What Does Managed IT Actually Cost?
A plain-English guide for Central Florida business owners — no jargon, no sales pitch. Real numbers, real tiers, and honest advice on what to watch out for.
1 Pricing Models Explained
Before you can compare quotes, you need to understand how IT companies charge. There are three common models, and they are not equivalent. Choosing the wrong one can cost you significantly more — or leave you exposed when something goes wrong.
Break-Fix
You call when something breaks. A technician comes and you pay by the hour. No ongoing relationship, no monitoring, no prevention. Works for very small shops with minimal IT risk, but costs spike unpredictably during outages.
Per-Device
A flat monthly fee per computer, server, or endpoint. Works when devices heavily outnumber employees. Costs rise quickly as you add hardware.
Per-User
One monthly fee per employee, covering all their devices. The most common model for SMBs — predictable, scalable, easy to budget. This is what most Central Florida businesses use.
Our recommendation: Per-user pricing is the best fit for most businesses with 5–50 employees. One number per head, no math required. You know exactly what IT costs every month.
2 What’s Included in Managed IT
Not all managed IT providers include the same things. The table below compares a break-fix shop, a basic MSP, and iTech Plus. Read the fine print before signing anything.
| Feature | Break-Fix | Basic MSP | iTech Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helpdesk Support | Per hour | Limited | Unlimited |
| On-Site Support | Per hour | Extra charge | Included |
| 24/7 Monitoring | No | Basic | 24/7 |
| Patch Management | No | Basic | Full |
| Cybersecurity (EDR) | No | Add-on | Included |
| Cloud Backup | No | Add-on | Included |
| Microsoft 365 Mgmt | Per hour | Add-on | Included |
When a basic MSP quotes $50/user and we quote $150/user, the difference is rarely price — it is scope. Verify exactly what is included before comparing numbers side by side.
3 Our Pricing Tiers
iTech Plus offers four plans plus a custom Enterprise option. All plans are per-user per-month with flat-rate pricing — no surprise invoices. Here is what each tier covers and who it is designed for.
- 24/7 system monitoring and alerting
- Managed antivirus and endpoint protection
- Patch management (Windows, Office, drivers)
- Cloud backup – daily, verified, recoverable
- MFA setup and enforcement
- Email security and phishing filtering
- Help desk support (Mon–Fri)
- Monthly health report
- Everything in Essentials
- Microsoft 365 management
- SharePoint / OneDrive organization
- Employee onboarding and offboarding (IT side)
- Managed firewall and network monitoring
- VPN setup and remote access
- Quarterly business review
- Priority help desk (same-day response)
- Everything in Growth
- Microsoft Copilot deployment (licensing included)
- 1 active AI automation included
- Monthly AI optimization check-in
- AI prompt library access (updated quarterly)
- Priority support for AI tools
- Additional automations: $1,500–$3,000 each
- Everything in Growth + AI
- Camera system monitoring
- Website maintenance
- SEO monitoring + monthly report
- Google Business Profile management
- VoIP phone system management
- Dedicated account manager
- 2-hour response guarantee
- Annual technology roadmap
- Multi-location support
- HIPAA / SOC 2 / CMMC compliance
- Custom SLAs and escalation paths
- Virtual CIO services
- Dedicated infrastructure team
5 How to Calculate Your Needs
You can get a rough number in under a minute. The formula is straightforward:
10 users × $150/user = $1,500/month
That includes helpdesk, cybersecurity, backup, M365 management, and on-site support.
The rate you land on depends on your current setup, your industry’s compliance requirements, and whether you need specialized services. Healthcare and legal practices typically run higher due to compliance overhead.
6 Getting a Quote
When you are ready for a real number, we do a 30-minute discovery call to understand your environment — number of users, devices, any current tools, and your biggest pain points. From there, we build a written proposal with exact pricing. No ranges, no “starting at” language.
We also offer a free IT assessment before you commit to anything. We scan your environment for security gaps, check your backup status, and give you a written report within 48 hours. Most businesses find at least two or three risks they did not know about.
Ready for your exact number?
Get a free quote with no sales pressure. We will tell you what you actually need — not the most expensive option.
Still Have Questions About Pricing?
Talk to a real person. We will give you a straight answer about what IT support would cost for your specific business — no upselling, no pressure.
Free assessment — no credit card required — available for businesses with 5+ employees