"How much does Intune cost?" is one of the most searched questions in the M365 space, and the answer is genuinely a bit complicated, because the cost has two parts that most articles conflate: the licence cost and the setup cost. I'll cover both clearly.
Part 1: The Intune licence cost
Intune itself (the software) is not sold as a standalone product for most businesses. It is included in several Microsoft 365 licence tiers. Here is what you need to know:
| Licence | Intune included? | Price/user/month (UK, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| M365 Business Basic | No | £4.90 |
| M365 Business Standard | No | £10.30 |
| M365 Business Premium | Yes | £19.70 |
| M365 E3 | Yes | £28.10 |
| Intune Plan 1 (standalone) | Yes | ~£5.50 |
For most small businesses, the right move is to be on Microsoft 365 Business Premium. At £19.70/user/month, Intune is included alongside Defender for Business, Conditional Access, and Office apps. Buying Intune standalone on top of Business Standard works out similarly priced but gives you far less.
Part 2: The Intune setup cost
This is where the real variance lives. Intune doesn't set itself up. Somebody needs to configure MDM scope, enrolment restrictions, compliance policies, configuration profiles, app deployment, BitLocker, Defender integration, and Conditional Access. The cost of that work depends on who does it.
Option A: Do it yourself
If you have internal IT resource with M365 experience, you can configure Intune in-house. The cost is time. A basic setup for a small business (20–50 devices, Windows-only) typically takes an experienced IT person about two to four days to do properly, policies, enrolment, testing, documentation. If you're learning as you go, add more time. There are no software costs beyond the licence.
The risk: a misconfigured Intune deployment can lock users out of devices, break app deployments, or fail to enforce compliance silently. Testing before a full rollout is non-negotiable.
Option B: Hire a consultant
Most IT consultants charge either a day-rate or a fixed project price for Intune deployments. Here is a realistic range for the UK market in 2026:
| Scope | Typical cost range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Basic audit only | £300–600 | Review of current tenant state, gap report, recommendations. No implementation. |
| Intune essentials setup | £800–1,500 | Device enrolment, compliance policies, BitLocker, Defender, basic app deployment. Up to ~50 devices. |
| Full M365 security deployment | £1,500–3,000 | Everything above plus Conditional Access, email security, sensitivity labels, DLP. Documentation and handover included. |
| Larger or complex environments | £3,000+ | 100+ devices, hybrid Entra ID join, custom policy sets, phased rollout, ongoing support. |
Option C: Your existing MSP
If you have a managed service provider, they may offer Intune setup as part of an onboarding project or as an add-on to your contract. Pricing varies enormously. Some bundle it into monthly fees, others charge a one-off project rate. It's worth asking specifically what is included and whether documentation is handed over, many MSPs configure things without documenting, which creates dependency on them for future changes.
What does a good Intune setup actually include?
Whether you do it yourself or hire someone, a complete Intune setup for an SMB should cover:
- MDM and MAM scope configured in Entra ID
- Enrolment restrictions: platform types, device limits, personal device policy
- Compliance policies: BitLocker, Defender, OS version minimums
- Configuration profiles: Windows Update rings, LAPS, security baselines
- App deployment: Microsoft 365 Apps, any required business apps
- Conditional Access integration: block non-compliant devices from M365
- Defender for Business onboarding: via Intune connector
- Testing: pilot group enrolment before fleet-wide rollout
- Documentation: written record of what was configured and why
Total cost for a typical UK SMB
For a 25-user business, already on Microsoft 365 Business Premium:
- Licence cost: £0 additional (Intune included in BP)
- Setup cost (consultant, fixed-price): £800–1,200 for a complete deployment
- Ongoing cost: Minimal. Intune requires periodic review but not intensive ongoing management
Spread over three years, a £1,000 setup cost works out to roughly £2.78 per device per month for the first year, dropping to near zero after that. Compared to a third-party MDM like Jamf at £8–12/device/month ongoing, this is substantially cheaper.