IT Support Costs UK: What Should You Pay in 2026?
I get asked this question constantly: "How much should we actually be paying for IT support?" And I get why. The pricing across the industry is all over the place. You can get quotes from three different providers and they'll all be structured differently, include different things, and the cheapest one might end up costing you the most once the extras pile up.
So let me walk you through what things actually cost in 2026, the different ways providers charge, and the stuff you need to watch out for.
The Three Ways IT Companies Charge
1. Break-Fix (Pay As You Go)
This is the old model. Something breaks, you call someone, they charge you by the hour. In the UK right now, you're looking at £75-150 per hour, usually with a minimum call-out fee of £100-200.
The upside: No monthly commitment. If your IT barely ever goes wrong, it's cheap.
The downside: Nobody's watching your systems. Problems only get fixed after they've already caused damage. And here's the uncomfortable truth: the provider actually makes more money when things go wrong. Think about the incentives there for a second.
2. Managed IT Services (Fixed Monthly Fee)
This is what most growing businesses end up moving to. An MSP monitors and manages your IT for a predictable monthly cost. That should include helpdesk support, 24/7 monitoring, patching, backup management, and cybersecurity.
The upside: You know exactly what you're paying each month. Problems get caught before they cause downtime. The provider is incentivised to keep things running smoothly because fixing emergencies eats into their margin.
The downside: It's a monthly commitment, though most decent UK MSPs offer rolling contracts, not long lock-ins.
3. All-in-One Business Packs
This is a newer approach that bundles IT support with the business tools you need: CRM, marketing automation, booking systems, AI chatbots, the lot. Our Business Starter Packs work like this, starting from £197/mo.
The upside: Replaces a stack of separate subscriptions. Everything's integrated. One provider, one bill, no stitching things together.
The downside: At the lower tiers you might get tools you don't use yet. But honestly, most businesses grow into them pretty quickly.
What Things Actually Cost in 2026
Per-User Pricing
Most UK MSPs price per user per month. Here's what you should expect:
- Basic support (helpdesk + monitoring only): £30-50 per user/month
- Standard managed service (helpdesk + monitoring + patching + backup + basic security): £50-80 per user/month
- Comprehensive managed service (all of the above + advanced security + strategy calls + on-site visits): £80-120 per user/month
Per-Device Pricing
Some MSPs charge per device instead. Rough figures:
- Workstation: £20-40/month
- Server: £100-300/month
- Network device: £10-25/month
Flat-Rate Pricing
For smaller businesses, a lot of providers offer flat monthly rates. These tend to land around:
- 1-5 users: £200-500/month
- 5-10 users: £400-800/month
- 10-25 users: £700-1,500/month
What Should You Actually Get for Your Money?
At a bare minimum, any managed IT service worth paying for should include:
- Helpdesk support - phone, email, and remote access
- 24/7 monitoring and alerting on your systems
- Patch management for Windows, Office, and your other software
- Backup management with regular test restores (not just backups that nobody ever checks)
- Endpoint protection - proper antivirus or EDR, not just Windows Defender
- Regular reporting so you can see what's happening with your systems
If a provider wants extra money for any of those basics, that's a red flag. Walk away.
The Hidden Costs That Catch People Out
- Out-of-hours charges: Your email goes down on a Saturday morning and suddenly you're paying double rate. Check the SLA before you sign.
- Project work: Setting up a new server, migrating to the cloud, onboarding a batch of new starters. Some providers charge for this separately. Ask upfront so you're not blindsided.
- Per-incident fees: This is the sneaky one. Some "managed" services still charge per ticket on top of the monthly fee. That's not managed IT. That's break-fix wearing a disguise.
- Lock-in contracts: Avoid anything longer than 12 months. If a provider needs a 3-5 year contract to keep you, ask yourself why they're not confident you'd stay voluntarily.
Where We Sit on Pricing
Our managed IT services start from £197/month for small businesses. The more comprehensive plans from £397/month include cybersecurity, AI automation, reputation management, and monthly strategy calls. Everything's included, no hidden fees, no surprise invoices.
Get a free IT assessment and I'll show you exactly what managed IT would cost for your specific setup. No obligation, no pressure. Just straight numbers.