> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://beathantechnologies.com/blog/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Free MDM software for Android: what you get and when it runs out - URL: https://beathantechnologies.com/blog/free-mdm-software-android/ - Published: 2026-10-21T08:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-21T11:44:32.000Z - Description: Open source, free plans, trials and the management hidden in your Microsoft or Google subscription. Where each one works, and where a growing fleet outgrows it. - Author: Liam van Huyssteen - Tags: MDM, #kw: free mdm software for android Free MDM software for Android does exist, and for a small number of devices it can be enough. Free mobile device management usually comes in one of four forms: open-source software you host yourself, a free plan capped at a few devices, a free trial, or basic device management included in a subscription you already pay for. Each is free in a different way, and they run out at different points. We run Beathan MDM on more than 5,000 Android devices, and a fair number of the companies we talk to started with something free. This is what we have seen about where free works and where it runs out. ## What kinds of free MDM are there? ### Open-source MDM Open-source MDM software for Android is free to download and run. The catch is the word "run": you need a server, someone to install and update it, someone to secure it, and someone to fix it when devices stop checking in. The licence costs nothing, but the time to run it does. ### Free plans Several commercial MDMs offer a free plan for a handful of devices. They are a good way to learn what MDM does, but the limits are usually on the features businesses need most, such as kiosk mode, location history or remote control, as well as on the number of devices. ### Free trials A trial gives you the full product for a few weeks. It is the best way to compare MDMs on your own devices, and a poor way to run a fleet, because at the end of it you either pay or start again. ### Device management in a subscription you already have Some Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace plans include basic device management. If you already pay for one, it is worth checking what yours covers. It tends to focus on protecting work email and accounts rather than locking a device down to one job. ## When does free MDM stop being enough? In our experience, free stops working at one of these points: - Many free tools support only recent Android versions. If part of your fleet is older, as with the Android 6 university devices we still manage, check before you enrol anything. - The moment devices need locking to one app, or to a short approved list, free plans often fall away. - Stopping staff from streaming, chatting and running hotspots on company data needs traffic filtering, which free tools rarely include. - For lost and stolen devices you need live location, location history, lock and wipe working together, quickly, on every device. - When fifty devices stop checking in on a Monday morning, a free tool usually leaves you with a community forum, while paid support means someone you can phone. ## Is free MDM good enough for a small business? For a small business with a few phones in one office, a free plan or the management in your existing subscription may well be enough. The case for a paid MDM gets stronger with every device that lives somewhere you are not: a guard post, a delivery van, a site or a reception desk. ## What does paid MDM cost compared with free? Most paid MDMs charge a monthly fee per device, so the bill grows with the fleet. Beathan MDM runs on your own server instead, so adding devices does not add a per-device subscription. The price includes onboarding, setting up your profiles, app store and user roles, enrolling your devices, ongoing training, and support by phone, email and service desk. ## Where to go next If you are comparing options, our guide to [choosing MDM software for Android](https://beathantechnologies.com/blog/mdm-software-for-android/) lists what to check in a demo. To see what Beathan MDM would do on your devices, read about [Android device management with Beathan MDM](https://beathantechnologies.com/services/beathan-mdm) or [tell us about your fleet](https://beathantechnologies.com/contact).