FileWave

Overview

FileWave is a unified endpoint management platform for organizations overseeing a mixed fleet of computers, mobile devices, tablets, Chromebooks, and Apple TV. It is best suited to IT teams that need deployment and policy control across operating systems, with a choice of cloud hosting or installation on their own servers.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Wil, Switzerland, FileWave serves settings from education and government to media, corporate, and finance organizations. Its scope is substantial, but the free edition's device caps and lack of included service support make it a constrained starting point for growing teams.

Key features

Enrollment and software delivery

Automated enrollment includes zero-touch deployment and support for Windows Autopilot, Apple ADE/DEP, and Android and ChromeOS enterprise frameworks. That gives organizations established routes for provisioning devices across a mixed fleet. Administrators can distribute apps, updates, scripts, and content through standard installers or Filesets.

FileWave's patented Fileset Technology sends file-level changes and allows administrators to edit or remove files after deployment. That is useful when teams need targeted control over deployed content rather than treating every update as a full package replacement.

Patching, security, and reporting

Scheduled operating-system and third-party application patching helps teams coordinate maintenance, while testing and rollback options for Fileset revisions provide a way to manage deployment changes. FileWave also supports device and policy management, remote lock and wipe, and administrator two-factor authentication. The company says communications among clients, servers, and administrators are encrypted and that it operates under ISO/IEC 27001 information security management standards.

Audit-ready reports cover device, configuration, patch, license, encryption, and compliance information. Listed integrations include Grafana, TeamViewer, Apple management services, Microsoft Entra, Android Enterprise, Chrome Management API, ServiceNow, Slack, and Cloudflare. Customer support is available 24/5 by email, call, or video.

Pricing

FileWave has a paid pricing model, a 30-day trial, and several published plan terms. It supports iOS, macOS, tvOS, Windows, Android, and ChromeOS, includes enhanced customer support, and comes with two TeamViewer licenses. This is the clearest paid option for teams seeking broad device coverage and a support service.

Community Edition is free forever and caps use at 15 computers, 15 tablets, and 15 Chrome devices. It has community support, no included support service, and no TeamViewer licenses. Those firm limits make it suitable for a small deployment or evaluation, not a growing fleet that needs vendor support.

A separate Community plan starts at $15 per device, with its billing period unstated, and caps mobile, desktop, and Chrome devices at 15 each. The per-device starting price paired with those caps makes its fit less obvious than the free Community Edition; buyers should compare its terms with Professional before choosing. The free plan is distinct from the 30-day trial.

Platforms

FileWave supports Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, Android, and ChromeOS, and manages desktops, laptops, mobile devices, tablets, Apple TV, and Chromebooks. Its platform listings also include Linux, web, API, extensions, and self-hosted deployment. This breadth favors organizations administering varied device fleets, while those managing a narrower environment may not need its cross-platform scope.

Who it's for

FileWave is a strong candidate for education, government, media and publishing, corporate, and finance organizations that need enrollment, application delivery, scheduled patching, and compliance reporting in one endpoint-management approach. Self-hosting is an option for organizations that want to install the platform on their own servers. Small teams can start with the free edition, but should account for its per-type device ceilings and lack of included support.

Pros and cons

• Broad device coverage: Management spans major desktop, mobile, tablet, ChromeOS, and tvOS environments, useful for mixed fleets.
• Flexible deployment control: Filesets support file-level changes and post-deployment edits or removals, with testing and rollback options for revisions.
• Security and audit support: Remote lock and wipe, administrator two-factor authentication, encrypted communications, and audit-ready reports cover important administrative needs.
• Strict free-tier ceilings: Community Edition stops at 15 computers, 15 tablets, and 15 Chrome devices and includes no support service.
• Unclear paid-plan cadence: Professional and Community prices are per device, but their billing periods are unstated, making cost comparison harder.

Alternatives

Consider Fleet if public source code and a free version that its maker says will always be free are priorities. ManageEngine Mobile Device Manager Plus is worth comparing if a free edition for up to 25 devices is a better starting allowance. Choose Relution if a free plan capped at five devices, available on shared cloud or on premises with no time limit, fits a smaller deployment.

Mosyle Manager offers a free plan with no device-count limit, configured for either iOS/iPadOS or macOS, so it is an option for a single-ecosystem fleet. SureAsset is a free alternative for asset lifecycle management, hardware and software license tracking, and API access and automation. AppTec360 Enterprise Mobility Management is another mobile management option to compare.

Lightspeed Classroom is an alternative for readers considering a classroom-focused product. Zentral is another endpoint-management option to compare. Browse Mac Management Software, Unified Endpoint Management Software, Application Deployment Software, and Mobile Device Management Software for more options by category.

Verdict

Choose FileWave if your organization needs broad operating-system coverage, controlled software delivery, and patch and compliance workflows in a platform that can be cloud-hosted or self-hosted. Its main trade-offs are a tightly capped free edition and paid per-device pricing whose billing period is unstated; teams needing a generous free allowance or clearer cost terms should compare alternatives.