Most managed IT quotes are a price per user per month. Two providers can quote very different numbers for what sounds like the same service, because the number depends on what is inside it. Before comparing prices, compare what each one covers.
How providers charge
There are three common models. Per user pricing charges for each person who uses a computer and an account. Per device pricing charges for each laptop, server and firewall. Hourly or block-hour pricing charges for time used. Per user pricing is the easiest to budget for, because the bill moves with headcount and not with how many things broke that month.
What moves the price
The biggest factor is scope. A plan that covers the service desk, Microsoft 365 administration, device management, patching and endpoint security costs more than one that only answers support calls. Security monitoring, backup management and vulnerability management add again. Servers, multiple sites and specialist business applications all add complexity, and complexity is what a provider is pricing.
What is usually separate
Software licences, including Microsoft 365, are normally billed on top. So is new hardware. Projects, such as an office move or a migration, are usually quoted separately. Onboarding is often a one-off fee. Ask for each of these in writing, because they are where two quotes that looked similar turn out to be different.
The cost of the cheap option
A low price usually means a narrow scope or a junior team. The gap shows up later as work billed as out of scope, problems that come back, and security settings nobody has looked at. Ask what is excluded, and ask who does the work when a fault goes beyond the service desk.
How to compare quotes
Put the quotes side by side against the same list: support hours, response times, what is managed, what is monitored, what is backed up, what security is included, and what is billed extra. Then compare the price for the same scope. If one provider won't answer the list, that tells you something too.
What to ask about the agreement
Check the term, the notice period, the minimum number of users and what happens to your documentation and admin access if you leave. A fair agreement leaves you owning your own environment, with your passwords, your licences and your records in your name.
Want your IT looked after for a fixed monthly fee? Managed IT services
All resources