SCCM vs Intune vs Scalefusion: Best SCCM alternatives of 2025

Back in 2007, Microsoft SCCM made perfect sense—most devices ran Windows, and IT teams operated within on-premises environments. But in 2025, the IT landscape looks drastically different. Gartner claims that over 85% of businesses now follow a cloud-first strategy, and today’s IT environments span remote teams, rapid scaling, and a mix of operating systems.

Despite this shift, SCCM still relies on physical servers, complex configurations, and manual scripts, making it increasingly misaligned with modern IT needs. It performs best in static, Windows-only setups, but that’s no longer enough for businesses navigating hybrid work, BYOD, and multi-platform environments.

Microsoft Intune and Scalefusion step in as cloud-ready, flexible tools designed with modern endpoint management in mind. In this blog, we’re laying out SCCM, Intune, and Scalefusion side by side to help you figure out the top SCCM alternative for 2025.

Whether you’re managing a few hundred devices or scaling across global teams, this guide will help you make the right choice.

What is SCCM?

SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) is a Microsoft tool used by IT administrators to manage, deploy, and secure devices across an organization. It enables centralized control over Windows desktops, laptops, and servers, allowing teams to automate software deployment, patch management, OS updates, endpoint protection, and asset tracking.

What IT admins are saying: Common complaints about SCCM

System administrators on Reddit and other tech communities frequently express frustrations with SCCM:

• Too heavy for simple deployments.
• Requires constant patching and maintenance.
• Overkill if you’re not a Microsoft-only shop.
• Scripting everything in PowerShell takes time.

These challenges resonate with IT teams managing remote users, hybrid environments, or BYOD policies.

What is Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based unified endpoint management platform that enables IT administrators to manage, secure, and monitor devices and applications across an organization. It is part of the Microsoft Endpoint Manager suite and supports multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android, Linux, and Chrome OS.

While Intune is compatible with a wide range of operating systems, its strongest capabilities are built around Windows device management—making it ideal for organizations heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, making it less suitable for managing other platforms.

What is Scalefusion?

Scalefusion is a modern, cloud-based Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solution that enables IT teams to manage and secure company-owned and BYO devices across various platforms, including Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS. Designed for both SMBs and large enterprises, Scalefusion simplifies device provisioning, enforces security policies, and automates compliance from a single, centralized dashboard.

Scalefusion supports diverse use cases such as kiosk mode setup, remote troubleshooting, OS and patch management, app deployment, and real-time location tracking. It offers zero-touch enrollment methods like Windows Autopilot, Android Zero-touch, and Apple DEP, allowing IT teams to onboard devices at scale without manual intervention.

Unlike legacy tools, Scalefusion is cloud-native, requires no on-prem infrastructure, and has Zero Trust Access and Endpoint Security capabilities, making it an ideal alternative to traditional solutions like SCCM and complex enterprise MDMs.

What are the challenges of SCCM?

While Microsoft SCCM was once the standard for enterprise device management, it no longer aligns with the needs of today’s dynamic, cloud-first IT environments. Built for a time when all devices were on-site and ran Windows, SCCM now shows its limitations in hybrid workplaces with remote teams, diverse devices, and the demand for rapid scalability.

Here are the key challenges IT teams face when using SCCM:

Heavy dependence on on-premises infrastructure

One major challenge with Microsoft SCCM is its reliance on on-premises infrastructure. Businesses need to invest in physical servers and hardware for deploying and managing it. This setup drives up costs and adds complexity, requiring constant maintenance, power, and dedicated IT support.

For organizations adopting cloud-first strategies, this model becomes a roadblock. It slows down deployments, limits scalability, and reduces flexibility, especially for remote or hybrid teams.

Limited scalability

SCCM struggles in large or spread-out environments. It needs on-prem servers to manage devices. If you have teams in different places, you must set up more servers. This adds cost and complexity. Updates take longer. Deployments slow down. IT teams spend more time managing the system. It’s not built for fast-growing or remote-first businesses.

With more remote users and distributed teams, this model creates delays in patching, software delivery, and policy enforcement, putting security and productivity at risk.

Lack of native support for modern device management

SCCM doesn’t natively support modern MDM capabilities. As businesses adopt mobile-first strategies, BYOD, and hybrid work models, the lack of integrated mobile and cross-platform support becomes a significant limitation.

Not built for cloud-first environments

SCCM was fundamentally built for traditional, on-prem IT environments. It relies on physical servers, manual updates, and complex configurations. As organizations move to cloud-first strategies, they find SCCM too rigid and outdated. It doesn’t offer the flexibility or speed needed for today’s remote and diverse device setups.

SCCM vs Intune vs Scalefusion: Feature comparison 

Choosing the right endpoint management solution requires a clear understanding of how each platform supports modern IT operations. In the table below, we compare Microsoft SCCM, Microsoft Intune, and Scalefusion across the most critical parameters, such as device enrollment and patch management to zero trust access and endpoint security.

This detailed feature comparison highlights each solution’s strengths, limitations, and real-world usability, so IT decision-makers can evaluate the best SCCM alternative for 2025 based on business size, infrastructure, security needs, and total cost of ownership.

Which endpoint management solution should IT teams use?

The right device management solution depends on your organization’s size, IT maturity, device diversity, and cloud adoption strategy. Here’s a quick guide to help IT teams choose between SCCM, Intune, and Scalefusion:

• Choose SCCM if your infrastructure is fully on-premises, you manage only Windows devices, and you have a dedicated IT team comfortable with PowerShell and complex configurations. SCCM is best suited for traditional enterprises with legacy systems.
  
• Choose Intune if you’re already deeply integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem (e.g., Microsoft 365, Entra ID) and are managing a mix of cloud and on-prem environments. Intune works well for organizations seeking Microsoft-native cloud management—though its cross-platform capabilities may require additional tools.
  
• Choose Scalefusion if you’re looking for a modern, cloud-first solution that supports multiple OS platforms, requires minimal setup, and offers built-in security, Zero Trust Access, and endpoint protection. Scalefusion is ideal for SMBs, educational institutions, retail, logistics, and hybrid enterprises that need fast, scalable, and secure device management—without heavy infrastructure or steep learning curves.

Choosing the right SCCM alternative in 2025

In today’s hybrid and cloud-first IT landscape, traditional tools like SCCM no longer meet the agility, scalability, and cross-platform needs of modern organizations. While Microsoft Intune offers a cloud-native approach within the Microsoft ecosystem, it may still fall short in usability, flexibility, and multi-OS support for diverse environments.

Scalefusion emerges as a powerful SCCM alternative in 2025—offering unified endpoint management, zero trust access, and endpoint security in a single, easy-to-use platform. With support for Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS, with all necessary features, Scalefusion empowers IT teams to simplify operations, reduce overhead, and stay secure.

Whether you’re a lean IT team at a growing business or an enterprise navigating digital transformation, Scalefusion gives you the tools to scale, secure, and succeed, without the complexity of legacy solutions.

Experience smarter, faster, and simpler device management with Scalefusion.

 FAQs

1. What is SCCM called today, and how does it work?

SCCM, a Microsoft solution now officially known as Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, is a systems management solution used to deploy applications, enforce device configuration, patch Windows operating systems, and monitor endpoint compliance across enterprise networks. It follows an agent-based approach to endpoint management and is ideal for server management in on-premises environments.

SCCM depends heavily on physical infrastructure and integrates with other Microsoft products such as Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Active Directory. It offers strong control for Windows 10 and domain-joined systems, but may lack the flexibility of cloud-based mobile device management platforms like Microsoft Intune or Scalefusion.

2. How does Scalefusion compare to SCCM and Intune?

Scalefusion takes a cloud-based approach to device management, offering a unified platform for managing Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS. Unlike SCCM, which requires a dedicated infrastructure, or Intune, which uses a profile-based approach to device management, Scalefusion integrates all endpoint management needs—from mobile device and application management to zero trust access and endpoint security, into a single pane of glass.

While Intune excels in environments with Microsoft 365 E3/E5 licenses and integrates with Microsoft cloud services, Scalefusion provides broader device management capabilities, better support for BYOD, and a simpler UI. It’s ideal for organizations needing an agile, cloud-based management solution without being locked into the Microsoft ecosystem.

3. Is Scalefusion a good SCCM alternative for Windows device management?

Yes. Scalefusion is a powerful and modern alternative to SCCM for Windows device management, especially in organizations migrating from on-premises SCCM infrastructure to cloud-based solutions. While SCCM offers extensive control for traditional, domain-joined Windows environments, it may not meet the needs of mobile-first or hybrid workplaces.

Migrating from SCCM to Scalefusion allows IT teams to eliminate infrastructure dependencies, reduce management complexity, and adopt a cloud-based device management strategy. Scalefusion supports agent-based enrollment, automated patching, BitLocker encryption, and kiosk mode, making it ideal for managing modern Windows endpoints across diverse industries.

4. Is SCCM the same as Scalefusion and Intune?

No. SCCM, Scalefusion, and Intune are all endpoint management tools, but they differ in architecture, scope, and deployment models.

• SCCM is an on-premises systems management solution, now part of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, and best suited for managing Windows devices within corporate networks.
  
• Intune is a cloud-based solution that works within the Microsoft cloud ecosystem and integrates with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 E3. Also, Intune integration with other Microsoft solutions makes it possible for wider businesses to fulfill their endpoint management needs with Intune.
  
• Scalefusion is a cloud-first UEM platform that offers multi-OS support, zero trust access, and endpoint security—making it ideal for organizations seeking modern and scalable device management capabilities beyond the Microsoft stack.
  
  Each solution supports a different approach to endpoint management, so your device management strategy should align with your infrastructure and business needs.

5. How do SCCM and Scalefusion support BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies?

SCCM is not optimized for BYOD scenarios, as it requires domain-joined devices and depends on internal infrastructure. It’s more suited to managing corporate-owned Windows machines within a controlled, on-premises environment.

In contrast, Scalefusion is built for BYOD and hybrid workforces. It supports browser-based enrollment, agent-based onboarding, and granular policy enforcement to manage and secure personal devices without compromising user privacy. This cloud-based management approach enables IT teams to maintain control over corporate data while supporting flexible device ownership models.

6. Can SCCM and Intune be used together?

Yes, SCCM and Intune can be used together through co-management, a strategy enabled by Microsoft Endpoint Manager. This allows IT teams to manage Windows 10 and newer devices using both solutions, leveraging SCCM for infrastructure management tasks like imaging and Intune for cloud-based mobile device management features like compliance policies and mobile application management.

This integration of Intune and SCCM provides a bridge between traditional and modern approaches to device management, helping organizations transition from on-premises systems to Microsoft cloud services at their own pace.