Skie vs Google Workspace for Education device management

Google Admin console for Chromebooks and Android, compared with a school-first Android device-owner tool

Facts checked 12 November 2026 · Google, United States

Summary

Google Workspace for Education includes the Admin console, where schools manage Chromebooks and, with mobile management, Android devices. As of November 2026 Education Fundamentals is free for qualifying institutions and Education Plus is paid, by request. Google's comparison page says advanced mobile management, which brings work profiles and full device wipe, is not available with Education Fundamentals. Skie is a separate tool that manages only Android 12 or newer, as the device owner, with school schedules, location and lost mode.

Skie gives Android devices school-specific device-owner control without needing a paid Google edition.

Side by side

What you are comparing	Google Workspace for Education device management	Skie
What it is	The Admin console in Google Workspace for Education, used to manage Chromebooks and enrolled mobile devices.	Android device management software for schools, hostels, parents and organisations. It runs as the Android device owner.
Main audience	Schools and universities that use Google Workspace for Education.	Schools, institutes, hostels and companies (Skie for Enterprise) and families (Skie for Parents).
Platforms	Chromebooks, plus Android, iOS and desktop devices under mobile management.	Any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet. No iOS, Windows or Chromebook.
Hardware or mobile plan from the maker	Software only. Google sells Chromebooks separately; no mobile plan is documented.	None. Skie is software, so customers use devices they already own or buy their own, and keep their own carrier. No SIM or plan is included.
Works on devices you already own	Yes for devices that enrol with the Workspace account.	Yes. The device needs one fresh setup or reset to become managed, and any Google account must be removed first.
Level of control on Android	Basic management does app management and account wipe. Advanced adds work profiles, passcodes and full device wipe. Google's help describes device owner as fully managed control.	Device owner, so the rules are enforced by Android itself.
Can the student remove it or reset around it	Not publicly documented in the pages read for a student on Android.	Built to be tamper-proof. Factory reset from Settings, safe mode, developer options, adb, uninstalling Skie and force stop are blocked by default, and Factory Reset Protection ties a wiped device to the Skie admin account. If anything ever got through, the admin is alerted down to the exact device.
App control	Android app management is in both basic and advanced mobile management.	Allow lists per group, with blocked apps hidden or suspended rather than deleted. An install guard silently removes apps that were not allowed. Apps come from Google Play only.
Web filtering and safe search	Not in the mobile management comparison read. Filtering is usually added with other tools.	Filtering DNS locked on the device so it works on any Wi-Fi or mobile data, SafeSearch and YouTube restricted mode forced in Chrome, and more than 50 other browsers, VPN and proxy apps always blocked. Per-website allow and block lists are not available yet.
Schedules and school-hour modes	Not in the pages read.	Yes. Windows with days, start, end and allowed apps, including overnight, switch app sets on their own for school hours, study blocks, breaks and night mode. Hostel night mode keeps calls allowed.
Location and geofences	Not mentioned in the comparison page read.	Live location, fresh location requests, geofences and a go-to directions button, set per group.
Lost or stolen device handling	Advanced management can wipe all data from a device. Basic only wipes account data.	Lost mode locks the device, shows a contact message, tracks it and builds evidence for a police report (IMEI, serial, SIM details, location trail). Remote erase is not available yet.
Replace or reassign a device	Bulk enrolment of company-owned Android devices is in advanced management.	Replace a device keeps the student, group and history and frees the old seat. Reassign and force remove are also available.
Alerts and who gets them	Device audits and alerts are available in Education Standard and Plus, and some other editions.	A breach centre covers organisation, school, branch, group and device. A missing check-in counts as a breach, and a bypass of the web filter is reported. Email alerts to parents are not available yet.
Roles and organisation structure	Organisational units in the Admin console.	Organisation, school, branch, group, student and device, with roles from organisation admin to class teacher and a read-only parent. Rules flow down and the most specific level applies last.
Reports and per-app limits	Device reports. Per-app limits are not documented in the pages read.	A compliance score after every apply, daily group snapshots and pattern detection. Screen time reports and per-app time limits are not available yet, and the team is working on them.
Message or social media monitoring	Not publicly documented.	None. Skie does not read private messages or call logs, does not record audio or video, and has no hidden mode.
Kiosk or single-app lock	Not in the pages read.	Yes. Full-screen kiosk mode, and a one-app allow list also locks a device to one app.
Tablet support	Android tablets can be managed through mobile management. Chromebooks are the main focus.	Yes. Phones and tablets get equal weight, including Wi-Fi-only tablets for most features.
Pricing model	Education Fundamentals is free for qualifying institutions. Education Plus is by request.	Seat-based licence, one device per seat. Pricing is on request.
Countries available	Available wherever Google Workspace for Education is offered. Specific countries not read.	Worldwide, subject to local law, wherever the device has Google Play services.
Setup effort	Needs a Workspace tenant, Admin console access and, for Android, an enrolment method.	Provision with the Skie Provision app from Google Play or a laptop with adb. Devices are set up per group with a one-time enrolment token.
Data and privacy approach	Follows Google Workspace for Education terms. Not summarised here.	Data is stored in an India region (Mumbai). Skie provides location controls; the organisation provides the notices and written policy.
Best suited for	Schools already on Google Workspace with Chromebooks as the main device.	Android phones and tablets that an institution or family already owns, in any country.

As of November 2026 Google lists Education Fundamentals as free for qualifying institutions and Education Plus as a paid annual subscription on request. Advanced mobile management is not included in Fundamentals per Google's comparison page. Skie is a seat licence and pricing is on request.

Where Google Workspace for Education device management is strong

Education Fundamentals is free for qualifying institutions, and the Admin console is already familiar to many schools.
Strong integration with Chromebooks, Google Classroom and Drive.
Advanced mobile management supports fully managed (device owner) Android and work profiles.
Device audits and rules in the higher editions.

Where Skie stands out

Skie is built for school routines: school-hour, study and night schedules and per-lesson apps.
Hostel night mode that still allows calls.
Live location, geofences and lost mode with police-report evidence.
Device-owner hardening with factory reset, safe mode and developer options blocked by default.
No paid Google edition is required.

What Google's device management is

Google Workspace for Education includes the Admin console, the place where schools manage accounts and devices. The editions page says Education Fundamentals is free for qualifying institutions and Education Plus is a paid annual subscription, with pricing given on request. Add-ons such as Endpoint Education Upgrade are sold separately.

Chromebooks are Google's main school device, and the page promotes them as working well with Workspace for Education. For other devices, the Admin console offers mobile management in two levels.

Basic and advanced mobile management

Google's comparison page says basic management covers device inventory, passcode basics, reports, remote account wipe and Android app management. Advanced management adds stronger passcode rules, Android work profiles, iOS app management, full remote device wipe, device approvals and bulk enrolment of company-owned Android and iOS devices. Advanced management is not available with Education Fundamentals, so a free-tier school gets the basic level.

Google's help pages also describe device owner mode, called fully managed, for company-owned Android devices, and work profile for personal devices. The comparison page does not mention location features.

What Skie is for

Skie is not an accounts or email platform. It manages Android 12 or newer phones and tablets, as the device owner, and a school does not need a Google edition to use it. Rules are set from organisation to group and cover apps, websites, schedules and location. Schools get windows for school hours, study blocks and night mode, with hostel night mode keeping calls available.

If a tablet is lost, lost mode locks it, shows a contact message, tracks it and prepares evidence for a police report. If it breaks, replace a device keeps the student and history and frees the old seat.

Using both

A school can keep Google Workspace for accounts, Classroom and Chromebooks, and use Skie for Android tablets and hostel phones. A device can have only one device owner, so an Android device is either managed in the Admin console or by Skie, not both.

Cost and rollout

Fundamentals is free, which makes Google the cheapest starting point for accounts and Chromebooks. If Android needs advanced mobile management, a school should check which edition it needs. Skie is a seat licence with pricing on request, and each Android device needs one fresh setup or reset to be managed.

When each one is the better fit

Google Workspace for Education device management is the better fit in these situations. Your school is built on Google Workspace and Chromebooks. You need the Admin console for accounts, email and Drive in the same place. You already hold Education Plus and want to use the mobile features it brings.

Skie is the better fit in these situations. Your devices are Android phones or tablets and you want device-owner control. You do not hold an edition with advanced mobile management. You need hostel night mode, location and lost mode. You work with a mix of school and hostel devices across several branches.

How setup with Skie works

Skie is Android device management software for parents, schools, hostels and organisations. It runs as the Android device owner, so the rules are enforced by Android itself. It works on any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet, in any country where the device has Google Play services. Skie is software, so a school uses the devices it already owns or buys its own.

Android only allows device-owner management on a device that has not been set up, so each device needs one fresh setup or reset, and any Google account must be removed first. New device models go through a one-time model review. The school creates a group, opens a provisioning session for it, and uses the Skie Provision app from Google Play or a laptop with adb. Each device gets a one-time enrolment token, and Wi-Fi profiles are stored encrypted. Live progress and failure reasons show on screen.

After that the group's policy and app list apply, schedules run on their own, and the dashboard shows a compliance score for each device. Skie does not include a mobile plan, so Wi-Fi-only tablets work for most features and phones keep the carrier the school already uses.

What we could not verify

Some facts were not public when we checked in November 2026: Price of Education Plus (on request). Location features for Android in the Admin console. Student tamper behaviour on Android in the pages read. Specific countries where editions are sold. Where a feature is marked as not documented, it may exist, so ask the maker directly before deciding.

Choose Google Workspace for Education device management if

Your school is built on Google Workspace and Chromebooks.
You need the Admin console for accounts, email and Drive in the same place.
You already hold Education Plus and want to use the mobile features it brings.

Choose Skie if

Your devices are Android phones or tablets and you want device-owner control.
You do not hold an edition with advanced mobile management.
You need hostel night mode, location and lost mode.
You work with a mix of school and hostel devices across several branches.

Verdict

Google Workspace for Education is the base for many schools, and its free tier is hard to beat on price for accounts and Chromebooks. For Android phones and tablets, Skie adds school-specific device-owner control, schedules, location and lost mode without needing a paid Google edition. They fit together well, with Workspace for accounts and Skie for Android devices.

Questions people ask

Skie vs Google Workspace device management: which is better for Android school tablets?

Skie is built for school Android tablets, with schedules, night mode, location and lost mode. Google's Admin console is best when the school already lives in Workspace and Chromebooks.

Does Google Workspace for Education manage Android devices?

Yes, through mobile management. Google's page says advanced management, with work profiles and full wipe, is not available in Education Fundamentals.

Do I need Education Plus to manage Android devices?

Check Google's current editions. Advanced mobile management is not in Education Fundamentals per the comparison page.

Can Skie and Google Workspace be used together?

Yes. Keep Workspace for accounts and Classroom, and use Skie to manage the Android device. A device can have only one device owner.

Does Skie work on Chromebooks?

No. Skie is Android only. Chromebooks stay in the Google Admin console or another tool.

Sources

Not publicly documented when we checked: Price of Education Plus (on request).; Location features for Android in the Admin console.; Student tamper behaviour on Android in the pages read.; Specific countries where editions are sold..

This comparison was prepared from publicly available information and was last checked on 12 November 2026. Product features, prices and availability change, and anything we could not find is marked as not publicly documented. Google Workspace for Education device management and other product names belong to their owners and are used here only to identify their products. Skie is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google. If something here is out of date or wrong, email contact@knowphone.in and we will check and correct it promptly.