Microsoft Intune is Microsoft's mobile-device-management and endpoint-management platform. Strong on Windows / iOS / Android management, configuration policies, application deployment, and conditional access integration with Entra ID.
Intune is not a security platform per se. EDR, GRC, breach detection, application control, helpdesk, and remote support are not its job — they belong to Defender, Microsoft Compliance Manager, Sentinel, and other Microsoft suites or third parties.
Lavawall® complements Intune by providing the security and compliance layer with multi-tenant management designed for MSPs.
Where Lavawall® wins for MSPs
Multi-tenant management for MSPs — onboarding a tenant in minutes rather than days. Microsoft Lighthouse partially addresses this, but Lavawall® is multi-tenant by default and includes per-client billing, white-label reporting, and tenant isolation as native concepts.
GRC framework breadth across CMMC 2.0, CPCSC, NIST, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, CIS, the Canadian privacy bundle, BC HIA, Alberta HIA, NERC CIP, IIROC, CPA Canada, and the Australian Essential Eight is broader than Microsoft Compliance Manager covers natively.
Cross-platform parity for the MSP fleet — particularly Linux servers — is a Lavawall® strength Intune does not match.
Per-named-agent helpdesk, browser-based multi-tenant remote support, and curated SaaS / shadow-AI discovery are MSP-tuned capabilities Intune does not include.
Where Microsoft Intune wins
Intune is the right tool for Microsoft-tenant device management, configuration policy, application deployment, and conditional-access integration with Entra ID. For organisations standardising on Microsoft, Intune's policy depth is unmatched.
iOS and Android device management is a Microsoft strength Lavawall® does not compete with directly.
MSPs running both Lavawall® and Intune typically use Intune for MDM policies and Lavawall® for security, GRC, helpdesk, and remote support.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Lavawall® | Microsoft Intune |
|---|---|---|
| MDM / endpoint management | Endpoint management without full MDM certification and lighter on policy-templating | Yes: certified MDM for Microsoft and Windows |
| Multi-tenant for MSPs | First-class | Microsoft Lighthouse (heavy) |
| Cross-platform parity (Windows, macOS, Linux) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| Compliance framework mapping (CMMC, NIST, SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO, etc.) | 15+ frameworks with auditor-ready System Security Plan (SSP) and remediation plan (POA&M) | Compliance Manager (Microsoft frameworks) |
| M365 / Entra / Azure breach detection | Native, multi-tenant identity threat detection and response (ITDR) | Defender XDR add-on |
| Google Workspace breach detection | Native | No |
| Application control without kernel driver | Native | WDAC / AppLocker integration |
| Curated SaaS / shadow-AI discovery | 1,130+ catalog | Defender for Cloud Apps add-on |
| Replacement prioritization (battery / TPM / SMART / RAM / age) | Multi-factor scoring | Lifecycle data |
| Smart helpdesk (per-named-agent unlimited tickets) | Native | No |
| Multi-tenant browser-based remote support | Native | No (Quick Assist for end-user only) |
Who should pick which?
Pick Lavawall® if…
MSPs serving many client tenants who need multi-tenant security, GRC, patching, helpdesk, and remote support from a single console.
MSPs whose fleet includes Linux servers and macOS endpoints that need security and compliance parity with Windows.
Pick Microsoft Intune if…
Organisations standardising on Microsoft 365 with iOS / Android device management as a primary need.
MSPs serving Microsoft-centric clients that already own Intune licences and need policy-driven device management.
Frequently asked
- Can Lavawall® and Intune coexist?
- Yes. Many MSPs run Intune for MDM and Lavawall® for security, GRC, helpdesk, and remote support. Lavawall® is aware of Intune-managed devices and surfaces gaps where a device is missing from one or the other.
- Does Lavawall® do MDM?
- Lavawall® manages Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints with patching, scripting, configuration assessment, and remote support. iOS / Android MDM is not in Lavawall®'s scope; Intune, Jamf, Kandji, or Mosyle handles that.