Most managed IT providers don't publish their pricing, which makes it hard to know if what you're being quoted is reasonable. Here's what the market actually looks like.
The national range
For a small business under 25 employees, managed IT typically runs $75–$175 per user per month for a full-service plan. A 5-person office should expect to pay somewhere between $375 and $875/month depending on the provider, the coverage level, and your location. Providers in major metros tend to be at the high end; regional and local providers are usually lower for the same work.
What drives the price up
Number of users and devices. Most plans are priced per seat. More employees means more cost, straightforwardly.
On-site support. Remote-only plans are cheaper. If you need someone to physically come in, expect either a higher monthly rate or per-visit fees on top.
Compliance requirements. If your business handles medical records (HIPAA), credit card data (PCI), or has other regulatory requirements, the security work involved costs more. This is legitimate — the work really is more involved.
Backup and disaster recovery. Basic monitoring is cheap. Managing real backups that you could actually restore from after a ransomware attack is more work, and costs more. It's also the most important thing to get right.
What to watch out for
Per-incident billing on top of the monthly fee. Some providers charge a flat monthly fee for monitoring but bill hourly when something actually breaks. That's monitoring plus break-fix, not managed IT. Make sure support is included in the monthly rate.
Long contracts with auto-renewal. A 3-year contract with a 90-day cancellation notice is a red flag for a small business. Look for month-to-month or annual terms with reasonable exit clauses.
Vague inclusions. Ask specifically: is on-site included? What's the response time commitment? What's excluded? A good provider answers these clearly without hedging.
What we charge in North Georgia
We publish our prices because you should know what you're getting into before you call:
- Starter — $79.99/mo: 1 user, remote support, monitoring, security patches, antivirus. Good for solo operators and small setups.
- Small Business — $199.99/mo: up to 5 users, everything in Starter plus on-site visits, network monitoring, and priority response.
- Business Pro — $399.99/mo: up to 15 users, full coverage including vendor coordination, compliance documentation, and quarterly reviews.
Teams larger than 15 get a custom quote. Full details on the managed IT page.
Is it worth it?
For most businesses with 3+ employees who depend on computers: yes, if the price is right and the provider is accountable. Compare the monthly cost against what a single day of downtime or a ransomware recovery would actually cost your business. For many small businesses, one avoided incident pays for a year of coverage. But it's not the right fit for everyone — if you're a solo operator mostly on cloud tools, break-fix may still make more sense.
We cover all of North Georgia
We work with small businesses in Dawsonville, Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville, Canton, Jasper, and the surrounding area. Call (706) 203-2563 or get a quote here.