Tool profile
Microsoft Intune: cost, fit and limits
Microsoft Intune is a cloud endpoint management service from Microsoft that enrolls devices, applies configuration and update policy, and manages apps, sold per user or per device and bundled in Microsoft 365 E3 and E5.
What to know first
Intune is licensed as Plan 1, Plan 2 and a Suite, and is included in Microsoft 365 E3, E5 and EMS bundles. The EUR pricing tab lists Plan 2 at EUR 3,50 per user per month and Enterprise Application Management at EUR 1,73, annual payment, excluding VAT. The FAQ gives USD figures that differ, so check which currency applies to your agreement.
Microsoft Intune at a glance
| Maker | Microsoft, United States |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Free trial only |
| Entry price | $8.00 per user per month (Intune Plan 1, standalone) |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Patch Management Software in 2026, rank 10 of 11 |
| Website | microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/microsoft-intune |
Who Microsoft Intune is best for
Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 organizations
The service is part of those bundles, so Windows update policy may already be paid for and needs configuring rather than buying.
Cloud-transition projects
Co-management with Configuration Manager through Entra auto-enrollment lets a team move workloads to the cloud one at a time. This avoids a risky single cutover.
Shared and kiosk devices
Device-only subscriptions cover kiosk, shared and no-user-affinity devices, which per-user pricing would otherwise make expensive. That avoids paying a full user licence for a lobby screen or a shift-share laptop.
Microsoft Intune plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Intune Plan 1 | USD 8.00 per user per month (per the pricing FAQ) | The base cloud endpoint management service for devices and apps; the EUR pricing tab does not list Plan 1. |
| Intune Plan 2 | EUR 3,50 per user per month, annual, excluding VAT | Advanced capabilities such as Remote Help and Advanced Analytics, added on top of Plan 1. |
| Enterprise Application Management | EUR 1,73 per user per month, annual, excluding VAT | Add-on for third-party app updates; the FAQ says E5 customers receive it from July 2026. |
| Microsoft 365 E3 (with Teams) | EUR 37,78 per user per month, annual, excluding VAT | A bundle that, per the FAQ, includes Remote Help, Advanced Analytics and Plan 2 capabilities from July 2026. |
Checked October 2026.
What Microsoft Intune does
- Unified endpoint management
- Plan 1 is the base service for devices and apps in the cloud, and the add-ons and higher plans build on it. Everything else is priced as an extra.
- Enterprise Application Management
- An add-on that brings third-party app updates into Intune for EUR 1,73 per user per month, so a separate catalog may not be required. It may remove a separate catalog.
- Endpoint Privilege Management and Cloud PKI
- Both appear as add-ons in the EUR tab, so security features beyond patching are sold as separate line items. Teams should price these items alongside the base licence.
- Co-management
- Configuration Manager and Intune can run together using Entra auto-enrollment, which needs Entra ID P1 or P2 per user. That lets administrators shift workloads to the cloud gradually while keeping existing infrastructure running.
- Device-only subscriptions
- Licences for kiosk, shared and no-user-affinity devices exist, though they lack app protection policies and Conditional Access. That affects how shared machines can be secured, so read the limits before assigning them widely.
How Microsoft Intune handles your data
The vendor's policy was not checked for model training, retention, hosting region or certifications in this review. We read the licensing and pricing pages only, so nothing about Microsoft's data handling for Intune is confirmed here, and the Microsoft privacy statement was listed as a source rather than analyzed. The pricing page says Security Copilot is included in Intune E5 at no extra cost, which implies AI processing for that bundle, but the pages name no Intune-specific AI capability. Review Microsoft's product terms and the Intune data location documentation before deployment.
Where Microsoft Intune falls short in practice
- Per-user pricing. Licences are per user, so a team with many shared devices or servers should price device-only subscriptions separately. Servers and Linux boxes sit outside this model.
- Currency mismatch. The EUR tab and the FAQ show different figures, for example Plan 2 at EUR 3,50 against USD 4.00, and prices may vary by Microsoft agreement.
- Add-ons depend on Plan 1. Add-ons require an Intune Plan 1 subscription, and the Windows update policy plan is not stated on the pricing page we read. Confirm the plan before assuming Windows update rings are covered.
Works with
Alternatives to Microsoft Intune
Microsoft Intune: common questions
How much does Microsoft Intune cost?
The pricing FAQ lists Plan 1 standalone at USD 8.00 per user per month. The EUR tab lists Plan 2 at EUR 3,50 and Enterprise Application Management at EUR 1,73, annual and excluding VAT. Intune is also included in Microsoft 365 E3 and E5, and prices may vary by agreement.
Does Intune patch third-party applications?
Only through the Enterprise Application Management add-on, listed at EUR 1,73 per user per month, which the FAQ says E5 customers receive from July 2026. Without it, a third-party catalog such as Patch My PC fills that gap. Check the add-on price.
Does Intune include AI features?
The Intune E5 description says Security Copilot is included at no extra cost. The pricing pages we read name no Intune-specific AI capability, so confirm what Security Copilot does inside Intune before counting it as a patching benefit. Ask for a demo of it.
Can Intune work alongside Configuration Manager?
Yes. The licensing pages describe co-management with Configuration Manager using Entra auto-enrollment, which needs Entra ID P1 or P2 per user. That lets teams move workloads, such as Windows update policy, to Intune in stages. Both tools can run side by side during that period.
Is Intune priced per device or per user?
Mainly per user, with device-only subscriptions available for kiosk, shared and no-user-affinity devices. Those device licences do not support app protection policies or Conditional Access, so check the limits before assigning them to shared machines. Servers and Linux boxes are outside this model.