If you run a small remote team, the honest short answer is this: the best all-in-one IT management platforms for you in 2026 are Deel IT, Rippling, NinjaOne, Atera, JumpCloud and Hexnode. Which one wins depends on whether you already run payroll and hiring through one system, whether your staff are Mac or Windows, and whether you have anyone in-house who actually manages IT.
“All-in-one” here means one dashboard that handles the jobs a small business used to spread across three or four tools: buying and shipping laptops, setting them up before they arrive, keeping software patched, locking or wiping a lost device, controlling who can log in to what, and giving staff a way to raise support tickets. When your team is scattered across kitchens, spare rooms and co-working desks, that single pane of glass is the difference between a controlled setup and a drawer full of untracked laptops.
What an all-in-one IT platform actually does
Before we compare, it helps to know the jargon, because vendors use it freely. A few terms you will keep meeting:
- MDM (mobile device management): software that enrols laptops and phones so you can push settings, apps and security rules remotely, and wipe a device if it goes missing.
- RMM (remote monitoring and management): the tool an IT team or managed service provider uses to watch machines, install updates and fix problems without being in the room.
- Identity or directory: the single list of who your people are, controlling their logins and access to apps through single sign-on.
- Endpoint: any device a person uses. A laptop, a phone, a tablet.
The pull of an all-in-one platform is that these stop being separate purchases. That matters for security as much as convenience: the threats hitting small businesses hardest tend to exploit the gaps between tools, such as a leaver whose accounts were never fully closed, or a laptop no one had patched in months. It also helps you get a grip on unapproved apps your staff quietly install, because you can see what is running on company machines.
The 6 platforms compared
1. Deel IT: best if you already hire and pay people through Deel
Deel started life as a global payroll and employer of record (EOR) platform, the sort of service we covered in our guide to hiring staff abroad legally. It has since added device and IT management, so you can buy or lease a laptop, ship it to a new hire in another country, enrol it, and manage it from the same place you run their contract and pay. For a small UK business hiring a developer in Portugal or a designer in the Philippines, that joined-up flow is the real draw. If you do not use Deel for hiring, the IT side alone is less compelling than the specialists below.
2. Rippling: the closest rival to Deel’s all-in-one pitch
Rippling takes the same “run HR, payroll and IT from one system” approach. Its IT features cover device management, app provisioning and automatically setting up (and shutting down) accounts when someone joins or leaves. It is genuinely powerful and suits a growing team that wants one platform for people and machines. The trade-off is that Rippling is modular and quote-based, so costs climb as you bolt on pieces, and it can feel heavy for a team of five.
3. NinjaOne: best for hands-on IT and patch management
NinjaOne is a proper remote monitoring and management tool, favoured by internal IT teams and managed service providers. If you have someone technical who wants to see every device, automate patching, and remote in to fix a problem while a staff member watches, this is a strong pick. Pricing is quote-based and billed per device. It is less of a “HR meets IT” story than Deel or Rippling and more a serious engine for keeping fleets of machines healthy.
4. Atera: best value if one person runs your IT
Atera is worth knowing precisely because many owners have not heard of it. Its stand-out feature is the pricing model: you pay per technician rather than per device, so a single IT person (or an outsourced contractor) can manage a large number of machines under one seat. For a small business where IT is one hat among several, that can work out far cheaper than per-device tools as you grow. It bundles RMM, a helpdesk and remote access, and has been adding AI features to speed up ticket handling.
5. JumpCloud: best when logins and identity come first
JumpCloud is a cloud directory platform: think of it as the master list of your people and their access, with device management wrapped around it. It handles Windows, Mac and Linux, offers single sign-on and multi-factor authentication, and is often chosen by remote-first teams who care most about controlling access to cloud apps. It offers a free tier for a small number of users and devices, which makes it easy to trial before you commit.
6. Hexnode: best cross-platform MDM for mixed device fleets
Hexnode, from parent company Mitsogo, is a specialist unified endpoint management tool that a lot of UK buyers overlook. It manages Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and more from one console, which suits a team where the founder is on a Mac, the sales lead has a Windows laptop and half the staff use Android phones. Pricing is tiered and billed per device, with different plans depending on the features you need. If your device estate is genuinely mixed, Hexnode is a sensible name to add to any shortlist.
Two others deserve a mention. Kandji and Jamf are the go-to choices if your team is entirely on Apple hardware, and Scalefusion is a competitive cross-platform option often shortlisted alongside Hexnode. If everyone in your business already lives in Microsoft 365, Microsoft Intune is built in to the higher business plans and may cover your needs without another subscription.
Comparison table
| Platform | Best for | Pricing model | Devices supported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deel IT | Teams already using Deel for global hiring and payroll | Part of the wider Deel platform; contact for a quote | Windows, macOS |
| Rippling | Growing teams wanting HR, payroll and IT in one system | Modular, per-user, quote-based | Windows, macOS |
| NinjaOne | In-house IT or MSPs wanting strong patching and remote access | Per device, quote-based | Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile |
| Atera | A single technician managing many machines on a budget | Per technician (unlimited devices per seat) | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| JumpCloud | Remote-first teams prioritising logins, SSO and access | Per user, tiered; free tier available | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Hexnode | Mixed fleets of laptops, phones and tablets | Per device, tiered plans | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and more |
A note on pricing: most of these vendors price in US dollars and quote per device or per user per month, so your bill in pounds will move with the exchange rate and with any UK VAT. Several use quote-based enterprise pricing rather than public price lists. Always run the numbers for your exact headcount and device count, and take a free trial before you sign anything annual.
How to choose for a small remote team
Work backwards from three questions.
Do you already run hiring and payroll through one platform? If you use Deel or Rippling to employ people across borders, adding their IT module keeps everything in one login and one supplier relationship. That is a real operational saving, not just a tidy dashboard.
Who will actually run it? If nobody in your team is technical, a tool built around identity and simple enrolment (JumpCloud, or the HR-led platforms) beats a powerful RMM you never learn to drive. If you have an IT person or an outside contractor, NinjaOne and Atera give them far more control.
What do your staff use? An all-Apple studio should look hard at Kandji or Jamf. A mixed bag of Windows, Mac and Android points to Hexnode or Scalefusion. A pure Microsoft 365 shop may already own Intune. Match the tool to the hardware you have, not the hardware a demo shows off.
Whichever you pick sits alongside the rest of your stack. If you are still assembling that, our roundup of the software every UK owner should consider in 2026 is a useful companion read.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MDM and RMM?
MDM (mobile device management) is about enrolling devices and enforcing settings and security policies, and it covers phones and tablets as well as laptops. RMM (remote monitoring and management) is aimed at IT teams who want to watch machine health, automate updates and remote in to fix issues. Several of the platforms above blend both, which is what makes them “all-in-one”.
Do I need an IT person to use one of these?
No, but it helps. Identity-led tools like JumpCloud and the HR-led platforms are designed so a non-technical owner or office manager can enrol devices and manage access. Full RMM tools like NinjaOne repay having someone technical, even a part-time contractor, to set them up properly.
Can these platforms help with data protection and UK compliance?
They help you enforce basics that regulators expect: encryption, screen locks, remote wipe of lost devices, and prompt shutdown of leavers’ access. That supports your obligations under UK GDPR, but the platform is a tool, not a compliance guarantee. You still need clear policies and, for many small firms, something like Cyber Essentials certification.
How much should a small remote team budget?
Costs vary widely by model. Per-device tools add up as you grow, while Atera’s per-technician approach can be cheaper for one person managing many machines. Expect to think in terms of a few pounds per device or user per month at the low end, rising with features. Because most vendors quote in US dollars and some hide pricing behind sales calls, get a written quote in pounds for your exact numbers.
Is Deel IT worth it if I only have UK staff?
Its biggest advantage is managing devices for people hired across borders alongside their payroll. If your whole team is in the UK and you do not use Deel for hiring, a dedicated device management tool such as Hexnode, or an identity platform like JumpCloud, will usually give you more IT control for the money.
What to do next
- List your devices and logins. Write down every laptop, phone and cloud app your team uses, and who has access. You cannot manage what you have not counted.
- Shortlist two platforms based on the three questions above: your hiring setup, who runs IT, and your mix of hardware.
- Take a free trial and test the leaver process. Enrol one device, then run through what happens when someone leaves. That single workflow tells you more than any demo.
- Get pricing in pounds in writing for your exact headcount before committing to an annual contract, and check whether a tool you already own, such as Microsoft Intune, covers the basics first.
