THE OPEN SOURCE APPLE MDM
Apple-only tools were built when the fleet was only Apple. Fleet was built for what you actually run now: macOS, iOS and iPadOS at parity with Apple-focused platforms, plus Windows, Linux, ChromeOS and Android from one console.
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Fleet manages Apple devices at parity with Apple-focused tools: zero-touch enrollment through Apple Business, MDM configuration profiles, native Declarative Device Management, Apps and Books distribution, and FileVault enforcement with key escrow. Choosing a multi-platform tool costs you no Apple depth.
Apple-focused platforms do not natively support Windows or Linux, so organizations with mixed environments need additional management solutions. That means two consoles, two licences and two sets of workflows. Fleet manages every operating system from one place.
Apple MDM reports on a scheduled check-in cycle. Fleet answers in under 30 seconds, and you can query any Mac in SQL the moment you need to know.
Every profile, policy and setting in Fleet is version-controlled YAML you can peer-review, diff and roll back. Matching that on a GUI-first platform means bolting on third-party tooling.
| Fleet | Apple-focused MDM platforms | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, ChromeOS, Android | Apple and Android. Windows and Linux need a second platform |
| Source code | Open source, MIT licensed | Proprietary |
| Self-hosting | Full self-hosting support | Cloud hosted only |
| Configuration | Native GitOps workflows, version-controlled YAML | GUI first, third-party tooling required |
| Architecture | API first, one unified REST API | GUI with multiple APIs |
| Device reporting | Under 30 seconds, SQL based, across every device | Scheduled check-in intervals |
| Mixed environments | One console for every operating system | A separate tool per platform, with duplicate licensing and admin overhead |
| Scope transparency | End users can see what data is collected | Not available |
| Switching platforms | Native migration support | Configurations reimplemented, timelines in months rather than weeks |
Every row above is available in Fleet Free except MDM migration, which requires Fleet Premium. Premium also adds managed cloud hosting, zero-touch setup, disk encryption enforcement, role-based access control, audit logging and commercial support.
If you run Apple and nothing else, and you have no plans to change that, an Apple-focused platform will serve you well and the established ones have a long track record in that lane. Fleet becomes the better answer the moment a Windows laptop or a Linux server appears, when you want your configuration reviewed in Git, or when you need to host it yourself.
Fleet enrolls devices without forcing your team to move everything at once. Enroll a first batch, leave the rest exactly where they are, and expand when you are ready. Nothing goes unmanaged while you decide. Fleet's Apple Business integration is fully compatible with Apple's Managed Device Migration, so enrolled devices move without being wiped.
Connect Apple Business. Fleet integrates with Apple Business and Apple's Managed Device Migration, so enrolled devices move without being wiped.
Enroll in batches. Fleet manages what you have enrolled while your current tool holds the rest, so no machine is ever unmanaged during the switch.
Commit your configuration to Git. Profiles and policies become version-controlled YAML you review like any other pull request.
Thumbtack migrated more than 90% of its Macs with no IT intervention.
Stripe
“I just moved 10,000 Macs to Fleet.”
Wes Whetstone
Client Platform Engineer, Stripe
Stripe moved 10,000 Macs to Fleet, saving hundreds of thousands annually.
macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, ChromeOS and Android. Linux included, not bolted on.
Your whole admin console as version-controlled YAML. Peer-review changes, revert any of them.
Every function in the UI is available over one REST API.
Your infrastructure or Fleet's cloud, with the same features either way.
Query any device in SQL, on demand.
Employees see exactly what Fleet collects from their machines.
$0
Basic features · per host / month
$7.00
Manage every endpoint · per host / month
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Large deployments · volume pricing
Fleet manages Apple devices at parity with Apple-focused tools, including zero-touch enrollment through Apple Business Manager, MDM configuration profiles, Declarative Device Management, and Apps and Books distribution. Teams running more than one operating system consolidate instead of buying a separate tool per platform.
Yes, natively, for Apple devices. Fleet also supports custom MDM and DDM configuration profiles, and its osquery foundation verifies that a profile actually applied rather than only confirming it was delivered.
Yes. Fleet supports bring your own device enrollment and account-based user enrollment for iOS and iPadOS, so personal devices can be managed without taking over the whole device.
Yes. Self-host Fleet on-premises, on AWS, Azure or GCP, on Docker or Kubernetes, on your own hardware, or fully air-gapped. Fleet's managed cloud has the same features, and you can move between them.
Start with the migration guide, or walk through your current environment with Fleet and get a staged plan sized to your fleet.
