Quick Answer
UK businesses pay between £40 and £150 per user per month for IT support in 2026. The three main pricing models are per-user (most common, £40–£100), per-device (£15–£40 per device) and fixed monthly fee (£500–£5,000+ depending on size).
A typical 25-person office pays £1,250–£2,500/month for managed IT support. Connection Technologies offers transparent per-user pricing from £45/user/month with everything included — no hidden costs, no bolt-on charges.
Last updated: March 2026 | Reviewed by: Connection Technologies managed IT team
IT Support Pricing Models Explained
Understanding how IT support is priced in the UK is the first step to getting good value. There are four main pricing models, each with advantages and drawbacks. The right choice depends on your business size, device count and how predictable you want your IT spending to be.
Per-User Pricing (£40–£100/user/month)
Per-user pricing is the most common model for managed IT services in 2026. You pay a fixed monthly fee per employee, which covers all their devices — laptop, desktop, mobile phone, tablet. If an employee has three devices, they are all covered under one per-user fee.
Advantages: Predictable costs that scale naturally with headcount. Easy to budget — multiply your staff count by the per-user rate. No surprises when employees get new devices or additional equipment.
Disadvantages: Can be expensive for businesses with many employees who use minimal IT (e.g. warehouse staff with no computer). Some providers count part-time staff as full users.
Typical range: £40–£60 for basic managed IT, £60–£80 for comprehensive packages with security, £80–£100+ for premium with 24/7 support and compliance.
Per-Device Pricing (£15–£40/device/month)
Per-device pricing charges a fee for each managed device — laptop, desktop, server, network switch, firewall, mobile phone. This model gives you granular control over costs but can become expensive when employees use multiple devices.
Advantages: Only pay for devices that are actually managed. Good for businesses with many shared devices or equipment that does not need full management.
Disadvantages: Costs can escalate quickly. A typical office worker with a laptop, monitor dock, mobile phone and shared printer could count as 3–4 devices. Servers are often priced higher (£100–£300/server/month).
Typical range: Workstations £15–£25/device, laptops £20–£35/device, servers £100–£300/device, network equipment £10–£20/device.
Fixed Monthly Fee (£500–£5,000+/month)
A fixed monthly fee covers your entire business regardless of user or device count. This is negotiated based on your specific environment and requirements. It provides maximum cost predictability but can be inflexible if your business grows or contracts significantly.
Advantages: Complete cost certainty. No per-user calculations. Good for businesses with stable headcounts.
Disadvantages: If you grow, the provider may want to renegotiate. If you shrink, you are still paying the same amount. Often requires longer contract commitments.
Break-Fix / Pay-As-You-Go (£75–£150/hour)
Break-fix means you only pay when something goes wrong. There is no monthly fee — you call an IT company, they fix the problem and you pay an hourly rate. This sounds economical but is actually the most expensive model for most businesses because it is entirely reactive.
Advantages: No monthly commitment. Only pay when you need help.
Disadvantages: No proactive monitoring or prevention. Unpredictable costs — a server failure could cost £2,000+ in emergency labour. No security management. No strategic planning. The IT company has a financial incentive for things to break.
Cost Comparison Table by Provider Type
| Provider Type | Typical Cost (25 users) | What Is Included | What Is NOT Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Break-fix | £0–£3,000/month (variable) | Reactive fixes only | Monitoring, security, backups, planning |
| Basic MSP | £750–£1,250/month | Helpdesk, basic monitoring | Security, backups, on-site, strategy |
| Standard MSP | £1,125–£2,000/month | Helpdesk, monitoring, security, backups | 24/7 helpdesk, vCIO, compliance |
| Premium MSP | £2,000–£3,000/month | Everything above + 24/7 + vCIO + compliance | Major projects (charged separately) |
| Connection Technologies | £1,125/month | Helpdesk, monitoring, security, backups, vCIO, named account manager, telecoms bundling option | Major projects (transparent hourly rate) |
Need help with this? Connection Technologies offers a free technology assessment for UK businesses. Book your free consultation or call 0330 440 4247.
What Affects the Price
Several factors influence how much you will pay for IT support in the UK:
Complexity of your environment. A business running standard Microsoft 365 with cloud-based applications is simpler (and cheaper) to manage than one with on-premise servers, legacy software and custom databases. The more complex your setup, the higher the per-user cost.
Industry and compliance requirements. Regulated industries — financial services, legal, healthcare — require additional security controls, audit trails and compliance reporting. This adds £10–£30/user/month to the base cost.
Number of locations. Multi-site businesses need network management, site-to-site connectivity and potentially on-site support at each location. Each additional site adds complexity and cost.
Support hours required. Business hours support (8am–6pm) is standard. Extended hours or 24/7 human helpdesk adds £10–£25/user/month. 24/7 automated monitoring (without human helpdesk) should be included on all plans.
On-site vs remote support. Most issues (85–90%) can be resolved remotely. If you need regular on-site engineering presence, expect to pay more — either through a higher per-user rate or per-visit charges (£150–£300/visit).
Hidden Costs in IT Support Contracts
The headline per-user price is not always the full picture. Here are the most common hidden costs:
Security tools charged separately. A £40/user quote that excludes endpoint protection (£5–£8/user), email security (£3–£5/user) and backup (£5–£10/user) quickly becomes £53–£63/user when you add the essentials. Always ask: “Is security included in the quoted price?”
On-site visit charges. Some providers include a set number of on-site visits per month; others charge £150–£300 per visit on top of the monthly fee. Clarify this before signing.
Project work at premium rates. Day-to-day support is covered, but office moves, server migrations, new software deployments and major upgrades are often charged at £100–£175/hour. Ask where the line is between “support” and “project.”
Out-of-hours premium rates. Support outside business hours may be charged at 1.5–2× the normal rate. If your business operates evenings or weekends, check the out-of-hours pricing carefully.
Licence management fees. Some providers charge a margin on software licences (Microsoft 365, antivirus, backup) procured on your behalf. Ask whether licences are passed through at cost or marked up.
Connection Technologies has no hidden costs. Our £45/user/month price includes security, backups, monitoring and a named account manager. The only additional charges are for major project work, quoted transparently in advance.
Budget Template for UK Businesses
Use this template to estimate your total IT support budget:
| Budget Item | 10 Staff | 25 Staff | 50 Staff | 100 Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed IT (£45–£80/user) | £450–£800 | £1,125–£2,000 | £2,250–£4,000 | £4,500–£8,000 |
| Microsoft 365 licences | £100–£200 | £250–£500 | £500–£1,000 | £1,000–£2,000 |
| Internet/broadband | £50–£150 | £100–£300 | £200–£500 | £400–£1,000 |
| Hardware refresh (amortised) | £200–£400 | £500–£1,000 | £1,000–£2,000 | £2,000–£4,000 |
| Project budget (annual/12) | £200–£500 | £500–£1,000 | £1,000–£2,000 | £2,000–£4,000 |
| Total monthly IT budget | £1,000–£2,050 | £2,475–£4,800 | £4,950–£9,500 | £9,900–£19,000 |
| Per employee per month | £100–£205 | £99–£192 | £99–£190 | £99–£190 |
Rule of thumb: UK businesses should budget approximately £100–£200 per employee per month for total IT costs (support, licences, connectivity, hardware). The managed IT support component is typically 40–50% of this total.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does IT support cost per month for a small business UK?
A small UK business with 10–25 staff pays £450–£2,000/month for managed IT support (£45–£80/user/month). Connection Technologies offers comprehensive managed IT from £45/user/month with everything included.
What is the cheapest IT support option?
Break-fix (pay-as-you-go at £75–£150/hour) has no monthly fee but is the most expensive option long-term because it is purely reactive. The cheapest managed option is basic IT support at £30–£40/user/month, but this typically excludes security and backups.
Is per-user or per-device pricing better?
Per-user pricing is better for most businesses because it is simpler, more predictable and usually better value when employees use 2+ devices. Per-device pricing can work for businesses with many shared devices or equipment that does not need full management.
What should be included in the price?
At minimum: helpdesk support, proactive monitoring, endpoint security, email security, data backup, patch management and regular service reviews. If any of these are charged as extras, the headline price is misleading.
How do I know if I am overpaying for IT support?
If you are paying more than £80/user/month for a standard managed IT package (without 24/7 helpdesk or compliance management), you may be overpaying. Get 2–3 quotes and compare like-for-like — ensure every quote covers the same scope of services.
Can I reduce IT support costs by bundling with telecoms?
Yes. Bundling IT support with business mobiles, VoIP and broadband under one provider typically saves 15–30%. Connection Technologies offers unified IT and telecoms packages that reduce complexity and cost simultaneously.
Ready to Improve Your Business Technology?
Connection Technologies provides managed telecoms and IT services for UK businesses with 10-250 staff. Get a free, no-obligation assessment of your current setup.
Related Reading
More from the Connection Technologies blog.