# Shadow IT Index: November 2025

Published November 5, 2025 by Torii Research (Torii). Updated October 7, 2026. Canonical URL: https://www.toriihq.com/research/reports/shadow-it-index-november-2025

Desktop and design tools lead November's shadow IT, and none of the 10 apps claims SOC 2.

## What the data says

OneLaunch, OpenArt AI, Wondershare, and Smallpdf top the index with the maximum Shadow IT score of 100. Every other app scores 92 or higher.

Design (4) is the largest category, including OpenArt AI, Wondershare, and GIMP.

GIMP and Remote Desktop Manager have the highest viral scores, at 9.1 and 8.8. Only Smallpdf claims two of SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR.

Based on anonymized, aggregated usage data from October 1 to 31, 2025.

## At a glance

- Top 3: OneLaunch (#1), OpenArt AI (#2), Wondershare (#3).
- Highest Shadow IT scores: 4 apps score 100: OneLaunch, OpenArt AI, Wondershare, Smallpdf.

## What kinds of apps

AI-native apps: 20% (2 of the 10 apps). Share of this edition's apps by theme (one theme per app; definitions at https://www.toriihq.com/research/themes):

- Design and video: 30% (3 apps: Wondershare, GIMP, Doodly)
- AI assistants: 10% (1 app: ChatOn)
- AI content and media: 10% (1 app: OpenArt AI)
- Personal productivity: 10% (1 app: Smallpdf)
- Developer and data tools: 10% (1 app: Zed.dev)
- Security and IT: 10% (1 app: Remote Desktop Manager)
- Browsers and search: 10% (1 app: OneLaunch)
- Ops, HR, and finance: 10% (1 app: Crown Castle)

## Rankings

Ranked by Shadow IT index, then viral score.

| Rank | App | Category | Theme | AI-native | Shadow IT index | Viral score | SOC 2 claimed | ISO 27001 claimed | GDPR claimed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OneLaunch | Productivity | Browsers and search | No | 100 | 4.5 | No | No | Yes |
| 2 | OpenArt AI | Design | AI content and media | Yes | 100 | 3.1 | No | No | No |
| 3 | Wondershare | Design | Design and video | No | 100 | 3.1 | No | No | No |
| 4 | Smallpdf | Productivity | Personal productivity | No | 100 | 2.8 | No | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Remote Desktop Manager | IT & Security | Security and IT | No | 96 | 8.8 | No | No | Yes |
| 6 | GIMP | Design | Design and video | No | 92 | 9.1 | No | No | Yes |
| 7 | Zed.dev | Developer Tools | Developer and data tools | No | 92 | 7.2 | No | No | Yes |
| 8 | ChatOn | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | 92 | 3.1 | No | No | No |
| 9 | Crown Castle | Operations | Ops, HR, and finance | No | 92 | 3.1 | No | No | Yes |
| 10 | Doodly | Design | Design and video | No | 92 | 3.1 | No | No | No |

## Bottom line

Shadow IT isn’t sneaking in this month, it’s sprinting. Desktop customizers and quick-creation tools dominate (OneLaunch, OpenArt, Wondershare, Smallpdf), many scoring a 92 to 100 Shadow IT Index, clear proof convenience is beating procurement. Power users are also adding developer and access tooling like Zed.dev and Remote Desktop Manager with high viral momentum (RDM 8.8, Zed.dev 7.2), raising stakes for secrets and privileged connections. Compliance gaps are common, most entries lack SOC 2/ISO, with Smallpdf a notable ISO 27001 outlier. Bring these apps into scope fast: discover and tag, block risky data entry, and guide users to approved alternatives with evidence-backed guardrails.

## Method

Anonymized, aggregated usage data from companies across industries and sizes, reported as percentages, ranks, and scores. No single organization is identifiable. Methodology: https://www.toriihq.com/research/methodology

## Changelog

- 2026-10-07, Clarification: Standardized the data source description. Torii Research describes its data as anonymized, aggregated usage data, reported as percentages, ranks, and scores.
- 2026-10-07, Update: Added takeaways from this edition's data. This edition was first published with only a short introduction.
- 2026-10-07, Update: Moved from toriiresearch.com; title standardized. Torii Research now lives on toriihq.com. It was first published as "Shadow IT Index Report: November 2025" at toriiresearch.com/reports/shadow-it-index-report-november-2025.

## How to cite

Torii Research. (2025, November 5). Shadow IT Index: November 2025 [Data set]. Torii. https://www.toriihq.com/research/reports/shadow-it-index-november-2025

Data: https://www.toriihq.com/research/data/shadow-it-index-november-2025.csv and https://www.toriihq.com/research/data/shadow-it-index-november-2025.json