MSP pricing models
The four common ways managed IT is billed: per user, per device, tiered packages, and flat-rate all-inclusive.
Per user is now the dominant model and the one to prefer as a buyer. You pay a flat amount per employee and everything that person uses is covered. It became dominant because one person now runs three or more devices, and it makes the bill predictable as people swap hardware.
Per device charges for each endpoint. It looks cheaper on a quote and is usually more expensive in practice: a nine-person office frequently has twenty-five or more devices once phones and tablets are counted.
Tiered packages sell bronze, silver and gold. The useful question is always which specific line moves between tiers, because the answer is often after-hours cover you will never use.
Flat-rate all-inclusive quotes one number for everything. It is the simplest to budget and the hardest to compare, since the scope is whatever the contract says it is.
What it costs
Per user: $100 to $200 per month is typical. Per device: $50 to $150 per endpoint. Ask any provider for both numbers and multiply them out against your real device count, because the cheaper-sounding unit is not always the cheaper bill.
Related questions
Is per-user or per-device pricing better?
Per user, for almost every buyer. Count your actual devices including phones and tablets, then multiply. A nine-person office with twenty-six devices pays roughly three times more under per-device at the same headline rate.
What does an MSP charge per user?
$100 to $125 at the basic tier in 2026 and $150 to $200 for standard cover. Narrower remote-only plans exist well below that.
Related terms
- Per-user IT pricingBilling a flat monthly amount for each employee, covering every device and account that pe…
- Per-device IT pricingBilling for each endpoint under management rather than each person, typically $50 to $150 …
- Flat-rate IT supportA fixed recurring fee covering an agreed scope of IT work, with no per-ticket or hourly ch…