"How much does IT support cost?" is usually the wrong first question — not because cost doesn't matter, but because two quotes with very different prices can cover completely different things. The more useful question is what's actually included, because that's what the price is really telling you.
How Managed IT Support Is Usually Priced
Most managed IT support is sold as a fixed monthly cost, typically calculated per user or per device. That predictability is one of the main advantages over paying for support only when something breaks — you know roughly what IT will cost each month, rather than being surprised by a large invoice after a bad week.
Price depends on several things: the number of users and devices covered, how much onsite support is included versus remote-only, response time commitments, and how much proactive work (monitoring, patching, security) sits inside the contract rather than being charged separately.
What Should Be Included as Standard
At a minimum, a managed IT support contract should cover:
- Helpdesk support for day-to-day issues
- Proactive monitoring, so problems are caught before they're reported
- Patching and updates across devices
- Basic security — MFA, endpoint protection
- Starter and leaver processing for user accounts
If a quote is significantly cheaper than others you're comparing, it's worth checking which of these are actually included rather than assuming they all are.
What's Commonly Charged Separately
Some things are reasonably billed on top of a base contract, and it's worth knowing what to expect rather than being surprised later: larger projects (like a Microsoft 365 migration or office move), new hardware purchases, and independent backup are all frequently priced separately from day-to-day support. What matters is that a provider is upfront about this before you sign, not that everything is bundled into one number.
Questions Worth Asking Before You Sign
A few direct questions tend to surface the real differences between quotes: What's the response time commitment, and is it different for critical issues? Is onsite support included, or charged separately? Who owns your Microsoft 365 tenant and domain if you switch providers? What happens to your data and access if you decide to leave?
For a longer checklist covering exactly this kind of comparison, see How to Choose the Right IT Support Company.
What This Looks Like at REONEX
REONEX prices managed IT support as a predictable monthly contract, with helpdesk, monitoring, patching and basic security included as standard rather than optional extras. If you want a straight answer on what a contract would look like for your business, get in touch — no obligation.