How Much Is the Cost of Hiring an MSP?
Managed service providers (MSPs) offer different outsourced IT services to small and mid-sized businesses that want to cut costs while boosting their IT capabilities.
These services vary, from providing on-site or remote support to remote monitoring and data recovery. The range of services they offer to clients are usually outlined in a service level agreement (SLA).
But if this is your first time hearing about MSPs, you might have questions like “Is MSP free?” or how much it costs. Knowing what level of service to expect from your MSP. Determine how much each type of service costs. These will help you decide whether it’s worth investing in one or if it’s better to hire in-house.
Here are six of the most common pricing models that will better explain why the answer to “Is MSP free?” is a big no:
Pricing Per User
The MSP will charge you a fixed monthly fee agreeable to the number of users in the organization. It is inclusive of all the devices used by a single end-user. Computing the service cost is less confusing if done this way for clients whose end-users have multiple gadgets. The number of end-users included in the plan gets recorded. Then, audits check if the actual user count matches the SLA. Pricing might be reevaluated, too.
Many MSPs prefer per-user pricing. This means you only need to pay a flat rate per end-user. An overall pricing estimate for a full IT service ranges from $100 to $200 per end-user per month. But if you insist on using your network security programs or software to let the MSPs work, you will have to pay more. It is because they will spend time and effort studying your programs and merging these with their software before using them on your IT systems.
Pricing Per Device
Paying per device can either be a la carte or all-inclusive. It can be a la carte if you only want to target a few devices and pay more to resolve IT problems. But it can also be inclusive if you want the MSP to monitor all the devices connected to your network.
Is MSP free? It is definitely not, and it will cost you a lot if you have many devices and equipment you use for work. Given the current working environment, there would be many desktops, printers, copiers, and smartphones to secure.
The cost even differs among the different types of devices. Securing a phone costs less than monitoring a desktop. There is also a separate charge for each network endpoint, such as network switches, work phones, and servers.
An all-inclusive pricing per device may cost you $200 to $250 every month to watch the server. It could be $5 to $100 per mobile device.
Break/Fix Pricing
The difference between a break/fix arrangement and a proactive service is you’re going to pay the MSP only if something needs fixing.
MSPs offering this arrangement often charge a flat fee or an hourly rate, depending on what you need. Repairs or troubleshooting devices may cost you $40 to $350 per visit. If they charge hourly, it may range from $75 to $250 per hour. The latter might vary depending on the services needed, how far your site is from the office, and more.
It might be ideal to choose the break/fix setup if your system rarely breaks down. Usually, MSPs provide this service to clients whose IT network is only one of their sources of income instead of their core business.
Monitoring-only Pricing
Some MSPs offer remote monitoring alone. They watch over your entire IT environment and notify you if their program, usually a Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software, detects something amiss. It will be up to you to decide whether to hire the MSP to fix the issue or use your in-house IT staff. If it is the latter, MSPs usually offer to train your internal staff to help with the monitoring.
Even monitoring-only setups come at a fee. It is still a no if you ask, “Is MSP free then?” Service providers usually charge $20 to $30 per monitored device per month. There are usually options to upgrade the level of monitoring you want for certain devices. It can move from business-hour monitoring to a 24/7 one if you are willing to pay extra.
If you want your internal staff’s attention elsewhere and outsource all the monitoring tasks to your MSP, you can get that too at a higher price. That final price tag will grow bigger, though, every time you need to hire the MSP to fix issues.
A la carte pricing models like the monitoring-only and break/fix approaches might cost you more in the long run. They might also leave your system vulnerable because they will not provide you with the complete managed IT services an inclusive package does. Consider this issue first before deciding if you want to risk it with an a la carte managed IT service or not.
Why Choose Itarian Now
Are you still hoping to get some sort of a yes for the question, “Is MSP free somewhat?” You cannot expect a freebie, but you can work with special pricing from us here at Itarian. If you are just starting, our team can help you figure things out.
Are you still hoping to get some sort of a yes for the question, “Is MSP free somewhat?” You cannot expect a freebie, but you can work with special pricing from us here at Itarian. If you are just starting, our team can help you figure things out.