Head to head · Reviewed August 2026
Addigy vs Apple Business
List pricing, per-device cost once the units are levelled, operational load and the capabilities where the two are scored differently. Every figure carries its source.
The short answer
Apple Business is included at no cost against Addigy's audited $8.25 per device per month, so the comparison is what the spend buys. Addigy adds third-party patch management, scripting, live terminal, remote control, CIS and NIST benchmark tooling, and multi-tenancy - none of which Apple Business does. On advanced features, the scored matrix puts Addigy at 5 of 10 against Apple Business's 1. The catch at the small end is the minimum: Addigy requires 50 devices, the highest of the six platforms modelled here, which lands just above the 30-to-50-device range where consultancies report Apple Business starts running out of room.
What each one costs
Addigy
Addigy
$8.25/device/mo
Priced per device, so no normalisation is applied.
- Minimum devices
- 50
- Platforms
- macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS
Source: Addigy.com, 2026-03
Apple
Apple Business
Free
Priced per device, so no normalisation is applied.
- Minimum devices
- None
- Platforms
- macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS
Source: Apple Newsroom / Apple Support, 2026-04
Cost and operational load
| Measure | Addigy | Apple Business |
|---|---|---|
| With security bundle | $14.00 | N/A |
| Typical implementation | 2-6 wk | Days |
| IT staff per 1,000 devices | 0.3-0.5 | <0.1 |
| Policy delivery latency | Minutes | Not published |
Three-year licence cost by fleet size
| Fleet size | Addigy | Apple Business | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 devices | $29,700 | $0 | $29,700 less on Apple Business |
| 500 devices | $148,500 | $0 | $148,500 less on Apple Business |
| 2,000 devices | $594,000 | $0 | $594,000 less on Apple Business |
| 5,000 devices | $1,485,000 | $0 | $1,485,000 less on Apple Business |
Apple Business carries no licence fee, so its column is $0 at every size. The cost of running it is staff time and whatever it cannot do.
Capability scores by category
Scored against the Amaris MDM Practices reference, where each criterion is full, partial or absent. Criteria the reference does not assess for one of the two are excluded from both totals rather than counted as a zero.
Addigy
Apple Business
Where they actually differ
| Capability | Addigy | Apple Business |
|---|---|---|
| API & automationAdvanced features · Programmatic access to MDM features for automationIntune: API partially implemented for Apple features. Jamf: two API implementations | Full | None |
| Built-in app catalog & patchingApps & updates · Native patch management with large app catalogJamf: {{jamfPatchTitles}}+ patch titles, automatic updates. Intune: good PKG/App Store support, lacking robust 3rd-party patching | Full | None |
| Self Service portalApps & updates · User-facing app catalog with installation and remediationJamf: Self Service+ with compliance, admin elevation, branding. Intune: Company Portal, less flexibility. WS1: Intelligent Hub with branding | Full | None |
| Monthly feature & settings updatesApple integration · Frequency of new MDM feature releases and Apple setting supportIntune: quarterly plan, not all Apple settings implemented | Full | Partial |
| DDM (Declarative Device Management)Apple integration · Support for Apple's modern declarative management protocol | Partial | Full |
| Apple GitHub device management integrationApple integration · Blueprints integrated with Apple's device management repo | None | Partial |
| Managed Apple Accounts supportApple integration · Support for Apple services including Managed Apple Accounts | Partial | Full |
| Web / content filteringAdvanced features · Built-in or integrated content filtering capabilitiesJamf: Jamf Trust. Intune: via Defender & config profiles | Partial | None |
| Apple-tailored security softwareAdvanced features · Security tools specifically designed for Apple deployments | Partial | None |
| Built-in compliance benchmarksSecurity · Native CIS/NIST/DISA STIG benchmark implementationJamf: mature Compliance Editor with CIS/NIST/DISA STIG. Intune: requires scripts & profiles via macOS Security Compliance Project | Partial | None |
| Automated remediationSecurity · Self-healing compliance with automated enforcement and remediationIntune: remediation dependent on scripts and sync cycle | Partial | None |
| Security benchmark dashboardsSecurity · Visual compliance status and security posture reportingIntune: security benchmark dashboards not available for Apple | Partial | None |
| FileVault escrow & recoverySecurity · Secure storage and retrieval of macOS encryption keys | Full | Partial |
| Endpoint Detection & ResponseSecurity · Built-in or deeply integrated macOS threat detectionJamf Protect native; Intune requires Defender add-on; Mosyle built-in malware scanning | Partial | None |
Showing the 14 widest of 22 scored differences. The criteria where the two tie are on the MDM Encyclopedia, alongside every other platform.
Which to choose
Choose Addigy if
Managed service providers, and organisations that must keep several legally separate estates apart.
Strengths
- Multi-tenant console - many client estates behind one login
- Live terminal and remote control included rather than add-ons
- CIS and NIST benchmark tooling
- Typical deployment of two to six weeks
Trade-offs
- 50-device minimum, the highest of the six
- Apple only
- Scores 1 of 2 on Declarative Device Management in this model, where the Apple-first rivals score 2
Choose Apple Business if
Small, simple Apple estates that need enrolment and app distribution rather than policy depth or compliance evidence.
Strengths
- Free, with no per-device fee
- Zero-touch enrolment through Automated Device Enrolment
- Account-driven BYOD enrolment with no wipe
- Blueprints, Managed Apple Accounts and VPP app distribution
- The only option here that covers visionOS
Trade-offs
- No managed app configuration (AppConfig)
- No email account payloads
- No third-party patch management
- No scripting and no custom reporting
- Apple publishes no device-count limit, but consultancies report the gaps start to bite somewhere around 30 to 50 devices - their field observation, not an Apple statement
Questions people ask about Addigy and Apple Business
- Is Addigy cheaper than Apple Business?
- Apple Business is included at no cost, so on the licence line it is always cheaper. Normalised to a per-device figure at 1.2 devices per user, that is $0.00 against $8.25 per device per month, a gap of about 100%. These are vendor list prices current to 2026, not quotes: licence cost is only one line of total cost of ownership, and implementation, add-on SKUs and IT labour routinely move the ranking.
- Can you move from Addigy to Apple Business without wiping the devices?
- Not with Apple's no-wipe path. Apple shipped MDM-to-MDM migration in the iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 generation, but it is vendor-to-vendor only and does not work into or out of Apple Business's own built-in management. Moving between Addigy and Apple Business therefore means unenrolling and re-enrolling the devices.
- Addigy or Apple Business - which should we choose?
- Addigy fits best where managed service providers, and organisations that must keep several legally separate estates apart. Apple Business fits best where small, simple Apple estates that need enrolment and app distribution rather than policy depth or compliance evidence. This model does not name a single winner, because the answer depends on which evaluation pillars matter to you and on what you already pay for elsewhere.
Related comparisons
These are modelled estimates, not quotes
Prices are vendor list rates current to 2026 and dated on the methodology page. Real cost moves with fleet size, sector, negotiated discount and which add-on SKUs you need. Amaris Consulting, Part of Mantu, runs Apple and MDM migrations for a living - if you want these numbers checked against your estate, ask.