Best Endpoint Management Software: 11 UEM Tools

Every laptop, phone and tablet your team uses is a door into the business. When there were a handful of them in one office, someone could walk round with a USB stick. Now they're spread across homes, trains and client sites, running three or four operating systems.

Endpoint management software, often called unified endpoint management or UEM, pulls all of that into one view. The eleven tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. For the human side of staying safe, my guide on staying safe from cybersecurity threats is a good start.

Endpoint management tools at a glance

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free edition or an open source version. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it or book a demo.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Fleet	Open device management and patching	Mixed Mac, Windows and Linux fleets	Not stated
Hexnode	Unified endpoint management	Managing phones and laptops together	Trial only
JumpCloud	Identity, access and device platform	Joining up identity and devices	Trial only
ManageEngine Endpoint Central	Unified endpoint management and security	Patching and software deployment in one	Trial only
Microsoft Intune	Cloud endpoint management	Microsoft 365 organisations	Not stated
NinjaOne	Endpoint management and RMM	Lean IT teams and MSPs	Trial only
Omnissa Workspace ONE UEM	Unified endpoint management	Large estates with many device types	Not stated
PDQ	Software deployment and inventory	Windows admins deploying software	Trial only
Scalefusion	UEM, access and security	Growing companies with mixed devices	Trial only
Syxsense	Endpoint and vulnerability management	Fixing vulnerabilities automatically	Not stated
Tanium	Autonomous endpoint management	Very large estates needing real-time control	Not stated

Eleven endpoint management tools to compare

Fleet

Best for: IT and security teams with a mix of operating systems that want open device management, patching and vulnerability checks in one tool.

Hexnode

Best for: Organisations that want phones, tablets and laptops managed and secured from one console, with a two-week trial to test it first.

JumpCloud

Best for: Small and mid-sized IT teams that want user identities, access and device management handled together in one platform.

ManageEngine Endpoint Central

Best for: IT teams that want automated patching, software deployment and endpoint security handled from a single console.

Microsoft Intune

Best for: Organisations already on Microsoft that want laptops and phones managed from the same cloud they use for identity and security.

NinjaOne

Best for: Lean IT teams and managed service providers that want endpoint management, patching and remote support in one simple console.

Omnissa Workspace ONE UEM

Best for: Large organisations that want a single unified endpoint management platform for laptops, phones and other devices across a big estate.

PDQ

Best for: Windows-heavy IT teams that want to push software and patches to many machines and keep an inventory of what's installed.

Scalefusion

Best for: Growing companies that want endpoint management joined up with access controls and security in one product.

Syxsense

Best for: Security-minded IT teams that want patch deployment, vulnerability scanning and remediation handled automatically across endpoints.

Tanium

Best for: Large enterprises that want problems found, fixed and verified across every endpoint in seconds with an autonomous approach.

What endpoint management covers

At its simplest, it means knowing which devices you own and what's installed on them. From there, the software can push settings, install and update apps, apply patches, enforce encryption and passcodes, and wipe a device if it's lost.

Some tools grew out of mobile device management and are strongest on phones and Macs. Others grew out of patching Windows machines and are strongest on laptops and servers. Knowing which way a tool started explains a lot about where it shines.

Filtering follows the device, so read about web filtering software.

Decide your bring your own device rules first

The NCSC's bring your own device guidance sets out five actions: determine your objectives, user needs and risks; develop the policy; understand the extra implications; choose a deployment approach; and put technical controls in place.

That order matters. If staff use their own phones for email, you'll want light-touch controls that protect company data without taking over the whole device. If every device is company-owned, you can manage it fully. Settle that before you pick a tool, because it changes how you enrol devices and how much control you take.

Patching is covered in more depth in patch management software.

Questions to ask an endpoint management vendor

1. Which operating systems do you manage, and is any of them a weak spot?
2. Can you patch third-party apps as well as the operating system?
3. How do new laptops get set up for a new starter?
4. Can we separate work data from personal data on staff-owned phones?
5. What happens when a device goes missing?
6. Which reports will help us show patching for Cyber Essentials or an audit?

Signs you've outgrown managing devices by hand

• Updates depend on reminders. Some laptops are months behind.
• Nobody has a full device list. Old laptops still hold data.
• New starters wait days. Each machine is set up by hand.
• A lost phone causes panic. There's no way to wipe it.

Do you make endpoint management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on choosing endpoint management software

Count your devices by type before you look at anything. A business with forty Windows laptops needs something different from one with mostly iPhones and Macs, and a tool that's brilliant on one can be clumsy on the other.

Then pick the tool your IT person, or your IT partner, will happily open every morning. Patching only works when someone checks the dashboard, and the easiest console is the one people open. If remote work is the reason you're looking, my guide to securing a remote working business covers the policies around it.

Frequently asked questions

What is endpoint management software?

It's software that tracks, configures, updates and secures the laptops, phones, tablets and servers a business uses, from one central console.

What's the difference between UEM and MDM?

MDM started with phones and tablets. UEM, or unified endpoint management, covers phones, laptops, desktops and often servers in one tool.

Do small businesses need endpoint management?

Once you have more than a few devices, yes. Missed updates and lost laptops are among the most common ways small firms get caught out.

Can endpoint management software patch third-party apps?

Many tools can patch common apps such as browsers and office software as well as the operating system. Check the vendor's list.

Can I manage staff-owned phones?

Yes, most tools can protect company apps and data on a personal phone without taking control of everything else on it.

Is there free endpoint management software?

Most vendors offer trials rather than free plans. Some open device management projects can be self-hosted.