and spend control.

Strengths

• SaaS catalog
• Spend management
• Renewals automation

Limitations

• Not security-focused
• No AI governance
• No browser-level insights

8. Vendr — SaaS Spend & Renewal Platform

Vendr isn’t a security tool — but many customers use it for discovery because it tracks SaaS invoices, contracts, and spend.

Strengths

• Financial discovery (billing, contracts)
• Helpful for procurement

Limitations

• No OAuth signals
• No AI visibility
• No remediation
• Zero security focus

Spicy FAQs of SaaS Discovery Tools (🌶️)

🌶️ Do SaaS Discovery tools also discover AI apps?

Yes — in 2025, SaaS Discovery must include AI assistants, AI plugins, AI extensions.
Anything employees sign into or upload data to is an “AI app.”

🌶️ Can SaaS Discovery prevent data uploads to ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot?

Not alone.
You need browser-level DLP + AI governance policies (Strac does this).

🌶️ Is SaaS Discovery required for SOC 2, HIPAA, or SEC rules?

Increasingly yes.
Regulators now expect visibility into data transfers across SaaS & AI ecosystems.

🌶️ Can OAuth permissions be blocked automatically?

Yes.
With Strac, you can revoke risky AI/SaaS OAuth grants instantly.

🌶️ Why do most SSPM vendors not detect AI app usage?

Because SSPM focuses on configuration of prime SaaS apps (Slack, Google Workspace) — not the long tail of AI tools employees experiment with. Strac covers both.