ManageEngine OS Deployer vs Microsoft Configuration Manager comparison

ManageEngine and Microsoft are both solutions in the Configuration Management category. ManageEngine is ranked #24, while Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3. ManageEngine holds a 1.6% mindshare in CM, compared to Microsoft’s 7.4% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 22, 2026

Microsoft Configuration Manager and ManageEngine OS Deployer are competing products designed for IT management solutions. Microsoft Configuration Manager has the upper hand in integration with other Microsoft products, while ManageEngine OS Deployer is favored for its ease of deployment and cost-effectiveness.

Features: Microsoft Configuration Manager offers comprehensive endpoint management, robust security, and cross-platform support. ManageEngine OS Deployer provides efficient imaging, quick deployment setup, and user-friendly interface.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Configuration Manager may require significant time and expertise to deploy, often needing specialized training. ManageEngine OS Deployer is simpler to set up with intuitive installation and is recognized for its responsive customer support.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Configuration Manager has higher initial costs due to its extensive integration capabilities but delivers strong ROI for users of Microsoft services. ManageEngine OS Deployer is more cost-effective with lower upfront costs and attractive ROI for those focused on deployment efficiency.

To learn more, read our detailed Configuration Management Report (Updated: June 2026).

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Configuration Management

June 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Intune

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Configuration Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 4.9%, down from 10.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ManageEngine OS Deployer is 1.6%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Configuration Manager is 7.4%, down from 12.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Configuration Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Intune	4.9%
Microsoft Configuration Manager	7.4%
ManageEngine OS Deployer	1.6%
Other	86.1%

Configuration Management

Featured Reviews

OluwashileAdeniyi

Senior Infrastructure Security Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees

Centralized endpoint security has improved and supports hybrid work and BYOD policies

Regarding what I dislike about Microsoft Intune and its downsides, I would say that more Mac controls are needed because we have limited Mac and Linux control. When comparing controls and policies between Windows, Mac, and Linux, Windows has almost everything you can think of, while Mac and Linux have limited types of control. You cannot implement certain things on Mac and Linux that you can on Windows. The limited controls are a major issue. Additionally, if Microsoft could find a way to embed servers into Microsoft Intune, that would be beneficial. Microsoft Intune is not really designed for servers or Windows servers. It is more tailored towards Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems. Windows servers are not fully supported. Enterprise organizations usually have both servers and endpoints, which are users' workstations. For servers, most people look for other solutions such as SCCM, which is Configuration Manager. However, SCCM is what Microsoft Intune is trying to replace. Both SCCM and Microsoft Intune belong to Microsoft. Microsoft is trying to transition organizations into Microsoft Intune, the native cloud solution. However, because this update is still in process, servers are not fully compatible with Microsoft Intune and cannot be managed by it. The current policy that has emerged from issues with clients is what they call co-management, which is relatively new, and I do not know if adoption is significant. Many legacy or older customers who have been using these products for decades still have SCCM. When it is time for them to manage their Windows devices, they use what is called cloud attach. Cloud attach is a term whereby your SCCM is connected to your Microsoft Intune. Most people do not know about it, but I have deployed it for several organizations. Cloud attach and co-management work together so that your device is in SCCM, but some policies are pushed from Microsoft Intune. It is like two different solutions working hand in hand. That is what they call co-management. Microsoft Intune does not bring all of your endpoint and security management tools into one place, which is the goal and how it should be. However, as I mentioned, servers are not included. If we talk about end users, Microsoft Intune does bring all your devices together. In a typical enterprise environment, you have end users with workstations, laptops, company-issued phones, and bring your own devices. You can create policies for all of these. However, for the backend, your servers do not have much coverage. Servers are not really covered by Microsoft Intune in that way.

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it_user363621

System Engineer at a engineering company with 51-200 employees

It adds necessary drivers for hardware on desktop and notebooks. I'd like to see more detailed explanations and support for how to use it through PXE.

It's helped us to install OS's onto desktops and notebooks It adds a simple solution for adding specific, necessary drivers for hardware on desktops and notebooks when they arrive. I'd like to see more detailed explanations and support for how to use it through PXE. I've never gotten this…

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Narendar S

Senior System Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Centralized endpoint control has streamlined deployments and improved security compliance

In my experience, the best features of Microsoft Configuration Manager are software deployments and updates, OSD, hardware and software inventory, compliance and configuration baseline, reporting and monitoring, and integration with Intune hybrid management. These features make endpoint management efficient and scalable. The feature I rely on the most day-to-day is software deployment and patch management. It keeps endpoints updated and secure with minimal manual effort. Inventory and compliance monitoring are also important, but daily deployments are critical. Microsoft Configuration Manager has had a significant positive impact on our organization in several ways: improved efficiency, enhanced security and compliance, standardization, scalability, and visibility reporting. Overall, Microsoft Configuration Manager has helped us save time, reduce risk, improve operational efficiency, and maintain strong control over our endpoints. One of the biggest impacts Microsoft Configuration Manager has had on efficiency is the reduced manual work for software deployment and patching. For example, deploying a new application or security updates to hundreds or thousands of devices previously required several days of manual effort, including running scripts, checking devices individually, and validating installation. With Microsoft Configuration Manager, these tasks are automated and managed, allowing deployments to complete in hours rather than days. We also have automated reporting for deployment success and compliance which saved the IT team significant time that used to be spent gathering and reconciling inventory data from multiple tools.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Once it is well integrated with the rest of the environment, it makes everything easy."

"We were able to deploy about 65 computers in under two weeks to a completely remote user base without touching any of the machines."

"Microsoft's cloud comes with a lot of extra features that are free of charge."

"It is absolutely a positive investment."

"Microsoft Intune's autopilot has been nice to have."

"We are transforming our flat network by adopting different cloud solutions, and our own applications are hosted in the cloud. Intune ensures our security throughout our entire cloud-based system, improving our security posture."

"This product works very well for companies already using the full Microsoft suite."

"The honest truth is that Microsoft Intune is the future."

More Microsoft Intune pros

"Before OS Deployer, I used Microsoft WDS, which requires more manual labor than OS Deployer."

"The solution is highly scalable."

"Automation of operating system, application, and update deployments massively reduces IT operations effort."

"The scalability to deploy the package."

"The dashboards have information about our assets."

"The stability of the product is good."

"It is a good choice for deployment that performs very well."

"It uses detailed descriptions of the workstations, and that is good for me."

"SCCM does everything from A to Z for a Windows operating system."

More Microsoft Configuration Manager pros

Cons

"I'd suggest adding more features for macOS in Intune. There should be more functionality for managing macOS. There should be a better capability for pushing things down on macOS. Currently, Intune is not capable of managing macOS at the same level as Windows."

"Intune's privilege management feature, while beneficial, is less intuitive than other Intune features, making it challenging to use."

"The generic answer to what can be improved is that I hope that the reporting needs to be a bit more interactive."

"A new Intune feature allows application packaging, but it incurs additional licensing costs for a significant number of applications."

"There could be more features added. For me, as I mentioned, one area is the reporting. If the reporting became better, I think you would not need to use more RMMs."

"There are a few security features that are not available in Microsoft Intune, when compared to other products."

"In the next release, I would like a feature to be able to properly lock down the device. For example, if an attacker or somebody steals the phone, you can be sure that the pin cannot be broken."

"One thing that could be better in Microsoft Intune is the file size, as it is quite large at times."

More Microsoft Intune cons

"I'd like to see more detailed explanations and support for how to use it through PXE."

"The setup was complex and I faced a lot of problems initially because I was new to the solution."

"The solution could improve the functionality for automating, license management. Additionally, more and better-looking reports are needed."

"We'd like the solution to make it easier to manage remote users."

"I'd like to see some cosmetic improvements on the user interface."

"Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager could improve the integration."

"The solution should be more compatible with different versions of Linux."

"Initial setup was complex. There's a lot that goes into it."

"It does seem a bit buggy from time to time."

More Microsoft Configuration Manager cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is good because customers are not complaining about it."

"The licensing is on a yearly basis."

"It's monthly for us, but it's built into the license cost that we pay our IT each month. It's maybe 129 Kroner per head, which translates to £10. There are some additional costs. Our IT had to set up and configure their own server, so there is an extra cost for that, but I'm not sure what that costs."

"It is not expensive."

"There is a cost benefit of using Microsoft Intune because of the packaging with other Microsoft products."

"Licensing depends on how you are providing support to your enterprise, whether it's device-based or user-based."

"Its pricing seems reasonable."

"Microsoft Intune is more expensive than other solutions, but it offers a wider range of features and control."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

Information not available

"The solution is expensive. Microsoft Configuration Manager would likely be considered high-priced for small businesses because they may not fully utilize all of its features and capabilities."

"We have to pay for a license."

"The price model is different for every client."

"The price is competitive and reasonable."

"Pricing and licensing are a downside of SCCM. It's expensive. I'd have to confirm this, but I think they changed the licensing to core-based instead of socket-based. It's not cheap, because you have to buy the software, you have to buy SQL. Another thing we learned from talking to Microsoft is that they provide you a license for SQL if you run it on the same box as the primary server. If you run it outside that box, you have to buy SQL. Microsoft does recommend you running it on the same box because of performance. But then, in order to run SQL, SCCM, and everything on the same box, you better have some resources. It's an expensive solution. There's no doubt about it."

"It comes free with the Microsoft account. We have a yearly agreement, and all products are covered under it."

"Microsoft provides a steep price for their enterprise products, but they offer very competitive pricing for their legacy customers."

"The price of SCCM depends on the size of the organization. The price is competitive."

More Microsoft Configuration Manager pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Government

No data available

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	192
Midsize Enterprise	62
Large Enterprise	185

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	69

Questions from the Community

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What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?

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Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager takes knowledge and research to properly configure. The length of time that ...

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How to choose between ManageEngine Desktop Central and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (formerly SCCM)?

ManageEngine Desktop Central is very easy to set up, is scalable, stable, and also has very good patch management. Wh...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SCCM?

The setup cost is considered sufficient. It is not significant enough for us to consider a change at the moment.

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Compared 13% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs ManageEngine OS Deployer

Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

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Product Reports

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Microsoft Intune

June 2026

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Configuration Management

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Microsoft Configuration Manager

June 2026

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Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

No data available

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM ), Microsoft SMS

Overview

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service designed for device management, security, and compliance. It supports automation and facilitates endpoint management for Windows, iOS, and Android devices, ensuring data protection and efficient policy enforcement.

Microsoft Intune offers seamless integration with tools like Windows Autopilot to automate device setup and deployment. Integrated with Azure Active Directory, it enhances policy management while providing robust reporting and analytics tools for compliance tracking. Despite its intuitive interface aimed at simplifying navigation and device security management, there are challenges such as compatibility issues with Linux and Mac, limited policy support for Android, and demands for better third-party integration. It's widely used for both corporate-owned devices and BYOD scenarios in dynamic IT environments.

What are the key features of Microsoft Intune?

Windows Autopilot: Automates device setup for rapid deployment.
Azure Active Directory Integration: Enhances user policy management.
Reporting and Analytics: Improves compliance visibility.
Mobile Application Management: Ensures app security without compromising personal data.
Cloud-Based Management: Allows management from any location.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Time Efficiency: Automation reduces time in policy enforcement and configuration updates.
Enhanced Security: Ensures data protection across corporate-owned and BYOD devices.
Improved Compliance: Advanced reporting tools enhance compliance visibility.
Flexible Management: Cloud-based nature supports management from any location.

In industries such as finance and healthcare, Microsoft Intune is implemented to ensure data protection and compliance with regulatory standards. Manufacturing sectors utilize Intune for managing a distributed workforce across global locations, while educational institutions employ it to secure and manage devices in learning environments supporting both students and faculty.

Microsoft

ManageEngine OS Deployer efficiently handles deployment tasks, providing an automated system for managing operating systems across IT infrastructure. It streamlines OS deployment, saving time and resources for businesses.

ManageEngine OS Deployer offers a comprehensive approach to OS management, automating deployment tasks to significantly reduce manual effort. It supports diverse hardware configurations, ensuring IT teams can deploy systems quickly and accurately. The tool is designed to facilitate seamless software installation, updates, and maintenance across enterprise networks, making it ideal for IT professionals seeking efficient and reliable OS management.

What are the key features of ManageEngine OS Deployer?

Automated OS Deployment: Automatically deploys operating systems to multiple machines with ease.
Hardware-independent Imaging: Captures and deploys images across different hardware configurations.
Centralized Management: Provides a centralized console for managing all deployment tasks.
Remote Installation: Allows for remote OS deployment over the network, saving time.
Patch Management: Streamlines the patching of operating systems, enhancing security.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces costs related to manual OS deployments.
Time Savings: Automates processes that typically require considerable time.
Scalability: Supports the growth of IT infrastructure without performance loss.
Reliability: Ensures consistent and successful OS deployments every time.
Ease of Use: Simplifies complex tasks, making them accessible to IT professionals.

ManageEngine OS Deployer is widely implemented in industries such as education, healthcare, and manufacturing. Educational institutions utilize it to quickly set up labs with standardized software environments. In healthcare, it's vital for maintaining secure systems that comply with regulations. Manufacturing companies benefit from its ability to rapidly deploy systems, ensuring minimal downtime during equipment upgrades or new installations. Its adaptability makes it a favored choice for sectors seeking robust OS management solutions.

ManageEngine

Microsoft Configuration Manager streamlines IT management with features such as software deployment, patch management, and automation, centralizing operations for Windows environments. Integration with Microsoft products allows efficient oversight of workstations and servers.

Microsoft Configuration Manager provides comprehensive IT management, offering software deployment, patch management, and application pushing. Automation reduces manual tasks, ensuring consistency across systems. Centralized management enables standardized OS deployments, application updates, and configuration integrity. Integration with Microsoft products facilitates seamless operations, while hardware and software inventory, compliance reporting, and remote control functions enhance IT management. Users seek improvements in application deployment for those without deep scripting knowledge and desire better WSUS control, PowerShell and Intune integration, Linux compatibility, and user interface enhancements. Performance improvements are requested for remote user management and third-party application support.

What features enhance Microsoft Configuration Manager?

Software Deployment: Efficiently distribute software across large networks.
Patch Management: Automate and streamline update processes for security and functionality.
Automation Capabilities: Reduce manual effort and enhance consistency in IT tasks.
Centralized Management: Standardize OS deployments and application updates.
Integration with Microsoft Products: Seamless operation with existing Microsoft infrastructure.
Hardware and Software Inventory: Comprehensive tracking for assets and resources.
Compliance Reporting: Ensure compliance with internal and external standards.
Remote Control Functions: Enhance support and troubleshooting capabilities.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating Microsoft Configuration Manager?

Decreased Manual Work: Automation reduces time spent on repetitive tasks.
Enhanced Security: Automated patch management keeps systems secure.
Consistent Configurations: Centralized updates ensure uniformity across systems.
Improved Integration: Seamless operation within Microsoft ecosystems boosts productivity.
Comprehensive Oversight: Detailed inventory and reporting tools aid in strategic planning.
Streamlined Support: Remote capabilities improve IT support and user satisfaction.

Microsoft Configuration Manager is widely implemented in organizations to manage Windows workstations and servers. It is essential for deploying operating systems and applications, managing software updates, and conducting hardware and software inventories. The tool is crucial for endpoint and configuration management, ensuring compliance, and automating processes like patching and vulnerability management. Industries such as finance, healthcare, and education rely on Microsoft Configuration Manager to keep systems secure and operational, adapting it to address their specific needs and challenges in maintaining diversified IT environments.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

EMC, Costco Wholesale Australia, Canyon Bicycles, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, WashingtonFirst Bank, SunEdison, Stafford Development Company, City of Redondo Beach, Columbia Medical Associates, Pratt Institute, Novati Technologies, Toyota Boshoku America, Flight Centre UK, RapidAdvance

Bank Alfalah Ltd., Wªrth Handelsges.m.b.H, Dimension Data, Japan Business Systems, St. Lucie County Public Schools, MISC Berhad

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June 2026

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