Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM) vs Ivanti Avalanche [EOL] comparison

Cisco and Ivanti are both solutions in the Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) category. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Ivanti users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on May 20, 2026

Cisco Meraki Systems Manager and Ivanti Avalanche are mobile device management solutions with unique strengths. Cisco stands out for its ease of use and comprehensive management from a cloud-based dashboard, while Ivanti offers cost-effective features, especially for remote access and package deployment.

Features: Cisco Meraki Systems Manager boasts a user-friendly dashboard for easy application and security policy deployment. It supports reliable geofencing, device tracking, and remote wiping. Ivanti Avalanche offers powerful remote control and efficient bulk package deployment, ideal for enterprises requiring frequent remote updates over large device numbers.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki needs to enhance scripting capabilities and third-party integration. Its pricing model is considered expensive, and there is a need for better Linux compatibility. Ivanti Avalanche could refine its pricing structure and upgrade its Android management features, while also enhancing automation and AI capabilities for better device behavior insights.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki's cloud deployment is scalable, facilitating remote management across dispersed locations, supported by reliable technical assistance. Ivanti Avalanche primarily supports on-premises deployment, catering to organizations with this preference but could benefit from a stronger cloud offering. Cisco's customer service is well-regarded, but some critique the local support, whereas Ivanti provides commendable on-site assistance despite limited remote support.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco is perceived as expensive but offers significant value in terms of reliability and flexibility, supporting a centralized management and support structure. Ivanti Avalanche, more moderately priced, delivers essential features without hidden costs, though it could improve affordability. Both solutions present ROI potential, with Cisco noted for reducing operational downtime through efficient remote management.

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

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Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)

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

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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Sulesh PK

Monitoring and Operations Pilot at Egis S.A.

Has simplified hardware issue identification but needs integrated communication options

We have monitoring capabilities and we are monitoring some network tools from Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM) and troubleshooting as well. I am currently working with version MR 32.1.4. Policy involves connecting mostly through emails, as we don't have any special kind of policy features. If any alert comes, we connect via mail. We don't utilize the geolocation tracking feature. The unified dashboard helps me simplify device management for my team based on the location, as we have configured devices from many different countries. We give the device's name based on the location, allowing us to identify easily in the dashboard. Regarding operational cost savings, it is cost-saving because in other companies, they use different tools for different networks, such as one for Windows, another for Linux, and a different one for VMware. We use all the systems including Windows, Linux, and networking under Cisco, Centreon, and Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM), which is very cost-efficient. Regarding pricing and licensing of Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM), I don't have information about that, as we are from the technical department. Details about subscription and quotation come from another department. I rate this solution 8 out of 10.

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it_user1399731

Chief Technology Officer at Lane Clark & Peacock LLP

Offers scalability and ability to create granular policies

It is a very easy-to-manage and granular policy-based solution. Policies that you can create per device per user behavior are the most valuable feature In future releases, I would like to see more automation or bringing in AI into to understand device behavior. I have been using it for five…

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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

"Remote control is the feature I like the most, as I can take control of devices so that we can work hands-on and create access with access restrictions."

"It is easy to use and easy to roll out with low impact on users; it is stable and scalable as well, and the central administration con dashboard is very easy to use and provides very good oversight on all that needs to be monitored."

"Our main use is Intune's management of mobile devices, like Android or iPhone devices. The application performs quite well for both types. We successfully managed almost 3,000 endpoints."

"I would say right now that Microsoft Intune is one of the best solutions."

"The insights, even though we're talking about charts and graphs, are super valuable to customers who might not otherwise know what's in their ecosystem or the current state of things within their ecosystem."

"I really appreciate the features in Microsoft Intune, including the Intune Suite Cloud PKI."

"The solution has significantly improved managing a diverse range of devices. We have observed enhancements across Android, iOS, and Windows devices."

"The most valuable feature is that we can manage workstations or Android devices remotely without needing the device to be connected to our local network."

More Microsoft Intune pros

"The UI is easy to learn."

"The remote security feature, as well as the ability to control devices from anywhere, is one of the more beneficial features of Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM)."

"The product provides a universal dashboard."

"The stability of the solution is very good. It's reliable. We don't have crashes or experience freezing. There aren't bugs or glitches."

"The cloud dashboard's analytics data is particularly valuable, giving me insights into user activities and making it easy to track and manage devices."

"It's easy to use, easy to set up, and reliable."

"The solution is simple."

"The most significant benefit is that the deployment is quick and painless; you don't need a specialized IT department to implement and scale the network, and it's easy to maintain, too, requiring only one or two network administrators."

More Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM) pros

"The solution is easy to work with. I like its stability and flexibility."

"The most useful feature of Avalanche is remote control — especially the ability to remotely install packages to many devices all at once. When the client has, for example, 100 devices needing updates, it would take far too long to update each device individually. But with Avalanche, we just connect to all the devices through the PC and send the updates out with one click."

"It is a very easy-to-manage and granular policy-based solution. Policies that you can create per device per user behavior are the most valuable feature."

"Installing the packages remotely and remote control are the most valuable features. There are around 100 pieces or devices, and the only way to send a package to a device is by connecting to the PC and then manually sending the package. By using Avalanche, we can send a package to all devices with one click. It is very stable and easy to use. Their technical support is also very good. We have implemented this solution for our clients, and they are satisfied with this solution. It does what it is meant to do."

"Ivanti Avalanche has reduced the time needed to perform updates on all the devices across our clients' organizations; it's a great time-saver for the client."

"The most valuable features of the Ivanti Avalanche are the remote control and the file transfer."

"The terminal remediation feature is valuable."

Cons

"I also hope the cost of Remote Help will decrease because it's a much-needed Intune function."

"The reporting functionality of Microsoft Intune is limited compared to Microsoft System Center, which offers many more reporting options."

"Applying security recommendations can be difficult in Microsoft Intune. Sometimes, they give you recommendations, but you need a different server to manage the pieces, or you have to go to each device individually. However, it has been improving. Before, there were certain policies you could not implement directly in Intune, but now I see progress. I would like to see more improvement in policy management, similar to how we used group policies on-premises."

"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."

"The main differences between Intune and other products are, like I mentioned, in terms of the Mac. If the customers are majorly moving and adopting Mac laptops while they are using the Intune, they are leaving for other platforms, like Workspace ONE and vMOX."

"Historically, Group Policy has simplified the management of various items, such as printer and drive mappings and while Intune offers workarounds, it lacks native support for these functionalities. This is an area I believe needs improvement."

"There are some issues using the solution with macOS and iOS, and it offers limited granular control with them. Intune works better on Windows and Android."

"When pushing anything from Microsoft Intune, the sync timing is 48 hours. While sometimes it takes 5 to 10 minutes, the official period given by Microsoft is within 48 hours, which can be time-consuming for policies, applications, or patches."

More Microsoft Intune cons

"The price is high for the market."

"If Cisco Meraki Systems Manager integrates with other solutions or models, such as ACA's radio solution, on the same equipment or within the same cloud environment, it will offer significant benefits.""

"I've participated in numerous product launches primarily focused on HP and Dell. Consequently, there should be a vested interest in local gatherings to showcase product advantages and performance. Particularly in Singapore, it only has so limited integrators to engage in IP product sales. There's room for improvement through dedicated workshops and training. The European and Western markets differ significantly from the context here. The physical location holds more importance. Thus, they should have a survey to evaluate demand, supply, and sales points, tailoring strategies accordingly."

"I would like the system's compatibility with Google Chrome to be improved."

"The tool's pricing needs to be more flexible like Cisco's."

"The cost of the solution is a bit high."

"Security could be improved, and there could be more features that enable you to customize the end customer solution."

"Cisco is too expensive."

More Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM) cons

"Its price could be improved. It could be cheaper. I would like to see a better approach for Android and an easy way to send packages and manage devices."

"Its price could be improved. It could be cheaper."

"There is a lack of flexibility."

"The tool's stability could be better."

"Because our clients are all very satisfied with Ivanti from their side, there is little I can say about room for improvement. However, I think that to stay competitive with other solutions offering a similiar solution, Ivanti could look into making their products more affordable."

"The solution can improve by adding a kiosk mode option to the devices."

"In future releases, I would like to see more automation or bringing in AI into to understand device behavior."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We don't pay for Intune because it is bundled with the premium subscription to Office 365. It includes Intune and Defender. I don't have to buy two extra products to manage my enterprise."

"Its price is quite okay. I wish they provide certain additional features with the same license."

"It's bundled with Business Premium and an E3 license, which is beneficial. If you have to pay extra, it's pricey, but with the bundled package, it's acceptable. They recently increased the Business Premium pricing, which we don't appreciate. The price increase and yearly commitment are causing some problems for us."

"It is expensive. The cost depends on the license that we choose."

"It's a part of Microsoft 365 and E5 licenses. Microsoft's strategy of making every feature in Microsoft Intune paid needs optimization. Remote control is one of the basic features, not a luxury feature, yet we must pay for it. I"

"The solution is cost-efficient."

"We work with the subscription rather than a server license. I think it's economical this way because we don't have to have a server license for that, and I think that works in our favor."

"Microsoft Intune is pretty reasonable. We have difficulty with Azure, which is probably why we have not put many assets in Azure. Everything we put there is very expensive."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

"The price is high for the market."

"This product is reasonably priced."

"My clients find it a bit expensive compared to other systems."

"The cost of installing this solution can be more expensive depending on who is doing the installation. Cisco is very expensive."

"My customers at times have issues with the price of the solution. It is expensive, but overall it is worth it. The licensing model cost is based on how many devices you require."

"Cisco Meraki Systems Manager is an expensive solution."

"Meraki MDM is the cheapest solution we have used."

"It's extremely competitive and very good for a product in this sphere."

More Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM) pricing and cost advice

"Although the solution is a bit costly in my opinion, for customers who really need this solution, Ivanti Avalanche is worth it."

"The license is based on assets. I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."

"Other than the standard licensing fee, there aren't any additional or hidden costs, although I believe Avalanche could be made more affordable in general."

"It is expensive. Its price could be cheaper."

"You will need to purchase licenses for each device."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

15%

Construction Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	194
Midsize Enterprise	61
Large Enterprise	185

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	14

No data available

Questions from the Community

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Product Reports

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Microsoft Intune

June 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM)

July 2026

Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM) report

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Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)

June 2026

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Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

Meraki MDM

No data available

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

Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM) enhances enterprise device management with centralized cloud-based control and robust security. Leveraging intuitive dashboards, it enables seamless deployment and management of applications and devices, supporting diverse environments with efficient scalability and minimal downtime.

Cisco Meraki Systems Manager (MDM+EMM) delivers a cloud-centric approach to managing enterprise networks by offering simplified device and application management. With strong security features such as geofencing, remote erasure, and secure access, it addresses critical needs in security policy enforcement and network monitoring. The system's analytics and extensive reporting capabilities offer insights that refine performance across device-heavy landscapes. Despite its advanced functionalities, areas for improvement include better scripting capabilities, broader compatibility with operating systems like Linux and Chromebooks, and stronger integration with third-party applications. Although pricing is considered high, the manager provides network visibility and control across devices like iPhones, tablets, and computers.

What are the key features of Cisco Meraki Systems Manager?

Cloud Management: Centralized, user-friendly interface for managing devices and applications.
Robust Security: Features like geofencing and secure access maintain network integrity.
Real-Time Analytics: Offers insights to optimize network performance with detailed reports.
Scalability: Supports seamless updates and handles large environments effectively.
Remote Control: Facilitates quick responses with remote wiping and troubleshooting abilities.

What benefits should users consider in Cisco Meraki evaluations?

Enhanced Efficiency: Streamlined processes for application deployment and device management.
Network Security: Comprehensive security features protect data and infrastructure.
Improved Insights: Access to detailed analytics improves decision-making.
Ultrafast Deployment: Rapid implementation minimizes downtime in dynamic environments.

Cisco Meraki Systems Manager is widely utilized across industries to manage and secure extensive networks. Educational institutions benefit from its mobile device management to ensure compliance and control over student devices. Retail environments leverage its centralized control to handle diverse endpoints, while healthcare providers count on its robust security capabilities to protect sensitive information and maintain network integrity. The manager's broad applicability ensures tailored management and security solutions for varied industry needs.

Cisco

Ivanti Avalanche is a robust management tool favored by organizations for mobile device and file transfer tasks. Its remote installation capabilities and policy-based management make it a reliable choice for efficient operations.

Ivanti Avalanche supports mobile device management and file transfers, especially in sectors like warehousing and logistics. Its stability and management features offer seamless remote control and package installation across devices, ensuring efficiency in environments such as transport and utilities. While users value its performance and technical support, there is interest in features like kiosk mode and broader Android support.

What are Ivanti Avalanche's most valuable features?

Remote Control: Enables remote management of devices, crucial for troubleshooting.
File Transfer: Facilitates efficient data transfer between devices.
Package Installation: Allows for simultaneous installation on multiple devices.
Policy-Based Management: Simplifies device management through customizable policies.
Granular Policies: Offers detailed control per device and user behavior.

What benefits and ROI should be considered?

Time Efficiency: Streamlines device management processes.
Stability: Provides consistent performance in dynamic environments.
Technical Support: Ensures guidance for optimal usage.
Cost-Effectiveness: A consideration for improving pricing models and expanding features.

Ivanti Avalanche is utilized in industries like warehousing, logistics, transport, and utilities for managing mobile devices, file transfers, and software updates. It supports technologies such as barcode scanners and thermal printers, assisting integrators in deploying solutions efficiently across client environments.

Ivanti

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

Hafen Hamburg & Empire Riverside Hotel, Eastview Church, Tourism Holdings, Colegio Sagrada Familia Hijas de Jesús, Tommy Bahama's, Canadian School Mexico, Rosebank College

Goya, Gist, TaylorMade

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)

June 2026

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