MDM for Small Business: Costs by Minimum Order Size

Device management is sold by the device, but small companies rarely pay the advertised rate. A tool priced at $12.50 a device can cost a 10-person firm two and a half times what the sum suggests, because the vendor will not sell fewer than 25 licences.

This comparison of MDM for small business starts from that fact. It prices each tool at 10, 25 and 50 devices using only what the vendor publishes, and marks every case where a minimum raises the bill.

Why the minimum order matters more than the price

Three kinds of rule push a small order above the per-device sum:

• A minimum licence count. You pay for 15, 25 or 30 devices whether you have them or not.
• A minimum spend. The per-device price applies, but the bill cannot fall below a fixed amount.
• A smallest tier. Prices are sold in blocks, and the smallest block is larger than your fleet.

Annual-only billing adds a fourth cost: the whole year is paid up front, and unused licences are not refunded mid-term. The quotes for each rule are in the vendor sections below.

What MDM for small business costs at 10, 25 and 50 devices

All prices are in US dollars as published, read on 13 Nov 2026. Annual figures assume the annual billing rate where the vendor offers one. A dagger marks a bill raised by a minimum.

Two readings follow from the table. At 10 devices, five of the nine paid plans cost more than their per-device price implies. And the spread is wide: the dearest paid option at 10 devices costs more than fifteen times the cheapest.

The tools with a minimum order

Jamf

Jamf's pricing page states the rule in the price line itself: "$12.50 per macOS device, per month, billed annually, 25-device minimum". Jamf for Mobile is $5.75 per device on the same terms. For smaller fleets Jamf points to Jamf Now, "starting at $4 per device, per month", described as being for organisations with fewer than 25 employees.

• Best for: Mac fleets of 25 or more.
• Limits: Apple devices only on the Mac plan; a 10-Mac company pays for 25.

Mosyle

Mosyle's pricing page offers a free plan "For up to 30 devices" and a Premium plan at $1.00 per device per month. Each paid plan carries the line "Minimum of 30 licenses required. Billed annually." That makes the paid floor $360 a year.

• Best for: Apple-only companies, which can start free and move to the lowest paid floor in this comparison.
• Limits: Apple devices only.

Hexnode

Hexnode's pricing page opens with "Start with 15 devices". The Pro plan is $2.20 per device per month on annual billing, so the smallest annual bill is $396. Higher plans are $3.20 and $4.70 on the same basis.

• Best for: mixed fleets of 15 or more that want one tool across platforms.
• Limits: the page does not list which operating systems each plan covers.

Scalefusion

Scalefusion's pricing page carries a footnote: "All plans are Billed Annually Only. Minimum of 10 total devices required." Essential is $24 per device per year, so 10 devices cost $240.

• Best for: fleets of 10 or more that want the lowest paid entry price found here.
• Limits: annual billing only; supported platforms are shown as icons, not text.

Miradore

Miradore's plans page has a free plan for "up to 50 devices" and a Premium plan at $2.75 per device per month on annual billing. Its payment page sets the floor: "The minimum monthly fee for the Premium plan is 50 USD/EUR/GBP", or 600 a year on an annual subscription.

On monthly billing at $3.30 a device, the minimum stops applying at 16 devices. On annual billing it stops at 19.

• Best for: small mixed fleets that fit the free plan, covering Android, iOS, macOS and Windows.
• Limits: below about 16 devices the paid plan costs more than its per-device rate.

ManageEngine

ManageEngine's pricing page offers a free edition for up to 25 devices. The smallest paid tier of the cloud Standard edition is 50 devices, at $64 a month or $645 a year. A 26-device company therefore moves straight from free to the 50-device price.

• Best for: fleets close to 50, where the tier price works out at about $1.08 a device a month.
• Limits: the jump from 25 free devices to a 50-device tier.

The tools with no stated minimum

SimpleMDM

SimpleMDM's pricing page lists $3.00 per device per month, or $2.50 on annual billing, with "no contract required". It states that the bill "is based on the number of devices in your account". It manages Apple devices only.

JumpCloud

JumpCloud's pricing page prices its Device Management package at $9 per user per month billed annually, or $11 monthly. It covers Windows, macOS and Linux through an agent, plus Android and Apple mobile devices.

Microsoft Intune

Microsoft's Intune pricing page lists Plan 1 at $8.00 per user per month, paid yearly. It is also included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium at $22.00 per user per month. For a company already paying for Business Premium, the extra cost of Intune is nothing.

Is Apple's free option enough?

For an Apple-only company it may be. Apple's announcement of 24 March 2026 says Apple Business replaces Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager and Apple Business Connect, and is free in the US and more than 200 countries and regions from 14 April 2026. Device management is built in.

Many older comparisons still list Apple Business Essentials with a monthly price. That product no longer exists.

Whichever tool you choose, Apple devices need one thing first. Apple's deployment guide says device management services need an APNs certificate to talk to devices, and it has to be renewed every year. A lapsed certificate cuts the tool off from every enrolled device.

Not included, and why

• Iru (formerly Kandji). Its pricing page publishes no figures and says contracts are annual commitments.
• Cisco Meraki Systems Manager. Cisco's product page says it is discontinued and no longer available for purchase from 3 June 2026.
• NinjaOne and Addigy. Both publish a starting price only and require a quote, so no exact cost can be worked out.
• Google Workspace endpoint management. It is part of a productivity suite. Advanced management starts at the Business Plus edition, and the suite price is not a device-management price.

Leaving a product out says nothing about how good it is.

What should device management enforce?

A price comparison does not tell you what to configure. A public baseline does. The UK's Cyber Essentials requirements, version 3.3, set device rules that an MDM tool exists to apply:

1. Unlock credential. A password or PIN of at least 6 characters where it only unlocks the device.
2. Lockout. Devices locked "after no more than 10 unsuccessful attempts", or guesses throttled.
3. Updates. High-risk and critical fixes applied "within 14 days" of release.
4. Scope. Personal devices that reach company data are in scope too.

The update rule is the one that needs a list of what to patch first. How small teams can use the CISA KEV catalog covers that. The password side of the baseline is in the password rules NIST now prohibits.

How to choose

1. Count devices by platform. Apple-only fleets have free and near-free options that mixed fleets do not.
2. Check what you already pay for. Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Intune.
3. Price your real number. Use the table, and look for the dagger.
4. Ask about growth. A free plan that ends at 30 or 50 devices sets the date of your next purchase.
5. Renew the Apple push certificate on a calendar, whichever tool you pick.

This page compares published prices and terms. Nothing was installed; the methodology page explains what that label covers.