Your IT team wastes hours every day switching between device management consoles, Slack notifications, and email chains just to handle basic device requests. This cross-platform chaos costs you precious time while employees wait for simple actions like password resets or access changes. 

The right endpoint management tool, paired with proper workflow orchestration (hint: Siit!), can eliminate this friction, turning multi-hour processes into automated minutes.

Quick Comparison Table

Here's how the top endpoint management solutions stack up against each other:

How We Picked the Winners

Our evaluation focused on real-world operational impact rather than just feature checklists. We analyzed each platform across four critical dimensions that matter to IT teams drowning in device management chaos:

1. Workflow efficiency: How much manual coordination each tool eliminates from provisioning through retirement
2. Cross-departmental orchestration: Whether the platform can bridge IT, HR, and Finance processes without becoming another coordination burden
3. Compliance automation: The ability to transform complex security frameworks into automated enforcement
4. Operational scale: How gracefully the solution handles growing device counts without requiring proportional admin headcount

The "best" MDM isn't necessarily the one with the most features. It's the one that eliminates the most manual work for your specific environment while maintaining security compliance.

Our picks reflect real-world approaches: Apple-first (Kandji, Jamf), cross-platform identity-integrated (Intune, JumpCloud), and open, flexible lifecycle automation (Fleet).

Kandji: Best for Apple Device Management

If you're all-in on Apple, Kandji delivers purpose-built fleet management for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS that cuts deployment time from weeks to hours. Their "Liftoff" automatic onboarding and guided wizards make device provisioning as simple as connecting to the network.

Here are some standout features:

• "Auto Apps" keep your software updated without you lifting a finger
• Real-time vulnerability scanning catches policy violations before they become problems
• Integrated EDR monitoring works without piling on more agents

Need to check compliance boxes? Kandji makes it painless with 150+ pre-configured controls mapped to frameworks like CIS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST. Deploy a single blueprint for company-wide security settings and watch your audit prep time drop from days to minutes.

While Kandji offers fewer API endpoints (about 50) compared to enterprise alternatives with 200+, this focused approach is actually a win for SMBs who care more about speed than extensive customization. Yes, the Apple-only focus means mixed-OS environments will need additional tools, but for Mac-centric teams, it's practically turnkey.

When you connect Kandji to Siit, your devices sync automatically into a unified asset inventory, letting your IT team execute device actions right from Slack or Teams requests. No more switching between tools – just streamlined workflows with built-in audit trails for compliance. Multi-tool headaches? Gone.

Jamf: Best for Enterprise-Grade Apple Ecosystems

If you need serious control over your Apple fleet at enterprise scale, Jamf delivers. It handles macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS with Apple-specific depth through 200+ native integrations and extensive API access.

What makes Jamf's customizability stand out:

• Smart groups that tie policies to dynamic attributes
• Security baselines that align with CIS, NIST, or STIG frameworks in minutes
• Automated workflows that push OS updates, quarantine non-compliant devices, and run remediation scripts without manual work

While Jamf supports compliance through integrations to help with audit readiness, platforms like Kandji offer more direct pre-built compliance templates.

Jamf targets mid-size to Fortune-500 organizations running mostly Apple hardware with documented security requirements. It trades simplicity for granular control. You'll see thousands of configuration options that require Apple expertise and admin time. Smaller teams often find this overwhelming, while mixed environments might prefer vendor-neutral options. 

Connect Jamf to Siit, and you'll see the magic happen: device actions link directly to service workflows. Enrolled devices sync automatically to Siit's inventory, showing serial numbers, OS versions, and compliance status in each service request. Power Actions let you lock, wipe, or reboot Macs right from Slack or Teams tickets without switching to the console, cutting resolution time and eliminating context switching. Every interaction flows through Siit's audit layer, maintaining immutable compliance records for regulatory requirements.

Fleet: Best for Open, Cross-Platform MDM

Fleet is a modern, open-source mobile device management (MDM) platform designed to give IT teams transparent, flexible control over their entire device fleet. Unlike proprietary tools that lock you into a single vendor’s ecosystem, Fleet supports macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS—all from a single, extensible interface. Organizations can choose to self-host for maximum control or deploy via Fleet’s cloud service for easier scalability.

At its core, Fleet delivers:

• A comprehensive device inventory that shows hardware specs, operating system versions, installed software, and compliance status in real time
• IT administrators can enforce policies, run scripts, and automate configuration management to ensure devices stay secure and standardized
• The platform also includes built-in vulnerability tracking, helping teams identify risks quickly before they escalate.

Fleet goes beyond the console by enabling automation through UI, API, or GitOps workflows, making it an attractive option for teams practicing infrastructure as code. Its open and extensible architecture integrates with popular tools such as Jira, Elastic, Zendesk, Ansible, Munki, Chef, Puppet, and Splunk, allowing seamless adoption into existing workflows.

Ideal for SMBs to mid-sized organizations, Fleet offers cross-platform control, transparency, and freedom from vendor lock-in. While there is no native Siit integration, custom workflows are possible using Fleet’s robust REST API.

Microsoft Intune: Best for Microsoft-Centric Enterprises

Already running Azure Active Directory and Office 365? Microsoft Intune becomes your logical control plane. This cloud service manages Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, and Android devices from a single dashboard, though it's Windows-first in its design. 

Once enrolled, laptops automatically enforce disk encryption, password policy, and real-time compliance reporting that feeds directly into Azure AD's Conditional Access, blocking risky devices before they touch your SaaS data.

The Microsoft ecosystem coupling gives you operational advantages standalone MDMs can't match:

• Push Office updates, deploy custom PowerShell scripts, and tie enforcement rules to identity groups without third-party brokers
• Extend application management to mobile apps, containerizing corporate data on BYOD phones
• Remotely wipe company data without touching personal photos – meeting privacy standards

Intune shines for enterprises running mostly Windows or maintaining hybrid fleets anchored by Microsoft 365. Key advantages include:

• Autopilot zero-touch provisioning for Windows devices
• Role-based access controls that integrate with Azure AD groups
• Granular reporting that satisfies ITIL and ISO 27001 auditors without extra work

Mac admins will find fewer Apple-specific controls than specialized platforms offer. And yes, the portal's breadth can feel overwhelming until you standardize naming conventions and security baselines.

Connecting Siit with Microsoft Intune closes the workflow gap through native integration. Every enrolled device syncs automatically into Siit's asset inventory. Support requests in Slack instantly show machine compliance status. Power Actions – lock, wipe, restart – trigger without leaving the ticket view. Request-to-resolution shrinks from console-hopping minutes to context-rich single clicks, preserving security while restoring employee productivity.

JumpCloud: Best for Unified Device + Identity Management

Running a mixed-OS environment typically means separate consoles for endpoint policies, directory services, and single sign-on. JumpCloud consolidates these functions into one cloud platform, managing macOS, Windows, and Linux endpoints alongside user identities from a single dashboard. Control OS-level security, deploy policies, provision accounts, and broker access through SAML, LDAP, or RADIUS protocols – all in one place.

The consolidation advantage eliminates sync delays between endpoint management and identity decisions:

• Device policies connect directly to the cloud directory, enabling real-time conditional access without data reconciliation
• Vendor-neutral architecture supports Google Workspace today and Azure AD tomorrow without rebuilding policies
• Integrated SSO, passwordless authentication, and automated key rotation work from a single license

JumpCloud works best for organizations needing cross-platform consistency, such as SaaS companies with Linux development environments, Windows sales teams, and macOS executives. You'll trade some Apple-specific depth (like the granular CIS benchmarking in specialized tools) for breadth and identity unification. 

Large deployments need careful planning since directory schema, MDM payloads, and network policies all configure in one interface. The platform sometimes shows every configuration option at once, creating initial setup complexity.

Siit orchestrates JumpCloud workflows through synchronized inventory and direct Power Actions. Lock, wipe, or reset commands execute from Slack requests without touching the JumpCloud console. Rapid Approvals route high-risk actions to the right managers, while comprehensive analytics spot compliance gaps across your entire fleet. This integration cuts resolution times and creates comprehensive audit trails without extra dashboards.

Choosing the Right Endpoint Management Tool

Picking an MDM isn't about chasing features, rather about matching capabilities to your operational reality across four key decision areas:

1. OS Landscape: Apple-centric? Use Kandji or Jamf. Mixed-OS environments benefit from Fleet or Intune.
2. Identity Integration: Need SSO or directory services? JumpCloud or Intune serve dual roles.
3. Automation vs Admin Control: Fleet or Jamf suit automation and scripting; Kandji or Intune provide streamlined template-based setups.
4. Scalability and Flexibility: Fleet scales with open architecture; Siit enhances workflow orchestration regardless of tool choice.

Quick Decision Guide

• Apple-only fleet?
  Specialized Apple solutions work best.
  
  • Kandji speeds onboarding with Liftoff and Auto Apps.
  • Jamf provides the deepest Apple policy stack and 200+ integrations—ideal for regulated industries needing CIS, STIG, or NIST hardening.
    
    
• Mixed environment?
  Different constraints apply.
  
  • Microsoft Intune is strongest when Windows dominates, offering a single policy plane across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, backed by native Azure AD conditional access.
  • Fleet adds open-source, transparent cross-platform control (macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android) with inventory, scripting, and GitOps automation. Its flexibility and extensibility make it attractive for SMBs and mid-sized orgs seeking vendor neutrality.
  • JumpCloud combines MDM with a cloud directory, cutting tool sprawl and simplifying zero-touch provisioning across macOS, Windows, and Linux.
    
    
• Heavy compliance needs?
  
  • Highly regulated teams benefit from Jamf (granular Apple policies) or Intune (identity-driven enforcement and reporting).
  • Companies needing quick audit readiness with limited staff will find Kandji’s 150+ prebuilt compliance controls particularly effective.
    
    
• Team size matters.
  
  • Small IT teams gain leverage from automation-focused platforms like Fleet (automation + REST API extensibility) or Kandji (prebuilt templates).
  • Larger enterprises benefit from Intune or Jamf, where extensive APIs, role-based access controls, and deep reporting provide scalability.
    
    

Don’t choose based only on today’s setup. Evaluate tools based on your future complexity—OS diversity, compliance requirements, and headcount growth. Platforms that scale gracefully will protect efficiency and compliance long term.

Orchestrating Device Workflows Across Tools

Even the best MDM creates bottlenecks when device requests scatter across Slack, email, and consoles. Siit unifies these fragmented processes into a single orchestrated workflow, cutting turnaround times from days to minutes.

Siit connects your collaboration hub directly to every MDM, syncing device records into a unified real-time inventory. When employees request in Slack or Teams, Siit automatically:

• Collects device context
• Attaches it to tickets
• Routes to correct approvers
• Triggers MDM actions
• Updates stakeholders
• Maintains complete audit trails

Ready to eliminate the manual coordination nightmare? Sign up for a free trial to see how Siit can transform your device management workflows.