The usual trigger is small and embarrassing: a sales rep leaves a phone in a taxi, or an auditor asks which laptops have disk encryption switched on, and nobody can answer. Mobile device management software is how a company of 30 or 300 gets from a spreadsheet of serial numbers to a console that can enroll a new iPhone out of the box, push the Wi-Fi profile, require a passcode and erase the thing when it goes missing. This ranking looks at fourteen products the way a small or mid-sized business buys them: which operating systems each one really covers, whether the price is on the website, what the free tier or trial lets you test, how hard it is to move your enrolled devices to a different vendor later, and whether the product suits an office of employee phones or a floor of shared scanners. Every price and limit quoted was read on the vendor's own site in September 2026.
Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the
shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in mobile device management software
cannot hold places 1 to 3. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
How we ranked these
Setup: from a sealed box to a managed device
Standing up an MDM is mostly paperwork with Apple and Google. You need an Apple push certificate, an Apple Business Manager account linked to your reseller so new iPhones and Macs enroll themselves, and an Android Enterprise binding for the Android side. We ranked higher the products whose trial lets you do all of that for real: SimpleMDM's 30-day trial allows unlimited enrollment, Miradore's and Hexnode's need no credit card. We marked down anything that requires a server before the first device appears, which is why the self-hosted options, Fleet and Headwind MDM, sit lower for a buyer without an infrastructure engineer. Devices already in employees' hands are the slow part: each one usually has to be enrolled by its user or wiped.
The real price: per device, per user, and the tier your laptops need
Two billing units exist and they favor different companies. Per-device pricing, used by ten of the fourteen products here, suits shared hardware and one-device-per-person offices. Per-user pricing, used by Microsoft Intune and JumpCloud, suits staff who each carry a phone, a laptop and a tablet. The headline rate is rarely the rate you pay: Hexnode keeps BitLocker and patch management for its unpriced Ultra tier, Scalefusion sells identity and security as separate lines, and Intune's Remote Help is an add-on. Minimums matter at small sizes: Mosyle's paid tiers start at 30 licenses, Esper's contracts at 25 devices, Scalefusion's at 10. Check whether the listed figure is for monthly or annual billing before comparing two vendors.
Getting your data out: inventory exports and the enrollment you cannot export
There are two kinds of data in an MDM. The first is the record: serial numbers, assigned users, installed apps, compliance state, configuration profiles. Ask for a CSV export and an API; SimpleMDM documents a REST API with webhooks, Fleet advertises open APIs and flexible data formats, and Headwind MDM's Community edition includes a REST API. The second kind is the enrollment itself, the trust relationship between each device and the server, and that does not travel in a file. Leaving a vendor normally means unenrolling and re-enrolling every device, and for supervised Apple hardware that can mean a wipe. Fleet lists MDM migration as a Premium feature; with every other vendor, ask how they handle it before you sign, not after.
Independence from the vendor: who holds the push certificate and the server
Your exit depends on three things you should own from day one: the Apple Business Manager organization, the Apple ID used to create the push certificate, and the Android Enterprise binding. Create them with a shared company mailbox, never a personal address or an account belonging to your reseller. Beyond that, deployment choice is the main lever. Fleet says both its free and paid versions can be self-hosted and that most of its code is MIT licensed; Headwind MDM states it can run on your premises without an internet connection. Most of the rest are sold first and foremost as a hosted console. Ownership is worth a glance too: Miradore belongs to GoTo and SimpleMDM to PDQ, so roadmaps are set by a parent.
Who it's for: employee phones, Apple-only offices, or a wall of kiosks
Three different buyers search for the same phrase. An office where each person has a phone and a laptop wants enrollment, encryption, patching and a wipe button: Miradore, Hexnode, Intune or JumpCloud. An all-Apple company can take a specialist, and SimpleMDM, Mosyle and Jamf do more with Macs than the generalists. A retailer, logistics firm or clinic with shared, single-purpose hardware needs kiosk lockdown and staged updates, which is Esper's and Scalefusion's territory, with TinyMDM and Headwind MDM for Android-only fleets. Bring-your-own-device is its own case: look for work-profile support on Android and app-level protection, which Intune documents for personal phones. Buying the wrong shape is the most common mistake in this category.
The 14 tools, reviewed
#1 Miradore
Cloud MDM for Android, iOS, macOS and Windows · Finland · miradore.com
Free up to 50 devices Four platforms Monthly billing
Miradore tops this ranking because a 40-person company can enroll every phone and laptop it owns, pay nothing, and still get an inventory with remote lock, wipe and passcode reset. The vendor describes it as cloud-based and lists Android, iOS, macOS and Windows as supported. When the fleet outgrows the free tier, both paid tiers have public per-device prices and can be paid month to month, so the first invoice is not a twelve-month commitment. The 14-day trial runs on Premium+ without a credit card, which shows what the paid features do before you settle back to free. It has been part of GoTo since 2022.
Where it falls short
The free tier is an inventory with a panic button, not a management tool: configuration profiles, application deployment, system update scheduling and automation all start at Premium, and integrations, the built-in remote support and phone support sit in Premium+. The vendor FAQ names four operating systems, so Chromebooks and Linux workstations stay outside the console. Free-tier help is the knowledge base only.
Wrong for
Shops that run Linux laptops or Chromebooks alongside phones should look at Hexnode or Fleet, and an all-Apple office gets deeper Apple tooling from SimpleMDM or Mosyle for similar money.
Pricing: Free for up to 50 devices after a 14-day trial; Premium is $2.75 per device per month on annual billing ($3.30 monthly) and Premium+ is $3.95 ($4.75 monthly). (free plan)
Visit Miradore →
#2 SimpleMDM
Apple-only MDM with a single per-device price · United States · simplemdm.com
Apple only No contract API and webhooks
SimpleMDM does one thing: iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs and Vision Pro headsets. The pricing page has two numbers and neither needs a quote, the vendor says no contract is required, and the 30-day trial is fully functional with unlimited enrollment, so a real pilot on real laptops is possible. API access and the Munki integration for Mac software are listed as included rather than sold as extras, and the feature page documents a REST API with webhooks, which matters the day you want your own inventory feed. Onboarding assistance is included without a setup fee. PDQ, based in South Salt Lake, Utah, acquired the product.
Where it falls short
The platform list on the vendor site stops at Apple: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and visionOS. One Windows laptop or one Android handheld in the warehouse means a second tool. No free tier is advertised, only the trial, so a five-device office pays from month two. The Enterprise plan is custom priced and billed annually, which ends the no-sales-call simplicity for larger accounts.
Wrong for
Mixed Windows and Android fleets need Hexnode, Scalefusion or Intune instead. A very small Apple shop that wants to pay nothing should check Mosyle's free tier for up to 30 devices first.
Pricing: $3.00 per device per month on the monthly plan or $2.50 per device per month on the annual plan, no contract required; Enterprise is custom and billed annually. (free trial)
Visit SimpleMDM →
#3 Hexnode UEM
Unified endpoint management across eleven device platforms · United States · hexnode.com
11 platforms Kiosk lockdown Published tiers
Hexnode is what you buy when the device list reads like a lost-property box: the pricing page names Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire OS, visionOS and Zebra Link OS printers. Mobile kiosk management, app management, location tracking, Apple Business Manager and Android Enterprise are in the Pro tier, so a retailer locking tablets to one app does not need the expensive plan. Three of four tiers carry public prices and the 14-day trial needs no credit card. The publisher is Mitsogo Inc., with its listed office on Pine Street in San Francisco.
Where it falls short
Laptop management is rationed by tier. Pro is mobile-focused; basic desktop management arrives in Enterprise; custom scripting, Windows Autopilot, FileVault and advanced reporting need Ultimate; patch management, BitLocker and desktop remote control are held for Ultra, the one tier without a published price. Included technician licenses run from two on Pro to five on Ultra, which a busy help desk will hit quickly.
Wrong for
A company that mainly needs Windows and Mac patching with encryption enforcement will land on the quote-only tier; Intune or Fleet Premium cover that ground at a published price.
Pricing: Pro lists at $2.2, Enterprise at $3.2 and Ultimate at $4.7 per device per month, with monthly or annual billing; the top Ultra tier is on request. (free trial)
Visit Hexnode UEM →
#4 Mosyle Business
Apple-only management with security add-ons in one product · United States · business.mosyle.com
Apple only Free up to 30 devices Annual billing
On price alone nothing here touches Mosyle for Apple hardware. The free tier takes up to 30 Macs, iPhones and iPads, and the paid Premium tier lists at $1.00 per device per month. The Fuse bundle, at $3.00 per Mac, folds endpoint security, DNS filtering and identity into the same console, which for a 60-Mac agency can replace two other subscriptions. Apple Watch and Apple TV management cost nothing extra alongside a paid iPhone or Mac license. The company states it holds a SOC 2 Type II report and describes itself as bootstrapped.
Where it falls short
Every paid tier carries a minimum of 30 licenses and is billed annually, so the step from free to paid is a yearly commitment for at least 30 devices even if you own 31. It manages Apple operating systems only. The vendor says all customer data is stored in the United States within Azure, which some European buyers will need to clear with their privacy officer before signing.
Wrong for
Anyone with Windows or Android devices, and buyers who want month-to-month billing: SimpleMDM bills monthly for Apple fleets and Miradore does the same across four platforms.
Pricing: Mosyle Business FREE covers up to 30 devices; Business PREMIUM is $1.00 per device per month and Mosyle Fuse is $3.00 per Mac or $1.50 per iOS, iPadOS or visionOS device per month, each with a minimum of 30 licenses billed annually. (free plan)
Visit Mosyle Business →
#5 Microsoft Intune
Cloud endpoint management bundled with Microsoft 365 · United States · microsoft.com
Included in M365 Per user Six platforms
For a company that already buys Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3 or E5, Intune is a license it holds and has not switched on. Microsoft documents support for Android, iOS and iPadOS, Linux, macOS, Windows and Chrome OS, and the licensing is per user, so an employee with a laptop, a phone and a tablet is one line on the bill. App protection policies can fence off work data on personal phones. A 30-day trial exists. It sits fifth because the majors rule keeps it out of the top three and because Miradore, SimpleMDM and Hexnode are faster for a small team to get right.
Where it falls short
The standalone price is per user on an annual subscription, and the useful extras are separate line items: Remote Help at $3.50, Endpoint Privilege Management at $3.00 and Enterprise Application Management at $2.00 per user per month on top of Plan 1. Device-only licenses for kiosks do not support app protection policies or Conditional Access. Microsoft notes that app protection policies are not supported on Chrome OS.
Wrong for
Companies that run Google Workspace and mostly Macs gain little from the bundle and inherit the complexity; SimpleMDM, Mosyle or JumpCloud fit that shape of company better.
Pricing: Intune Plan 1 is listed at $8.00 per user per month, paid yearly, and is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium ($22.00 per user per month), E3 and E5; add-ons such as Remote Help ($3.50) are priced separately. (free trial)
Visit Microsoft Intune →
#6 Fleet
Open-source device management you can run yourself · United States · fleetdm.com
MIT licensed core Self-hosted GitOps
Fleet is the one product on this page whose source you can read: the vendor states the majority of the code is MIT licensed and that both the free and the paid versions can be self-hosted, including on air-gapped networks. Configuration can live in a git repository and pass through the same review process as application code, with history as commits. It covers macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Android and ChromeOS. The free tier has no host cap according to the vendor documentation. For a 150-person software company with a platform engineer who already runs Kubernetes, that is a very good deal.
Where it falls short
The free tier ships without vendor support, and the pricing page puts MDM migration, zero-touch setup, disk encryption enforcement and vulnerability scanning in Premium at $7.00 per host per month, above the entry tier of every hosted rival on this page. Managed cloud hosting is offered only to customers with 700 or more hosts, with limited availability, so smaller companies run the server themselves.
Wrong for
A company without someone comfortable running a server and a database should not self-host its device management. Miradore or Hexnode give the same small fleet a hosted console on day one.
Pricing: Free tier at $0 per host per month with no support; Premium is $7.00 per host per month; custom pricing for large deployments. (open source)
Visit Fleet →
#7 Scalefusion
Device management for frontline, kiosk and office fleets · India · scalefusion.com
Annual billing Kiosk mode 10-device minimum
Scalefusion is built around devices that do a job rather than belong to a person: delivery handhelds, shop-floor tablets, reception kiosks. Single and multi-app kiosk mode, remote cast and control for troubleshooting, and shared-device management with policy switching are all named on its product page. It manages Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS and Apple TV, and every tier has a public price. The 14-day trial has full feature access and there is no setup cost for cloud deployments. The vendor lists ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type 2 and is headquartered in Pune.
Where it falls short
All four tiers are billed annually and the order form needs at least 10 devices, so it is the least flexible of the published-price vendors for a seasonal workforce. Identity and endpoint security are separate product lines with their own per-device prices (OneIdP from $4, Veltar from $3), and the bundled 360 Enterprise Suite lists at $12.42 per device per month, a long way from the $2 headline.
Wrong for
Offices of fewer than ten devices, and anyone who wants to pay monthly: Miradore and SimpleMDM both take a card month to month with no minimum stated.
Pricing: Essential $2, Growth $3.50, Business $5 and Enterprise $6 per device per month, all billed annually, with a minimum of 10 devices. (free trial)
Visit Scalefusion →
#8 JumpCloud
Cloud directory with device management attached · United States · jumpcloud.com
Per user Directory included 30-day trial
JumpCloud approaches the problem from the account rather than the handset. The same console that creates a user can bind that user's Mac, Windows PC, Linux box and phone, and patch management covers Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, browsers and applications. For a 70-person company with no Active Directory and no wish to build one, buying identity and devices together removes an integration. The Device Management package has a public price and can be billed monthly, and the 30-day trial gives full platform access. The company is headquartered in Louisville, Colorado.
Where it falls short
Pricing counts people, not hardware, which is awkward for a warehouse with 40 shared scanners and six named staff. The Device Management package at $9 per user per month on annual billing is a different unit from the per-device rates of Miradore or SimpleMDM, and works out higher when each person has a single device. The broader Platform packages have no public price, and single sign-on sits in a different package from device management.
Wrong for
A business that already has an identity provider it likes and only wants phones enrolled is paying for a directory it will not use. Hexnode or Scalefusion are the cheaper route there.
Pricing: The Device Management package is $9 per user per month billed annually or $11.00 billed monthly; Device Identity Management is $13 billed annually; the full Platform packages are quoted by sales. (free trial)
Visit JumpCloud →
#9 Jamf
Apple device management and security platform · United States · jamf.com
Apple first Quote only 14-day trial
Jamf is the vendor other Apple MDMs are compared against. Jamf Pro provisions Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV hands-free, groups devices dynamically with Smart Groups, and ships compliance benchmarks for hardening. The vendor lists integrations with Microsoft Entra, Google Workspace and Okta, which is what a 400-Mac company with an existing identity provider actually needs. Jamf for Mobile extends to iOS, iPadOS, visionOS, watchOS, tvOS and Android. A free 14-day trial is offered. As the dominant Apple specialist it is marked a major here and cannot sit in the top three; its global headquarters is in Minneapolis.
Where it falls short
No price for Jamf for Mac or Jamf for Mobile appears on the pricing page; both say Contact Us, and the page notes localized pricing comes from a representative or partner. Mac and mobile are presented as separate products, so a mixed Apple fleet is two conversations. Jamf for Mac manages macOS only, and no Windows management is listed among the three products on that page.
Wrong for
A 20-person studio that wants to see a number and enter a card will be happier with SimpleMDM or Mosyle. Windows-heavy companies should start with Intune or Hexnode.
Pricing: Jamf for Mac and Jamf for Mobile are both priced on request; Jamf Now, aimed at organizations with fewer than 25 employees, advertises management of up to 3 devices for free. (free trial)
Visit Jamf →
#10 Iru
Endpoint, identity and compliance platform, formerly Kandji · United States · iru.com
Formerly Kandji Quote only Auto Apps
Iru started as Kandji, and the renamed company now lists macOS, Windows, Android, iPhone and iPad, Apple TV and Vision Pro as managed platforms. Two features explain why mid-sized IT teams shortlist it: Auto Apps, a library of more than 200 pre-packaged Mac and Windows applications that patch themselves, and security templates mapped to CIS Level 1 and Level 2 benchmarks, which shorten an audit. Assignment Maps show visually which configuration lands on which device and flag conflicts. Onboarding and migration support are included for all customers, per the pricing page. The company gives a Miami address.
Where it falls short
There is no published price for any product; the pricing page asks you to request a quote for Endpoint, Identity and Compliance separately, and says the figure depends on solutions, users and devices. That makes budget comparison with the per-device vendors above impossible before a sales call. The compliance products are demo-only rather than trialable.
Wrong for
Buyers who need a firm number this week, or who have fewer than a few dozen devices, should price SimpleMDM, Mosyle or Hexnode first and come back if those run out of depth.
Pricing: Quote only: the vendor says pricing is based on the solutions you need and the number of users and devices; a free 14-day trial is offered for Endpoint Management. (free trial)
Visit Iru →
#11 NinjaOne
Endpoint management platform with MDM for mobiles · United States · ninjaone.com
Patching first Volume tiers 14-day trial
NinjaOne is an endpoint management and patching platform for Windows, macOS and Linux machines, and its MDM product brings Android and Apple mobiles into the same console. For an internal IT team of two that already lives in a patching dashboard, enrolling the company iPhones there beats opening a second tool. The MDM page lists zero-touch enrollment, policy templates, remote lock and wipe, app install and block, kiosk mode and a remote view of the mobile screen. Support and implementation are described as free and unlimited, and a 14-day trial is available. Headquarters are in Austin, Texas.
Where it falls short
The published range tells you the floor and the ceiling, not your price: the vendor FAQ says each quote is customized to agent count and functionality. The pricing page does not say whether the quoted per-endpoint figures cover the MDM product, so ask. Month-to-month billing is granted case by case. Buying a full endpoint platform to manage 30 phones is more product than the task needs.
Wrong for
A phones-and-tablets-only fleet with no laptops to patch. Miradore, Scalefusion or TinyMDM do that narrower job at a published price without an account manager.
Pricing: Per-device tiered pricing with volume discounts; the pricing page gives a range from $1.50 per month at 10,000 endpoints to $3.75 at 50 or fewer, and the final figure is set with sales. (free trial)
Visit NinjaOne →
#12 Esper
Device management for dedicated, single-purpose hardware · United States · esper.io
Dedicated devices 25-device minimum Pipelines
Esper says plainly what it is for: company-owned hardware doing a single job, such as kiosks, point-of-sale systems, barcode scanners and signage. Blueprints define the state a device should be in, and pipelines roll an app or firmware update through a fleet in stages, which is the tooling a restaurant chain needs when a bad update would close 200 tills. It supports Android, iOS and iPadOS, tvOS, Linux and Windows, and offers its own Android build, Esper Foundation, that it patches itself. Three tiers have public prices and the trial runs 30 days. The registered office is in Bellevue, Washington.
Where it falls short
Limits are tight on the lower tiers. Genesis allows two custom apps; API access, single sign-on, role-based access control and geofencing start at Bridge; remote viewer sessions are capped at 15 minutes on Bridge and 30 on Architect. Every plan has a 25-device contract minimum. Seamless provisioning, a static IP and extended data retention are paid add-ons.
Wrong for
Ordinary office fleets where each person carries a phone and a laptop: the product is shaped for unattended hardware. Miradore, Hexnode or Intune suit employee devices better.
Pricing: Genesis $2, Bridge $4 and Architect $6 per device per month; Enterprise is custom; contracts on every plan have a 25-device minimum. (free trial)
Visit Esper →
#13 TinyMDM
Android-only MDM from a French publisher · France · tinymdm.net
Android only Priced in euros Based in France
TinyMDM manages Android and nothing else, across the four Android Enterprise modes: single-purpose kiosk, fully managed, work profile on a personal phone, and work profile on a company-owned one. There is one feature set rather than a ladder of tiers, the admin console allows unlimited managers, and remote control and internet filtering are part of the standard plans. The annual and monthly prices are both public, in euros, with US and Canadian dollars and pounds also accepted. The publisher, ARS NOVA SYSTEMS, is in Nantes and lists ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification and Samsung Knox validation. A cleaning company with 80 Android phones needs little more than this.
Where it falls short
It is Android only, so the first iPad or laptop needs another product. The free trial is capped at 10 devices for 30 days, which is thin for testing a rollout of several hundred. Connecting admin logins through SAML, extra storage and multi-year terms are listed under the Custom plan, which has no published price. The home page does not say where customer data is hosted.
Wrong for
Any company with iPhones or computers to manage. For Android plus everything else at similar per-device money, look at Hexnode or Scalefusion.
Pricing: Classic is €21.20 per device per year billed annually; Flexible is €2.12 per device per month; Custom plans are quoted. (free trial)
Visit TinyMDM →
#14 Headwind MDM
Open-source, self-hostable MDM for Android · United Arab Emirates · h-mdm.com
Open source On-premises Android only
Headwind MDM is the answer to a specific brief: Android devices, on our own server, no third-party cloud. The vendor states the software does not rely on any cloud services and can run on your premises even without an internet connection. The Community edition is published on GitHub and covers enrollment by QR code, application install and update, group policies and a managed launcher, with a REST API. The paid Premium edition is a one-time license rather than a subscription, and a hosted Cloud edition with a two-month free trial exists for those who change their mind about servers. The publisher is a Dubai free-zone company.
Where it falls short
It is described by the vendor as an MDM system for Android; iPhones and laptops are out of scope. Kiosk mode, remote lock and wipe, location tracking and remote control are listed as paid-edition features rather than Community ones, and remote control with URL filtering is a further $990 one-time add-on. Running it yourself means owning the server, the certificates and the upgrades.
Wrong for
Teams without a Linux administrator, and any fleet that includes Apple devices. TinyMDM is the hosted Android-only alternative; Fleet is the open-source choice when laptops and iPhones are involved.
Pricing: A free open-source Community edition; Cloud at $19 per year per device; Premium as a one-time $2990 for up to 300 devices with optional support at $1490 per year; Enterprise on quote. (open source)
Visit Headwind MDM →
Questions and answers
What is the best mobile device management software in 2026?
For a small or mid-sized business with a mix of devices, Miradore ranks first: it is free for up to 50 devices, covers Android, iOS, macOS and Windows, and its two paid tiers have public prices with monthly billing. SimpleMDM, second, is the better pick when every device is an Apple product and you want one flat rate with no contract. Hexnode, third, wins when the fleet includes kiosks, Linux machines, Chromebooks or rugged handhelds, since it lists eleven platforms. Microsoft Intune and Jamf are strong products held to fourth place or lower by this site's rule on dominant vendors.
What is the difference between MDM, EMM and UEM?
They are generations of the same idea. MDM originally meant controlling the whole phone: enrollment, settings, passcode, wipe. EMM added management of individual apps and content, which made personal devices workable. UEM extends the same console to laptops and desktops, so Windows and macOS are handled with the phones. Vendors now use the terms loosely; Hexnode and Scalefusion call themselves UEM, Miradore uses all three on one page. What to check is the platform list and whether laptop features such as disk encryption and patching are in the tier you are pricing.
Is there free mobile device management software that is usable for a business?
Yes, four options on this list cost nothing to keep using. Miradore's free tier takes up to 50 devices with tracking, lock, wipe and passcode reset. Mosyle Business FREE takes up to 30 Apple devices. Fleet's free tier is self-hosted and unsupported, and Headwind MDM's Community edition is open source for Android. Jamf Now also advertises up to 3 devices for free. The limits are real: Miradore reserves configuration profiles and app deployment for paid tiers, and the two open-source products need someone to run a server.
How much does MDM software cost per device?
Among the vendors here that publish prices, entry tiers run from $1.00 per device per month (Mosyle Business PREMIUM, 30-license minimum, billed annually) through $2 (Scalefusion Essential, Esper Genesis), $2.2 (Hexnode Pro), $2.50 to $3.00 (SimpleMDM) and $2.75 (Miradore Premium, annual billing) to $7.00 per host for Fleet Premium. TinyMDM lists €21.20 per device per year. Per-user vendors are priced differently: Intune Plan 1 at $8.00 per user per month paid yearly, JumpCloud's Device Management package at $9 on annual billing. Billing bases differ, so compare totals for your own fleet.
Do I need Apple Business Manager to use an MDM?
Not strictly, but you want it. Without Apple Business Manager, each iPhone or Mac has to be enrolled by hand or by the user, and the user can usually remove management. With it, devices bought from Apple or a participating reseller are assigned to your MDM before they are unboxed and enroll themselves at first power-on, which vendors call zero-touch or automated device enrollment. SimpleMDM, Hexnode, Jamf and Iru all list this. The account is free from Apple and belongs to your company, not to the MDM vendor, so set it up under a shared company address.
Can an MDM see personal photos, messages or browsing on an employee's own phone?
On a personally owned phone enrolled the modern way, management is confined to a work container. Android calls it a work profile, and TinyMDM, Hexnode and Intune all document support for it; the employer controls and can erase the work side only. Microsoft describes Intune as separating business data from personal data on employee-owned devices through app protection policies. On a fully managed, company-owned device the employer has far more control, including location tracking where the product offers it. Tell staff in writing which mode their device is in; most disputes start from not knowing.
Can one MDM manage iPhones, Android phones, Windows laptops and Macs together?
Several can. Miradore covers those four platforms, and Iru covers them too; Hexnode, Scalefusion, Intune, Fleet, JumpCloud and NinjaOne also list Linux. The question to ask is how deep the laptop side goes at your tier. Hexnode's entry tier is mobile-focused and adds desktop features in higher tiers; Miradore's free tier has no configuration profiles. If 90 percent of your fleet is one platform, a specialist may still serve you better: SimpleMDM and Mosyle for Apple, TinyMDM for Android.
What happens to enrolled devices if we switch MDM vendors?
The inventory can be exported; the enrollment cannot. Each device trusts one management server, so moving means removing the old profile and enrolling with the new one. For personally enrolled devices that is a few taps per user. For company devices enrolled automatically through Apple Business Manager, you reassign them to the new server and the change normally takes effect at the next erase and setup. Fleet lists MDM migration as a Premium feature. Plan a switch around a hardware refresh if you can, and keep the push certificate's Apple ID under company control so renewals never depend on a former employee.
Is Microsoft Intune enough if we already pay for Microsoft 365?
Often, yes. Microsoft lists Intune Plan 1 as included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3 and E5, so check your licenses before buying anything. It supports Windows, macOS, iOS and iPadOS, Android, Linux and Chrome OS. Reasons to buy something else anyway: the fleet is mostly Macs and you want Apple-specific depth, you have no in-house admin with time to learn a large console, or you need features Microsoft sells as add-ons, such as Remote Help at $3.50 per user per month. For kiosks, note that device-only licenses do not support Conditional Access.
Is open-source MDM a realistic choice for a small company?
Only with the right person on staff. Fleet's code is mostly MIT licensed and its free tier can be self-hosted with no support from the vendor; Headwind MDM's Community edition is on GitHub and manages Android. Both remove license cost and keep the database on your own server. Both also make you responsible for uptime, certificates, backups and upgrades of a system that can erase every device you own. Fleet's managed cloud is reserved for customers with 700 or more hosts. If nobody at the company runs servers today, a hosted free tier such as Miradore's is the safer zero-cost route.
Which MDM is best for kiosks, point-of-sale tablets and shared scanners?
Look at the products built for dedicated devices. Esper targets kiosks, point-of-sale systems and scanners, with blueprints for device state and pipelines for staged updates, from $2 per device per month with a 25-device minimum. Scalefusion offers single and multi-app kiosk mode plus shared-device policies from $2 per device per month billed annually. Hexnode includes mobile kiosk management in its Pro tier. For Android-only fleets TinyMDM has a kiosk mode in its standard plan. Per-device pricing matters here: per-user vendors make little sense when twelve people share four scanners.
