Updated February 3, 2026.
In today’s cyber threat environment, it’s essential to secure any mobile devices that access company systems. There are several ways to do this. The most common solutions are MDM (mobile device management) and MAM (mobile application management).
But which one is right for you?
Can MDM and MAM work together?
Here’s everything you should know about MDM vs. MAM.
Key takeaways:
- MDM is intended to secure a physical device.
- MAM is intended to secure applications and data.
- Who owns the device (the company or the individual) will determine the right mix of solutions.
- In Microsoft Intune, UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) makes it easy to administer both MDM and MAM in one place.
What is MDM (mobile device management)?
MDM (mobile device management) is a software solution that gives IT administrators control over devices connected to the network. For Microsoft customers, Microsoft Intune provides MDM capabilities as part of Microsoft’s UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) functionality.
MDM is all about securing a physical device. This software allows admins to monitor, manage, and secure company-owned devices remotely. It’s the primary tool for enforcing your organization’s security configuration settings.
As you can imagine, employees often won’t allow their personal devices to be onboarded into a company’s MDM. So MDM for BYOD is usually a non-starter.
What is MAM (mobile application management)?
MAM (mobile application management) is a software solution that gives IT administrators control over the organization’s applications and any associated data on devices connected to the network. For Microsoft customers, Microsoft Intune provides MAM capabilities as part of Microsoft’s UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) functionality.
MAM is all about securing applications and their data. This software allows admins to remotely monitor, manage, and secure applications and related data on both company-owned and employee-owned devices.
Generally speaking, MAM is less invasive than MDM. For example, you can configure your MAM solution so that it disables copying and pasting data out of Outlook into another application. But MAM solutions generally don’t have access to an employee’s personal data like photos and contacts on their BYOD device.
What is Microsoft UEM, and how does it relate to MDM and MAM?
Microsoft UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) is Microsoft’s modern, consolidated approach to managing all endpoints—mobile devices, PCs, virtual desktops, kiosks, IoT devices, and more—through a single, unified platform.
UEM is a recommended strategy and approach, not a software system. Microsoft Intune is the core product that powers device management under Microsoft’s UEM model. Microsoft’s shift to UEM in Intune brings together capabilities that were previously separate (MDM, MAM, EMM, and PC management) into one centralized system.
In other words, both MDM and MAM are core functions under the larger umbrella of UEM. They are both supported by Microsoft Intune.
Can MDM and MAM work together?
Absolutely. In fact, MDM and MAM are typically used together to manage company-owned mobile devices within Microsoft’s UEM (unified endpoint management) capabilities within Microsoft Intune. Likewise, MAM by itself is typically used for employee-owned devices and is also administered within UEM in Intune.
MAM is what protects the company’s data. At the end of the day, that’s most important.
MDM for company-owned devices is typically used for policy enforcement. This may include things like:
- Enforcing firewall enablement
- Enforcing installation of endpoint security agent
- Enforcing passcode length
- Enforcing enablement of biometric authentication
FREE comparison chart
Mobile Device Management Options
Compare MDM vs. MAM scenarios
Here are a few common device administration scenarios. The chart below explains which tool (MDM vs. MAM) is appropriate and what the tool can do.
| Scenario | MDM Capabilities | MAM Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| A) Company‑owned device is stolen | Allows you to wipe the entire device. | Allows you to wipe only applications and their data, though in this case you would likely wipe the full device anyway. |
| B) Employee leaves; BYOD device has corporate apps/data | Not typically used for BYOD—full wipe would be inappropriate. | You can selectively wipe only corporate apps and their data from the personal device. |
| C) Employee gets a new BYOD device to replace the old one | Not applicable (device not MDM‑enrolled). | You can wipe corporate apps/data from the old BYOD device before they move to the new one. |
How flexible is MAM in Microsoft Intune?
In late 2025, Microsoft introduced improved MAM targeting options to give administrators more flexibility in how they handle company data and applications on connected devices. Here are the updates that Microsoft made:
- Users can receive multiple app protection policies based on device state (managed vs. unmanaged).
- Policy stacking and enforcement logic were improved.
What are best practices for device enrollment in Intune?
Intune device enrollment works best when organizations follow a staged rollout starting with pilot groups, prepare devices in advance with enrollment restrictions and baseline security policies, and choose the correct enrollment method based on ownership and platform—such as Azure AD Join or Autopilot for corporate Windows devices, Apple Business Manager for iOS, and Android Enterprise modes for Android devices.
Of course, Microsoft has also included new enrollment options such as:
- Just‑in‑Time Registration
- Enhanced Windows Autopatch controls
- Refined platform-specific BYOD onboarding flows (especially for iOS and macOS)
Here’s a table summarizing best practices for specific areas in enrollment practice.
| Area | Best Practice |
|---|---|
| Rollout Strategy | Use pilot groups before scaling up. |
| Pre‑Configuration | Set enrollment restrictions, profiles, categories. |
| OS‑Specific Methods | Use Autopilot, ABM, Android Enterprise as appropriate. |
| Security | Establish baseline compliance & config profiles. |
| User Experience | Provide clear BYOD instructions and support. |
| Monitoring | Track enrollment failures and compliance early. |
| Identity | Align Entra identity choice with enrollment type. |
| Documentation | Keep guides updated as Intune evolves. |
How does Microsoft Intune support compliance requirements for device management?
Microsoft Intune supports compliance requirements for device management by providing a comprehensive policy framework that evaluates each managed device against organizational security standards, enforces access controls, and automates remediation actions. Intune uses device compliance policies—sets of rules such as minimum OS versions, password requirements, encryption, jailbreak/root detection, and platform‑specific security controls—to determine whether a device meets your defined security posture.
These compliance results integrate directly with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access, ensuring that only devices marked compliant can access corporate resources like email, apps, and data, adding an additional enforcement layer to protect organizational assets.
Intune also includes tenant‑wide compliance policy settings—a built‑in baseline that applies to every device—which determines how devices with missing or outdated compliance information are treated.
This capability helps organizations maintain strict security postures at scale. Administrators gain visibility through compliance reporting, can define automated actions for noncompliance, and can even implement custom compliance policies using scripts or Logic Apps for advanced scenarios. This combination of policy enforcement, conditional access integration, monitoring, and automation ensures organizations can meet regulatory, security, and internal compliance requirements across all enrolled devices.
How do you get MAM?
Good news if you’re a Microsoft customer: MAM is available as part of Intune and Microsoft 365, and it’s a core component in Microsoft UEM (unified endpoint management) within Intune. The list of 365 apps supported by Intune is quite extensive. Whatever your employees need to do, whatever application they’re using, Intune delivers the MAM capabilities you need.
However, Intune is so powerful, it can get overwhelming. Your IT admins probably have enough work on their hands already.
If that’s the case, a partner like Corsica Technologies can help you secure your applications with MAM. Reach out to us today, and let’s strengthen your mobile device security.
Takeaway: Use MDM+MAM for corporate; use MAM alone for BYOD
On corporate devices, it makes sense to enable both MDM and MAM. Whatever configuration-related policies you have, MDM enables you to do the actual enforcement.
For BYOD devices, it’s best to install MAM alone—without MDM.
Why?
FREE chart: MDM vs. MAM
If the goal is to protect company data on BYOD devices, then MAM gets you there with fewer headaches and legal implications. MAM also strikes a better balance between protecting your data and protecting your employees’ freedom.
Here are the 3 biggest reasons we recommend MAM alone, without MDM, for BYOD devices.
1. You get the control you need
Let’s be honest, you don’t need the ability to delete an employee’s personal photos. But you do need to prevent them from moving company data out of safe applications. You also need to secure those applications (and that data). MAM does what you need without potentially doing things you don’t need.
2. You respect your employees’ privacy
While MDM can be configured in many ways, it’s hard to shake the fact that it can exercise control over an employee-owned device. If an employee allows you to put MDM on their BYOD device, there’s more potential for liability down the road if an admin makes a configuration mistake.
3. You avoid the two-phone problem
I can’t count how many times I’ve seen someone with two phones—a company device, and a personal device.
No one should have to deal with that headache. I feel sorry that they work for a company that forces them to have a separate device. I want to sit them down and explain that there’s a better way to do this—one that fits how most people live and work today. That way is MAM.
FREE comparison chart
MDM vs. MAM
