Jamf and Kandji are both purpose-built Apple device management platforms, but they come from different eras and serve different priorities. Jamf, founded in…
| Jamf | Kandji | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Security | Security |
| Rating | Not documented | Not documented |
| Pricing model | Subscription | Enterprise |
| Starting price | Free for first 3 devices, then $4/device/month (Jamf Now) | Custom pricing |
| Free plan | Not documented | Not documented |
| Free trial | Yes | Not documented |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows |
| Team collaboration | Not documented | Not documented |
| AI features | Not documented | Yes |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
Pricing transparency
Jamf: Jamf lists every plan, including Jamf Now, as Contact for pricing with no published rates.
Kandji: Kandji publishes starting per-device rates, from $1.60/device/month for iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS and $3.20/device/month for Mac, though a final quote still requires sales.
Buyers comparing MDM options often want at least a ballpark cost before engaging a sales team, and one vendor gives that while the other does not.
Company history and market maturity
Jamf: Jamf was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Kandji: Kandji was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
A longer track record can mean more field-tested workflows and integrations, while a newer platform can mean a more modern architecture built without legacy constraints.
Android device support
Jamf: Jamf offers a dedicated Jamf for Mobile plan covering iOS, iPadOS, and Android device management, and is tagged for Android support.
Kandji: Kandji's core platform was built specifically for Apple's ecosystem, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS, and is not documented as supporting Android.
Mixed-fleet organizations that issue both Apple and Android hardware need one console that covers both, or accept running two tools.
Security and identity: bundled versus modular
Jamf: Jamf sells endpoint security (Jamf Protect) and identity and access management (Jamf Connect) as separate add-on products alongside its core MDM.
Kandji: Kandji runs EDR as an add-on module on the same lightweight agent as its MDM, and connects to identity providers like Okta and Google Workspace rather than offering its own identity product.
How security and identity are packaged affects both total cost and how many agents or consoles IT has to manage.
Compliance framework tooling
Jamf: Jamf's documented feature set does not include a named compliance-framework template feature.
Kandji: Kandji offers One-Click Compliance Templates mapped to frameworks such as SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS, applied directly to a Blueprint.
Teams preparing for security audits can save significant setup time if compliance controls are pre-built into the platform.
Small-team and small-business options
Jamf: Jamf Now is explicitly aimed at organizations with fewer than 25 employees, with a simplified plan structure.
Kandji: Kandji's cons note that minimum device commitments can make it a poor fit for very small teams with only a few Apple devices.
Very small organizations need a plan sized and priced for their scale rather than an enterprise-first structure.
Education and classroom workflows
Jamf: Jamf provides dedicated classroom and shared-device tools, including locking iPads into single-app mode and managing shared iPad configurations and school app catalogs, and offers Jamf School for K-12.
Kandji: Kandji's documented feature set does not include education- or classroom-specific tooling.
Schools have workflow needs, like shared devices and single-app testing mode, that a generic business MDM does not address.
App configuration approach
Jamf: Jamf pushes configuration profiles, restrictions, and app installs through policy and profile management, with a self-service app catalog for end users and scheduled or policy-driven patch management.
Kandji: Kandji uses Blueprints, reusable bundles of apps, scripts, and configuration profiles continuously enforced on assigned devices, plus Auto Apps, a catalog of business applications Kandji packages and keeps automatically updated.
The underlying model for how configuration and patching are defined and reused affects how much repetitive setup work admins face as the fleet grows.
Out-of-box onboarding experience
Jamf: Jamf's documented feature set does not include a named branded onboarding experience distinct from standard zero-touch deployment.
Kandji: Kandji offers Liftoff Custom Onboarding, a branded out-of-box setup experience guiding new users through account creation and initial configuration during enrollment.
A polished first-run experience can reduce help desk tickets from new hires setting up devices for the first time.
Named third-party integrations
Jamf: Jamf's provided facts describe identity via its own Jamf Connect product rather than naming specific third-party identity, chat, or ticketing integrations, though it is tagged as offering an API.
Kandji: Kandji documents specific integrations with identity providers like Okta and Google Workspace, plus tools such as Slack, SIEM platforms, and ticketing systems, along with an API for scripting Blueprint assignment and reporting.
Teams with an existing toolchain of identity providers, chat, and ticketing systems want confirmation a platform connects to what they already use.
| Feature | Jamf | Kandji |
|---|---|---|
| Zero-touch deployment via Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager | Available | Available |
| Automated device enrollment for new devices | Available | Available |
| Shared or classroom device provisioning (e.g. shared iPad, single-app mode) | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Jamf | Kandji |
|---|---|---|
| End-user self-service app catalog | Available | Available |
| Automated third-party app patching | Available | Available |
| Reusable configuration bundles applied continuously to device groups | Limited | Available |
| Feature | Jamf | Kandji |
|---|---|---|
| Endpoint threat detection and response | Available | Available |
| Remote lock and wipe | Available | Not documented |
| Dedicated identity and access management product | Available | Limited |
| Feature | Jamf | Kandji |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-built compliance framework templates (SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, PCI DSS) | Not documented | Available |
| Device inventory and compliance reporting dashboards | Available | Available |
| SIEM and ticketing system integrations | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Jamf | Kandji |
|---|---|---|
| macOS device management | Available | Available |
| iOS and iPadOS device management | Available | Available |
| Android device management | Available | Unavailable |
| Windows device management | Limited | Unavailable |
| Feature | Jamf | Kandji |
|---|---|---|
| Branded custom out-of-box onboarding experience | Not documented | Available |
| Modern, easy-to-learn admin console | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Jamf | Kandji |
|---|---|---|
| Simplified plan for teams under 25 employees | Available | Limited |
| Education-specific classroom tools | Available | Not documented |
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Kandji publishes starting per-device prices, from $1.60/device/month for iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS and $3.20/device/month for Mac, while Jamf lists every plan, including Jamf Now, as Contact for pricing with no published rates, so Kandji is more transparent about starting cost even though both require a final sales quote.
Kandji's own documented pros describe it as having a modern, relatively easy-to-learn admin console compared with older MDM tools, a claim not addressed in Jamf's provided facts, so buyers evaluating ease of use for new admins should weigh Kandji's stated interface advantage against Jamf's longer track record and broader configuration options.
Neither is built primarily for Windows: Jamf's documented cons state it offers less depth for Windows-heavy fleets despite having some Windows tagging, while Kandji's cons state it is built exclusively around Apple devices, meaning organizations with substantial Windows fleets should not expect strong Windows support from either.
No, based on the documented facts Kandji does not match Jamf's Android device management (via Jamf for Mobile) or Jamf's dedicated classroom and shared-iPad tools for education, though Kandji does offer features Jamf's facts do not document, such as One-Click Compliance Templates and Liftoff custom onboarding.
Both offer add-on endpoint security, Jamf Protect for Jamf and Kandji EDR for Kandji, but Jamf additionally sells a dedicated identity and access management product, Jamf Connect, while Kandji instead connects to third-party identity providers like Okta and Google Workspace, so which is better depends on whether a buyer wants an all-in-one vendor or is fine using existing identity providers.
Yes, Kandji's own documented FAQs describe it as commonly evaluated as a modern alternative to Jamf for organizations wanting Apple-focused MDM with a newer admin interface and built-in security and compliance tooling, making it a reasonable alternative for Apple-only fleets, though not for organizations needing Android support or education-specific classroom tools.