For most organisations the Intune question is not “Plan 1 or Plan 2?” but “does Plan 1, which we already own inside Microsoft 365, cover what we actually need — and if not, do the specific Plan 2 features justify a separate add-on across our device estate?” Plan 1 is the foundation bundled into the major Microsoft 365 suites; Plan 2 is an incremental add-on. Knowing exactly where the line falls is what prevents both under-protection and unnecessary spend. This comparison is part of our Microsoft licensing complete guide.
What Intune Plan 1 includes
Intune Plan 1 is the core cloud endpoint management service, and it is already included in Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 as well as the standalone Enterprise Mobility + Security E3 suite. For organisations on those suites, Plan 1 is not an extra purchase — it is an entitlement you already hold. It provides the foundational capabilities most organisations associate with Intune: cross-platform device enrolment and management, configuration and compliance policies, application deployment and management, and mobile application management for protecting corporate data on devices.
For a large share of organisations, Plan 1 covers the day-to-day endpoint management requirement in full. Before evaluating Plan 2, the first step is to confirm what your existing suites already entitle you to, because paying for an add-on whose foundation you already own only makes sense if you genuinely need the incremental capabilities.
What Plan 2 adds
Intune Plan 2 is a paid add-on that layers advanced endpoint management capabilities on top of Plan 1. The specific feature set evolves, so it should always be confirmed against Microsoft's current Intune plan descriptions, but Plan 2 has consistently been positioned around more advanced management scenarios — capabilities such as advanced remote and specialised device management, expanded management for certain device types and scenarios, and additional security and connectivity features beyond the Plan 1 baseline.
The key point for buyers is that Plan 2 is incremental and additive. It does not replace Plan 1; it extends it. So the evaluation is always at the margin: for the specific advanced features Plan 2 adds, do you have a real requirement across enough of your estate to justify the add-on cost? Microsoft also offers a broader Intune Suite that bundles Plan 2 capabilities with additional advanced endpoint tools, which is worth scoping if multiple advanced needs apply at once.
Evaluate Plan 2 at the margin: Because Plan 1 is already bundled in your suites and Plan 2 is purely additive, the only question that matters is whether the specific advanced features in Plan 2 solve a real problem for a meaningful share of your devices. List the Plan 2 capabilities, map each to an actual requirement, and count the devices that need it. If the list is short and the device count small, Plan 1 is likely sufficient.
Plan 1 and Plan 2 side by side
| Dimension | Intune Plan 1 | Intune Plan 2 |
|---|---|---|
| How you get it | Bundled in M365 E3/E5 and EMS E3 | Paid add-on on top of Plan 1 |
| Core device management | Included | Inherited from Plan 1 |
| App deployment and MAM | Included | Inherited from Plan 1 |
| Advanced management scenarios | Not included | Added |
| Typical buyer question | Do we already own this? | Do the extra features justify the add-on? |
When Plan 1 is enough
Plan 1 is sufficient for the many organisations whose endpoint management requirement is standard: enrolling and managing devices, enforcing configuration and compliance, deploying apps, and protecting corporate data through mobile application management. If your requirement is well covered by those capabilities — and for a large share of organisations it is — then the Plan 1 entitlement inside your existing Microsoft 365 suites already meets the need, and Plan 2 would be spend without a corresponding requirement.
When Plan 2 is worth it
Plan 2 earns its cost when you have a genuine requirement for its advanced capabilities across enough of your estate to matter. Organisations with specialised device fleets, advanced remote management needs, or specific security and connectivity requirements beyond the Plan 1 baseline are the natural candidates. The decision should be driven by a concrete mapping of Plan 2 features to real requirements and affected device counts — not by a blanket upgrade. Where several advanced needs apply together, scoping the broader Intune Suite alongside Plan 2 is the sensible comparison.
Making the decision
The disciplined sequence is to confirm what Plan 1 your suites already include, list the specific incremental features Plan 2 adds, map each to a real requirement, count the devices that need it, and only then decide whether the add-on — or the wider Intune Suite — is justified. Buyers who skip the first step risk paying for a foundation they already own; buyers who skip the mapping risk either over-buying or leaving a real requirement uncovered. For help testing the decision against your estate, our Microsoft licensing experts map endpoint requirements to the right plan, and the complete guide provides the wider context. See also Windows 365 vs AVD and Power BI Pro vs Premium.