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Apple Mobile Device Management (MDM) lets IT teams remotely configure, secure, and control Mac, iPhone, and iPad fleets.
Most MDM platforms promise that.
But when a MacBook disappears with an ex-employee in Berlin or an auditor demands proof that sensitive data is gone, the gaps show.
The wrong MDM can leave devices unaccounted for, budgets in the red, and compliance at risk. And if it can’t satisfy IT, compliance, and finance teams in one go, you’re left integrating costly workarounds.
That’s where most platforms fall short. Choosing the best MDM for Apple devices isn’t easy, sure. But this guide will help you with that.
Here’s the list of five Apple MDM platforms through a comprehensive lifecycle lens to pull .
Put Apple device ops on autopilot (from shipping to recovery). Take a self-guided product tour and see how it works in under 5 minutes.
Traditional Apple MDM tools were built for software commands, not full-fleet accountability. They stop at device enrollment and leave IT, Finance, and HR to manually fill the gaps with spreadsheets, ad hoc logistics, and error-prone guesswork.
And you’ll see high-friction workflows, hidden losses, and compliance blind spots as a result.
In short, traditional software-first MDMs manage devices, but they don’t manage outcomes. You need a lifecycle solution that starts before day one and closes the loop on employee exit with control, cost visibility, and audit trails baked in.
If the best MDM solutions were graded only on sending commands to devices, most would pass. But in the real world (where CFOs want cost control, IT wants visibility, and compliance teams want airtight records), many barely scrape by.
So, instead of just ticking feature boxes, we looked at which Apple MDMs actually deliver across the full device lifecycle. Here’s how the top contenders stack up.
Firstbase has deep MDM integrations, such as Jamf, Kandji, and Intune, built for distributed teams. Unlike traditional MDM solutions that stop at software-level control, Firstbase combines zero-touch provisioning, global logistics, integrated MDM compatibility, and end-of-life asset recovery, all in one platform. It’s designed to help IT, Finance, and HR teams eliminate the manual overhead of managing Apple hardware at scale.
See how Firstbase customers reclaim 700+ hours for their IT teams through zero-touch deployment.
Cresta grew its global headcount by 2x in under a year after moving to Firstbase, while saving over 250 IT hours that would have otherwise been spent on manual logistics.
Fast-growing, remote or global teams (50–5,000+ employees) that want to scale Apple device operations without scaling IT headcount, while improving employee experience and staying audit-ready.
Here’s what Firstbase customers have to say:
Jamf is one of the most established Apple MDM platforms, trusted by enterprises, schools, and IT teams for over 20 years. It offers a robust, Apple-first approach to device management and security (supporting everything from Mac and iPhone to Vision Pro and Apple TV devices).
The platform combines mobile device management, endpoint protection, identity-based access, and a rich partner ecosystem into a single Apple-first platform.
Organizations managing large fleets of Apple devices that need enterprise-grade control, rapid OS compatibility, and built-in endpoint protection.
While Jamf focuses on software-based device management, Firstbase pairs with Jamf to cover the physical lifecycle. The platform adds end-to-end physical logistics (procurement, shipping, retrieval, and IT asset disposition), making it a complete Apple hardware operations platform (not just an MDM).
Jamf customers say this about the platform:
Kandji is an Apple MDM platform purpose-built for managing Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, and Vision Pro devices at scale. It focuses on delivering deep automation, granular control, and a seamless employee experience (which makes it popular with fast-scaling tech teams and security-conscious enterprises). It supports zero-touch deployment, app configuration, compliance enforcement, and detailed fleet visibility.
IT teams at Apple-centric, mid-to-large organizations looking for powerful automation and fine-grained control over their fleet.
Like Jamf, Kandji excels in software automation but lacks support for physical device operations. While Kandji's Blueprints streamline app deployment, they can't ensure the MacBook arrives at an employee's address or handle retrieval when someone leaves.
Firstbase complements Kandji by managing these logistics gaps with 48-hour global delivery and automated returns with compliance documentation.
Look at what their customers say:
Hexnode is a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform from Mitsogo Inc. It manages macOS, Windows, iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices across their lifecycle. The platform simplifies device onboarding with encrypted configurations, automates policy enforcement, and supports silent migrations from legacy MDMs.
Admins have remote access to manage apps, enforce geofencing rules, lock down devices into kiosk mode, and provide unattended remote troubleshooting.
IT teams managing a hybrid fleet across OS types, looking for centralized policy control, kiosk management, and remote troubleshooting.
While Hexnode supports multiple platforms, its broad approach results in less in-depth Apple-specific coverage. More critically, like other MDMs, it manages software but not hardware logistics.
On the other hand, Firstbase comes with real-time asset tracking, end-of-life automation, and employee self-service hardware requests (all in a single platform backed by SLA performance guarantees you can count on).
What users are saying about Hexnode:
Scalefusion is a cross-platform Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform for modern businesses and educational institutions. The solution supports multiple operating systems like iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, ChromeOS, and Linux.
With native integrations for Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager, Scalefusion makes it easy to onboard, manage, and secure both corporate and BYO devices at scale.
IT admins in mid-sized to large enterprises or education sectors managing mixed device environments who need seamless Apple ecosystem integration, compliance automation, and built-in threat protection.
Some Scalefusion users report challenges like limited dashboard visibility and hidden upgrade costs for key features like app management. Firstbase avoids these by offering clear pricing, full transparency, and deep visibility across your entire fleet (+ seamless integration into your existing Apple MDM stack).
Here’s what their customers feel:
In 2025, with distributed teams spanning continents and IT budgets under scrutiny, the real differentiators aren’t just the features, but the outcomes you get from your MDM. Here are six must-haves to look for.
Managing fragmented vendors leads to compliance risks, delays, and high costs. Your platform should manage the full lifecycle (not just shipping or MDM).
Firstbase offers end-to-end coverage, including NIST-aligned disposal and certified data destruction, which reduces asset loss, ensures reuse, and cuts over 500 hours of IT coordination per 100 employees annually.
Devices are stored, repaired, redeployed, or decommissioned from a single dashboard, giving total control over every asset, wherever it is.
“Zero-touch” often stops at software provisioning, leaving IT with the burdens of imaging, shipping, and setup. But platforms like Firstbase handle every step: sourcing Apple devices as an authorized reseller, enrolling them via Jamf or Kandji, applying company policies, and shipping fully configured hardware directly to employees.
You’ll eliminate 2–4 hours of manual work per device and onboard employees globally without managing logistics vendors. Firstbase ships fully configured Apple devices directly to your team (with zero in-house effort).
One missed device during offboarding can mean compliance risk or lost assets. Some companies recover less than 50% of remote devices, creating data security exposure and financial waste.
Firstbase automates offboarding with return kit shipping, address confirmation, live status tracking, and an SLA-backed 97% retrieval success rate.
Better yet, you’ll close the loop in <30 days and recover assets even from remote employees, saving thousands in reuse potential.
MDM dashboards only show online devices, and that will leave you blind to what’s in storage, in transit, or lost. It’ll impact both your compliance and budgeting. Firstbase tracks every asset by serial number, user, location, and status (online or offline, assigned or unassigned).
You get 1.6 times better visibility compared to traditional MDMs and also get to simplify audits, and let finance, IT, and compliance finally operate from the same source of truth.
If your device disposition process isn’t documented, you're exposed. Look for platforms that comply with industry standards, especially certified data wiping processes and automatic documentation generation.
For example, Firstbase delivers NIST 800-88 certified data wipes and HIPAA-compliant processes ensure complete corporate data security. The platform also automatically uploads Certificates of Destruction for every retired asset.
Many platforms appear affordable… until you get hit with hidden fees for storage, returns, or repairs. You need lifecycle-wide cost control from procurement to end-of-life.
Firstbase comes with per-seat pricing that includes everything (shipping, storage, returns) with no surprise freight or restocking fees.
Finance teams can forecast device TCO with accuracy, avoiding end-of-quarter billing surprises. Get one unified invoice, see true cost per employee, and forecast IT + finance spend with confidence.
Here’s a quick Apple MDM decision checklist you can use to evaluate your platform right away:
Traditional Apple MDM platforms promise automation. But too often, they fall short on the messy, manual parts of device lifecycle management. You’re left filling the gaps: shipping devices yourself, chasing returns, wrangling multiple vendors, and guessing where your assets are. These blind spots slowly become compliance risks, lost assets, and blown IT budgets.
Firstbase closes these gaps. From zero-touch provisioning to SLA-backed recovery and NIST-compliant disposal, everything is handled through one unified platform. You get total visibility, audit-proof processes, and predictable lifecycle costs (without lifting a finger in IT).
As one of just over 200 Apple Authorized Resellers in the U.S., Firstbase enrolls your devices into ABM, pre-configures them with your MDM, and handles logistics through a team of 20+ experts. Book a demo to see how it works in under 15 minutes.
