Free IT budget calculator for small business.

How the math works

The estimate has three parts, and every assumption is visible so you can argue with it:

• Managed support & security — priced per unit, using Micro-IT's published rates as the market reference point: $79/device/month, $20/mailbox/month, and from $149/location/month for managed network. The low end of the range assumes a simple environment; the high end adds 25% for servers, line-of-business apps, and add-ons most businesses accumulate.
• Software & licensing — budgeted at $30–$55 per user per month for the typical small-business stack (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, line-of-business seats, file storage). This is a planning band, not a quote.
• Hardware refresh reserve — computers age out roughly every 4–5 years; the calculator reserves $250–$300 per device per year so refresh years don't arrive as surprises.
• Compliance overhead (if checked) — regulated environments add roughly 15% for the extra controls, evidence work, and audit support HIPAA/GLBA/CJIS/PCI demand.

For most small businesses the result lands in the commonly cited planning range of a few percent of revenue — but unit-based budgeting beats revenue percentages because IT cost tracks people and devices, not sales. The full reasoning is in our IT budgeting guide and the managed IT services pricing breakdown.

From estimate to exact number

This calculator gives you a defensible planning band. For an exact monthly figure scoped to your real environment, the live estimate on the pricing page takes about two minutes — same math, your actual unit counts, and a written quote if you want one.

Common questions