Jamf Alternative: Why IT Leaders Are Switching to Hexnode

Hexnode UEM

Hexnode’s architectural strength lies in its broad, multi-OS coverage. It is designed to act as a single pane of glass for diverse environments, supporting traditional knowledge-worker devices alongside specialized frontline endpoints.

Core OS Support:

• Apple Ecosystem (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS): Offers robust support leveraging Apple Business Manager (ABM) for zero-touch deployment and Volume Purchase Program (VPP) app distribution. It officially supports Apple’s emerging spatial computing environments (visionOS).
• Android: Extensive support across the spectrum. Fully supports Android Enterprise deployment modes (Work Profile, Fully Managed, Dedicated/Kiosk), Legacy Android (Device Admin), and Android Open Source Project (AOSP) devices.
• Windows: Full support for Windows 10 and Windows 11 modern management, including integration with Windows Autopilot for out-of-the-box provisioning.
• Linux: Direct support for major Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora), enabling script execution, network configuration, and baseline security enforcement via a dedicated agent.
• ChromeOS: Supports ChromeOS device management via integration with Google Workspace.

Specialized Device Support:

• Rugged & IoT Devices: Features deep, native integrations with leading rugged OEMs like Zebra, Honeywell, Kyocera, Datalogic, and Samsung Knox. It supports OEMConfig, allowing granular control over specialized hardware components (like barcode scanners or physical buttons).
• Smart Screens: Supports dedicated devices like Amazon Fire OS, Android TV, and Apple TV, making it ideal for digital signage and conference room displays.

Jamf Pro

Jamf Pro is explicitly built to be the deepest, most comprehensive management solution exclusively for the Apple ecosystem. It trades multi-OS breadth for unparalleled depth within macOS and iOS environments.

Core OS Support:

• Apple Ecosystem (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, visionOS): Jamf Pro provides the industry’s most exhaustive feature set for Apple devices. It seamlessly integrates with Apple Business Manager (ABM) and Apple School Manager (ASM).
• Zero-Day Apple Support: Jamf is renowned for its commitment to “zero-day” support, meaning that whenever Apple releases a new OS version or feature update, Jamf Pro is capable of managing it on the exact day of release.
• Advanced Apple Workflows: Excels in complex macOS management, supporting advanced bash/zsh scripting, detailed extension attributes, customized self-service portals, and deep integrations with Apple’s Declarative Device Management (DDM).
• watchOS: Unlike many multi-OS UEMs, Jamf provides management capabilities for Apple Watches, which is increasingly relevant in healthcare and specialized enterprise roles.

Non-Apple OS Limitations:

• Windows, Android, Linux, ChromeOS: Jamf Pro does not function as an MDM for non-Apple devices. While Jamf has ancillary security products (like Jamf Protect or Jamf Connect) that offer endpoint security or identity management for Windows/Android, the core Jamf Pro management console cannot deploy OS-level profiles, wipe, or provision non-Apple endpoints.
• Enterprise Impact: Organizations utilizing Jamf Pro that also deploy Windows laptops or Android devices must purchase and maintain a secondary UEM solution (such as Hexnode) to manage the rest of their fleet.

Hexnode UEM

Hexnode offers a broad suite of enrollment options designed to accommodate diverse operating systems, ownership models, and enterprise workflows. Its architectural strength in this area is cross-platform flexibility, allowing IT to use native, zero-touch provisioning tools across all major ecosystems.

Enrollment Methods:

• Apple Automated Device Enrollment (ADE): Supports zero-touch onboarding for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS devices purchased directly from Apple or participating authorized resellers via Apple Business Manager (ABM) or Apple School Manager (ASM).
• Android Zero-Touch Enrollment (ZTE): Enables seamless, out-of-the-box provisioning for corporate-owned Android Enterprise devices.
• Samsung Knox Mobile Enrollment (KME): Integrates with Samsung’s KME portal to ensure bulk enrollment is forced and persistent, even if a device is factory reset.
• Windows Autopilot: Integrates with Microsoft Entra ID to pre-configure and deploy Windows 10 and 11 devices out-of-the-box without manual IT imaging.
• Bulk & Specialized Enrollment: Supports ROM-based enrollment for rugged Android devices with custom firmware, as well as QR code enrollment (embedding Wi-Fi and EULA settings) to rapidly provision dedicated/kiosk devices.
• BYOD & User-Driven: Supports secure self-enrollment via email/SMS invitations, leveraging Apple User Enrollment and Android Enterprise Work Profiles to separate corporate data from personal data.

Jamf Pro

Jamf Pro is built entirely around Apple’s ecosystem, offering immediate, day-zero integration with Apple’s latest device management frameworks. It is heavily optimized for zero-touch institutional deployment and Apple’s modern identity-driven enrollment flows.

Enrollment Methods:

Automated Device Enrollment (ADE): Jamf’s flagship deployment method. Integrates deeply with ABM/ASM to provide zero-touch setup, mandate enrollment, and prevent users from removing the MDM profile.

Device Enrollment (Corporate-Owned):

• Profile-Driven: Users navigate to a specific Jamf enrollment URL to download and install the management profile.
• Account-Driven Device Enrollment: Allows users to enroll an institutionally owned device simply by signing into settings with their Managed Apple ID, automatically fetching the Jamf payload without needing an enrollment URL.

User Enrollment (BYOD):

• Designed specifically for personally owned devices to ensure end-user privacy.
• Cryptographically separates personal data from institutional data using a managed APFS volume.
• Supported via Profile-Driven or the modern Account-Driven User Enrollment flow on iOS/iPadOS 15+ and Apple visionOS 1.1+.

Apple Configurator: Supports tethered (USB-based) provisioning for iOS and tvOS devices that were not purchased directly through Apple channels, allowing them to be manually added to ABM.

Hexnode UEM

Hexnode’s security architecture is built to unify compliance and data protection across multiple operating systems using zero-trust principles and OS-native controls.

Certifications & Infrastructure:

• Maintains rigorous operational security standards, officially holding ISO/IEC 27001 certification and SOC 2 Type 2 attestation, which validates its security, availability, and confidentiality controls.
• Network traffic and corporate data are secured using Advanced Encryption Standard (AES 256-bit) encryption.

Core Security Features:

• Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Enforces strict app sandboxing and containerization. IT can disable copy/paste functionality between managed and unmanaged applications, and restrict hardware interfaces like USB, Bluetooth, and tethering.
• Encryption Management: Enforces and escrows recovery keys for native full-disk encryption tools, including BitLocker for Windows and FileVault for macOS.
• Device Compliance & Telemetry: Actively monitors endpoints for security anomalies, instantly detecting rooted or jailbroken devices, outdated operating systems, and disabled security settings.
• Conditional Access: Integrates tightly with Identity Providers (IdPs) like Microsoft Entra ID and Okta. Devices that fail compliance checks are automatically blocked from accessing corporate resources.
• Incident Remediation: Features structured Incident Lifecycle Management for triaging threats. It provides immediate remote actions, including Full Device Wipe, Corporate Data Wipe, Remote Lock, and location tracking for lost or stolen hardware.

Jamf Pro

Jamf’s security model is tightly integrated with Apple’s Endpoint Security Framework. It excels in providing real-time visibility, automated compliance, and advanced threat detection specifically tailored for macOS and iOS environments.

Certifications & Frameworks:

• Integrates directly with the macOS Security Compliance Project (mSCP) maintained by NIST.
• Provides built-in compliance benchmark templates for strict government and enterprise standards, including CIS (Level 1, Level 2, v8), NIST (800-53 Rev 5, 800-171), DISA STIG, and CMMC.

Core Security Features:

• Jamf Protect (macOS Endpoint Security): A purpose-built endpoint security add-on that provides real-time telemetry, behavioral analytics, and malware prevention. It works seamlessly alongside Apple’s native defenses like the Secure Enclave, Gatekeeper, and XProtect.
• Automated Compliance Remediation: When devices fall out of compliance with applied CIS or NIST benchmarks, Jamf automatically triggers remediation policies to bring the device back into alignment without manual IT intervention.
• Secure Content Distribution: Utilizes enterprise-grade Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) for the secure, encrypted distribution of packages and in-house apps. Supported CDNs include Amazon S3, Amazon CloudFront, Akamai NetStorage, Rackspace, and Jamf’s own Cloud Distribution Service.
• Identity & Access Control: Through Jamf Connect, organizations can enforce Zero Trust Network Access and mandate cloud Identity Provider (IdP) multifactor authentication (MFA) directly at the macOS login window, prior to granting access to the desktop.

Hexnode UEM

Hexnode is designed to be platform-agnostic. Its integration strategy focuses on providing reliable hooks into major identity, ITSM, and security tools that span across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android ecosystems.

Identity & Directory Services:

• Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD): Supports user synchronization, Single Sign-On (SSO) enrollment, and conditional access to enforce device compliance.
• Google Workspace: Facilitates simplified user and device enrollment, alongside native ChromeOS device management.
• Okta: Enables user synchronization, authentication, and policy-based enrollment workflows across the multi-OS fleet.
• Active Directory (AD): Supports traditional on-premise AD integrations for device management and policy inheritance.

ITSM & Productivity Tools:

• Helpdesk Integration: Features native integrations with ITSM platforms like Freshservice and Zendesk, allowing IT teams to sync asset data, view device context, and execute remote actions directly from their ticketing consoles.
• Co-Management: Supports co-management capabilities for Windows endpoints, allowing Hexnode to operate alongside existing client management tools.

Security & Compliance Ecosystem:

• Compliance Automation: Integrates with compliance automation platforms like Drata and Vanta to streamline evidence collection for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA audits.
• Mobile Threat Defense (MTD): Connects with solutions like Check Point Harmony Mobile to extend threat visibility beyond basic MDM compliance.
• OEM-Level Security: Deep API integrations with Samsung Knox and LG GATE for advanced, hardware-level device security and specialized enrollment workflows.

Developer & Custom Integrations:

• Hexnode API: Provides a comprehensive, well-documented RESTful JSON API, empowering developers to build custom workflows, extract reporting data, and trigger third-party app automations.

Jamf Pro

Jamf’s integration strategy is hyper-focused on enhancing Apple-first environments. Through the extensive Jamf Marketplace, it offers hundreds of plug-and-play integrations specifically designed to securely bridge macOS and iOS devices into larger enterprise networks.

Identity & Access Management:

• Microsoft Entra ID: Highly recognized for its deep integration with Microsoft Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS), allowing Jamf to feed Mac compliance data into Intune for strict Conditional Access policy enforcement.
• Okta & Google Identity: Through the Jamf Connect add-on, Jamf extends cloud identity providers (IdPs) directly to the macOS login window, ensuring unified identity, seamless SSO, and secure access before the user reaches the desktop.

ITSM & Workflow Automation:

• ServiceNow: Offers deep ITSM integration via the officially supported Service Graph Connector for Jamf. This feeds highly detailed Mac and iOS hardware, software, and security data directly into the ServiceNow CMDB for precise asset tracking and incident management.
• SwiftConnect: Integrates with physical access control systems to enable employee badge provisioning via Apple Wallet.

Security & Threat Defense:

• SIEM & SOAR: Native ability to forward Jamf Protect endpoint telemetry and threat detection alerts to major security tools like Splunk, Red Canary, and Microsoft Sentinel for automated incident response.
• AWS Verified Access: Integrates with Amazon Web Services to provide secure, zero-trust cloud access for macOS EC2 instances and corporate applications.

Developer & Custom Integrations:

• Jamf APIs: Offers both the Jamf Classic API and the newer Jamf Pro API, which are widely utilized by the Mac admin community to script incredibly complex, automated deployment and remediation workflows.

Hexnode UEM

Hexnode follows a highly transparent, per-device pricing model. This straightforward approach makes it easy for organizations to accurately forecast budgets and scale based on actual hardware usage, regardless of the operating system being managed.

Licensing Details:

• Licensing Model: Organizations pay strictly per actively managed device. The price remains consistent whether you are enrolling a Windows laptop, an iPad, or a rugged Android scanner.
• Billing Options: Offers the flexibility of both monthly and annual billing cycles.
• Minimums: Features a very accessible entry point, requiring a minimum of only 15 devices to get started.
• Support Fees: Notably, Hexnode does not charge additional fees for core support or maintenance. Universal support access is included across all pricing tiers.
• Trial: Provides a fully functional 14-day free trial of its highest tier (Ultra license) so IT teams can test all advanced features before committing.

Jamf Pro

Jamf offers a tiered pricing structure that scales based on the specific type of Apple device and the size of the business. Because macOS administration requires different, heavier workflows than iOS management, Jamf strategically splits its pricing to reflect those differences.

Licensing Details:

• Licensing Model: Pricing varies distinctly depending on whether you are managing Mac computers (macOS) or mobile devices (iOS/iPadOS/tvOS). They also offer comprehensive enterprise bundles (like the Jamf Business Plan) that combine UEM with their identity and security add-ons.
• Billing Options: Plans are typically billed annually.
• Minimums: Enterprise plans generally require higher minimum device counts (e.g., starting at 25 or 50 devices depending on the tier) compared to Hexnode.
• Support & Cloud Add-ons: Standard support is included, but Premium Support SLAs are sold separately. Additionally, organizations can purchase a Premium Cloud Add-on for specialized hosting features, such as custom URLs, strict safelisting, and precise upgrade control.
• Trial: Offers a free trial (typically 14 days) available upon request and consultation.

Hexnode UEM

Hexnode is known for providing highly accessible, direct support without requiring premium service level agreements (SLAs) for baseline access. It places a strong emphasis on self-service resources and partner enablement.

Support Channels:

• Availability: Offers standard 24×5 live support with custom 24×7 SLAs available for enterprise needs.
• Direct Access: Support is reachable via email, live chat on the Hexnode website, and a direct ticketing system.
• Phone Support: Provides dedicated toll-free numbers across major regions, including the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and India.
• AI Assistance: Features the Hexnode Genie AI Chatbot for 24/7 automated assistance and rapid resolution of basic queries.

Self-Service & Community:

• Knowledge Base: The Hexnode Help Center features extensive documentation, how-to guides, and quickstart tutorials for all supported OS platforms.
• Training: Offers Hexnode Academy, providing free training modules and certifications for administrators and partners.
• Developer Resources: Provides comprehensive developer documentation, including API guides and integration walkthroughs.
• Community Forum: Operates Hexnode Connect, a dedicated community space for peer-to-peer discussions, troubleshooting, custom script sharing, and feature ideation.

Jamf Pro

Jamf provides global technical support backed by a massive team of Apple experts. Its standout differentiator in this category is its community – it actively fosters one of the largest, most engaged UEM communities in the IT industry.

Support Channels:

• Availability: Provides global support across AMER, EMEIA, and APAC regions.
• Tiered Support: While standard support is included, organizations often need to purchase Premium Services or higher-tier licensing to access accelerated SLAs and dedicated customer success managers.
• Support Portal: Acts as the central hub for logging tickets, reviewing documentation, and accessing product-specific help.
• Feature Requests: Allows administrators to submit and vote on feature ideas directly to Jamf’s product team through the portal.

Self-Service & Community:

• Jamf Nation: This is Jamf’s biggest support asset. Jamf Nation is a massive, highly active community forum where thousands of Mac admins share complex bash/zsh scripts, extension attributes, and deployment workflows.
• Knowledge Base: Contains hundreds of detailed technical articles broken down across their specific product lines (Jamf Pro, Jamf Connect, Jamf Protect, and Jamf School).
• Training & Certifications: Offers highly respected, formal IT certifications (e.g., Jamf 100, 200, 300, 400 levels). While introductory courses are free, advanced certifications are paid, instructor-led courses.
• Advocacy: Features the Jamf Heroes Program to recognize and reward top community contributors.