The complete IT toolbox you need to manage Macs in the enterprise

When it comes to managing and supporting Apple devices in business and enterprise environments, the most common tool or service that comes to mind is mobile device management (MDM). While MDM is one of the most powerful and necessary tools Apple IT pros need — and getting even more powerful with the addition of generative AI — it should never be thought of as the only tool.

That’s because supporting a fleet of Macs is more complex than doing so with iPhones or iPads.

The Mac has been around a lot longer and has traditionally been a much more open device/platform. Users can install software without relying on Apple’s App Store; it’s possible to work with the underlying technology with access to tools and the command line; macOS supports scripting and automation in multiple forms; deploying content and apps to Macs can be done in multiple ways, depending on specific needs; and macOS supports multiple user accounts (network user accounts, in particular).

In a nutshell, that’s a lot to manage. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of 60 tools — yes, 60 — across all parts of the Mac environment that could be useful for IT admins, depending on their environment and needs.

Apple’s tools

Apple provides a number of important tools for enterprise IT, so let’s start with them. 

Support App — Support is an iOS app that walks you through troubleshooting steps for a variety of issues. It also lets you speak or chat with AppleCare. This is aimed mostly at consumers, but still has a place as a worthwhile troubleshooting tool.

AppleCare for Enterprise — As the name suggests, this is a business focused version of Apple’s standard AppleCare support and warranty extension service.

Disk Utility — Built into macOS, Disk Utility lets you view the various volumes and partitions and drives (internal and external) connected to a given Mac. It allows you to edit, reformat and attempt to repair them if there’s an issue with a particular device or volume. It’s a real workhorse and the first tool to reach for to deal with storage issues.

Apple Business Manager — Apple Business Manager is the hub for creating and managing users based on an external directory like Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) or Google Workspace. It also is a hub for deploying and managing devices (including for zero-touch deployment), implementing MDM, and managing other deployment tasks. Its use is essentially mandatory.

Apple Business Essentials — A stripped down version of Apple Business Manager that provides similar user and device management; it’s intended for smaller organizations.

AppleCare Enterprise — Is another one where the name says it all. This is a subscription that allows you to get business and enterprise level support, including priority on-site service and next-day device replacement. 

Activity Manager — Preinstalled on all Macs, this app does exactly what it says: it shows you real-time information on the apps and service running on Mac, and allows you to kill processes if necessary.

Pkgbuild, productbuild (and hdiutil ) — Pkgbuild is a command line utility for creating package files that can be used to deploy apps, settings and content to Apple devices. Similarly, productbuild can create installers focused on a single app with no extraneous content. Hdiutil, on the other hand, allows you to manipulate disk images.

Apple Configurator — There are two versions of this tool. One runs on Macs and configures multiple Apple device simultaneously, the other is an iPhone version that allows you to quickly enroll Macs in an MDM service.

Feedback Assistant — As you’d expect, this allows you to send feedback to Apple. It also serves a source of major news about new releases, including the full release notes for software updates.

Network and directory tools

One of the chief realities of supporting Apple devices in the enterprise is that they will need to integrate well with tools designed around a Windows-centric mindset. Apple does an excellent job making its products good multi-platform enterprise citizens, but these tools can help fill some gaps.

Parallels Mac Management/Microsoft SCCM — Parallels Mac Management is a software plug-in that allows users to manage Mac and Windows computers using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). It can also be used to manage Parallels Desktop virtual machines (VMs).

NoMAD — Short for “No More Active Directory,” it describes itself as a project to create a “macOS menu bar application that provides all the functionality of being bound to AD, and more, without having to be bound.”

UMAD — UMAD (Universal MDM Approval Dialog) is open-source software that provides a custom interface to simplify migrating from one Mac MDM to another

Xcreds — XCreds enhances the Mac login window to allow users to login with Azure, Google Cloud, Okta, or any OpenID Connect passwords. XCreds verifies the user identity provider and saves tokens to the user keychain for validation that the cloud password is in sync with the local password. 

Certificate Request — Certificate Request is a utility for macOS that allows you to request and install digital certificates directly from Active Directory. It makes requesting and managing certificates a one-touch process for use in configuring wireless, Mail, VPN, and other services on macOS that require certificates issued by Active Directory.

Signing Manager — Signing Manager  provides a system for securing code and package-signing certificates, including iOS, macOS, watchOS, and iPadOS app signing without disrupting the current workflow. 

Diagnostic, maintenance, repair and optimization tools

Like most hardware, Macs and other Apple devices require periodic maintenance to perform at their best and to troubleshoot any  problems.

Atomic — This is a tool for examining a Mac’s on-board RAM and identifying problems with installed memory. Since Apple Silicon uses a unified SOC, this is more often a useful tool for Intel-based Macs. 

Techtool Pro — This is a comprehensive set of tools that support disk/volume repair and testing for underlying hardware problems.

Parallels Toolbox is a suite of 50 diagnostic tools for the Mac created by Parallels as an independent product separate from the company’s  virtualization and SCCM-integration tools. 

Disk Drill — Disk Drill is a data recovery solution for macOS and iOS.

Paragon — This is a set of suites/apps designed to detect hardware-induced problems on Apple devices and provide comprehensive disk/volume management beyond what’s available in Disk Utility. It also provides for secure data removal as well as iOS device storage management.

DiskWarrior — For decades, Disk Warrior has remained arguably the best disk and data recovery tool available for techs to use in repair and recovery efforts.

Drive Genius — Prosoft’s Drive Genius provides disk monitoring tools as well as storage management and recover options; it can also automate problem and malware detection.

DaisyDisk — DaisyDisk is a tool for visualizing the current disk usage on Macs; it can help determine what’s taking up shard drive pace and what can be removed to reclaim disk space.

Clean My Mac — MacPaw’s Clean My Mac is useful for performing all manner of maintenance tasks and fully removing unneeded apps and data to keep a Mac running at its best. It can also be used to troubleshoot problems and prevent some security threats.

Clean My Mac for Business — The enterprise version of Clean My Mac is designed to accomplish the same tasks as its consumer counterpart but for an entire fleet of Macs. It can be an adjunct to MDM or, for smaller organizations without dedicated IT staff, it can perform several key functions of MDM.

Clean My Phone — MacPaw’s Clean My Phone does the same kinds of tasks as Clean My Mac, except on the iPhone.

CCleaner — CCleaner provides a range of maintenance and support tools that are available for macOS, iOS, and other computing platforms.

Disk Clean Pro — Available in the macOS App Store, this utility provides automated monitoring and management of storage, file, and image use on a Mac. 

Mac Cleaner Pro — This tool helps visualize, manage and free up storage space on a Mac. Pear Cleaner is the companion app that allows you to do the same on an iOS device.

Malware/Threat detection tools

Cybersecurity is one of the biggest challenges IT departments face. There was a time (when Apple devices commanded so little market share) that they had “security by obscurity” because it wasn’t worth the effort for malicious actors to target them. That’s no longer the case.

Pareto Security — Pareto focuses on the small-business market with a non-invasive malware and security threat monitoring where traditional MDM might not be an available option for your small business.

Suspicious Package — A package management solution that allows you to create, edit and inspect packages. 

Intego — Intego provides a number of different security tools, including malware detection, secure device wipe, network traffic content monitoring, and VPN service.

AVG Security — AVG is a well-known player in the device and data security management. For Macs, it provides malware-detection tools and additional security features to block potential phising attacks, content blocking and firewall features.

Avast — Like others on this list, Avast provides malware detection, content filtering, accessory (webcam) blocking, and ad blocking. 

Norton 360 — Norton is a veteran of the cybersecurity battle. One of the most respected enterprise security vendors, it sports a wide range of personal, small business and enterprise security solutions for Apple and other devices. 

Bit Defender — Bit Defender is an anti-malware company focused on the small business (and consumer) markets. 

Sophos — Another veteran of the security crusade, Sophos provides enterprise malware detection.

Kanji EDR — Kandji is one of the top Apple-specific MDM providers; it’s developed a solution that uses AI to monitor device traffic for patterns of malware or a device-based security threat. It can proactively take corrective action, if possible.

Remote support tools

Remote access tools are essential in today’s IT landscape, particularly as we’re still in a time when remote work remains at relatively high levels. These tools offer various levels of remote support: Putty; Apple Remote Desktop; HelpWise; TeamViewer; GetScreen; and Apple’s Face Time. 

Deployment tools

Munki — Munki and its related tools are excellent options for deploying software and packages to Macs in an enterprise environment.

MIST — Mist is a Mac utility that automatically downloads macOS firmwares and installers.

Payload-free Package Creator — A tool for creating, inspecting and managing macOS packages.

ProfileCreator — An open-source macOS app, Profile Creator offers a way to create standard or customized configuration profiles.

InstallApplications — InstallApplications is an open-source tool that can dynamically download packages for use with InstallApplication. This is handy for DEP bootstraps, allowing you to have a significantly reduced initial package that can easily be updated without repackaging the original.

S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N. — S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N. optimizes the macOS update experience for businesses.

Onboarding tools

DFU Blaster — This tool from TwoCanoes can be used to put a Mac into DFU mode with the press of a single button and restore any version of macOS the Mac system can support.

DEP Notify — DEPNotify is a small, light-weight notification app that was designed to let your users know what’s going on during a DEP enrollment.

MDS — Also from TwoCanoes, this tool can set up and provision Macs out of the box; it sports zero-touch configuration, similar to what’s available with MDM or Apple Business Essentials. It can also manage local storage and Recovery mode/volumes. 

Backup and restore 

Erase-install — This open -ource script automates downloading macOS installers and optionally erasing or upgrading macOS in a single process.

Carbon Copy Cloner — The grandaddy of back up, restore and disk cloning, Carbon Copy Cloner from Bombich has been a trusted Mac support tools for decades. CCC Mobile Backup is the iOS sister to Carbon Copy Cloner; it the handles volume management, encryption, verification, and backup versioning.

User self-service options

Self-service options that allow users to find the answers they need on their own (and that allow IT to communicate directly with users), have become key tools as users have grown more technically literate. Responding this way saves a lot of overhead, and it gives users a safe/curated resource instead of something random they might find by searching Google or asking ChatGPT for help.

Hello-IT — Hello-IT is a set of self-support apps that can be provided by IT services to end users.

swiftDialog — Another open-source tool, swiftDialog creates user-focused messaging and notifications.

Virtualization tools

Virtualization is at a crossroads on macOS at the moment. Intel Macs could easily virtualize Windows to run Mac and Windows apps side by side. But Apple Silicon Macs, since they aren’t x86-based, pose problems. It’s possible to virtualize the ARM version of Windows and Parallels has announced an emulation feature to run x86 Windows versions, but the feature is in an early beta state at the moment. 

Virtualization can also be used to create macOS VMs for testing and related purposes. This ability continues on Apple Silicon, but there are some limitations, particularly if you need to virtualize older macOS versions.

VirtualBox — VirtualBox is Oracle’s free virtualization tool. It isn’t anywhere nearly as full featured as other options, but it avoids potential costs. There are preview builds of the software for Apple Silicon, but they currently only support running ARM-based Linux distributions. 

Parallels Desktop — Parallels makes the premier virtualization software for macOS and has even been named an authorized and trusted solution by Microsoft. The company offers various versions of Parallels Desktop, including Pro, Business and Enterprise editions that deliver varying feature sets and remote deployment and management of VMs in a business or enterprise environment. You can use Parallels to virtualize ARM versions of Windows with, as mentioned, support for x86 versions a work in progress.

VMWare Fusion — Fusions feels like the forgotten middle child of virtualization. It gets more updates than VirtualBox and can run ARM-based versions of Windows and Linux (though not macOS), but its feature set isn’t as robust as Parallels — particularly for enterprise environments.

I’ll admit that this list is quite long (and took a while to compile), but every tool here will be useful in some way to many enterprise operations, big and small. The key is to find the tools that you need as an Apple IT Pro and decide which works best in your specific environment.