Apple Business DMS vs Jamf vs Addigy: Which is right for your UK Mac fleet?

Before April 2026, every UK business managing a Mac fleet needed a third-party MDM. Apple Business Manager was the enrollment portal; Jamf, Addigy, or another platform did the management. Apple Business changed that. Now known as DMS (Device Management Service), there is a free built-in option available to every UK business from day one, which means the decision about which platform to use, and whether to combine them, is more important than it has ever been.

If you’re still asking whether you need one at all, start with our Apple Business DMS decision guide.

The right answer depends on three variables: fleet size, compliance requirements, and what you need the your MDM to actually do. This article gives a direct recommendation for each scenario.

What changed when Apple Business launched

What Apple Business Manager was, and why it is gone

Apple Business Manager was Apple’s enrolment and identity portal, the platform that connected devices to organisations, managed Apple IDs at scale, and enabled Automated Device Enrollment. It was not an MDM. It was the foundation that an MDM sat on top of. Jamf, Addigy, and others handled the actual device management layer.

In April 2026, Apple consolidated Apple Business Manager and several other platform tools into Apple Business, a unified dashboard that now includes both the enrolment infrastructure and a free built-in MDM layer (which, in turn, was renamed to DMS). The enrolment capabilities remain; they have simply been brought together with a management layer that was not there before.

What Apple Business MDM now includes for free

Every UK business with an Apple Business account now has access to the DMS at no cost. This covers zero-touch deployment via Blueprints, basic app assignment, device supervision, and Managed Apple Account management. For organisations that previously used Apple Business Manager purely as an enrolment portal while relying on a third-party MDM for everything else, the stack is now slightly different, but the third-party MDM remains the right choice for most growing businesses, as explained below.

Apple Business MDM: what it does well

Zero-touch deployment via Blueprints

Blueprints are Apple Business’s reusable configuration templates. An administrator defines which apps are installed, which settings are applied, and which restrictions are enforced, then assigns the Blueprint to a device or group. When a new device hits a Wi-Fi connection for the first time, it applies the Blueprint automatically, no IT involvement required.

For businesses shipping devices directly to new starters, this is a meaningful operational win. Zero-touch deployment via Apple Business works cleanly for straightforward, consistent configurations.

Basic App assignment and device supervision

Apple Business DMS supports app assignment from the App Store, device supervision (which unlocks a broader set of management controls), and basic restriction policies. For a small fleet with uniform requirements, this covers the core management needs.

When it is genuinely sufficient

For businesses with under 25 devices with no regulatory requirements and no immediate plans to pursue Cyber Essentials, Apple Business DMS is a capable foundation. It handles enrolment, zero-touch deployment, and basic management without additional cost or overhead. The right move at this stage is to get Apple Business properly configured, treat it as the foundation, and plan for a third-party MDM when compliance requirements arrive.

Where a third-party MDM adds capability

Apple Business DMS is designed as a starting layer. As fleet size grows and compliance requirements arrive, Jamf or Addigy is what most UK businesses add on top. Three gaps drive that decision.

Compliance reporting

Jamf produces exportable, assessor-ready documentation, patch status, device encryption state, and policy enforcement records that Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001 assessors require. Apple Business DMS does not generate this reporting layer.

Scripting and automation

Jamf supports shell scripts and automation workflows at scale. Software installations, configuration checks, and remediation tasks triggered by policy or schedule are not available in Apple Business DMS, which is limited to what Blueprints can express.

Granular configuration

Smart Groups, custom extension attributes, advanced policy scoping, and third-party security integrations (CrowdStrike, SentinelOne) are Jamf capabilities that Apple Business DMS does not approach. For fleets where different teams need different configurations, or where endpoint security integration is required, a third-party MDM is not optional.

Jamf: the compliance-grade option

Jamf Now vs Jamf Pro vs Jamf Elevate: Which version fits an SMB?

Jamf offers three main product tiers relevant to UK SMBs.

Jamf Now is the entry point, designed for fleets under 25 devices. It handles basic device enrolment, app management, and configuration without the administrative overhead of the higher tiers. It is adequate for very small, straightforward deployments, but it does not produce the compliance reporting that Cyber Essentials requires.

Jamf Pro is the enterprise-grade platform. It offers the full depth of configuration, scripting, Smart Groups, and compliance reporting that regulated environments and larger fleets require. The learning curve is steeper, and the administrative overhead is higher. It is designed for IT teams with a dedicated resource to manage it.

Jamf Elevate sits between the two and is designed specifically for businesses with 25–250 devices and limited IT resources. It brings the compliance reporting and configuration depth of Jamf Pro with a simplified administrative interface, the SMB-oriented offering that removes the overhead without removing the capability. For most of Dr Logic’s clients in the 25–150 device range, Jamf Elevate is the right tier.

For a full cost and implementation breakdown once you’ve decided Jamf is the right platform, see our detailed breakdown of Jamf cost and implementation for UK businesses.

Where Jamf wins on compliance and reporting

Jamf produces the audit evidence that Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001 assessors expect to see: compliance reports, patch management logs, device configuration records, and a documented history of when controls were applied and to which device. In Dr Logic’s experience, the most common gap in Apple-first businesses pursuing Cyber Essentials is not the absence of good security practices; it is the inability to evidence them. Jamf is what makes those practices provable.

At the CE+ level, where an independent auditor runs checks directly against devices in scope, the requirements for documented, verifiable controls are stricter still. Jamf, configured correctly, produces the evidence trail CE+ requires.

The real cost for a 50 – 150 device UK fleet

Jamf does not publish list pricing publicly. Based on current market positioning, Jamf Now is priced at approximately $4 per device per month. Jamf Pro and Elevate are custom-quoted, with per-device costs typically ranging from $4–$12 per month depending on product tier, contract length, and fleet size, with the lower end of that range applying to larger commitments at the Elevate tier.

Implementation costs are separate and significant. Configuring Jamf correctly, integrating with Apple Business, setting up Smart Groups, building compliance reporting workflows, and establishing a patch management baseline requires specialist expertise. Factor this into the total cost comparison, not just the per-device licence fee.

When Jamf is the right call

Jamf is the right choice for any business from 25 devices upwards that is pursuing or maintaining Cyber Essentials certification, handling sensitive client data, operating in a regulated industry, or managing a hybrid fleet that includes non-Apple devices alongside Mac. It is also the right choice for any business where different user groups need different configuration profiles, development teams, contractors, leadership, and general staff, which Apple Business DMS’s Blueprint model cannot express with sufficient granularity.

Addigy: the Apple-Specialist option for simpler fleets

What makes Addigy different from Jamf

Addigy is an Apple-only MDM; it manages Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and nothing else. Where Jamf Pro has been built to accommodate enterprise complexity across mixed environments, Addigy is focused on delivering clean, fast Apple device management without the overhead that enterprise-oriented platforms carry. Its interface is notably more approachable, and the time from deployment to operational is typically shorter.

Addigy also has a multi-tenant architecture that works well for managed service providers supporting multiple clients, which is part of why Dr Logic uses it in specific client environments where it is the right fit.

When Addigy is the right call

Addigy is the right choice for Apple-only fleets in the 10–100 device range, where the priority is reliable, straightforward device management without the administrative complexity of an enterprise platform. It suits businesses that have moved beyond what Apple Business MDM can offer but do not yet have the compliance reporting requirements that push toward Jamf.

For growing businesses that anticipate Cyber Essentials certification in the near term, the migration path from Addigy to Jamf is well-established. It is not a dead end; it is a staging point.

Brief mentions: Mosyle and Iru (formerly Kandji)

Mosyle is a strong option for education environments and straightforward Apple-only deployments. Its educator-focused feature set makes it less relevant for most UK business clients, but worth knowing for organisations with strong BYOD or education adjacency.

Iru (rebranded from Kandji in October 2025) has expanded beyond device management into identity and endpoint security. It is a credible enterprise option, particularly for US-headquartered businesses with UK operations. For UK-native SMBs, it is less commonly the first recommendation, but worth evaluating for organisations with complex security postures that want a single platform approach.

The decision framework: which platform fits your situation

In practice, the compliance question is the deciding factor in most cases. Apple Business DMS combined with Jamf Elevate is the configuration Dr Logic most commonly recommends for growing UK businesses with Mac fleets in the 25 – 150 device range.

Related articles

• Apple Business Manager: The Foundation of Scalable Apple Deployment
• Apple for Regulated Industries: What Compliance Looks Like on macOS
• What Cyber Essentials Certification Actually Looks Like for an All-Mac Office

FAQs

What to Do Next

Not sure which MDM is right for your fleet? Dr Logic can assess your current setup and recommend the right platform for your size and compliance requirements, whether that means configuring Apple Business MDM, deploying Jamf, or moving from one platform to another.

Talk to an expert.