Head to head · Reviewed August 2026
Microsoft Intune vs Fleet
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
Both manage more than Apple, which is unusual in this set. Microsoft Intune lists at $8.00 per user per month; Fleet lists at $7.00 per host per month. The units differ: at this model's 1.2 devices per user, Microsoft Intune normalises to $6.67 per device. Intune's case is integration - Conditional Access, compliance policies and Autopilot all native to a Microsoft estate you are probably already paying for. Fleet's case is control - an open-source core, osquery inventory that answers the same question the same way on macOS, Windows and Linux, and configuration versioned in your own repository. On visibility and remediation, the scored matrix puts Microsoft Intune at 9 of 12 against Fleet's 11. Choose Intune for a Microsoft-standardised organisation; choose Fleet for an engineering-led one that wants its fleet reviewed like code.
What each one costs
Microsoft
Microsoft Intune
$8.00/user/mo
Normalised to $6.67 per device at 1.2 devices per user.
- Minimum devices
- None
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux
Source: Microsoft.com, 2026-03
Fleet
Fleet
$7.00/host/mo
Priced per device, so no normalisation is applied.
- Minimum devices
- None
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android
Source: FleetDM.com, 2025-10
Cost and operational load
| Measure | Microsoft Intune | Fleet |
|---|---|---|
| With security bundle | $18.00 | N/A |
| Typical implementation | 8-12 mo | 4-8 wk |
| IT staff per 1,000 devices | 0.5-1.0 | 0.3-0.5 |
| Policy delivery latency | 8-24 hrs | 1-2 hrs |
Three-year licence cost by fleet size
| Fleet size | Microsoft Intune | Fleet | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 devices | $24,000 | $25,200 | $1,200 less on Microsoft Intune |
| 500 devices | $120,000 | $126,000 | $6,000 less on Microsoft Intune |
| 2,000 devices | $480,000 | $504,000 | $24,000 less on Microsoft Intune |
| 5,000 devices | $1,200,000 | $1,260,000 | $60,000 less on Microsoft Intune |
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.
Microsoft Intune
Fleet
Where they actually differ
| Capability | Microsoft Intune | Fleet |
|---|---|---|
| Passkey authenticationIdentity · Support for passkeys as modern authentication method | Full | None |
| Infrastructure as CodeAdvanced features · Manage MDM configurations through code and version controlJamf: possible with third-party tools. Intune: no IaC implementation | None | Full |
| Conditional access integrationSecurity · Device compliance-based resource access controlsJamf: MS + Google BeyondCorp. WS1: MS + Google BeyondCorp. Intune: native MS conditional access | Full | None |
| Endpoint Detection & ResponseSecurity · Built-in or deeply integrated macOS threat detectionJamf Protect native; Intune requires Defender add-on; Mosyle built-in malware scanning | Full | None |
| Natural-language device searchAI & intelligence · Query fleet inventory and device state in plain EnglishJamf: AI Assistant Search skill (cloud-hosted Jamf Pro only). Iru: Kai, enabled by default for all customers. Omnissa: Omni assistant, GA March 2026. Intune: Copilot device query | Full | None |
| AI security explainabilityAI & intelligence · Plain-English explanation of compliance drift and risky settingsJamf: shipped scope covers configuration and compliance benchmarking; Jamf Protect alert analysis is announced as coming soon. Intune: Security Copilot integration. Omnissa: Intelligence anomaly context | Full | None |
| Apple Intelligence managementAI & intelligence · Granular MDM control of Apple Intelligence, Genmoji, and Writing Tools on devicesAddigy shipped controls Aug 2024, ahead of the public macOS 15 / iOS 18 release. Intune added Settings Catalog keys in March 2025 and DDM configurations in March 2026 after Apple deprecated part of the restrictions payload in iOS/macOS 26.4 | Full | None |
| DDM (Declarative Device Management)Apple integration · Support for Apple's modern declarative management protocol | Full | Partial |
| Beta program for new featuresApple integration · Pre-release testing of new MDM capabilities | None | Partial |
| 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 | None |
| Enrollment methods (ADE + ADUE)Apple integration · Automated Device Enrollment and Account-Driven User Enrollment | Full | Partial |
| Day-0 macOS supportApple integration · Same-day support for new Apple OS releases | None | Partial |
| IdP integration (Okta, Entra, Google)Identity · Integration with major identity providers and directory services | Full | Partial |
Showing the 14 widest of 32 scored differences. The criteria where the two tie are on the MDM Encyclopedia, alongside every other platform.
Which to choose
Choose Microsoft Intune if
Majority-Windows fleets already standardised on Microsoft 365 and Entra, where Apple is the minority platform.
Strengths
- One console for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux
- Conditional Access and compliance policies native to Entra
- Windows Autopilot for zero-touch PC provisioning
- Frequently already paid for inside an existing Microsoft 365 bundle
Trade-offs
- Apple feature support trails Apple releases - the matrix scores it lowest of the six on Apple integration
- Policy delivery measured in hours where the Apple-first platforms deliver in seconds
- Conditional Access (Entra ID P1), Defender, Remote Help and Endpoint Privilege Management are each licensed separately
Choose Fleet if
Engineering-led organisations that want fleet configuration reviewed, versioned and rolled back like code.
Strengths
- Open-source core - the agent and server are inspectable
- Fleet state lives as YAML in your own repository, reviewed like any other code
- osquery-based inventory that answers the same question the same way on every platform
- API-first, and no device minimum
Trade-offs
- The lowest Apple-management depth of the paid options in this matrix
- Expects engineers - it is infrastructure to be run, not an appliance to be bought
- No bundled endpoint-protection tier in this model
Questions people ask about Microsoft Intune and Fleet
- Is Microsoft Intune cheaper than Fleet?
- Microsoft Intune is the cheaper of the two on list price, at $8.00 per user per month against $7.00 per host per month. Normalised to a per-device figure at 1.2 devices per user, that is $6.67 against $7.00 per device per month, a gap of about 5%. 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 Microsoft Intune to Fleet without wiping the devices?
- Yes, on Apple platforms from the iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 generation onward. Apple shipped a no-wipe MDM-to-MDM migration path, and the on-device experience is a restart on mobile or a full-screen prompt on Mac, with no factory reset. Three conditions bound it: the devices must be organisation-owned and enrolled through Automated Device Enrolment on version 26 or later; it is vendor-to-vendor only, so it does not work into or out of Apple Business's own built-in management; and configurations and policies do not carry across automatically - only enrolment moves, and optionally apps. Devices older than the 26 generation still have to be re-enrolled.
- Microsoft Intune or Fleet - which should we choose?
- Microsoft Intune fits best where majority-Windows fleets already standardised on Microsoft 365 and Entra, where Apple is the minority platform. Fleet fits best where engineering-led organisations that want fleet configuration reviewed, versioned and rolled back like code. 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.