Key Points
- Cisco announced End-of-Sale (EOS) for Meraki Systems Manager (SM) on December 2, 2025.
- Final purchases are allowed until June 3, 2026.
- Support ends on June 3, 2029.
- Organizations must plan migrations before support deadlines.
- Enterprise-ready IT management platforms offer more value than standalone MDM tools.
- The best Cisco Meraki alternatives are: 1) NinjaOne, 2) Iru (formerly Kandji), 3) Hexnode UEM, 4) Microsoft Intune, 5) Workspace ONE, 6) IBM Security MaaS360, 7) ManageEngine Endpoint Central, 8) Ivanti Neurons for UEM, 9) SOTI MobiControl, 10) Scalefusion, and 11) Jamf
Cisco has announced its End-of-Sale (EOS) for Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (SM), signaling major changes for organizations relying on the platform for mobile device management (MDM). If you’re evaluating Cisco Meraki alternatives, now is the time to assess your options and transition to a modern IT enterprise solution.
Whether you’re starting out or are an already established business, choosing the right Cisco replacement can improve visibility, automation, security, and long-term scalability across your entire IT environment, not just mobile devices.
What is Cisco Meraki?
Cisco Meraki is a cloud-managed IT solution that offers various networking, security, and endpoint management tools. It is praised for its centralized dashboard, which allows IT teams to easily manage their firewalls, switches, wireless access points, and mobile devices remotely through a web-based interface.
Meraki Systems Manager (SM), on the other hand, is the company’s MDM solution. It allows organizations to enroll, monitor, configure, and secure their mobile devices, which is useful in businesses that follow BYOD policies. SM has been used by enterprises seeking simplified device provisioning, remote wipe capabilities, compliance enforcement, and application management.
Cisco Meraki MDM EOL announcement
On December 2, 2025, Cisco officially announced the EOS for SM. Customers may purchase new licenses only until June 3, 2026, after which the product will no longer be available for sale.
Cisco will continue providing support until June 3, 2029, marking the End-of-Life (EOL) date. After which, customers no longer receive updates, technical assistance, or security patches.
For organizations currently using Meraki SM, this means it’s critical to begin evaluating Meraki competitors now. Migrating endpoint management solutions can take time, especially for MSPs managing multiple client environments. Planning ahead ensures minimal disruption and avoids last-minute transitions before support ends.
Expert tip: We recommend downloading our free MDM Migration Guide to help make the transition much easier.
What to look for in Cisco Meraki alternatives?
With the announcement of Cisco Meraki EOL, IT teams should prioritize solutions that go beyond basic mobile device management. It’s recommended that you look for an alternative that has:
- Unified endpoint management (not just MDM)
- Real-time monitoring and alerting
- Built-in patch management
- Remote access capabilities
- Automation tools
- Strong third-party integrations
- Easy-to-use and -understand interface
- Scalability for growing organizations
- Excellent customer support
- Cloud-native architecture
Keep these features in mind as we discuss our top Cisco Meraki alternatives. While no one solution is the “best” for all businesses, it’s important that you consider your specific use case and find the most suitable tool for your business goals and IT budget.
Top 11 best Cisco Meraki alternatives
1. NinjaOne
NinjaOne is an enterprise-ready IT management solution trusted by over 35,000+ customers worldwide. The platform, named a leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Management Tools, combines remote monitoring and management (RMM), MDM, patch management, and PSA into a single SaaS console.
NinjaOne’s MDM, in particular, offers complete visibility and management of Android and iOS mobile devices alongside Windows, macOS, and Linux devices, servers, virtual machines, and networking devices—all within a single pane of glass. Rated #1 for MDM by G2, NinjaOne makes it faster and easier for IT teams to track, manage, troubleshoot, update and secure their devices.
5 key points to consider NinjaOne as a Cisco Meraki alternative
1. Inventory tracking
NinjaOne offers real-time monitoring of endpoint devices across Windows, Apple, and Linux operating systems. This single-pane view allows users to keep track of all mobile devices within an organization and ensure their performance and security while in use.
2. IT operations security
NinjaOne’s console makes it easy to manage patches, drive encryption, and more across all the endpoints to ensure your IT environment is secure. NinjaOne also has options for granular permissions and role-based access controls to provide technicians with granular control of their IT environment.
3. Scalability
As your business grows and your network infrastructure expands, NinjaOne can quickly adapt to changes in the network environment’s requirements. This flexibility allows NinjaOne to keep up with an organization’s ever-changing needs.
4. Integrations with third-party software
NinjaOne’s integrations include third-party applications that seamlessly work together with the platform. This makes it an excellent Cisco Meraki alternative as it makes it easier to customize your experience with the platform to fit your needs.
5. Ease of implementation and use
Built for simplicity, NinjaOne’s dashboard and interface do not require extensive training or expertise to use the platform fully. Its intuitive design makes it easy to navigate and complete tasks. NinjaOne also offers free unlimited onboarding and training so that you can familiarize all members of your IT Team with the platform.
Strengths of NinjaOne
- World-class customer support: NinjaOne is consistently rated as #1 in customer support and for good reason. The company boasts a first-response rate of 30 minutes from receiving an IT ticket and a market-leading CSAT (customer satisfaction score) of 98%.
- Unified endpoint management: Monitor and manage corporate-issued and BYOD Apple and Android devices alongside your servers, virtual machines, and Windows, macOS, and Linux devices.
- Automation: As with all NinjaOne products, its MDM tool leverages automation to reduce human error and allows your IT technicians to focus on more strategic projects.
- Reporting: NinjaOne IT reporting simplifies the reporting process so that you can quickly generate accurate and tailored reports.
- Ticketing: NinjaOne’s help desk solution allows your IT technicians to perform essential actions, such as remote access and app installation, directly from the ticket, with no context switching—resulting in 94% reduced ticket volumes and ticket resolution times.
Customer story
Bill Tyndall, CEO of Techver, needed an enterprise-ready IT management software to reduce the overwhelming tool sprawl in his organization. Since partnering with NinjaOne, Tyndall says Techver has gained over $1M+ in hard cost savings and now benefit from scaled operations without added headcount.
“NinjaOne MDM gives us clear insight across devices without the manual work we’re used to, standardizing how we enroll, configure, and secure devices means our team spends less time on busywork and more time supporting customers,” said Tyndall.
Read more NinjaOne customer stories or check out NinjaOne reviews.
NinjaOne’s IT management software has no forced commitments and no hidden fees. If you’re ready, request a free quote, sign up for a 14-day free trial, or watch a demo.
Reviews
- 3,697 reviews (at the time of writing)
- 4.7 / 5 stars
- 281 reviews (at the time of writing)
- 4.7 / 5 stars
2. Iru (formerly Kandji)
is an endpoint security and management solution that evolved from Kandji’s Apple-focused MDM roots into a broader cross-platform solution.
Beyond traditional device management, Iru integrates identity and access controls, conditional access enforcement, and audit-ready reporting designed for compliance-driven environments. Its automation engine allows IT teams to deploy configurations, software, and policies without manual intervention, making it appealing to organizations seeking stronger security governance alongside endpoint management.
Best For
Best for organizations seeking automated compliance enforcement and strong Apple + cross-platform endpoint security management.
Features
- Automated compliance enforcement: Prebuilt CIS/NIST-aligned templates help ensure devices meet security baselines without manual policy creation.
- Cross-platform endpoint management: Supports macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android with unified visibility and control.
- Automated patching: Deploy OS and third-party updates with workflows that reduce manual intervention.
Shortcomings
- Learning curve: According to G2 users, the transition from Kandji to Iru has been challenging, particularly with learning new functions, such as Iru’s “assignment maps”. (Source)
- Reporting and tracking: Iru could enhance the flexibility and customization of its reporting and tracking features. (Source)
- Notifications: Some G2 users have stated that Iru tends to send multiple notifications, even false positives, which can be distracting. (Source)
3. Hexnode
Hexnode is a unified endpoint management (UEM) solution that enables technicians to monitor and manage endpoint devices in real-time, including mobile device management across multiple platforms such as iOS and Android. Hexnode enables users to enroll devices at scale through zero-touch and minimal-touch methods, allowing new users to get started sooner.
With Hexnode, technicians can deploy and manage applications, ensure compliance, and maintain device security by pushing out updates. Hexnode also helps organizations strengthen their security posture by enforcing policies like device encryption and web content filtering to prevent data breaches and protect data.
Read about Hexnode alternatives or see how NinjaOne compares to Hexnode.
Best For
Best for organizations needing scalable cross-platform device enrollment and policy enforcement across mobile fleets.
Features
- Remote management: Hexnode allows users to monitor and manage all the endpoints in their IT infrastructure.
- Device enrollment: IT teams can onboard devices through no-touch or minimal-touch enrollment.
- Software integrations: Hexnode supports integrations with several third-party applications.
Shortcomings
- Reporting and analytics: Hexnode’s reporting and analytics features could improve to be more customizable. (Source)
- MFA bottleneck: Currently, the platform only allows you to remove 5 to 10 devices at a time and constantly requires MFA authentication each time. (Source)
- Customer support: Reviews say Hexnode’s customer experience still has room for improvements, such as faster response times. (Source)
4. Microsoft Intune
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based endpoint management solution that supports Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and web application management. It enables IT teams to deploy configuration profiles, enforce compliance policies, manage application access, and secure corporate data through conditional access and mobile application management (MAM).
We included Intune in this list of Meraki alternatives because it is one of the most widely used adopted enterprise endpoint management solutions today, especially among organizations deeply invested in Microsoft infrastructure.
Read about the NinjaOne + Microsoft Intune integration or see how NinjaOne compares to Microsoft Intune.
Best For
Best for Microsoft-centric organizations looking to align endpoint management with identity and security policies.
Features
- Unified device management: Deploy policies, manage configurations, and enforce compliance across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices.
- Conditional access enforcement: Restrict application access based on device compliance and identity signals.
- Mobile application management (MAM): Secure corporate data within apps without requiring full device enrollment.
Shortcomings
- Learning curve: As a robust solution, Intune requires time and patience to learn and master. (Source)
- Support for non-Windows devices: Some G2 users have stated that there is currently limited protection for non-Microsoft apps. (Source)
- Initial set-up: Microsoft Intune may take some time to initially set up and configure, especially among smaller businesses. (Source)
5. Workspace ONE
Workspace ONE (now part of Omnissa) is a digital workplace platform that combines device management with identity, access, and application delivery capabilities. It supports Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android devices and allows administrators to deploy configurations, push applications, and enforce compliance policies from a centralized dashboard.
Workspace ONE is a strong Meraki replacement for organizations already using VMware virtualization or identity tools. This is because the platform integrates with VMware Horizon and identity services, enabling secure access to virtual desktops, SaaS apps, and internal resources.
Read about Workspace ONE alternatives.
Best For
Best for enterprises needing unified endpoint management tied to virtualization and secure application delivery.
Features
- Unified endpoint lifecycle management: Manage provisioning, configuration, and retirement from one console.
- Identity-driven access controls: Connect device posture with identity verification for secure resource access.
- Application delivery automation: Deploy SaaS, web, and virtual applications to users based on roles and policies.
Shortcomings
- Better suited for experienced IT professionals: Several G2 reviews have stated that the platform may be too complex to understand for beginners. (Source)
- Resource-heavy: Workspace ONE may use large amounts of resources to run. (Source)
- Configurations: According to Capterra users, the solution is not user-friendly and requires difficult or confusing configurations. (Source)
6. IBM MaaS360
IBM MaaS360 is a unified endpoint management software that offers MDM, mobile threat defense, and AI-driven analytics. It supports iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and rugged devices, enabling organizations to manage endpoints while monitoring security posture and compliance status.
The platform enters this list because of its strong focus on security analytics and compliance visibility, making it an appealing choice to organizations replacing Meraki with a more security-centric UEM solution.
Read about IBM Security MaaS360 alternatives or see how NinjaOne compares to IBM Security MaaS360.
Best For
Best for organizations needing AI-driven insights and compliance visibility across mobile and endpoint environments.
Features
- AI-powered risk insights: Identify anomalies and compliance risks using Watson analytics.
- Mobile threat defense integration: Monitor device health and block risky access attempts.
- Secure content distribution: Share files and apps securely while maintaining data governance controls.
Shortcomings
- User-friendliness: IBM MaaS360, while robust, can be complex to understand, particularly for new admins. (Source)
- Legacy device support: G2 users have stated that the solution may become resource-heavy when managing older devices. (Source)
- Reporting customization: IBM Maas360 could enhance its reporting capabilities to be more customizable. (Source)
7. ManageEngine Endpoint Central
ManageEngine Endpoint Central is a well-known endpoint management platform that includes desktop management, patch management, software deployment, and MDM in a single solution. It supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android devices, allowing IT teams to monitor system health, deploy updates, and enforce security policies across endpoints.
Touted for its robust automation capabilities, ManageEngine Endpoint Central is a solid contender among Cisco Meraki competitors for its ability to help IT teams maintain device compliance without manual workflows.
Read about ManageEngine Endpoint Central alternatives or see how NinjaOne compares to ManageEngine.
Best For
Best for SMB and mid-market organizations seeking affordable endpoint and patch management capabilities.
Features
- Automated patch deployment: Schedule and deploy OS and third-party updates across endpoints.
- Software distribution tools: Install, update, or remove applications remotely from a centralized console.
- Compliance and inventory reporting: Track asset status and generate reports for audits and planning.
Shortcomings
- Platform navigation: Several G2 reviews highlight the platform’s cluttered interface, which makes navigation difficult. (Source)
- Reporting customization: While Endpoint Central is feature-rich, it is not intuitive to use, especially in its reporting functionality. (Source)
- Third-party application patching: Endpoint Central may have limited functionality in third-party application patching and MDM. (Source)
8. Ivanti Neurons for UEM
Ivanti Neurons for UEM is a unified endpoint management platform designed to combine device management with automation, security, and service management integrations. It supports Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and specialized devices, enabling organizations to manage endpoint lifecycles while enforcing compliance policies.
We included Ivanti Neurons because it delivers enterprise-scale automation and service integration, making it a strong option for organizations needing more advanced workflow orchestration than Meraki provided.
Best For
Best for enterprises seeking automation-driven endpoint management integrated with IT service workflows.
Features
- Automated remediation workflows: Detect and resolve endpoint issues without manual intervention.
- Service desk integration: Connect endpoint events to ITSM tickets and workflows.
- Vulnerability visibility: Monitor device security posture and prioritize remediation actions.
Shortcomings
- Performance: Ivanti Neurons may occasionally slow down when managing multiple devices simultaneously. (Source)
- Customization: According to G2 users, the platform requires significant time to customize. (Source)
- Customer support: The customer support for Ivanti Neurons for UEM could be improved. (Source)
9. SOTI MobiControl
SOTI MobiControl is an MDM platform focused on enterprise mobility and specialized device environments, including rugged devices, kiosks, and IoT endpoints. It supports Android, iOS, Windows, and Linux devices and provides remote control, application deployment, and device lockdown capabilities.
Despite not being a UEM like other alternatives mentioned in this list, SOTI MobiControl is still a great alternative to Cisco Meraki because it excels in field service, retail, and healthcare deployments, where specialized devices and remote troubleshooting are critical.
Read about SOTI MobiControl alternatives or see how
Best For
Best for organizations managing rugged, kiosk, or frontline devices across distributed locations.
Features
- Remote diagnostics and control: Troubleshoot devices without on-site visits using remote session tools.
- Kiosk and lockdown configurations: Restrict devices to approved workflows for frontline operations.
- Geofencing and tracking: Monitor device location and enforce policies based on geographic boundaries.
Shortcomings
- Initial learning curve: The platform has an initial learning curve, even among established organizations. (Source)
- Remote sessions: According to G2 feedback, SOTI MobiControl may slow down during remote sessions. (Source)
- Performance: Reviews have stated that the software may slow down when managing updates or pushing configurations across multiple devices. (Source)
10. Scalefusion
Scalefusion is a unified endpoint management tool that supports Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS devices. It provides device enrollment, configuration enforcement, application management, and kiosk mode capabilities designed for distributed device fleets.
The platform includes remote cast, scripting, and policy automation, helping IT teams manage devices without physical interaction. Scalefusion also integrates with identity providers and security tools to support conditional access and device compliance enforcement.
Read about Scalefusion alternatives or see how NinjaOne compares to Scalefusion.
Best For
Best for organizations managing mobile fleets, retail kiosks, or distributed frontline endpoints.
Features
- Remote device casting: View and control device screens for troubleshooting and training.
- Kiosk management tools: Lock devices into single-app or multi-app modes.
- Cross-platform policy enforcement: Apply security and configuration policies across multiple OS environments.
Shortcomings
- Customer support: G2 users have said that post-enrollment support is lacking. (Source)
- Set-up: Scalefusion could improve how users set up their profiles, especially across multiple operating systems. (Source)
- Customization: Some G2 users have expressed their desire for more customization options for app deployment policies. (Source)
11. Jamf
We end this list of Cisco Meraki alternatives with a popular Apple-focused endpoint management platform (which we also included in our designed for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS environments. Jamf provides automated device enrollment, configuration profile deployment, patch management, and application lifecycle management tailored specifically for Apple devices.
Because of these functionalities, Jamf remains a well-established Apple-focused endpoint management platform, which makes it a relevant Meraki alternative for organizations with Apple-first environments.
Read about Jamf alternatives or see how NinjaOne compares to Jamf Pro.
Best For
Best for organizations managing large Apple device fleets requiring deep Apple ecosystem integration.
Features
- Automated Apple device enrollment: Streamline provisioning through Apple Business Manager integrations.
- Configuration profile deployment: Enforce security settings, restrictions, and policies across devices.
- Apple-focused patch management: Deploy OS and application updates tailored to Apple environments.
Shortcomings
- Support for older devices: G2 users have consistently stated that Jamf occasionally encounters problems when managing legacy devices. (Source)
- Training resources: New users may have difficulties learning more advanced features due to a lack of training resources. (Source)
- Integrations with non-Apple devices: As an Apple-first product, Jamf does have considerable limitations in supporting non-Apple devices. (Source)
Choosing among the best Cisco Meraki alternatives for your business
With Cisco Meraki Systems Manager now reaching End-of-Sale and End-of-Life, organizations should begin evaluating alternatives sooner rather than later. Waiting until support ends can increase risk and create unnecessary migration pressure.
As you compare Cisco Meraki alternatives, it’s a good idea to focus on your organization’s security requirements, operating systems, and automation needs. With the current cybercrime and cybersecurity statistics suggesting a worrying increase in the coming years, it has become all the more important that you choose an enterprise IT management system, rather than a standalone MDM one.
