What managed IT support costs — per user or per device

Many business owners ask for a price and hear back "per user" or "per device" without realising what that actually covers—or what it leaves out. The label matters, but it's not the label that determines whether you're overpaying; it's what sits beneath it. A quote without a written scope can leave gaps that surface weeks later, when you need something unrelated to what you thought was included.

Managed IT support is sold on two broad models, and understanding the gap between them saves frustration and money.

Per-user pricing: when headcount is the lever

Per-user means the provider charges based on how many people work at your company. A team of ten costs less than a team of twenty. The logic is simple: more people means more support tickets, more configuration, more training.

Here's what people miss: per-user pricing does not mean "unlimited devices per person." It also doesn't necessarily mean all problems are covered. A provider quoting per user might bundle in email support, password resets, and basic software troubleshooting—but exclude server maintenance, network infrastructure, or security monitoring. You have to ask explicitly. Some per-user plans cap the number of support incidents per month or charge extra for on-site visits. Others include only remote support and won't touch your physical hardware.

Per-user pricing works well if your team size is stable and predictable. It's less suited if you hire and shed staff frequently, because you'll renegotiate the contract each time.

Per-device pricing: counting machines instead of people

Per-device means you pay for each computer, printer, phone, or tablet under management. A company with fifteen laptops, five desktops, ten phones and three printers might be billed on twenty-five or thirty devices depending on what the provider includes.

The advantage is visibility: you know exactly what's being monitored. The catch is scope creep in the opposite direction. A per-device quote sometimes excludes networking gear, servers, or cloud infrastructure. A provider might manage your desktops but charge separately for your file server or Microsoft 365 tenant. Personal devices brought onto your network—a contractor's laptop, a director's tablet—might not be covered at all, leaving you with an insurance gap.

Per-device also penalises growth. If you add five new machines, your bill rises immediately. Some providers tier the price per device down as you scale, so your fiftieth device costs less than your tenth; others don't.

What usually lives outside both labels

Neither pricing model tells you much about what's not included. Strategic projects—migrating to cloud, overhauling your security infrastructure, planning for load-shedding redundancy—almost always cost extra. Procurement of hardware or software licences is rarely bundled. Training end-users on new systems is sometimes chargeable time. Emergency after-hours support, if available, often attracts a premium or sits outside the base contract.

Some providers include a certain number of on-site hours per month; once you exceed it, you pay per visit. Others offer unlimited remote support but meter on-site at an hourly rate. Incident response for security breaches, data recovery, or ransomware can be catastrophically expensive if treated as a one-off invoice rather than negotiated up front.

The real cost driver is how tightly the scope is written. A per-user plan with a narrowly written scope might cover only one person's device, regardless of its price point. A per-device plan might exclude servers and network switches, which are often where the real complexity lives.

How to compare without comparing numbers

When you get two quotes, don't line up the prices side by side. Line up what's actually covered. Ask each provider to list what's in scope: which devices or roles, what types of problems, how many on-site visits per month, whether it covers remote access tools, backups, security patches, firmware updates, and vendor management.

Ask what's out of scope and what would trigger an extra charge. Ask what happens if you bring on a contractor or open a new office. Ask whether the price scales if you add three devices or stays flat. Ask how often you'll pay for change projects outside the support contract.

A narrower scope—at any price—is often what makes a quote lower, so check what's excluded before comparing numbers. The most expensive might include services you don't need. Finding the fit means matching the scope to what actually breaks, what you need protected, and how your business grows. When you're ready to compare providers side by side, Strove lets you gather quotes from vetted IT support specialists in your province and ask them these exact questions before committing.