Kandji vs. Level: Why IT Teams Are Moving Beyond Apple-Only Device Management

Modern IT teams are under growing pressure to manage increasingly diverse environments. While Apple devices remain popular across industries, most organizations today operate a mix of Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. Managing this complexity efficiently requires tools that go beyond traditional mobile device management (MDM).

That is where the conversation around Kandji vs. Level begins.

Kandji is a cloud-based Apple device management (MDM) platform designed to help organizations deploy, manage, and secure their macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS devices. It is popular among IT teams in Apple-heavy environments for its automation, compliance, and security tools.

Level, on the other hand, is a comprehensive IT management platform that enables cross-platform management, automation, and monitoring in one place.

Let’s explore what Kandji does well, which industries rely on it, and why many IT teams eventually transition to Level as their organizations grow and diversify.

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What Kandji Does and Why It’s Popular

Kandji was built for IT administrators who manage fleets of Apple devices. It streamlines device deployment, compliance enforcement, and patching, making it an attractive choice for Apple-centric companies that value simplicity and automation.

Core Features of Kandji

• Device Enrollment and Setup: Automates provisioning through Apple Business Manager (ABM) or Apple School Manager (ASM), enabling zero-touch deployment for new devices.
• Policy and Compliance Management: Includes prebuilt “auto-remediation” scripts that keep devices aligned with security baselines and company policies.
• Application Management: Simplifies app deployment and updates using Kandji’s app library or custom packages.
• Security and Compliance Monitoring: Detects configuration drifts, missing patches, and noncompliant settings, then remediates them automatically.
• OS and Patch Management: Streamlines Apple OS updates with scheduling and deferral controls.
• Remote Lock and Wipe: Lets admins secure or erase lost and stolen devices directly from the Kandji dashboard.
  
  

Why Organizations Choose Kandji

• Ideal for Apple-only or Apple-heavy environments.
• Maintains device compliance and security posture automatically.
• Reduces manual IT workload with built-in automation.
• Integrates with major identity providers like Okta, Azure AD, and Google Workspace.

For companies committed to Apple, Kandji provides a clean, dependable MDM experience. However, its strengths also define its biggest limitation: it is Apple-only.

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Industries That Use Kandji

Kandji is most popular in sectors that standardize on Apple hardware and value user experience, compliance, and mobility.

1. Technology and SaaS Companies

Startups and SaaS firms often choose Apple devices for their security, design, and developer compatibility. Kandji supports their growth by simplifying macOS provisioning and maintaining compliance with frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001.

2. Marketing, Creative, and Design Agencies

Creative professionals rely on Apple hardware for software like Adobe Creative Cloud and Final Cut Pro. Kandji helps agencies manage large fleets of MacBooks and iMacs consistently and securely.

3. Education

K-12 schools and universities using Macs and iPads leverage Kandji to deploy learning tools, enforce restrictions, and manage student or faculty devices from a single dashboard.

4. Financial Services and Fintech

Security and audit readiness are critical for finance. Kandji enforces encryption, password, and patching standards automatically to help teams maintain compliance.

5. Healthcare and Life Sciences

With strict privacy regulations like HIPAA, healthcare organizations use Kandji to manage Apple endpoints while ensuring sensitive data remains secure.

6. Professional Services

Law, consulting, and accounting firms often prefer Apple hardware for its reliability. Kandji offers centralized configuration and security enforcement for distributed teams.

In Short

Kandji shines in Apple-first organizations that need automated compliance and seamless provisioning, but it stops there. For businesses with mixed operating systems or broader automation needs, it falls short.

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Kandji vs. Level: Platform Comparison

Key Takeaway

Kandji is ideal for Apple-exclusive organizations focused on compliance.
Level empowers IT teams and MSPs with cross-platform visibility, automation, and remote management from one unified dashboard.

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Are Kandji and Level Competitors?

In some ways, yes, but they serve different missions.

• Kandji is a specialist, built to excel at managing Apple devices and enforcing compliance.
• Level is a generalist powerhouse, giving IT teams complete control over mixed environments from remote support to monitoring and scripting.

They overlap only in the macOS space. Beyond that, Level covers broader IT operations, replacing multiple tools such as remote desktop, patch manager, and monitoring suites with a single platform.

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Why IT Teams Switch from Kandji to Level

As organizations evolve, many find Kandji’s Apple-only model too restrictive. Here are the top reasons teams make the switch to Level.

1. Broader Device Coverage

Kandji supports only Apple devices. Level manages Windows, macOS, and Linux, giving IT full visibility across the entire environment without multiple tools.

2. Deeper Remote Management

Kandji’s remote actions are limited to lock, wipe, and compliance enforcement.
Level offers real-time browser-based Remote Control and Background Management, enabling technicians to troubleshoot, run scripts, and perform maintenance without disrupting the user.

3. Full Automation and Scripting Power

Kandji’s automation relies on preset policies and remediations.
Level enables full custom automation with PowerShell, Bash, and Python, letting teams build, schedule, and scale their own workflows.

4. Cross-Platform Patch Management

While Kandji handles macOS and iOS updates, Level delivers comprehensive patch management for every OS and hundreds of third-party applications with granular control and scheduling.

5. Advanced Monitoring and Reporting

Kandji reports on compliance status and Apple health.
Level provides system monitoring, alerting, and performance metrics across all endpoints, helping IT identify trends and act proactively.

6. Flexibility and Customization

Level offers Custom Fields, Tags, and Branding that allow teams to tailor the platform to their clients, business units, or workflows, something Kandji does not support.

7. Cost and Tool Consolidation

Many Kandji users rely on extra software for scripting, remote access, and monitoring. Level consolidates these functions, reducing both cost and operational complexity.

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The Bottom Line: Level Is the Next Step Beyond MDM

Kandji remains an excellent solution for Apple-only organizations that prioritize compliance and simplicity.
But for most growing IT departments, mixed environments are the norm, not the exception.

That is where Level stands out:

• Cross-platform endpoint management (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Powerful automation through scripting and patching
• Real-time monitoring and remote control
• Custom branding and reporting for MSPs and enterprises

Level is not just an MDM solution. It is an all-in-one IT management platform that gives teams the visibility, flexibility, and automation they need to scale securely.