SkieSkie vs Microsoft Intune for Education
Microsoft's school portal for Windows and iPad, compared with Android-only device-owner management
Intune for Education is Microsoft's cloud MDM portal for schools. As of November 2026 the Microsoft Learn page says the education portal covers Windows 11, Windows 11 SE and iOS/iPadOS, with groups that inherit settings, Express Configuration, shared devices and remote lock, restart or wipe. Android sits in the full Intune service rather than the education portal. Skie is built only for Android 12 or newer phones and tablets, with device-owner enforcement, schedules, location and lost mode.
Skie is a simpler, Android-only school tool that does not need a Microsoft tenant, for schools whose devices are phones and tablets.
Side by side
| What you are comparing | Microsoft Intune for Education | Skie |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A simplified cloud MDM portal for school devices inside the Microsoft Intune family. | Android device management software for schools, hostels, parents and organisations. It runs as the Android device owner. |
| Main audience | Schools that use Microsoft 365 Education, Entra ID and Windows devices. | Schools, institutes, hostels and companies (Skie for Enterprise) and families (Skie for Parents). |
| Platforms | The education portal covers Windows 11, Windows 11 SE and iOS/iPadOS. The full Intune service also lists Android and macOS. | Any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet. No iOS, Windows or Chromebook. |
| Hardware or mobile plan from the maker | Software only. No hardware or mobile plan 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 Windows and Apple devices that enrol with the school tenant. | 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 | Android is part of the full Intune service, not the education portal. Details not read in this research. | Device owner, so the rules are enforced by Android itself. |
| Can the student remove it or reset around it | Not publicly documented for Android on the page read. | 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 | Configure and assign apps students use in class. | 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 part of the page read. Microsoft Edge and Defender settings are separate. | 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 | Express Configuration applies common school settings to a group. Time-of-day schedules are not described. | 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 publicly documented on the page read. | Live location, fresh location requests, geofences and a go-to directions button, set per group. |
| Lost or stolen device handling | Remote actions include lock, restart and wipe to factory settings. | 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 | Not publicly documented on the page read. | 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 | Reports show device, app, settings and health inventory. | 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 | Groups in a hierarchy with settings inheritance, delegated admins and School Data Sync. | 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 | Inventory and health reports. Per-app time limits are not documented. | 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 | Take a Test app locks Windows or iPad for assessments. Android kiosk is not on the page read. | Yes. Full-screen kiosk mode, and a one-app allow list also locks a device to one app. |
| Tablet support | iPad is supported. Android tablets are in full Intune only. | Yes. Phones and tablets get equal weight, including Wi-Fi-only tablets for most features. |
| Pricing model | Licensed through Microsoft subscriptions. Prices not on the page read. | Seat-based licence, one device per seat. Pricing is on request. |
| Countries available | Available where Microsoft sells Intune. Specific countries are not on the page read. | Worldwide, subject to local law, wherever the device has Google Play services. |
| Setup effort | Needs a Microsoft tenant, Entra ID and, for iOS, Apple accounts. | 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 Microsoft's published Intune 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 on Microsoft 365 Education with Windows laptops and iPads. | Android phones and tablets that an institution or family already owns, in any country. |
As of November 2026 the Microsoft Learn page does not state a price for Intune for Education, since it is bought through Microsoft subscriptions. Skie is a seat licence, one device per seat, and pricing is on request.
Where Microsoft Intune for Education is strong
- Fits schools already on Microsoft 365 Education, Entra ID and School Data Sync.
- Group hierarchy with inherited settings makes year and class structures easy to model.
- Express Configuration gives a guided start with Microsoft-recommended values.
- Shared-device support so students see only the apps assigned to them.
Where Skie stands out
- Skie manages Android 12 or newer phones and tablets as the device owner.
- Hostel night mode, school-hour windows and per-lesson app sets are built in.
- Live location, geofences and lost mode with police-report evidence.
- No Microsoft tenant or identity setup is needed to start.
- Worldwide availability, with pricing on request.
What Intune for Education is
Microsoft describes Intune for Education as a cloud MDM service for schools that helps teachers and students stay productive and keeps school data secure. Its portal shows only the settings and workflows needed for iOS and Windows school devices. Admins can see and act on device, user and app inventory, and teachers can use the Take a Test app to run assessments.
Groups sit in a hierarchy where settings flow down, so a rule on All students also covers Grade 5. Express Configuration walks admins through common settings with recommended values. Remote actions include lock, restart and wipe, and reports show device, app and health inventory.
Where Android fits
The Learn page lists Windows 11, Windows 11 SE and iOS/iPadOS for the education portal. It adds that the full Microsoft Intune management service supports Android, iOS, macOS and Windows. So Android devices are managed through the wider Intune admin centre, not the simplified education portal. We have not read the Android settings in full Intune, so a school with Android tablets should check what applies to its use.
What Skie offers instead
Skie does not use a Microsoft tenant. A school provisions Android 12 or newer devices with the Skie Provision app or a laptop with adb, places them in a group, and applies a policy. The device owner enforces the rules, so the student cannot reset the tablet from Settings, boot into safe mode, or switch on developer options. Schedules change app sets for school hours, a study block or night mode.
Teachers and heads get roles that match a school: organisation admin, school admin, branch head, class admin and a read-only parent. Location, geofences and lost mode with police-report evidence are included.
Using both
A school can manage Windows laptops and iPads in Intune for Education and Android tablets in Skie. Since each device has one manager, there is no overlap. Student rosters are separate, so staff would maintain two consoles.
Cost and rollout
Microsoft licenses Intune through subscriptions, so the cost depends on a school's existing agreement. Skie is a per-seat licence with pricing on request, and the school keeps the devices it owns. Every Android device needs one fresh setup or reset to be managed.
When each one is the better fit
Microsoft Intune for Education is the better fit in these situations. Your school is built around Microsoft 365 Education, Windows laptops and iPads. You need Take a Test for assessments on Windows or iPad. You want groups and settings tied to School Data Sync rosters.
Skie is the better fit in these situations. Your devices are Android phones or tablets. You want device-owner Android control without setting up a Microsoft tenant. You need hostel night mode, location and lost mode. You want a provisioning app and per-group rollout for a batch of tablets.
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: Intune for Education price per licence. Android controls in full Intune for classroom use (not read here). Location features for school devices. Countries where Intune for Education is sold. Where a feature is marked as not documented, it may exist, so ask the maker directly before deciding.
Choose Microsoft Intune for Education if
- Your school is built around Microsoft 365 Education, Windows laptops and iPads.
- You need Take a Test for assessments on Windows or iPad.
- You want groups and settings tied to School Data Sync rosters.
Choose Skie if
- Your devices are Android phones or tablets.
- You want device-owner Android control without setting up a Microsoft tenant.
- You need hostel night mode, location and lost mode.
- You want a provisioning app and per-group rollout for a batch of tablets.
Intune for Education is a natural pick for a Microsoft-centred school with Windows laptops and iPads. Skie is a better fit when the devices are Android phones and tablets, because it brings device-owner enforcement, schedules, location and lost mode without a Microsoft tenant. The decision depends on the device types you own, and a mixed school can use both.
Questions people ask
Skie vs Intune for Education: which is better for Android tablets?
Skie is purpose-built for Android tablets and phones. Intune for Education's portal covers Windows and iPad, and Android sits in the full Intune service.
Does Intune for Education support Android?
Microsoft's page lists Windows 11, Windows 11 SE and iOS/iPadOS for the education portal, and says full Intune supports Android.
Does Skie need Microsoft 365?
No. Skie works without a Microsoft tenant.
Can a school use Intune and Skie together?
Yes, on different devices. Windows and iPad in Intune, Android in Skie.
Can Skie lock a tablet for an exam?
Yes. A one-app allow list or full-screen kiosk mode locks a device to one app, and schedules can apply an exam window.
Sources
Not publicly documented when we checked: Intune for Education price per licence.; Android controls in full Intune for classroom use (not read here).; Location features for school devices.; Countries where Intune for Education is 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. Microsoft Intune for Education 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 Microsoft. If something here is out of date or wrong, email contact@knowphone.in and we will check and correct it promptly.