Apple Classroom vs. Scalefusion Apple MDM: What is the difference?

With the rise of Apple devices in education and business, managing those devices effectively is crucial. If you are a teacher trying to manage your classroom’s iPads or an IT administrator needing to manage and monitor hundreds of devices across an entire school or business, device management solutions are a must. Two popular solutions for managing Apple devices in school are the Apple Classroom app and Scalefusion Apple MDM (Mobile Device Management). While both are designed to help with device management, they serve different purposes and come with different features.

The Apple Classroom app is great for teachers in the classroom, but it has limitations when it comes to managing devices on a larger scale or ensuring full security and compliance. On the other hand, Scalefusion is designed for IT administrators who need to manage not only classroom devices but also an entire fleet of Apple devices in an educational institution.

Let’s explore what Apple Classroom app is, what Scalefusion Apple MDM can do, and how they compare across a variety of features. 

What is Apple Classroom?

Apple Classroom is a native app for teachers available on iPads and Macs. It is designed to help teachers manage and monitor the devices in their classroom. Apple Classroom app allows teachers to do things like monitor students’ screens, lock devices, group students for activities, and more. The app is great for classroom management, as it helps teachers keep students focused and ensures they’re using their devices appropriately.

However, the Apple Classroom app has some limitations. It is designed for physical or hybrid classrooms, so it works best when the teacher and students are in the same space or connected to the same Wi-Fi network. It is not a full-scale mobile device management solution. Apple Classroom is meant to help with device monitoring and management, but it doesn’t support large-scale device deployment, security enforcement, or management for devices outside the classroom.

What is Scalefusion Apple MDM?

Scalefusion is an Apple MDM (Mobile Device Management) platform that goes far beyond classroom management. It is used by IT administrators to manage devices in schools, businesses, and organizations of all sizes. Scalefusion allows you to manage not only classroom devices but also large fleets of iPads, Macs, and Android devices across multiple locations.

Scalefusion is designed for comprehensive device management, including app deployment, security enforcement, remote troubleshooting, and device monitoring. It works across all devices, allowing for centralized and real-time management, regardless of where the devices are located.

In addition to its device management features, Scalefusion is compatible with Apple Classroom. This means you can use the Apple Classroom app while leveraging Scalefusion for backend management, security, compliance, and support.

Feature-by-feature comparison: Apple Classroom app vs. Scalefusion Apple MDM

Let’s take a deeper look at how Apple Classroom and Scalefusion Apple MDM compare across several key features. 

1. Classroom monitoring & real-time management

• Apple Classroom: One of the main features of Apple Classroom app is the ability for teachers to monitor students’ devices. Teachers can see what’s on their students’ screens, lock devices, and launch apps for the whole class to use. However, this is only effective within the same classroom or local Wi-Fi network. If students leave the classroom or are using their devices remotely, teachers lose the ability to monitor them in real-time.
  
• Scalefusion: Scalefusion takes this feature to the next level. It allows for remote device monitoring and management via the cloud, meaning that IT admins and teachers can manage devices from anywhere. This remote access is a game-changer, especially for schools or businesses with devices spread out across different locations.

Example: If a school is running a hybrid class with students both in the classroom and at home, teachers can use Scalefusion to remotely monitor all the students’ iPads. They can also lock or unlock the devices, even if the students are not physically present in the classroom.

2. App management & distribution

• Apple Classroom: Apple Classroom does not have the capability to deploy apps to devices. It is not designed for managing large numbers of apps across multiple devices. While teachers can monitor apps during class, they cannot deploy or manage them remotely.
  
• Scalefusion: Scalefusion allows administrators to deploy apps from the App Store, Volume Purchase Program (VPP), or even custom enterprise apps at scale. This feature is crucial for managing devices in a large organization, as it allows you to push apps to hundreds or thousands of devices all at once.

Example: Imagine a school that wants to push a math app to all students’ iPads. With Scalefusion, the IT team can deploy the app to all devices at once, saving time and ensuring consistency across the devices.

3. Enrollment & deployment

• Apple Classroom: Apple Classroom requires an MDM solution to function, and it doesn’t offer zero-touch enrollment or easy device setup. Devices must be manually configured, which can be a hassle for large institutions.
  
• Scalefusion: Scalefusion supports zero-touch enrollment through Apple Business Manager (ABM) and Apple School Manager (ASM). Devices automatically configure and are ready for use as soon as they are turned on. This makes it easy to set up a large number of devices quickly and without hassle.

Example: A school receiving a batch of iPads can simply turn them on, and they will automatically configure themselves with the necessary apps and settings through Scalefusion, without the need for any manual configuration by the IT team.

4. User & identity management

• Apple Classroom: Teachers must manually create and manage classes, which can be time-consuming, especially for large schools with many classes and students. There is no built-in directory sync or automated management of users.
  
• Scalefusion: Scalefusion allows for user-based management with directory synchronization, Single Sign-On (SSO) integrations, and role-based policies. This makes it much easier for administrators to manage large numbers of users and devices without doing everything manually.

Example: In a large school, IT administrators can sync user data with the school’s directory system, automatically assigning appropriate apps and policies to each user based on their role (e.g., student, teacher, admin).

5. BYOD & privacy settings

• Apple Classroom: Apple Classroom is designed for school-owned devices and doesn’t support BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) enrollment. This means that it is not ideal for schools that want to allow students to use their personal devices.
  
• Scalefusion: Scalefusion fully supports Apple User Enrollment, allowing students to use their personal devices securely within the institution. It ensures that personal data remains private while educational data stays secure.
  

Example: A student brings their own iPad to school, and Scalefusion ensures that their personal apps and data are kept separate from school-related content. IT can manage school apps and settings while keeping the students’ personal data private.

6. Security & compliance

• Apple Classroom: Apple Classroom provides basic device restrictions, but it doesn’t have full security enforcement or compliance tracking. There is no remote wipe feature or advanced data protection options.
  
• Scalefusion: Scalefusion offers full security and compliance features, including device-wide policies, app restrictions, web content filtering, remote wipe, data encryption, and compliance tracking. This ensures that devices meet the organization’s security standards and that sensitive data is protected.

Example: If a device is lost or stolen, Scalefusion allows IT administrators to remotely lock the device to protect any sensitive data. This level of security is critical in environments like schools, where device protection is important.

7. Device supervision

• Apple Classroom: Apple Classroom app has limited functionality for supervising devices. Few features, like screen monitoring and app management are available.
  
• Scalefusion: Scalefusion offers full device supervision for Apple devices, including app management, device restrictions, security updates, and more. This makes it a better solution for organizations that use both iPads and Macs.

Example: A school that uses both iPads and MacBooks for students can manage all their devices using Scalefusion, ensuring consistent policies and app deployments across all devices.

8. Remote troubleshooting

• Apple Classroom: Apple Classroom does not support remote troubleshooting. If a device is having an issue, the teacher or IT staff must be physically present to fix it.
  
• Scalefusion: Scalefusion provides remote troubleshooting tools like Remote Cast and Remote Support. IT administrators can diagnose and resolve issues remotely, saving time and minimizing downtime.

Example: If a student’s iPad is having technical issues, IT support can remotely access the device, troubleshoot, and resolve the problem without needing to be in the classroom.

Quick comparison table: Apple Classroom vs. Scalefusion

Which one is right for you?

Choosing between Apple Classroom and Scalefusion Apple MDM depends on your needs. If you are a teacher in a traditional classroom with a small number of devices and don’t need advanced security or remote management, Apple Classroom may be sufficient.

However, if you are managing devices at a larger scale, whether across multiple classrooms, schools, or an entire educational institution, Scalefusion is the better choice. With its device management capabilities, security features, and support for remote monitoring, Scalefusion is designed to handle the complexity of managing large fleets of devices while ensuring compliance and data protection.

For educational institutions that require device management, Scalefusion offers a far more scalable and secure solution than Apple Classroom. It integrates seamlessly with Apple Classroom for classroom activities while providing powerful backend management for administrators.

In the end, both tools are valuable in different contexts, but Scalefusion Apple MDM offers much more flexibility, scalability, and security for a wide range of users, from schools to enterprises.Ready to go beyond the Apple Classroom app? Try Scalefusion’s Apple MDM to manage iPads and Macs across your organization. Book a free demo now!