A slow laptop is frustrating. A failed backup, inaccessible customer records or a cyber incident can stop the business altogether. That is why the question, “what does IT support cost?”, is really about more than a monthly figure. It is about the cost of keeping people productive, protecting your data and knowing who will take ownership when something goes wrong.

For small and midsize businesses, IT support can range from occasional pay-as-you-go help to a fully managed service that covers day-to-day support, monitoring, security and strategic planning. The right choice depends on how heavily your business relies on technology, how much risk you can reasonably carry, and whether you have any internal IT resource.

In this guide we cover the typical UK market rates, what drives the price up or down, and what you should expect for your money. We also share exactly what My Tech Team charges, so you can compare us fairly against any other quote on your desk.

What does IT support cost per month?

As a broad UK guide, managed IT support for a small business commonly costs between £25 and £75 per user, per month. Businesses with more complex systems, stricter compliance needs, multiple sites or stronger cyber security requirements may pay £75 to £125 or more per user each month.

Some providers price per device instead, often charging separately for computers, servers, network equipment and mobile devices. This can work well for a business with shared workstations or fewer staff than devices. However, per-user pricing is usually easier to budget for because it better reflects the support each person needs across their laptop, phone, applications and access to company data.

For a small office, this often means a monthly investment from around £500 to £2,000 plus VAT. It is only a useful starting point, though. A low headline price can exclude essential services, while a higher fee may include proactive work that prevents far more costly disruption.

What My Tech Team charges

Our managed IT support costs between £110 and £150 per user, per month, depending on the level of support and protection your business needs. That places us above the typical market range, and we are open about that.

We are not the cheapest option in Sussex, and we do not try to be. We are also not an ordinary managed services company. Rather than selling a helpdesk and a monitoring tool and leaving the rest to chance, we take ownership of the whole picture: your devices, your Microsoft 365 environment, your security layers, your backups, your suppliers and the plan for where your technology goes next. The pricing reflects that level of accountability, and the time it takes to do it properly.

Put simply, the difference between our fee and a budget provider is usually a few pounds per person per day. The difference in what you get is a team that is working on your systems every week, not just answering the phone when something breaks.

Pay-as-you-go IT support

Pay-as-you-go support is normally charged by the hour or half-day. Typical rates can sit anywhere from £75 to £150 per hour, depending on the issue, the provider’s expertise and whether emergency attendance is needed.

This approach may suit a very small business with simple technology and little reliance on shared systems. The downside is that costs are unpredictable, and the provider has limited time to maintain, monitor or improve your systems before a problem occurs. You are paying to fix faults rather than reducing the chance of them happening.

Managed IT support

A managed support agreement usually provides a fixed monthly fee. In return, you receive an agreed scope of support, often including a helpdesk, remote assistance, proactive monitoring, patch management, supplier liaison and regular advice.

The main value is not simply having someone to call. It is having a team responsible for spotting warning signs, keeping devices updated, checking backups and resolving smaller issues before they become a day of lost work. This is the model My Tech Team is built around, and it is why our fee sits where it does.

Co-managed IT support

If you already have an in-house IT person or team, co-managed support can be a cost-effective middle ground. Your internal resource keeps control of day-to-day priorities, while an external provider adds specialist skills, tools, holiday cover and additional capacity for projects or major incidents.

Pricing varies widely because the service can be tailored. It may focus on cyber security, Microsoft 365 management, network oversight, escalation support or all of these areas.

What affects the cost of IT support?

Two businesses with the same number of staff can have very different support needs. A 20-person office using cloud applications and standard laptops is not the same as a 20-person automotive business relying on specialist diagnostic equipment, or a charity working across several sites with sensitive service-user data.

The biggest influences on cost are usually the following:

• Number of users and devices. More people, laptops, mobiles, printers and sites create more support demand and more systems to manage.
• Your technology setup. Older servers, inconsistent devices, poor Wi-Fi or a mixture of unsupported software can increase the work needed to keep things stable.
• Cyber security requirements. Multi-factor authentication, email protection, managed detection, security awareness training and incident response all add protection, but also affect the monthly fee.
• Backup and disaster recovery. A basic backup is not the same as a monitored, tested recovery plan that gets your business operating again after a serious failure.
• Support hours and response times. Standard business-hours support costs less than extended cover, priority response or onsite attendance commitments.
• Included services. Cloud management, phone systems, connectivity, supplier management and strategic IT planning may be included or charged separately.

These factors are also what moves a business between the lower and upper end of our own £110 to £150 range. A business with straightforward cloud-based systems and standard security needs will sit towards the lower end. One with stricter compliance requirements, multiple sites, specialist equipment or a higher level of security and recovery cover will sit towards the upper end.

It is also worth looking at the condition of your existing IT. A new support provider may identify overdue upgrades, unsupported operating systems, weak passwords or backups that have never been tested. Addressing those issues can create an initial project cost, but ignoring them simply moves the expense into the future, usually at a less convenient time.

What should be included in a good IT support contract?

A support agreement should be clear enough that you know what happens when an employee cannot log in at 9am, your internet connection fails or you suspect a phishing email has been opened. Avoid vague promises of “unlimited support” without a written explanation of what is and is not covered.

At a minimum, most businesses should expect remote helpdesk support, monitoring of managed devices, routine updates and patching, documented systems, and a route for escalating urgent problems. You should also know the service hours, expected response times and whether onsite visits are included, chargeable or only available in an emergency.

Security needs careful attention. A provider may manage the technical basics, but that does not automatically mean your business is comprehensively protected. Ask whether the fee covers email filtering, multi-factor authentication, endpoint security, backup monitoring, user awareness and support after a suspected incident. Each layer addresses a different risk.

Backup deserves the same scrutiny. Ask what is backed up, where it is stored, how long copies are retained and how often recovery is tested. A backup that cannot be restored when needed is not business continuity.

The hidden cost of choosing the cheapest option

Low-cost IT support is not always poor support, and a high monthly fee is not automatically good value. The issue is whether the service matches the risk your business carries.

A provider that only responds when people report a problem may appear cheaper than one that proactively monitors your systems. But compare the cost of a few pounds per user with a morning of staff unable to work, missed customer calls, delayed orders or an avoidable security incident.

Fragmented suppliers can also create hidden costs. If one company provides your broadband, another sells your phones, a third manages Microsoft 365 and nobody owns the overall picture, you may spend valuable time chasing answers. A single accountable IT partner will not remove every technical problem, but it should make resolving them much simpler.

This is the honest reason our pricing is higher than some. Taking ownership of the whole picture, rather than one slice of it, costs more to deliver. In our experience it costs the business far less over a year than the alternative.

How to compare IT support quotes fairly

When comparing proposals, do not start with the final monthly number. Start with the scope. Check whether each quote covers the same users, devices, locations, hours and security services. One proposal may look cheaper because it excludes security tooling, backup checks, onboarding, onsite work or project time.

Ask how the provider handles work outside the agreement. New staff setup, office moves, hardware replacements, cloud migrations and major upgrades are often separate projects. That is normal, provided the charging method is clear from the outset.

You should also ask how success will be measured. Useful signs include regular service reviews, a documented technology roadmap, reports on recurring issues and practical recommendations that fit your budget. Support should help your technology serve the business, not just keep old problems ticking over.

For Sussex businesses, local knowledge can be particularly useful when onsite support is genuinely needed or when a provider needs to understand the realities of your premises, connectivity and working patterns. Remote support resolves many issues quickly, but local backup matters when the problem is physical.

Getting a price that reflects your real needs

The most reliable way to budget is to begin with an IT audit or discovery conversation. This should cover your people, devices, software, connectivity, data, security controls, backup arrangements and any pain points that are costing time today. A decent provider will explain the findings in plain English, including what needs urgent action and what can be planned over time.

My Tech Team works with businesses that want one accountable team for their technology, whether that means fully outsourced support or practical extra capacity alongside internal IT. At £110 to £150 per user, per month, we will not be the lowest quote you receive. The aim is not to sell the most complicated package, or the cheapest one. It is to put the right protection and support around the way your business actually operates, and to be the team that owns the outcome.

Before accepting the lowest quote, ask one final question: if our systems fail on a busy day, who is responsible for getting us working again? The answer is often more valuable than the monthly price alone.