Blog , Deployment

Jamf vs Intune: Which MDM Solution is Ideal for Apple Devices?

Edited & Reviewed

November 3, 2025

Are you an Intune user with a Windows-heavy fleet and just a handful of Macs, wondering if it’s worth adding Jamf? Or maybe you’re evaluating MDM tools for the first time and feel torn between Jamf, Intune, or using both together.

If that sounds familiar, you’re in the right place.

Jamf is often called the gold standard for Apple device management, while Intune offers broad, cross-platform coverage bundled with Microsoft 365.

But which option actually fits your environment best?

In this article, we’ll break down Jamf and Intune feature by feature, share real-world user insights, and explain the business outcomes each delivers.

By the end, you’ll know when Jamf’s Apple-first depth is essential, when Intune’s unified approach is “good enough,” and when combining the two gives you the best of both worlds.

TL;DR:

Choose Jamf if your fleet is Apple-heavy and you need deep macOS/iOS management.
Choose Intune if your environment is Microsoft-centric and you want a single tool for all platforms.
Choose both if you run a mixed fleet with hundreds of Apple and Windows devices and want platform-specific tools for device management.

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What is Jamf?

Source Jamf

Jamf is an enterprise mobile device management (MDM) solution focused exclusively on Apple platforms (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS).

Their flagship product, Jamf Pro, is the default choice of IT teams with Apple-heavy fleets for managing the entire lifecycle of Apple devices.

Jamf Pro lets you manage everything from automated deployment (zero-touch setup via Apple Business Manager) to ongoing configuration, app distribution, security policies, and support.

What is Intune?

Source: Intune

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based endpoint management service that’s part of the Microsoft Endpoint Manager suite (now often just called “Intune” as well).

Unlike Jamf, Intune is a multi-platform solution: it can manage Windows PCs, Macs, iOS devices, Android devices, and even Linux endpoints under a unified console.

As an MDM, Intune provides the core capabilities to configure devices (via profiles for settings like Wi-Fi, VPN, email, etc.), deploy apps, enforce security policies (e.g., require encryption, passwords, manage antivirus), and wipe or lock devices remotely.

Let’s now compare Microsoft Intune against Jamf Pro and understand why users prefer Jamf and scenarios where Intune makes more sense.

Which MDM is Better for Apple Devices: Jamf or Intune?

Below, I’ll compare Jamf Pro and Intune based on multiple factors/features to help you understand which one is better suited for what and why:

User Interface and Ease of Use

Jamf Pro

Based on the demo videos and recent user reviews, I found Jamf’s user interface to be modern and intuitive.

I love how clean the navigation is with key tools like enrollment, policies, and device management grouped logically. As someone who's not a frequent user, it feels good that I didn't spend time hunting through menus.

Here’s what the dashboard looks like:

Source: Jamf

While there is a learning curve (especially for new admins), the layout makes sense once you’ve run through it a few times, and the large Jamf Nation community offers clear, Apple-specific guidance.

Intune

Intune’s interface is user-friendly—you get everything you need right on the dashboard, similar to Jamf.

The moment I logged in, I saw the home page, which offers a bird’s-eye view of the different statuses, like devices in compliance, client app install failure, etc. I could easily customize the dashboards as per my liking, which is impressive.

Also, access relevant tutorials, documentation, and contextual help via Admin Center, without leaving the console.

Source: YouTube

One thing that comes off as a natural (since Intune caters to multiple platforms) tradeoff is that Intune’s dashboard defaults to being more relevant to Windows users.

For instance, most features (surface management portal, endpoint security) didn’t apply to macOS, such as the surface management portal.

To access Apple-specific features, click “Devices” and then select “macOS”. This interface (check below) lets you retire, wipe, restart, sync, and perform other remote functions.

Source: YouTube

However, finding enrollment features was quite challenging for me. Plus, I found configuration profiles a little hard to set up, especially the part where you’re locating the right configuration settings. But you can use the search bar to make it easy.

Winner: Jamf Pro

Intune offers a clean, customizable dashboard that is easy to use, and offers access to contextual help and relevant tutorials right away.

Jamf Pro, however, delivers a tailored, Apple-focused design that makes common tasks easier and faster. For Mac admins, this Apple-first approach makes Jamf the clear choice.

One more distinction: Jamf’s documentation is far superior, while Microsoft’s often presents multiple solutions for the same issue, which can leave admins frustrated.

Policies

Policies are sets of rules or instructions that IT admins create to control how devices behave.

A policy can enforce security settings (like requiring a password), push apps or scripts, configure Wi-Fi/VPN, or automate tasks like installing updates on login.