Is there an MDM solution that avoids wiping Apple devices?

When you add a device to Apple's Business Manager (ABM), wiping the device is indeed necessary. However, you can enroll devices in MDMs without ABM; just keep in mind those profiles can be removed by device admins. If you’d like to dig deeper, here’s some documentation on how it works with Kandji: https://support.kandji.io/kb/user-experience-with-the-enrollment-portal.

For company-owned devices, the best practice is to add them to ABM then enroll into MDM via Apple's Device Enrollment Program (DEP). BYOD devices can be added straight to MDM without wiping, but note you'll be limited in terms of what you can manage without supervision.

Unfortunately, to fully utilize the advanced features of Apple MDM, a device wipe is unavoidable. Supervising an iOS device enables comprehensive management, but to do this, users have to perform a factory reset through either ABM, Apple Configurator, or other means. Some MDMs offer backup and restore processes to limit data loss, but the wipe is a crucial step.

It's not mandatory to have supervision to enroll in an MDM; some features do require it, though. If your organization handles both company-owned and BYOD devices, there are options that can work for you without needing to wipe every device.