Most IT providers won't tell you what they charge until you're three meetings deep. I think that's backwards. So here are the real numbers: what businesses pay nationally for managed IT services in 2026, what the different pricing models mean, and where our published tiers land against them.
The short answer
Most U.S. small and mid-size businesses pay $150 to $200 per user per month for comprehensive managed IT in 2026. Basic maintenance-only plans run $100 to $150 per user. Premium plans with a security operations center, compliance support and strategic planning run $225 to $350 per user. Break-fix work with no contract runs $150 to $250 an hour.
Gemini's tiers come in under the national range at every level: Tier 1 starts at $75 per user per month, and Tier 2 — the one we recommend to most businesses — starts at $125 per user per month.
The three pricing models you'll be quoted
| Model | How it works | National range (2026) | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per user | One flat fee per person covers every device they use | $100–$350 per user / month, depending on service level | The dominant model; make sure "per user" really means all their devices |
| Per device | A fee for each workstation and server | $50–$100 per workstation; $200–$500 per server | Gets expensive fast when people use a laptop, a desktop and a phone |
| Hourly / break-fix | No contract; you pay when something breaks | $150–$250 per hour | No prevention, no guaranteed response, and your provider earns more when you have problems |
We price per user, and we price on your exact counts. One "seat" is generally one user, one email and one computer. If your team doesn't fit that pattern — shared machines, seasonal staff — we adjust the count instead of charging you for people who don't exist.
What each service level buys nationally
| Service level | Typical price (U.S., 2026) | What it buys | Gemini comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Break-fix / hourly (no contract) | $150–$250 per hour | Repair after something breaks; no prevention, no guaranteed response | We don't sell hourly-only service. On [Tier 1](/services#tier-basic), cleanup from an outside incident is billed by the hour |
| Basic / maintenance | $100–$150 per user / month | Help desk, patching, basic monitoring, antivirus | [Tier 1 — Basic](/services#tier-basic): starting at $75 per user / month |
| Standard / proactive | $150–$225 per user / month | Basic + endpoint detection & response, email security, managed backup, cloud admin, quarterly reviews | [Tier 2 — Complete](/services#tier-complete): starting at $125 per user / month, plus a backup & disaster recovery plan |
| Premium / strategic | $225–$350 per user / month | Standard + security operations center, virtual CIO/CISO, compliance, incident response, 24/7 | [Tier 3 — Enterprise](/services#tier-enterprise): custom quote |
What moves the number
- Compliance requirements (HIPAA, CMMC, PCI, SOC 2) add about $25–$100 per user per month nationally.
- True 24/7 support with humans watching adds about $25–$50 per user per month.
- Volume matters: a 200-person company typically negotiates 10–20% lower per-user rates than a 20-person company.
- Backup and disaster recovery is often priced separately. Ours comes in Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels, from $100–$150 a month at the higher levels, with no monthly fee at Bronze.
Why we publish our prices
When an owner calls me, they've usually already been quoted by two or three providers who wouldn't put a number in writing. I don't like that way of doing business. It's like showing your work in math class: when you can see how we got to the number, you can trust the number.
We can come in under the national range because we've been at this since 1994 and we spread senior expertise across our clients — not because we leave things out. Tier 2 includes the things other providers charge premium rates for: 24/7 human threat response, managed detection and response, SIEM and identity threat detection.
"Too cheap is its own warning sign. The lowest-cost plans usually skip real security monitoring and proactive maintenance — the two things that keep a bad day from becoming a bad year."
How to compare two quotes
When you're looking at proposals side by side, ask these questions before you look at the price:
- 1Is security monitoring included, and is a human watching it around the clock — or is it just antivirus?
- 2If something gets in from outside, is cleanup included, or is it billed by the hour?
- 3Is backup included, and has anyone tested a restore?
- 4What happens after 5 PM and on weekends?
- 5Is there a real person who will know my business, or a rotating help desk?
A cheaper quote that answers those questions badly is the most expensive option on the table. For the deeper math on hiring in-house versus outsourcing, read Do You Really Need Full-Time IT Staff? What Fractional IT Costs.
Figures are 2026 U.S. national ranges compiled from published industry guides; local quotes vary with compliance needs, environment complexity and contract length. Want a number for your team, in writing? Get a quote or call 585-205-8430.
Sources
- Managed IT Services Pricing Guide 2026: What You Should Actually Pay — Petronella Technology Group
- How Much Does a Managed IT Service Provider Cost in 2026 — Petronella Technology Group
- Managed IT Support Pricing Models and Cost Ranges — ARPHost
- Outsourced IT Support vs In-House: 2026 Cost Math — Flamingo
- Gemini Technical Services — Service Plans & Pricing