SaaS Subscription Review Checklist
A SaaS audit checklist for small teams: list every subscription, remove unused seats, cancel duplicates and plan renewals before they auto-renew. Run quarterly.
- Typical schedule quarterly
- The checklist 4 sections, 17 items
- Variables
{{quarter}}
Use this checklist every quarter to review the software subscriptions your company pays for. SaaS costs grow quietly. People sign up with a company card, teams buy overlapping tools, and seats stay assigned to people who left months ago. A short quarterly review keeps spend and access under control.
Who owns it
Finance or operations owns the review, because they can see the payments. Each tool also needs a named business owner, the person who decides whether it is still needed and how many seats it needs. IT or whoever manages accounts helps with seat counts and removing access.
Common pitfalls
- Only looking at the card statement. Tools billed annually, paid by invoice, or expensed by employees do not show up every month. Check bank, card, AP and expense reports.
- Paying for leavers. Removing a person from your identity provider does not always free the paid seat in every tool. Check seat counts in each admin console.
- Missing the renewal window. Many annual contracts renew automatically and require notice weeks before the end date. Record the notice date, not only the renewal date.
- Cancelling without exporting. Export data and check who relies on a tool before you cancel it.
A quarterly scheduled run in Runbook makes the review a habit, and the run history shows what was cancelled and when. Adapt this to your jurisdiction and your contracts; it is a practical checklist, not legal advice.
The checklist: SaaS subscription review {{quarter}}
Build the inventory
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Export software payments for the last 12 months from bank, company cards, AP and expense reports
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Update the subscription register: tool, owner, plan, seats, cost, billing cycle and renewal date
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Add tools found through single sign-on or OAuth app lists (e.g. Google Workspace, Entra ID, Okta) optional
These lists often show tools that individuals connected without a purchase.
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Confirm each tool has a named business owner
Check usage
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Compare paid seats to active users in each tool's admin console
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Remove seats assigned to former employees and contractors
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Downgrade or remove seats for users with no recent activity, after checking with the owner
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Identify tools with overlapping functions, such as two video or note-taking tools
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Confirm each owner still needs their tool, and record the decision
Act on costs
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Cancel unused subscriptions after exporting any data you need to keep
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Move monthly subscriptions you will keep for a year to annual billing where the saving is worth it optional
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Consolidate duplicate accounts bought by different teams into one company account
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Ask for a better price or plan on the largest renewals coming up
Plan renewals and access
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Record the cancellation notice deadline for every contract renewing in the next two quarters
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Set reminders for each notice deadline, assigned to the tool owner
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Confirm admin access to each tool is held by at least two company accounts, not a personal login
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Share the updated register and the savings for
{{quarter}}with management
Checklist as Markdown
Frequently asked questions
How do I find all the SaaS subscriptions my company pays for?
Combine several sources: bank and card statements, supplier invoices in accounts payable, and employee expense reports. Then check the list of apps connected to your identity provider or Google or Microsoft accounts. Tools bought on personal cards and expensed are the most commonly missed.
How often should we review software subscriptions?
Quarterly works well for most small and mid-sized teams. It is often enough to catch seats left by leavers and to act before most annual renewals, without taking much time. Also check the register whenever someone leaves the company or a large contract comes up for renewal.
What should a SaaS subscription register include?
At least the tool name, business owner, plan, number of seats, cost, billing cycle, renewal date and the notice deadline for cancellation. Adding the admin accounts and whether the tool holds personal or customer data helps with offboarding and with data protection reviews.
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