Important licensing note: Microsoft Intune is primarily licensed per user, while ManageEngine and Jamf are primarily priced per device. For a fair comparison, use the calculator below and enter both user count and device count. Microsoft prices shown are list prices with annual commitment where applicable.
1. Executive Summary
Microsoft Intune
$8 /user/month
Standalone Plan 1; also included with Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3/E5, F1/F3, and EMS E3/E5.
ManageEngine MDM Plus
Free up to 25 devices
Cloud Standard approx. $13/device/year; Professional approx. $24/device/year.
Jamf
$4 /device/month
Jamf Now starts at $4/device/month; Jamf business bundles start at $5.75/mobile device/month and $12.50/Mac/month.
2. Interactive Pricing Calculator
Use this for quick budget estimates. Vendor quotes, taxes, partner discounts, education/non-profit pricing, and minimums may change final numbers.
| Option | Pricing Basis | Monthly Estimate | Annual Estimate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Intune Plan 1 standalone | $8/user/month | Core MDM/MAM and endpoint management. | ||
| Microsoft Intune Plan 1 + Plan 2 | $12/user/month total | Plan 2 is an add-on to Plan 1. | ||
| Microsoft Intune Plan 1 + Suite | $18/user/month total | Suite is an add-on to Plan 1. | ||
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium | $22/user/month | Includes Intune Plan 1 and broader M365 stack; 300-user business-plan cap. | ||
| ManageEngine MDM Plus | Free edition covers up to 25 devices; estimate charges devices above free tier. | |||
| Jamf Now | $4/device/month | Apple-focused SMB management; first 3 devices may be free. | ||
| Jamf Business Mix | $12.50/Mac/month + $5.75/mobile/month | 25-device minimum applies to Jamf for Mac and Jamf for Mobile offers. |
3. Microsoft Intune Pricing and Requirements
| Microsoft option | Cost | Requirement / included in | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intune Plan 1 standalone | $8/user/month, paid yearly | Can be bought standalone. Also included in Microsoft 365 E3, E5, F1, F3, EMS E3/E5, and Microsoft 365 Business Premium. | Cross-platform endpoint management, built-in endpoint security, mobile app management, endpoint analytics, Configuration Manager CAL except Business Premium. |
| Intune Plan 2 | $4/user/month add-on | Requires Intune Plan 1. Included in Intune Suite. | Advanced endpoint management, Microsoft Tunnel for MAM, specialty device management, firmware-over-the-air update capabilities where supported. |
| Intune Suite | $10/user/month add-on; $18/user/month total with Plan 1 standalone | Requires Intune Plan 1. Not available for GCC High or DoD per Microsoft note. | Includes Plan 2 plus Remote Help, Endpoint Privilege Management, Advanced Analytics, Enterprise App Management, and Cloud PKI. |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium | $22/user/month, paid yearly | Business plan limit of up to 300 users. | Includes Intune Plan 1, Office apps, Exchange, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, Entra ID features, Defender for Business, and security/admin features. |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard | $12.50/user/month, paid yearly | Does not include Intune Plan 1. | Productivity apps, email, Teams, OneDrive/SharePoint; add Intune separately if MDM is needed. |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $6/user/month, paid yearly | Does not include Intune Plan 1. | Web/mobile apps, email, Teams, cloud storage; add Intune separately if MDM is needed. |
| Enterprise Mobility + Security E3/E5 | Quoted/plan pricing may vary by agreement | Includes Intune Plan 1 according to Microsoft’s Intune pricing page. | Mobility/security bundle designed to work with Microsoft 365; often used when Office licensing is separate. |
4. ManageEngine Mobile Device Manager Plus Pricing
| Edition | Free limit | Cloud price | On-prem annual price | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Edition | Up to 25 devices | Free | Free | Small environments and pilots; ManageEngine states free edition is fully functional and supports up to 25 mobile devices. |
| Standard | First 25 free | Approx. $13/device/year; e.g., 50 devices = $645/year cloud | Approx. $10/device/year; e.g., 50 devices = $495/year on-prem annual | Essential device management. |
| Professional | First 25 free | Approx. $24/device/year; e.g., 50 devices = $1,195/year cloud | Approx. $18/device/year; e.g., 50 devices = $895/year on-prem annual | Advanced MDM features and broader enterprise controls. |
| Additional technician licenses | N/A | Starts around $45/month or $445/year for 1 technician cloud | Starts around $345/year on-prem annual | Needed when more than the default single admin/technician requires console access. |
5. Jamf Pricing
| Jamf option | Cost | Minimum / free tier | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamf Now | Starts at $4/device/month | Jamf signup page states up to 3 devices can be managed free; best for organizations under 25 employees. | Streamlined Apple management, app distribution, and macOS malware protection. |
| Jamf for Mobile | $5.75/mobile device/month, billed annually | 25-device minimum | Comprehensive mobile management and security for iOS, iPadOS, visionOS, watchOS, tvOS, and Android; powered by Jamf Pro, Jamf Connect, and Jamf Protect. |
| Jamf for Mac | $12.50/macOS device/month, billed annually | 25-device minimum | Mac management, workflow automation, endpoint protection, vulnerability management, content filtering, identity/access management, and Zero Trust Network Access. |
6. Side-by-Side Feature Comparison
| Capability | Microsoft Intune | ManageEngine MDM Plus | Jamf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary platform fit | Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android; strongest in Microsoft 365/Entra/Windows environments. | iOS/iPadOS, Android, Windows, macOS, ChromeOS; broad mixed-device environments. | Apple-first organizations; Jamf for Mobile also supports Android in the current business bundle. |
| Enrollment | Autopilot, Apple ADE/ABM, Android Enterprise, BYOD enrollment, bulk enrollment. | Apple ADE/DEP, Apple Configurator, Samsung Knox, Android Zero Touch, QR/NFC, Chromebook, Windows enrollment, Azure/Autopilot listed in edition matrix. | Apple Business/School Manager zero-touch, automated enrollment, Apple-native management workflows. |
| Policy and configuration | Compliance policies, configuration profiles, security baselines, conditional access integration. | Profiles, restrictions, Wi-Fi/VPN/email configuration, kiosk modes, compliance and automation workflows. | Apple configuration profiles, policies, scripts, smart groups, workflows, and compliance controls. |
| Application management | App deployment, app protection policies, mobile application management, Enterprise App Management add-on/Suite. | App catalog, app distribution, app block/allow controls, managed app configurations. | Easy app distribution in Jamf Now; advanced package/app lifecycle workflows in Jamf Pro bundles. |
| Security | Endpoint security, compliance, Defender integration, EPM, Cloud PKI, Remote Help and advanced analytics with add-ons/Suite. | Passcode/security restrictions, remote lock/wipe, containerization/profile controls, reports, geofencing/kiosk capabilities depending edition. | Jamf Protect security in business bundles; macOS malware protection, mobile threat defense, content filtering, vulnerability management. |
| Remote support | Remote Help available as add-on or included with Intune Suite. | Remote actions such as lock, wipe, locate, restart, and management commands depending OS/edition. | Apple-focused remote management actions; support included varies by Jamf product/bundle. |
| Reporting and analytics | Endpoint analytics in Plan 1; Advanced Analytics add-on/Suite for deeper experience analytics. | Asset inventory, compliance, app/device/user reports. | Inventory, smart groups, compliance/security visibility; deeper reporting in Jamf Pro ecosystem. |
| Best use case | Companies standardized on Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Windows, Defender, and conditional access. | Cost-sensitive mixed-device environments needing strong MDM at low per-device annual cost. | Apple-heavy or Apple-first organizations that want purpose-built Apple lifecycle management and security. |
7. Practical Buying Guidance
| Scenario | Likely best fit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Already licensed for Microsoft 365 Business Premium/E3/E5 | Microsoft Intune Plan 1 | Intune may already be included, lowering incremental MDM cost to $0 for core features. |
| Need the lowest paid MDM cost for mixed mobile devices | ManageEngine MDM Plus Standard/Professional | Annual per-device pricing is low, and the first 25 devices are free. |
| Mostly Macs and iPhones/iPads | Jamf | Jamf is Apple-first and includes Apple-focused management/security workflows. |
| Need Windows Autopilot + Conditional Access + Microsoft security integration | Microsoft Intune | Deep integration with Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Defender, and Windows management. |
| Small Apple shop under 25 employees | Jamf Now | Simple onboarding and per-device pricing; free for up to 3 devices. |