With remote and dispersed work here to stay for the long term, secure endpoint management has become a big headache for IT and cybersecurity teams. They rely on tools that help them manage corporate data access and enforce device security, and Microsoft Intune is one of the most popular.

For security teams, Intune checks a lot of boxes. The solution allows them to review security for all the endpoints used by employees, both at home and in the office. It covers personal smartphones and tablets as well as laptops and desktops. The bird’s eye view of device compliance helps them quickly spot weak points and tweak security policies where needed.

Teams can use Intune to manage access to corporate data and set restrictions around app installation, applying security controls consistently to everyone’s devices. They can update operating systems, security configurations, and app patches for all devices at once, making sure that everyone’s endpoints are up to date. If a device is lost or stolen, they can use Intune to remotely lock or wipe data, lowering the risks of a data breach.

As a Microsoft product, Intune integrates easily with other Microsoft cyber solutions. When used with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, teams can immediately adapt access controls if a device’s risk level changes. A compromised device can be instantly blocked from corporate resources. Combining Intune with Microsoft Entra ID enables teams to condition access according to user, location, app, or device compliance levels.

But while Microsoft Intune brings important endpoint security capabilities, the cost can be a sticking point in budget discussions. Given its importance in helping manage the ever-expanding fleet of devices that employees use for work, it’s crucial to understand how Microsoft Intune pricing works. Keeping tabs on how various factors affect the costs of your Intune subscription can make a big difference to your monthly spend.

Here are the three considerations that have the biggest impact on the cost of your Microsoft Intune use.

1.Licensing Plans and Feature Requirements

The first and biggest question is how you decide to purchase your Intune subscription. It’s available both as a standalone subscription, at $8 per user per month, and as part of a bigger Microsoft services bundle. Intune Plan 1, which covers the core capabilities, comes bundled with Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3, and E5, as well as the F1 and F3 frontline plans. If you’re already paying for one of these packages, you might already have all the functionalities you need.

Making this decision requires knowing which capabilities are critical for your organization, and which are nice-to-have. If you’re happy with basic device and application management, like enrolling devices, applying policies, managing apps, and enforcing compliance, Intune Plan 1 gives you all you need. Plan 2, a $4 per user per month add-on, extends these functionalities to specialist devices like conferencing equipment and shared AR/VR headsets.

Then there are the advanced capabilities. The Intune Suite adds Remote Help, Endpoint Privilege Management, Enterprise App Management, Advanced Analytics, and Cloud PKI. Until recently, these were paid add-ons for almost everyone, at $10 per user per month for the full Suite. That changed in July 2026. Microsoft 365 E5 now includes the full Intune Suite, plus Security Copilot for AI-assisted management. Microsoft 365 E3 and EMS E3 get a subset, including Plan 2, Remote Help, and Advanced Analytics.

The catch is that these bundles arrived alongside a list-price increase. If you were already paying for the add-ons, you likely come out ahead. If you weren't, you're now paying more for tools you may not use. Business Premium customers still have to buy these capabilities separately.

2.Enterprise Scale

The next issue is that of scale. Intune mainly calculates costs according to the number of users. Each user can add multiple devices under one license, like a laptop, smartphone, and corporate tablet.

The result is that the number of employees you include has a bigger impact on your final costs than your total number of endpoints.

That said, device count does make a difference overall. Intune also offers device-only licenses, at roughly $3.50 per device per month, which are based on the number of devices, not the number of users. It’s a better option for companies with a lot of shared or userless devices like kiosks, IoT, and workstations. Just remember that BYOD programs and acquisitions can dramatically increase the complexity of your Intune deployment pricing.

Of course, scale also adds extra costs like increased IT resources to configure policies, do troubleshooting, and monitor the ecosystem. You’ll need to consider both users and devices when calculating your costs.

3.Deployment Conditions

Finally, you need to consider your preferred deployment model, because supporting services and deployment architecture also affect costs.

Intune can manage endpoints either entirely from the cloud or alongside Microsoft Configuration Manager. Co-management keeps your on-prem tooling in play, but it raises its own licensing questions. Configuration Manager rights come with most Plan 1 bundles, but not with Business Premium.

Then there’s the cost of resources needed to implement Intune. If you’re already embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem, using services like Microsoft 365, Defender for Endpoint, or Configuration Manager, it might not cost you much to add Intune. But organizations that still use legacy on-prem software will probably have a more complex deployment that demands more resources. 

Also factor in the services Intune leans on. Conditional access requires Microsoft Entra ID P1, and risk-based compliance needs Defender for Endpoint. If those aren’t in your current bundle, budget for them on top of Intune itself.

Keep Security High but Costs Low

Like many SaaS solutions, Microsoft Intune costs are becoming more complex and difficult to calculate. The size of your organization, your feature requirements, licensing choices, and deployment conditions all affect the overall size of the Microsoft Intune line in your IT and security budget. Optimizing your decisions for the most financially efficient setup will help you protect your attack surface while stopping security costs from spiralling too high.