Quick Summary
Companies evaluating Firstbase often look beyond core features. Pricing, support, flexibility, and lifecycle control tend to shape the final decision.
Alternatives like Devices for Teams and DeviceNow offer different approaches. Some focus on leasing flexibility. Others prioritise support structure or operational control.
Looking for Firstbase Alternatives?
Firstbase helps teams manage devices across onboarding, tracking, and retrieval. Everything runs from one platform, which works well for many global teams.
But not every business needs the same setup. Some want simpler pricing. Others want tighter control or more flexibility in how devices are managed.
That is where alternatives come in. Platforms like Devices for Teams and DeviceNow take different approaches to support, leasing, and lifecycle coverage.
This guide breaks down seven options. Each one is reviewed based on UK relevance, pricing clarity, support structure, and lifecycle depth.
Why Listen to Us?
Devices for Teams by HardSoft has spent over 40 years helping UK businesses like LloydsPharmacy manage device procurement, deployment, and ongoing IT.
With over 1,400 five-star reviews on Trustpilot, our track record speaks for itself.
Why Companies are Looking for Firstbase Alternatives
Firstbase works well for many teams. But different businesses have different priorities.
Here is what usually drives the search for alternatives:
Fragmented accountability: When a device fails or an invoice is wrong, there is no single owner. Teams end up chasing multiple vendors to resolve one issue.
Limited UK-specific support: Firstbase is built for global scale. Local billing structures, tax treatment, and on-the-ground support are rarely priorities.
Software-only control: Firstbase manages the workflow, not the devices. MDM, configuration, and lifecycle management require additional providers outside the platform.
How We Based our Ranking
We looked at each platform across five criteria that matter most to UK businesses managing device fleets.
Contract flexibility: Can you adjust device numbers as your team changes? Fixed contracts can slow down growing businesses.
Support ownership: Is support handled directly or through layered vendors? Clear ownership usually leads to faster resolution.
Lifecycle coverage: Does the provider handle devices from delivery through to collection and disposal? Gaps here create extra work internally.
Pricing visibility: Can you understand costs early? Hidden pricing slows decision making and complicates budgeting.
UK alignment: Does the provider match UK billing, tax, and compliance expectations? This matters more than global coverage for many teams.
7 Best Firstbase Alternatives Compared
| Company | Flexible Leasing | In-House Support | UK-Focused | Transparent Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devices for Teams | Yes (12-month and 3 years cycles) | Yes | Yes | Yes | UK businesses who want one provider for devices, support, and lifecycle services |
| Deel IT (Hofy) | Yes | Yes | No (global focused) | Quote based | Companies already using Deel's HR stack |
| Workwize | Not clearly stated in the website | Yes | No (global first) | Yes | Distributed teams wanting workflow automation. |
| Allwhere | Yes | Partial | No | No | Scaling teams in US/EU/Oceania markets |
| Fleet | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Cost-conscious teams wanting simple DaaS |
| DeviceNow | Yes | No | No | Quote based | Enterprises prioritizing swap SLAs and global coverage |
| Rayda | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Teams that want global reach plus tracking and offboarding tools. |
1. Devices for Teams
Devices for Teams is a UK-based laptop subscription and IT device platform built for businesses with 50 to 1,000 employees.
One in-house team handles hardware, software, support, insurance, and mobile device management.
Where Firstbase hands financing and insurance to third parties, Devices for Teams owns every part of the service.
Key Features:
No upfront costs: Pay one monthly fee and get the devices your team needs from day one. No capital outlay, no large purchase orders, no waiting on budget approvals.
Flexible monthly payments: The OpEx model keeps IT spend predictable. Finance teams get a fixed line in the budget rather than unpredictable hardware costs hitting at renewal time.
Flexible device refresh cycle: You can add, swap, or return devices after 12 months so your team doesn’t retain hardware that is years past its best.
In-house MDM (Shepherd): The same team that manages your hardware also runs enrolment, app management, remote wipe, and compliance monitoring. Shepherd removes the manual setup burden that slows onboarding across large device fleets.
Full lifecycle management: Devices for Teams handle everything from procurement and configuration to retrieval and responsible disposal. Device retrieval alone costs IT teams more than most businesses realise.
Pricing
Fully transparent. Build and cost your setup directly or simply request a quote.
Pros
Devices, support, insurance, and management from one trusted provider
Plans built for businesses, schools, and growing teams
Scale or return up to 35% of devices with flexible 12-month or 3 years options
Simple leasing or full IT lifecycle and MDM services, depending on what you need
Always access the latest technology with upgrade-ready plans
Cons
Best for businesses focused on a leasing model instead of outright ownership
2. Deel IT (formerly Hofy)
Deel IT, previously known as Hofy, is the hardware arm of Deel’s global HR and payroll platform. It covers device provisioning, compliance, and recovery across 130+ countries. For businesses already running Deel, it is a natural extension of an existing workflow.
The value proposition ties tightly to Deel’s broader HR stack. UK-only or UK-primary businesses often find that a level of complexity they do not need.
Key Features:
Device management embedded inside the Deel HR platform: Hardware requests, approvals, and returns all live inside the same dashboard your team uses for international hiring and compliance.
On-platform mobile device management via JumpCloud: Your IT team controls remote wipe, OS updates, and policy enforcement from one place. Devices enrol automatically at first boot with no setup needed from the employee.
Automated offboarding workflow with certified data wipe: When you process a leaver in Deel, the system disables their device, generates a prepaid return label, and logs a certified data wipe for your compliance records.
Pre-configured global device delivery across 130-plus countries: Deel sources, configures, and ships devices to new hires worldwide with local tax and employment compliance already built into the same workflow.
Per-seat pricing co-termed with the existing Deel contract: Costs run alongside your current Deel subscription. No public pricing exists for businesses outside the ecosystem.
Pricing
Subscription model. Pricing depends on device type, region, and service level. Enterprise plans are available on request.
Pros
Seamless integration with Deel HR and payroll tools
Strong global provisioning and local compliance coverage
Cons
Less cost-effective if you are not already a Deel customer
Pricing opacity makes budgeting harder for finance teams
3. Workwize
Workwize is a global IT asset management platform built for distributed teams. It delivers automated workflows, HR system integrations, and device tracking across 100+ countries, with local warehouse facilities for storage and rapid redeployment.
The platform suits businesses of any size looking to reduce manual IT work. Pricing is tiered and requires a sales conversation, and implementation can take time for larger organisations.
Key Features
Triggered workflow automation across the full device lifecycle: Your IT team sets the rules once and Workwize handles procurement, deployment, retrieval, and disposal automatically, cutting per-device management time significantly.
Regional warehouse network spanning 100-plus countries: Workwize holds devices in local stock and ships within five to seven days. Offboarded devices go straight to new hires without travelling back to headquarters first.
HRIS sync with BambooHR, Workday, and other platforms: Add a new hire to your HR system and Workwize triggers device procurement automatically. Mark someone as leaving and retrieval kicks off without anyone touching a keyboard.
MDM pre-enrolment via Apple Business Manager and Microsoft Intune: Devices arrive with your MDM already enrolled and security policies active. Workwize handles the physical logistics and leaves your MDM configuration untouched.
Per-seat subscription pricing: You need to contact sales for a quote. No public pricing exists and the platform targets larger organisations rather than small or growing teams.
Pricing
Custom pricing. Contact sales for a quote.
Pros
Strong automation for large distributed teams
Broad global coverage and integration options
Cons
Complex onboarding and implementation process
Pricing opacity frustrates finance and procurement teams
4. Allwhere
Allwhere manages employee equipment for remote and hybrid teams. It covers deployment, retrieval, and storage across 48 countries. Its strongest coverage is in the US and Europe.
UK businesses can use it, but coverage outside the US and Europe is limited.
Key Features:
Centralised asset visibility dashboard across the entire device fleet: Your IT team sees every device in one place and can filter by status, employee, serial number, OS, or maintenance history in real time.
Pre-configured device delivery via your existing MDM integration: Allwhere applies security settings, software, and licensing before the device leaves the warehouse so it arrives on day one ready to use.
Role-based and geography-based custom hardware kit building: You build device packages tailored to specific departments or locations and Allwhere handles all shipping coordination and employee communication from there.
End-of-life device processing actioned directly from the platform: Your IT team triggers repair, resale, or recycling from the dashboard and Allwhere manages all logistics without needing further IT involvement.
Per-transaction pricing model with no recurring platform fee: You pay per action rather than per seat each month. Teams with irregular procurement needs often find this more cost-effective than a fixed subscription.
Pricing
Custom, usage-based pricing. No publicised rates or flat plans.
Pros
Reliable for hybrid and remote-first firms
Flexibility for startups and growing teams
Covers equipment delivery, retrieval, and storage in over 100 countries
Cons
Requires a custom quote through the sales team
May lack the integrations or track record of longer-established competitors
5. Fleet
Fleet runs a subscription model for renting, maintaining, and replacing IT equipment. It bundles MDM into every plan and handles end-of-life responsibly, with returned devices recycled or donated rather than discarded.
The three-year refresh cycle suits businesses with stable headcount. For fast-growing or frequently restructuring teams, it can feel rigid. For businesses still weighing up leasing versus buying, the financial case is stronger than most finance teams expect.
Key Features:
All-inclusive monthly subscription covering devices, warranty, and MDM: You get hardware, unlimited warranty, B2B support, and device management under one fixed monthly fee with no deposit and no surprise costs.
ISO 27001 and SOC2 certified device management: Your IT team gets remote wipe, device lock, data encryption, and policy enforcement across macOS and Windows devices included as standard.
Automatic three-year hardware refresh built into the contract: Fleet renews your devices every 36 months so your IT team never carries the planning burden of managing refresh cycles internally.
Cockpit fleet management platform included at no extra cost: Your team manages device assignments, onboarding, offboarding, incident tracking, and returns from one SaaS dashboard without paying extra.
Responsible end-of-life device handling: Fleet reconditions returned devices for reuse, donates them to nonprofits, or recycles them. Your team books collection and Fleet manages the rest.
Pricing
Monthly subscription with no upfront costs, covering devices, support, and replacements globally. Fleet’s own published example starts from €750 per month for 20 devices.
Pros
Setup, support, and warranty are included with every device
Devices are automatically refreshed every three years
Sustainable end-of-life handling for returned equipment
Cons
Three-year refresh cycle may not suit all teams
Limited flexibility in hardware or service choices
6. DeviceNow
DeviceNow is a global device subscription provider covering over 100 countries. Its standout capability is the next-business-day swap guarantee. If a device fails, a replacement reaches the end user by the following working day, anywhere in the world.
A partner network rather than an in-house team delivers support, which can introduce delays and inconsistency. Pricing is custom and not publicly available.
Key Features
Guaranteed next-business-day device swap across 190-plus countries: When a device fails, your IT team raises a ticket and a replacement reaches the end user by the following working day. Nothing else is needed from your side.
Single 10-page global contract covering all countries and locations: Your legal and procurement teams sign one agreement that governs every country. No more managing separate regional contracts and vendor relationships.
Quarterly forecasted inventory model for predictable device availability: Your team submits requirements each quarter and DeviceNow holds stock based on those forecasts, cutting lead times and protecting against supply chain disruption.
Centralised lifecycle portal with real-time global fleet visibility: Your IT team tracks device status, usage, and subscription data across every location. HR integrations automatically trigger retrieval when an employee leaves.
Certified GDPR-compliant data erasure with documented proof: DeviceNow wipes every returned device to certified standards and hands you a data destruction certificate, which matters most to regulated industries and multi-jurisdiction businesses.
Pricing
Custom pricing model. Quotes are available via their website.
Pros
Flexible commitment terms
Sustainable options with refurbished stock
Good for European expansion
Cons
Less transparent pricing structure
Smaller portfolio of services compared to full-service providers
7. Rayda
Rayda delivers cloud-based device and software lifecycle management with a focus on asset tracking, depreciation reporting, and audit management. It is a lean, cost-conscious option for SMBs that need better visibility over their IT estate.
Hardware provisioning and leasing are more limited than with full-service providers. Rayda works better as a management and logistics layer than a primary procurement solution for UK-based businesses.
Key Features:
Device delivery in three to eight business days across 170-plus countries: Rayda taps a global vendor network to source and ship devices faster than many competitors who regularly take four to eight weeks in the same markets.
Integrations with 12-plus HRIS platforms: Connect BambooHR, Workday, or Justworks and new hire or leaver events automatically trigger device procurement or retrieval without any manual coordination between HR and IT.
Logistics and visibility layer that sits alongside your existing MDM: Rayda connects to Microsoft Intune, Apple Business Manager, and JumpCloud so your security stack stays in place and Rayda adds asset management on top.
Real-time asset tracking with depreciation, maintenance, and upgrade records: Your IT team gets automated alerts for maintenance needs, warranty expiry, and upgrade windows before they create problems or unexpected costs.
Flexible subscription or per-transaction pricing model: You subscribe for ongoing global hiring or pay per individual transaction. Most Rayda customers pay per transaction rather than on a fixed monthly plan.
Pricing
Customisable plans with monthly and annual options for businesses needing advanced features.
Pros
Real-time asset tracking and health monitoring
Built-in insurance and coverage management
Supports remote locking and data protection
Cons
Smaller hardware catalogue compared to competitors
Ready to Move Beyond Firstbase?
The right Firstbase alternative depends on your team size. It also depends on your IT setup. And how much control you want over your devices.
UK businesses often want everything in one place. That includes financing, hardware, insurance, MDM, and support.
That is why many choose Devices for Teams.
Get started with Devices for Teams today.
Steve Hill has been a cornerstone of HardSoft since 2005, bringing two decades of experience in leasing Apple devices and delivering tailored tech solutions to businesses across the UK. As HardSoft’s go-to expert in cybersecurity, Steve specialises in Sophos and Barracuda software, helping clients safeguard their operations with confidence. Steve’s passion for tech, teamwork, and trusted solutions makes him a valued voice on the HardSoft blog.
LinkedIn: Steve Hill
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0204 566 8856