Device management software in 2026: Microsoft Intune vs Jamf Pro vs Iru (formerly Kandji) vs Mosyle vs ManageEngine Endpoint Central

A device-management purchase often starts with a simple request: configure new laptops before employees open them. The real decision includes software updates, personal devices, inventory accuracy, lost equipment, and what administrators can do when a machine stops checking in. A product that fits one operating-system fleet may be a poor choice for another.

Microsoft Intune, Jamf Pro, Iru (formerly Kandji), Mosyle, and ManageEngine Endpoint Central approach those responsibilities from different platform histories. Intune connects management to Microsoft’s cloud identity environment. Jamf and Mosyle emphasize Apple workflows. Iru has expanded the former Kandji offering, while Endpoint Central combines management and security capabilities across editions and deployment options.

Official information was checked on October 13, 2026. This is a comparison of documented capabilities and operating fit, not a measured endpoint-security assessment or an assertion that every setting works identically on every operating system.

Start with device ownership and platform coverage

List corporate laptops, shared devices, phones, and employee-owned equipment separately. Whole-device management and protection of work applications are different requirements. Enrollment methods, operating-system versions, update controls, and privacy expectations determine which policies an administrator can apply.

Remote control alone is insufficient. Our remote desktop comparison covers support sessions and access to computers. Here the decision concerns maintaining device state over time, including when nobody is actively helping the user.

The quick difference

Product	Best fit	Main strength	Boundary to check
Microsoft Intune	Mixed fleets connected to Microsoft identity	Cloud device and work-app management	Platform-specific policies and current suite entitlements
Jamf Pro	Organizations with substantial Apple administration	Apple enrollment, inventory, policies, and self service	Jamf for Mac or Mobile bundle, device minimum, and hosting
Iru (formerly Kandji)	Teams evaluating automated endpoint configuration	Assignment Maps, curated apps, and coordinated updates	Current platform parity and separately quoted security products
Mosyle	Apple fleets comparing management and integrated security	Apple MDM plus package-dependent endpoint functions	Free, Premium, or Fuse scope and annual device minimum
ManageEngine Endpoint Central	Teams needing edition and hosting flexibility	Endpoint administration with patching and software delivery	Cloud versus on-premises functions, edition, and add-ons

Microsoft Intune

Intune is a cloud service for enrolling and configuring devices, deploying applications, and protecting work data. Its documentation distinguishes mobile device management from mobile application management. The latter can protect work applications without taking over the entire personal device, subject to the supported application and platform.

The strength is connecting device compliance to Microsoft Entra access decisions. The tradeoff is understanding each dependency: Intune manages device and application state, while Entra supplies identity and access policy. Platform support does not mean identical management depth across Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile devices. Test the precise setting and enrollment mode rather than relying on a platform logo.

Licensing changed during 2026. Microsoft’s current page says selected advanced capabilities are rolling into Microsoft 365 E3 and E5, with tenant notification before activation. Other plans can still require separate add-ons. Its US page describes Plan 1 as available standalone at USD 8 per user per month; annual terms and existing suite rights matter. Confirm the actual tenant entitlement and activation date before purchasing Remote Help, analytics, or another advanced function twice.

Jamf Pro

Jamf Pro focuses on Apple device management, including zero-touch deployment, inventory, dynamic Smart Groups, policies, scripts, and user-facing Self Service. Its current product page also describes declarative management through Blueprints and integrations with existing identity and security systems. It belongs on the shortlist when Apple-specific administration is a substantial operational requirement.

The strength is a management model built around Apple workflows. The tradeoff is maintaining the policies and scripts that make those workflows reliable. A device group based on incomplete inventory can receive the wrong configuration. During evaluation, enroll a new Mac, deliver an application, change a group rule, and inspect what happens when the device is offline during the change.

Current business pricing places Jamf Pro within Jamf for Mac and Jamf for Mobile packages, alongside other Jamf products. Jamf for Mac displays USD 12.50 per macOS device per month, billed annually, with a 25-device minimum. That is a bundle price, not proof of a standalone Pro rate. Mobile packaging, local currency quotes, and hosting choices have separate details. Confirm which security and identity components you actually need and what implementation support is included.

Iru (formerly Kandji)

Kandji’s current official site redirects to Iru, and its device-management product is now presented as Iru Endpoint Management. The current offering describes Apple, Windows, and Android coverage, with Assignment Maps for configuration and Auto Apps for curated application updates. Buyers using older Kandji comparisons should evaluate the current platform rather than assume the historical Apple-only scope still defines it.

The strength is combining configuration with maintained application and update workflows. The tradeoff is verifying maturity and policy depth for each platform in your fleet. A capability available on Mac may have a different implementation or boundary on Windows or Android. Ask for the current support matrix, then demonstrate your enrollment, app installation, and update-enforcement requirements on the actual operating systems.

Iru pricing is quote-based by product. Endpoint Management, Endpoint Detection and Response, Vulnerability Management, identity, and compliance offerings are listed separately. Do not treat an endpoint-management quote as including all of them. Request device counts, platform coverage, contract duration, billing currency, and any implementation conditions. In a pilot, inspect how conflicting assignments are resolved and whether administrators can explain the final state without recreating the logic in a spreadsheet.

Mosyle

Mosyle’s business offering centers on Apple management and security. It describes MDM controls, application deployment, device configuration, and operating-system update workflows, with additional security and identity capabilities depending on package. This is useful when the organization wants to compare a focused Apple administration system with a broader management-and-security bundle.

The strength is keeping Apple operations in one coordinated workflow. The tradeoff is purchasing the right layer. Mosyle Business Free, Premium, and Fuse do not provide an identical set of functions. An administrator should distinguish management controls from endpoint protection, privilege workflows, DNS filtering, and identity integration before comparing the headline rates.

The current business page advertises Free for up to 30 devices. Paid plans specify annual billing and a minimum of 30 licenses, with different USD rates by package and device category. Verify the current calculator for your Mac and mobile mix instead of multiplying one number across the whole fleet. Trial and migration offers have qualification requirements and should not be assumed to reduce every buyer’s first-year bill. Test an update deadline and the user’s experience when an application is still open.

ManageEngine Endpoint Central

Endpoint Central brings software deployment, patching, inventory, configuration, and related endpoint functions into an administrative platform. It offers cloud and on-premises options, with Free, Professional, Enterprise, UEM, and Security editions described in its comparison matrix. This makes it relevant when hosting ownership and edition choice are part of the buying decision.

The strength is a broad endpoint workflow with a visible edition structure. The tradeoff is that a feature name on the main product page does not establish inclusion in your selected edition or deployment. OS deployment, security controls, mobile management, and other functions should be checked individually against the appropriate matrix.

The current edition table shows a Free option for 25 endpoints, while paid pricing depends on configuration. Starting amounts shown without the selected endpoint count, technicians, hosting, and license period are not a complete comparable quote. Request those details in the purchasing currency and include add-ons and infrastructure for an on-premises installation. Demonstrate a failed patch, an application rollback, and an offline device returning to service; the administrator should be able to see what completed and what remains pending.

Run a fleet-shaped evaluation

Build a small inventory representing your real fleet: a new corporate device, an older computer, a personal phone, and a shared device where relevant. Use the same policy requirements in each shortlisted product. Check platform-specific exclusions and the difference between reporting a configuration and enforcing it.

Then test the maintenance loop. Enroll, assign an application, change a setting, update the operating system, remove access, and retire the device. Include a period offline and one failed action. Verify how an administrator discovers the failure, retries safely, and distinguishes current status from the last successful check-in.

Compare administration effort alongside licensing. Count users, devices, technicians, separate security products, hosting, and support. Evaluate the employee experience too: a strict policy that produces unclear interruptions may create more support work than it removes. Record those observations in your own trial rather than assuming a vendor’s automation claim guarantees lower effort.

Selection checklist

Separate corporate, shared, and personal devices by operating system.
Verify enrollment, application delivery, updates, and retirement on each platform.
Test offline devices, failed actions, conflicting assignments, and inventory freshness.
Confirm bundle rights, device minimums, billing currency, and contract duration.
Review hosting, integration ownership, support, and administrator permissions.

Choose by fleet and administration model

Intune suits Microsoft-connected mixed fleets, Jamf Pro provides an Apple-centered administration model, Iru merits evaluation for automated endpoint workflows under its current expanded scope, Mosyle focuses on Apple management and package-dependent security, and Endpoint Central offers edition and hosting choices. Select the tool that can maintain your actual devices predictably throughout their lifecycle.