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Cybersecurity · head to head

Jamf Pro vs Ory Kratos

Jamf Pro logo

Jamf Pro

Cybersecurity

Apple-only device management for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, licensed per device by a public US vendor.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ory Kratos logo

Ory Kratos

Cybersecurity

Headless identity and user management API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ory Kratos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Jamf Pro it manages Apple hardware only, so any organisation with Windows or Android devices runs a second management platform and produces two sets of compliance evidence, and the two inventories disagree with each other more often than either vendor's documentation suggests.; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • They diverge on capability: Jamf Pro covers Automated Device Enrolment, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Jamf Pro and Ory Kratos actually diverge.

Attributes where Jamf Pro and Ory Kratos differ
AttributeJamf ProOry Kratos
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Jamf Pro

  • Automated Device Enrolment
  • Configuration profiles
  • Policies and scripts
  • Smart groups
  • Self Service
  • Patch management
  • Extension attributes
  • Same-day OS support

Only in Ory Kratos

  • Headless API
  • Self-service flows
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Pluggable identity schemas

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Jamf Pro

  • An Apple-heavy workforce where devices ship directly to users and must configure themselves on first boot with no IT touchnot Ory Kratos
  • Education deployments managing shared iPads across classes with per-user app assignmentnot Ory Kratos
  • Developer organisations where engineers have administrator rights on their own Macs and management has to be achieved by policy and script rather than lockdownnot Ory Kratos
  • Organisations needing compliance evidence for Apple devices that a general-purpose endpoint manager cannot produce at the required depthnot Ory Kratos

Ory Kratos

  • Products needing complete control over the look and flow of authenticationnot Jamf Pro
  • Applications that must not hand user identity data to a third partynot Jamf Pro
  • Teams building identity as infrastructure across several servicesnot Jamf Pro

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Jamf Pro

  • It manages Apple hardware only, so any organisation with Windows or Android devices runs a second management platform and produces two sets of compliance evidence, and the two inventories disagree with each other more often than either vendor's documentation suggests.
  • Licensing is per device per year with different rates for computers and mobile devices, so spare and shared hardware sitting in a cupboard continues to consume licences until somebody actively removes it from inventory, which is nobody's job by default.
  • Apple's frameworks set the ceiling: if Apple does not expose a setting through MDM or declarative device management, Jamf cannot manage it either, so requests that are a single Group Policy object on Windows are answered with a scripted workaround or with nothing.
  • Zero-touch deployment depends on devices being registered in Apple Business Manager, which generally means buying through Apple or an authorised reseller, so machines bought retail or inherited through an acquisition cannot be supervised without wiping and re-enrolling them.
  • Getting value from it requires an Apple platform specialist who can write shell scripts, read configuration profiles and design smart group logic, and a generalist team without that skill uses a fraction of the product while paying the full per-device rate.

Ory Kratos

  • Headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • More moving parts than a monolithic IAM: Kratos handles identity, and OAuth2 needs Ory Hydra alongside
  • Documentation assumes real familiarity with identity concepts and is not a gentle introduction
  • Self-hosting identity carries the security and availability burden that hosted providers absorb

Pricing, plan by plan

Jamf Pro

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Jamf Pro review.

Ory Kratos

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • Full identity server
    • All flows
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Jamf Pro if

  • You need automated device enrolment.
  • You also want configuration profiles.
Jamf Pro review

Choose Ory Kratos if

  • You need headless api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want self-service flows.
Ory Kratos review

Questions people ask

Is Jamf Pro or Ory Kratos better?
Neither clearly leads. Jamf Pro starts at On request and Ory Kratos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Jamf Pro or Ory Kratos?
Ory Kratos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Jamf Pro and Free for Ory Kratos.
Does Jamf Pro or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
Jamf Pro runs on Web. Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use Ory Kratos for free?
Yes. Ory Kratos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Jamf Pro starts at On request.
What is Jamf Pro best used for?
Jamf Pro is most often used for an apple-heavy workforce where devices ship directly to users and must configure themselves on first boot with no it touch, education deployments managing shared ipads across classes with per-user app assignment, developer organisations where engineers have administrator rights on their own macs and management has to be achieved by policy and script rather than lockdown, organisations needing compliance evidence for apple devices that a general-purpose endpoint manager cannot produce at the required depth. Of those, an apple-heavy workforce where devices ship directly to users and must configure themselves on first boot with no it touch and education deployments managing shared ipads across classes with per-user app assignment are not what Ory Kratos is typically brought in for.
What can Jamf Pro do that Ory Kratos cannot?
Jamf Pro covers Automated Device Enrolment, Configuration profiles, Policies and scripts, Smart groups. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Jamf Pro: Does Jamf Pro include endpoint security?

No. Threat prevention, endpoint telemetry and compliance monitoring are Jamf Protect, a separate product and a separate licence. Jamf Connect for identity and password sync is also separate.

Ory Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?

Yes, open source and free to self-host. Ory Network is a paid managed service.

Jamf Pro: Can it manage Windows or Android?

No. Jamf manages Apple platforms only. A mixed estate needs a second management platform, and that is a deliberate product decision rather than a gap they intend to close.

Ory Kratos: What does headless mean here?

Kratos provides identity flows as APIs and no user interface. You build the login, registration and recovery screens yourself.

Jamf Pro: Do I need Apple Business Manager?

For zero-touch enrolment and volume app licensing, yes. You can enrol devices manually through a user-initiated flow without it, but you lose supervision, automatic enrolment and the ability to prevent a user removing management.

Ory Kratos: Does Kratos do OAuth2?

No. Kratos handles user identity; OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider functionality is Ory Hydra, a separate component.

Jamf Pro: Can I host it myself?

Yes, Jamf Pro can be self-hosted, though Jamf Cloud is the default and receives new capabilities first. Self-hosting means you own the upgrade cadence, which matters because Apple's September releases set the timetable.

Jamf Pro: How does it compare to Microsoft Intune?

Intune manages Apple devices adequately and is often already paid for in an existing Microsoft agreement, which is the argument against Jamf. Jamf is deeper, supports new Apple releases faster, and has the local agent for scripting. Organisations with a few hundred Macs and a strong Apple culture generally choose Jamf; those with a handful of Macs in a Windows estate generally do not.

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