Best Iru (Kandji) Alternatives for Mixed Fleets

Kandji spent years building a reputation as one of the most polished Apple MDM platforms on the market. In mid-2025 it rebranded as Iru and announced cross-platform support for Windows and Android, but the expansion came through an acquisition, not native development, and the 100-device minimum license requirement didn't go away. Those two facts alone have pushed a lot of IT admins back into evaluation mode.

So yes, there are good Iru (Kandji) alternatives, and the right one depends almost entirely on your fleet composition. For mixed Android and Apple environments, several cross-platform tools handle both natively at lower cost, covered in detail below. For organizations already deep in Microsoft 365, Intune is the logical default. For Apple-only shops under 100 devices, there are options that cost significantly less than Iru, including tools with free tiers.

Price is the second big variable. Kandji users have reported noticeable cost increases at Year 2 and Year 3 contract renewals, with some community threads noting that by the third year, the contract value can approach Jamf Pro levels. Several alternatives now offer per-license pricing with no minimums and published rates, which makes the comparison a lot more straightforward than it used to be.

This article covers what actually changed with the Iru rebrand, the main reasons IT admins go looking for alternatives, detailed profiles of seven tools with platform and pricing data, a side-by-side comparison table, a practical switching guide, and a four-question framework for narrowing your shortlist.

What Is Iru (Formerly Kandji), and Why Are IT Admins Looking for Alternatives?

If you already know Iru's background and just want the alternatives list, skip ahead to The 7 Best Iru (Kandji) Alternatives.

Kandji launched as an Apple-focused MDM built around macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. Its differentiators were practical: a Blueprints configuration system, an Auto Apps library that handled software deployment without scripts, and smooth zero-touch enrollment through Apple Business Manager. For Apple-first IT teams, it was genuinely well-built.

In mid-2025, Kandji rebranded as Iru and announced cross-platform expansion to Windows and Android. The nuance that matters for your evaluation: the Windows MDM capability was acquired, not built in-house. Community reaction captured this accurately, one practitioner noted, "They evidently bought some Windows MDM and are going to rebrand it as part of this move." That distinction affects how you assess cross-platform maturity if you're considering Iru as a long-term unified endpoint management platform.

Iru also added the "Iru Context Model," an AI-powered identity layer, again, sourced through acquisition rather than organic development.

The main reasons IT admins look for alternatives to Kandji tend to cluster around a few consistent themes:

• 100-device minimum license requirement, sub-100-device organizations are locked out entirely
• Price increases at Year 2–3 contract renewal, reported consistently in community threads
• Android and Windows support historically absent and still maturing post-rebrand
• Cross-platform fleets requiring a second MDM tool running alongside Kandji, one practitioner put it plainly: "I used Kandji at my last place. We had 90% macOS and for the Windows and Linux devices we used a second MDM tool alongside it."
• Compliance toolchain mismatches, particularly for SOC 2 and NIS2 requirements

That last point has broader stakes. Attackers have adopted a mobile-first attack strategy, according to Zimperium's 2025 Global Mobile Threat Report, which is why compliance-aligned MDM selection increasingly matters regardless of fleet size, not just for enterprises.

Iru's Apple MDM core remains strong. The switching reasons are specific and narrow: cost, platform breadth, and the maturity of newly acquired capabilities. That context matters when you're building your shortlist.

The 7 Best Iru (Kandji) Alternatives

Iru Alternatives span a wide range, from Apple-specialist tools that go deeper on macOS management to full UEM platforms that handle six or seven operating systems from one console. The right pick depends heavily on your fleet composition and compliance requirements. Pricing data is included for each tool where it's publicly available.

1. Jamf Pro, Best for Large Apple-Only Enterprises

Jamf Pro is the long-standing benchmark for enterprise Apple MDM. If your fleet is 100+ Apple devices and you need the deepest available support for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, it remains the reference point that all other Apple MDM tools are measured against.

Platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS
Pricing: ~$10/device/month (25-device minimum, annual)

Pros:

• Deepest Apple MDM protocol implementation available
• Fastest adoption of new Apple OS features, including Declarative Device Management (DDM), an Apple protocol that handles software updates natively since iOS 18, which Jamf implements ahead of most alternatives
• Strong enterprise compliance toolchain covering HIPAA, SOC 2, and NIS2 for Apple fleets

Cons:

• Apple-only, no Windows, Android, or Linux support
• Higher price point than Iru
• Steeper configuration learning curve for smaller IT teams

Compliance fit: SOC 2, HIPAA, NIS2 (Apple fleet)

Community sentiment among Apple admins lands here consistently: "Jamf Pro is the best overall, although it can be slow adopting new features." That's a fair characterization for Apple-only enterprises, but it's a niche fit, not a universal one.

2. Microsoft Intune, Best for Microsoft-Centric Environments

If your organization runs Microsoft 365, uses Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), or has a primarily Windows fleet with some Apple and Android devices, Intune is the default evaluation starting point. It's not the deepest Apple MDM, but for Microsoft environments, the native integration with Defender, Purview, and Conditional Access is hard to replicate elsewhere.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android
Pricing: Plan 1 at $8/user/month; Intune Suite at $10/user/month

Pros:

• Native integration with Entra ID Conditional Access, device compliance directly gates resource access
• Cross-platform from one console: Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
• Per-user pricing suits organizations where one person manages multiple devices

Cons:

• Per-user pricing model gets expensive in device-heavy environments where devices outnumber users
• Apple MDM depth is meaningfully weaker than Jamf or Iru for pure Apple shops
• Configuration complexity can be high for IT teams without Microsoft infrastructure experience

Compliance fit: SOC 2, HIPAA, NIS2, GDPR

As of June 2025, Intune's Service Release 2506 introduced Apple AI feature controls and updated Android 16 behavior management, worth verifying against your fleet's OS versions before finalizing any evaluation.

3. Hexnode, Best for Android + Mixed-OS Fleets

For IT admins searching for Kandji alternatives for Android, Hexnode is the most commonly recommended starting point. It covers the broadest OS range of any tool in this list, including ChromeOS and Linux, which most alternatives skip entirely.

Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, tvOS, Linux, ChromeOS
Pricing: Tiered; Enterprise plan adds Windows/macOS; Ultra adds full feature set (contact for pricing)

Pros:

• Broadest platform coverage, including ChromeOS and Linux
• Strong Android Enterprise management, BYOD profiles, kiosk mode, corporate-owned device separation
• Healthcare-ready compliance controls for HIPAA environments

Cons:

• Apple MDM depth is not on par with Jamf or Iru for pure Apple fleets
• Pricing tiers require careful matching to your actual feature needs, it's easy to pay for features you won't use
• Community feedback notes a UI learning curve, particularly for first-time MDM admins

Compliance fit: HIPAA, SOC 2 (platform controls)

Direct practitioner validation here: admins who ran Kandji alongside a second tool for non-Apple devices consistently name cross-platform UEMs as the natural fix. Hexnode eliminates the need for that split.

4. Mosyle, Best for Apple-Only SMBs and Schools

Mosyle is the most budget-friendly option for Apple-only organizations under 100 devices. Its free tier (Mosyle Fuse) covers small fleets at no cost, and its paid plans come in well below Iru's typical contract value.

Platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, visionOS
Pricing: Free for small fleets; paid tiers available (significantly lower than Iru)

Pros:

• Free for small deployments, no trial, no expiry
• Consistently praised in the community for ease of setup and day-to-day use
• Actively maintained with Apple OS updates, including education-specific tooling

Cons:

• Apple-only, not a viable option for mixed fleets
• Free tier has feature limitations; some compliance-adjacent controls require a paid plan
• Less enterprise compliance depth than Jamf or Iru for SOC 2 heavy environments

Compliance fit: CIPA (education), basic SOC 2

Community sentiment: "Mosyle gets tons of praise, really affordable, easy to use, free for small fleets." That tracks consistently across Apple admin communities. If you're Apple-only and under 100 devices, it's the natural first stop.

5. Trio MDM, Best for Mixed Fleets

Trio MDM is a cross-platform UEM that covers all five major operating systems from a single console. For IT teams currently running Iru alongside a second tool to cover non-Apple devices, or for organizations under 100 devices locked out by Iru's minimum, it eliminates both problems at once.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux
Pricing: $5/license/month (Essentials, annual); $8/license/month (Secure, annual); $11/license/month (Zero Trust, annual)

Pros:

• Five-OS coverage including Linux, which most alternatives in this list skip
• No published minimum device requirement, organizations under 100 devices can get started without a sales conversation
• Compliance automation, patch management, zero-touch onboarding, ticketing, and security dashboards all included at the Secure plan ($8/license/month), not gated behind add-ons or top-tier plans

Cons:

• Newer entrant in the MDM space compared to legacy vendors
• No ChromeOS support

Compliance fit: SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR (Secure plan and above)

The pricing model is flat per-license, meaning phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops all cost the same. For mixed-fleet environments where device types vary widely, that removes the guesswork from budget planning.

6. JumpCloud, Best for Directory-First Organizations

JumpCloud takes a fundamentally different architectural approach than the other tools on this list. Rather than starting with device management and bolting on identity, it starts with a cloud directory and adds device management on top. That matters when you're comparing it against Iru competitors, Iru's identity layer (the Iru Context Model) is an acquired product. JumpCloud's directory is what the platform was built on from day one.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS/iPadOS
Pricing: $9–$24/user/month depending on tier; Device Identity Management at $13/user/month

Pros:

• Directory-first architecture, identity and device management from a single native platform
• Manages Linux, which most MDM tools skip entirely
• Strong Zero Trust and Conditional Access posture for compliance-heavy teams

Cons:

• Per-user pricing gets expensive at scale
• Apple MDM depth is not equivalent to Jamf or Iru for pure Apple shops
• Teams without existing directory management experience face a steeper learning curve

Compliance fit: SOC 2, NIS2 (Zero Trust alignment), HIPAA

If you move to JumpCloud from Iru, your device enrollment policies, SSO configurations, and app access rules will all need to be rebuilt in JumpCloud's directory, plan for that scope before you sign.

7. Addigy, Best for Apple MSPs and Multi-Tenant Environments

Among Kandji competitors in the MSP space, Addigy occupies a specific niche: multi-tenant Apple management for IT service providers who run multiple client environments from a single platform. It's not built for in-house IT teams managing a single organization.

Platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS
Pricing: ~$6.25/device/month (MDM + Agent plan)

Pros:

• Purpose-built multi-tenant architecture for MSPs
• Competitive pricing for Apple MDM at the per-device level
• Top Apple MDM award on G2 in 2025 (4.5/5 rating)

Cons:

• Apple-only, no Android or Windows support
• Less recognition outside the MSP community
• Not a fit for in-house IT teams managing a single organization

Compliance fit: SOC 2 controls

Before you move any of these tools to your shortlist, check whether your procurement process requires a formal vendor security review, that step alone can add four to six weeks to your evaluation timeline regardless of which tool you choose.

How to Choose an Iru (Kandji) Alternative: 4 Questions to Ask First

When evaluating alternatives to Iru, four questions narrow your shortlist faster than reading through every vendor's feature matrix. The goal here isn't to repeat the tool profiles above, it's to give you a decision structure you can run through in a team meeting.

MDM evaluations have a specific failure mode: compliance requirements get added mid-process and invalidate tools that were already on the shortlist. Define your compliance must-haves before you open the first demo.

1. What platforms do your devices run?
Apple-only, mixed OS, or Windows-primary? 78% of IT and security leaders report that employees still use personal devices without approval, according to industry research, meaning even organizations with an Apple-primary policy often have Android and Windows devices connecting to their network. Platform support breadth matters even when your official policy is more restrictive. If your fleet includes any combination of Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, or Linux, look for tools that manage all five from a single console, that's where the field narrows significantly.

2. Do you have a compliance deadline?
SOC 2, HIPAA, NIS2, or GDPR requirements should shape your tool choice, not just your feature wishlist. Platform support tells you what devices a tool can manage. Compliance depth tells you whether it can generate the audit evidence your auditors will actually accept. Ask each vendor specifically which Trust Service Criteria or regulatory control mappings they support before you proceed past a demo.

3. What's your device count, and where will it be in two years?
Tools with device minimums (Iru: 100 devices) or per-user pricing models (Intune, JumpCloud) behave very differently at 50 devices vs. 500. Build the cost model at your two-year projected headcount before comparing price points, the starting price rarely reflects what you'll pay at renewal.

4. Do you need RMM capability, or just MDM?
MDM and RMM serve different jobs. MDM is a configuration tool, it handles enrollment, policy enforcement, and app deployment. RMM is a support tool, it handles remote session access, scripting, and live troubleshooting. Pure MDM tools like Mosyle, Addigy, and Iru require a separate RMM investment if your team also handles remote support. Know which you need before you set your budget.

What to Expect When You Switch Away From Iru (Kandji)

Migrating MDM platforms is not a same-day project, but it's no longer the worst-case scenario it once was.

At WWDC25 in June 2025, Apple announced that organizations can now migrate Apple devices to a new MDM without requiring a full device wipe, using updated Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager tooling. No SERP article covers this yet. It's a meaningful reduction in switching cost, especially for organizations with hundreds of enrolled devices where a wipe-and-re-enroll process would have meant weeks of hands-on work.

For devices already in ABM or ASM, the practical migration path is: add all devices to ABM before you make any software changes, assign them to the new MDM server in ABM, then trigger re-enrollment through Automated Device Enrollment. The process is largely automated once ABM is configured correctly.

For devices not in ABM, re-enrollment is still manual. Plan for hands-on work per device for any non-ABM inventory.

Migration checklist:

• Audit current device inventory and confirm ABM/ASM enrollment status for each device
• Assign devices to the new MDM server in ABM before making any software changes
• Document all existing Blueprints and configuration profiles so they can be recreated in the new platform
• Test the new MDM on a pilot group of 5–10 devices before full rollout
• Plan for a parallel-run period where both MDMs are active during the transition

If your new MDM enrollment isn't triggering automatically after ABM reassignment, confirm that the MDM server URL was updated correctly in ABM and that the device has been restarted at least once.

One thing most migration guides miss: if your existing MDM stores FileVault recovery keys, confirm the new MDM can receive and store new keys before you unenroll the first device. Losing recovery key continuity is the most common migration mistake, and it's harder to recover from than a failed enrollment.

How Trio MDM Helps Organizations That Have Outgrown Apple-Only Tools

Trio MDM is built for exactly the scenario Iru can't handle, mixed-fleet organizations under 100 devices that need cross-platform management without a minimum device commitment.

Trio MDM manages Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux devices from a single platform. For an IT team currently running Iru alongside a second tool to handle non-Apple devices, that consolidation removes both the operational overhead and the additional licensing cost of maintaining two separate management consoles.

Pricing starts at $5/license/month on an annual plan, or $6/license/month on a monthly plan. There is a minimum device requirement of 20, which means organizations under 100 devices that are locked out of Iru's licensing model can get started with Trio MDM.

If you're managing a mixed fleet and want to see how Trio MDM handles your specific device types and policy requirements, the two fastest ways to evaluate it are to run a trial or talk through your setup with the team directly.

Start your free trial or Book a demo to see how Trio MDM fits your fleet.