Pricing
How managed IT pricing works, and how to compare proposals
Managed IT proposals can look impossible to compare: one quotes per user, another per device, a third a flat monthly fee with “unlimited support”. This guide explains the common models, what actually drives the price, and the questions that reveal what you are really buying.
The three common pricing models
Per-user pricing charges a monthly fee for each person supported, covering their devices, accounts and help-desk requests. It is easy to forecast and scales with headcount, which is why most providers serving teams of 10–100 people now use it.
Per-device pricing charges for each laptop, desktop, server or network device. It suits environments with many shared devices, such as warehouses and shop floors, but it makes the bill harder to predict.
Flat-fee or “all you can eat” pricing sets one monthly amount. It looks simple, but read the scope carefully: “unlimited” usually means unlimited remote help-desk requests within listed systems and hours, not unlimited projects.
What really drives the price
- Service window: 8×5 support costs less than 16×5. Round-the-clock human support is rare at SME prices; check what is actually staffed.
- Scope depth: help desk only, or also patching, endpoint security, backup monitoring, reporting and quarterly reviews.
- Complexity: number of locations, line-of-business applications, legacy systems and integrations.
- Condition at the start: an undocumented environment needs onboarding effort before it can be run efficiently.
- Minimum contract value: many providers set a monthly minimum so a small team still gets a dependable service.
What is usually excluded
Expect hardware, third-party licences, cloud consumption, on-site visits, major migrations and projects to be quoted separately. Security incident recovery is often excluded too, or capped. A good proposal lists exclusions as clearly as inclusions. If it does not, ask.
Questions that make proposals comparable
- Which systems, users and devices are in scope, and which are explicitly out?
- What are the service windows, in our timezone, and what happens outside them?
- What are the response targets for each priority, and are resolution times promised or only targeted?
- Is patching managed or just reported? Are backups monitored, and are restores tested?
- What reporting will we receive, and how often?
- What is the minimum term, notice period and exit process?
A realistic budget range
Prices vary widely between markets and providers, so be wary of any single “typical” figure. Our own starting-from ranges are published on our pricing page so you can test them against your budget. Treat any figure, including ours, as a starting point until a provider has seen your environment.