This page helps you choose a Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform for MacBooks and Windows laptops. After reading it, you know which tool fits your situation and why it matters.
What Mobile Device Management (MDM) is
Mobile Device Management, or MDM, is software that lets an IT administrator manage laptops and other devices from a single console. Despite the name, MDM applies to laptops and desktops just as much as phones. From one place, an administrator can a.o.:
- enforce security policies
- push software
- apply patches
- wipe a device remotely if it is lost or stolen.
Without MDM, every laptop is its own island. Two things typically push organisations to set it up:
- a growing team (10 or more devices is where manual management breaks down)
- or a security requirement such as ISO 27001, GDPR, or donor due diligence.
🍏 MacBooks: use Jamf
For Apple devices, Jamf is the industry standard. It integrates directly with Apple Business Manager and gives administrators full control over every device from enrollment through offboarding.
For most nonprofits and mission-driven organisations, Jamf Now is enough to start (up to roughly 50 devices). Move to Jamf Pro when auditors ask for it or when policy complexity grows. For example Amac can manage this for you.
🪟 Windows laptops: use Microsoft Intune
Our default recommendation is Microsoft Intune.
- If your organisation already uses Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3, or E5, Intune is already included.
- If not, start there anyway: NGOs get Microsoft 365 Business Premium for $5.50/user/month — email, Teams, Office, and device management in one subscription. No standalone MDM tool comes close at that price. ( see Microsoft nonprofit offers )
Good to know
- GDPR and data residency. For EU-based organisations, the location where MDM data is processed and stored matters. Intune is the safest choice: Microsoft completed its EU Data Boundary in February 2025, keeping all data within EU/EFTA regions.
- Mac and Windows in one organisation. Jamf and Intune run side by side without conflict. Jamf handles Macs, Intune handles Windows, and both integrate with Microsoft Entra ID for unified identity management.
- Minimum viable setup. Even a basic MDM deployment (enrollment, disk encryption, remote wipe) reduces risk significantly compared to no management at all. Don't wait for a complete policy framework to get started.
- Buying a new laptop? See Buying laptops: what we recommend right now for current models, and enroll it here before you hand it over.