Block 64 vs IBM License Metric Tool

Block 64 discovers SaaS applications, tracks their usage, and connects subscriptions with users, departments, and costs. Its continuously updated inventory can identify overlapping apps, inactive users, and subscriptions that appear unused or wasted. Usage and ownership tracking shows how often applications are used and which teams hold subscriptions, supporting spend and renewal reviews and visibility into shadow IT. Discovery options include a Windows agentless application, a virtual appliance for persistent monitoring, and a remote agent for remote or Zero Trust environments. The maker says it connects to 18 SaaS platforms, including AWS, Azure, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Entra ID, Okta, Slack, Atlassian, Jamf Pro, BambooHR, and Zoom; Salesforce and Dropbox are described as coming soon. Integrations are read-only, and data is encrypted in transit and at rest. The company says it is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant, and collects metadata rather than sensitive business data or PII. Block 64 also combines software, SaaS, cloud, hardware, and licensing visibility. Starter costs $349 a month, billed annually, for up to 500 devices and one collector. Pro is $749 a month, billed annually, for up to 1,000 devices and five collectors.

IBM License Metric Tool inventories IBM software measured by processor core and measures required licenses in full-capacity and virtualization sub-capacity environments. IBM recommends it for full-capacity licensing and requires it for sub-capacity licensing. It scans infrastructure for installed IBM software and version details that can support version management and security patching. For sub-capacity use, it produces audit reports, tracks license utilization thresholds, and sends email notifications when thresholds approach or exceed their limits. Installation options are License Metric Tool Lite, License Metric Tool with Ansible, and License Metric Tool with BigFix. It integrates with BigFix and provides a REST API for external systems, which must retrieve data through the API rather than directly from the database. The tool is free, with a listed price of free; customers supply hardware and installation services. Linux installations require DB2, included at no charge for use only with the tool. Windows installations require a customer-provided MS SQL Server instance; MS SQL Server Express is supported for environments under 500 endpoints. Sub-capacity audit snapshots must be generated quarterly and kept for at least two years.