Windows Autopilot Device Preparation vs. Windows Autopilot

In this article, we’ll go over the key differences between Windows Autopilot device preparation and Windows Autopilot. By comparing these Windows Autopilot solutions, you can determine which solution meets the specific needs of your organization.

Both Windows Autopilot and Autopilot device preparation are the solutions offered in Intune to help administrators set up and configure new devices and get them ready for productive use. However, Windows Autopilot device preparation is an evolved version of Windows Autopilot that gives new capabilities and improves the overall deployment experience.

Windows Autopilot device preparation is generally available now. According to Microsoft, while Windows Autopilot device preparation in its initial offering isn’t as feature-rich as Windows Autopilot, it does have some advantages and features not available in Windows Autopilot.

Windows Autopilot device preparation vs. Windows Autopilot

We’ll now look at some important factors to consider when deciding between Windows Autopilot and Windows Autopilot device preparation. Compare the options below to find the best solution for your organization’s device setup and configuration requirements.

Supported features

The device preparation solution offers a faster and more consistent provisioning experience when compared to Windows Autopilot. In addition, the device preparation solution offers near real-time monitoring and troubleshooting information.

WINNER: It’s a tie. If you want a faster provisioning experience with near-real-time monitoring and troubleshooting information, use Windows Autopilot device preparation. If you want to customize the provisioning experience with support for additional device types, go with Windows Autopilot.

Supported Device Types

The Windows Autopilot device preparation provides support for the Government Community Cloud High (GCCH) and Department of Defense (DoD) environments. Whereas the Windows Autopilot solution doesn’t cater to DoD and GCCH environments, which is a limitation.

Windows Autopilot supports a variety of device types, including HoloLens and Teams Meeting Room, as well as additional customization options not found in the Autopilot device preparation solution.

WINNER: Windows Autopilot wins here because it supports several device types and offers more customization options than Autopilot device preparation.

Supported Modes

Windows Autopilot supports a variety of deployment options, including user-driven, pre-provisioned, self-deploying, and existing devices. Whereas, Windows Autopilot device preparation supports only user-driven mode.

WINNER: Windows Autopilot wins here because it supports multiple modes.

Join Types

Windows Autopilot supports Microsoft Entra join and Microsoft Entra hybrid join. Whereas, Autopilot device preparation only supports Microsoft Entra join.

WINNER: Windows Autopilot wins here because it supports additional join types.

Device Registration

Windows Autopilot requires the devices to be registered, whereas Autopilot device preparation doesn’t require any device registration. Hence, the device preparation solution offers faster provisioning when compared to Windows Autopilot.

WINNER: Autopilot device preparation wins because it doesn’t require device registration, which is a time-consuming task when you have multiple devices to register.

Prerequisites

Windows Autopilot device preparation requires the following:

• Windows Autopilot device preparation policy.
• Device security group with Intune Provisioning Client as owner.

Provisioning Windows devices using Windows Autopilot requires the following:

• Windows Autopilot deployment profile.
• Enrollment Status Page (ESP).

WINNER: It’s a tie because prerequisites are a must for both solutions, and they are one-time configurations that you create for provisioning your devices.

Support for LOB and Win32 apps during deployment

One of the limitations of Windows Autopilot was the inability to deploy Win32 and LOB applications in the same deployment. With the Autopilot device preparation solution, you can now deploy both Win32 apps and LOB apps in the same deployment.

WINNER: Autopilot device preparation is a winner as it supports deploying Win32 and LOB applications in the same deployment.

Supported Configurations

Let’s understand what configurations can be delivered during the provisioning with these solutions.

Windows Autopilot device configuration supports the following configurations:

• Device-based only during the out-of-box experience (OOBE).
• Up to 10 essential applications (line-of-business (LOB), Win32, Microsoft Store, Microsoft 365).
• Up to 10 essential PowerShell scripts.
• There is no support for device firmware configuration interface (DFCI) management.

Windows Autopilot supports the following configurations:

• Device-based during device ESP.
• User-based during user ESP.
• Any number of applications.
• The Device Firmware Configuration Interface (DFCI) Management is not supported.

WINNER: Windows Autopilot wins here because there are no limitations on the number of applications and PS scripts that you can install.

Reporting and Troubleshooting

The Windows Autopilot device preparation deployment report offers the following:

• Shows all Windows Autopilot device preparation deployments.
• Additional data is available with near-real-time troubleshooting-information.

The Windows Autopilot deployment report shows the following:

• Displays only the details about Windows Autopilot-registered devices.
• There is no real-time troubleshooting information about the devices.

WINNER: Windows Autopilot device preparation offers more features for reporting and troubleshooting issues.

Supported versions of Windows

Windows Autopilot supports all versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. Whereas Windows Autopilot device preparation supports only Windows 11 version 23H2 with KB5035942 or later and Windows 11 version 22H2 with KB5035942 or later.

WINNER: Windows Autopilot is a winner here because it supports provisioning of Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices. A lot of organizations haven’t fully upgraded their devices to Windows 11 yet.

Autopilot into co-management

Autopilot into co-management means that during the Autopilot process, you can configure co-management settings in Intune and direct the workload authority in an orchestrated manner between Configuration Manager and Intune. Windows Autopilot device preparation doesn’t support Autopilot in co-management, whereas the Autopilot solution does.

WINNER: Windows Autopilot is a winner here as it supports Autopilot in co-management.

Overall Deployment Experience

Windows Autopilot device preparation is new, and it provides a more straightforward deployment configuration and experience with near-real-time monitoring. It doesn’t require pre-staging the devices. On the other hand, Windows Autopilot supports multiple device types, deployment modes, and join types.

WINNER: It’s a tie here because both solutions have advantages and limitations too. So, you must consider the offerings carefully and choose the solution that is best fit for your enterprise.

Using Windows Autopilot device preparation and Windows Autopilot concurrently

Finally, there is a commonly asked question about these two Autopilot solutions. Can I use both of these solutions concurrently in my setup? The answer is yes. Windows Autopilot device preparation and Windows Autopilot can be utilized continuously and side-by-side within an organization.

Now, an important thing to remember here is that each single device in your setup can only support one of the two alternatives. Windows Autopilot profiles have precedence over Windows Autopilot device preparation policies. If a Windows Autopilot registered device needs to go through a Windows Autopilot device preparation deployment, it must first be removed as a Windows Autopilot device.