Intune vs Workspace ONE: Which Endpoint Management Platform Fits a Small Business?

Intune and Workspace ONE do the same core job: both are unified endpoint management platforms that enroll, configure, update and wipe laptops and phones from a cloud console. The differences are who sells them and how they fit Microsoft 365. Intune is Microsoft's, built on Entra ID and included in Business Premium, E3 and E5, while Workspace ONE is sold by Omnissa, the former VMware end-user computing business, and is licensed on top of whatever you pay Microsoft.

For a small business already on Microsoft 365, that usually settles it in Intune's favor, but not always. This guide compares devices, Conditional Access, pricing and migration, using prices published as of October 2026. Our Intune management service deploys and runs Intune, including moves from other platforms.

What is the difference between Intune and Workspace ONE?

Feature for feature, less than you might expect. Both enroll company-owned and personal devices, push configuration and apps, enforce encryption and passcodes, manage OS updates and wipe lost devices. Microsoft lists Android, iOS and iPadOS, Linux, macOS, Windows and ChromeOS among Intune's supported systems. Omnissa describes Workspace ONE UEM as a cloud-native platform for desktops, mobile, rugged, servers and specialty devices across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux and ChromeOS, and lists Windows Server among its supported systems.

The real difference is the surrounding stack. Intune shares Entra ID with Microsoft 365, so the same groups, admin roles and Conditional Access policies cover email and devices. Workspace ONE brings its own console, app catalog and links to Omnissa's other products, such as Horizon virtual desktops and apps. If those already run your environment, Workspace ONE fits naturally. If Microsoft 365 is the center, it's a second platform to keep in step.

How does each work with Microsoft 365 Conditional Access?

Intune does it natively: device compliance flows to Entra ID, and a Conditional Access policy can require a compliant device. Workspace ONE can do it through Microsoft's third-party compliance partner program, where the partner sends compliance status to Intune and Intune adds it to the device record in Entra ID. Microsoft's compliance partner documentation lists Omnissa Workspace ONE UEM as a supported partner, with conditions worth knowing:

• The integration covers Android, iOS and iPadOS, and macOS. Windows isn't on the platform list.
• Users whose devices the partner manages must also be assigned an Intune license.
• You can use only one partner per platform, and after you change the assigned groups in Intune, Workspace ONE needs a manual sync from its own console.

So a Microsoft 365 business that runs Workspace ONE often pays for Intune anyway, through Business Premium, without using it to manage devices.

Who makes Workspace ONE now?

Omnissa. Workspace ONE came from VMware's end-user computing business, which the investment firm KKR bought from Broadcom for about $4 billion. That business launched as Omnissa, an independent company, on July 1, 2024. If an older contract or console still says VMware Workspace ONE, it's the same product line.

What does each cost?

Intune Plan 1 is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium at $22.00 per user per month, and in E3 and E5, or costs $8.00 per user per month on its own as of October 2026. Microsoft licenses Intune per user, or with device-only licenses for kiosks and shared devices that aren't tied to one person.

Omnissa publishes Workspace ONE prices on its pricing page as monthly figures based on 12 months prepaid, with production support included. Every edition is sold per device or per user, and a user license covers up to five devices:

For a 30-person firm with a laptop and a phone each, UEM Essentials per user comes to $283.50 a month, about $3,400 a year, on top of Microsoft 365. If that firm is on Business Premium, Intune costs nothing extra. The comparison tilts toward Workspace ONE only when you aren't on a Microsoft plan that includes Intune, or when Omnissa's other products are already in use. Our MDM cost per device guide covers the labor that sits behind either license.

Which fits a small team?

• On Business Premium, E3 or E5: Intune. You already pay for it, and it shares Entra ID with your email.
• Running Workspace ONE well, with Horizon or Omnissa analytics in use: staying can make sense. Connect it to Microsoft's compliance partner integration for phones and Macs, and plan Windows compliance separately.
• On Workspace ONE only because a past IT team chose it: price the renewal against Intune before it renews.
• Large shared or rugged Android fleets: test both on your actual devices. Omnissa sells a frontline worker add-on for shared Android devices, and Intune manages Android Enterprise dedicated devices.

Apple-heavy fleets have a third option, an Apple-specific tool beside Intune, which our Intune vs Jamf comparison covers.

How do you move from Workspace ONE to Intune?

Treat it as a project with a pilot, not a weekend job. Microsoft's guidance for leaving a third-party MDM covers the cleanup steps, and the full order looks like this:

1. Inventory what Workspace ONE does today: profiles, apps, certificates, Wi-Fi and VPN settings, and compliance rules.
2. Rebuild those in Intune and test them on a pilot group.
3. Retire each device from Workspace ONE first. Microsoft notes that removing the management profile on the device itself doesn't trigger the cleanup Intune needs.
4. Confirm the device shows no MDM in Entra ID, then enroll it in Intune, with Windows Autopilot for PCs and Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Manager) for Macs, iPhones and iPads.
5. Once every device has moved, turn off the partner connection.

Some devices need user action or a reset to change management, so schedule those with the people who carry them, and keep a support contact on the old platform until the last device has moved.

How does NetSys help?

We build device management on Intune and scope moves from other platforms as part of the assessment. Existing enrollment, certificates, applications, configuration profiles and access rules get an agreed removal and replacement sequence, proven on representative devices before the old service is retired. After the move we run Intune day to day, or hand it over with configuration records if your team will run it.

Book a call with a NetSys engineer before your Workspace ONE renewal and we'll price staying against moving to the Intune licenses you may already own.

Frequently asked questions

Is Workspace ONE still a VMware product?

No. Workspace ONE belongs to Omnissa, the former VMware end-user computing business, which became an independent company on July 1, 2024 after KKR bought it from Broadcom.

Can Workspace ONE and Intune run together?

Yes, through Microsoft's compliance partner integration: Workspace ONE manages the devices and reports compliance to Intune, which passes it to Entra ID for Conditional Access. It covers Android, iOS and iPadOS, and macOS, and those users need Intune licenses.

Is Intune cheaper than Workspace ONE?

For a Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3 or E5 customer, yes, because Intune Plan 1 is already included. On its own, Intune Plan 1 is $8.00 per user per month as of October 2026, against $5.25 per device or $9.45 per user for Workspace ONE UEM Essentials, so the answer depends on how many devices each person carries.

What affects the cost of moving from Workspace ONE to Intune?

The number and kind of devices more than the number of users. Every profile, certificate and app has to be rebuilt in Intune and tested on a pilot group, Windows PCs can move through Autopilot, and some phones and tablets need a reset to change management. Time the switch before the Workspace ONE renewal, since Omnissa's listed prices assume 12 months prepaid, and keep the old console available until the last device has moved.

Does Workspace ONE manage Windows Server?

Omnissa lists Windows Server among the systems Workspace ONE UEM supports. Intune's supported list covers Windows client editions, not Windows Server, so businesses on Intune manage servers with an RMM tool or another server management product.