The four common pricing models
Managed IT pricing in 2026 falls into four shapes. Most providers use a mix; the labels on the quote tell you which mix.
| Model | What you pay for | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Per-user | Flat rate per employee, devices included | Mobile workforce, 1.5+ devices/employee |
| Per-device | Each managed endpoint priced separately | Shared workstations, kiosks, heavy server footprint |
| Tiered (small/standard/complex) | Bands based on size or complexity | Multi-site, predictable size |
| All-you-can-eat (true managed) | Flat monthly fee, all-inclusive | Stable environment, owner wants one number |
Per-user pricing
How it works
Flat rate per employee. Devices the employee uses (laptop, desktop, phone, tablet) are all included. Typical rates run $100–$200 per user per month for a small business, often broken into a base rate plus add-ons.
What it rewards
Multi-device users. The road-warrior partner with a laptop, a desktop, a tablet, and a phone is one charge under per-user. Same partner under per-device pricing is four lines.
What it can hide
Servers and infrastructure. Per-user math sometimes leaves servers off the user count entirely, and they end up either uncovered or covered at a separate add-on rate. Always read what the "user" includes.
Per-device pricing
How it works
Each managed endpoint — workstation, laptop, server — has its own monthly rate. Mailboxes, locations, and add-ons (backup, additional security) are usually separate lines. Typical rates: $50–$100 per workstation per month, higher for servers.
What it rewards
Shared-device environments. The 10-person retailer with 4 POS terminals and 2 back-office PCs pays for 6 devices, not 10 employees. The clinic with 6 clinicians sharing 3 exam-room workstations pays for the workstations, plus the mailboxes for each clinician.
What it can hide
The mobile-only user. If the only device an employee uses is a personal phone with M365 mobile apps, per-device pricing might count zero devices for that user even though they still need the mailbox managed.
Tiered pricing
How it works
Bands based on business size or environment complexity. Small / Standard / Complex tiers, often per-location. Each tier includes a defined scope of services and onsite hours.
What it rewards
Multi-site businesses where each location is roughly similar. The 4-branch credit union with comparable branch network setups pays a Standard tier per branch instead of trying to count devices in each.
What it can hide
The atypical location. The HQ with a server room sized for the whole network shouldn't be priced the same as a satellite office with a switch and a wireless AP. Tiering helps if the tiers actually map to your environment.
All-you-can-eat (true managed)
How it works
A flat monthly fee covers all routine work — tickets, projects, onsite, after-hours. Hardware and licensing are usually still separate.
What it rewards
Stable environments where the owner wants one budget number. Aligns incentives — the MSP makes more by making your environment need fewer tickets, not more.
What it can hide
Scope. "All-inclusive" needs a written scope list, or you'll have a different definition of "in scope" than the MSP does. A response-time SLA is essential.
The Micro-IT model
We use a per-unit model with three independent meters: $79/device/month for Managed Endpoint (covers EDR, patching, image-level backup, web filtering, unlimited remote support per device), $20/mailbox/month for Managed Inbox (covers M365 administration, advanced anti-phishing, MFA enforcement, SaaS backup per mailbox), and from $149/location/month for Managed Site (covers firewall, switching, wireless, and tier-sized onsite hours per office).
The three meters are independent — a 12-person professional-services firm with 12 devices and 12 mailboxes pays for both; a 6-person clinic sharing 3 exam-room PCs pays for 3 devices and 6 mailboxes; a 35-person retailer with 8 POS stations across 3 locations pays for 8 devices, 35 mailboxes, and 3 site lines (one for each location).
The live estimate is on the pricing page. The written quote we prepare matches the estimate line-for-line, scoped to your actual environment.
How to read a managed IT quote
Whatever the model, ask:
- What's included in the base rate? List the specific services.
- What's an add-on, and at what cost?
- What's the response-time SLA, and is it written into the agreement?
- Are after-hours emergencies included, or an upcharge?
- How are projects priced? Fixed-fee or hourly?
- What's the contract term and the notice to end it?
- What changes (if anything) on renewal?
The answers to those seven, taken together, are the actual cost. The headline number on the quote is a starting point.