If you are budgeting for IT or comparing providers, the first question is usually the simplest one: what should managed IT services cost? The answer is a range, because providers include very different things for their monthly fee. This guide sets out typical managed IT services pricing in Australia in 2026, what moves the price up or down, the costs that often sit outside the monthly fee and how the numbers compare with hiring your own IT staff.
The ranges below are based on published pricing from 13 Australian managed service providers, reviewed in September 2026. The salary figures are 2026 data for Perth. All prices exclude GST.
The short answer: typical managed IT costs in 2026
| What you are buying | Typical price, excluding GST |
|---|---|
| Entry plan: monitoring plus a set number of support hours, or pay as you go help desk | $30 to $90 per user per month |
| Support only: unlimited remote help desk in business hours | $90 to $150 per user per month |
| Support plus security: endpoint detection, email filtering, multi factor authentication and Microsoft 365 backup | $130 to $220 per user per month |
| Fully managed with 24/7 cover and compliance work such as the Essential Eight | $200 to $350 or more per user per month |
| Hourly support | $150 to $220 per hour |
| A 10 person business, all in | $900 to $2,000 per month |
If you want a number for your own business rather than a market range, our instant price calculator gives you one in about two minutes, and you do not need to hand over an email address to see it.
How managed IT services are priced
Almost every provider uses one of four models, and many mix them.
- Per user per month. One price for each staff member, covering their laptop, phone and accounts. This is the most common model for small and medium businesses, because it is simple and grows with your headcount.
- Per device per month. A price for each computer, server or network device. It suits businesses with shared computers or shift workers, but it can cost more when each person has several devices.
- Support hours plans. A lower monthly fee that includes a set number of support hours, with extra time charged if you go over. These suit stable teams with few requests.
- Break fix. No monthly fee. You pay by the hour when something goes wrong. It looks cheap until something goes wrong, and nobody is watching your systems in between.
The important difference is between plans with a set number of hours and unlimited plans. A support hours plan protects the provider when you call a lot. An unlimited plan protects you. Neither is wrong, but you should know which one you are being quoted and what happens when the hours run out.
What you typically pay per user per month
At the lower end, around $30 to $90 per user buys monitoring, patching and a limited amount of help desk time. That can work for a business with its own IT person, or a small team that rarely needs help.
The middle of the market, $90 to $150 per user, is where most small business IT support plans sit: unlimited remote help in business hours, device management, Microsoft 365 administration and supplier liaison.
Adding security takes most plans to between $130 and $220 per user. That usually means endpoint detection and response, email filtering, security awareness training and Microsoft 365 backup. Given that the average self reported cost of a cybercrime to an Australian small business was $56,600 in 2024 to 2025, according to the ASD Annual Cyber Threat Report, most businesses should treat security as part of the base price rather than an optional extra.
Fully managed plans with 24/7 cover, a virtual CIO or CISO and compliance work such as the Essential Eight or SMB1001 start at around $200 per user and can go well past $350. Providers define this tier very differently, so read the inclusions closely.
What drives the price up or down
- Number of users and devices. Most providers price per user, with discounts at larger sizes.
- Servers and sites. Each server and each extra office adds work, and most providers charge for them separately.
- Hours of cover. Business hours support is the standard. Extended hours and 24/7 cover can add a significant percentage to the plan price.
- Security level. Basic antivirus costs little. A 24/7 security operations centre, SIEM logging and application control cost more, and are worth more.
- Compliance. Working towards the Essential Eight, SMB1001 or ISO 27001 adds documentation, evidence and reporting.
- Onsite needs. Regular site visits, regional offices and hands on hardware work cost more than remote support.
- Onshore or offshore support. An Australian service desk costs more to run than an offshore call centre, and the difference shows up in the price and in the experience.
- The state of your environment. Old hardware, undocumented systems and unsupported software take more time to look after.
What IT support costs in Perth
Pricing here sits in line with the national ranges. Published business rates for hourly support typically sit between $150 and $220 per hour, often with a one hour minimum and sometimes a call out fee for site visits. Monthly plans from local providers follow the same per user bands shown above.
If you are comparing providers for managed IT services in Perth, ask where the engineers are based and how quickly calls are answered, not just the price per user. A cheaper plan that routes calls offshore or leaves tickets waiting a day can cost more in lost time than it saves.
Costs that often sit outside the monthly fee
- Onboarding. Typically a one off fee from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, sometimes charged per user. Some providers waive it.
- Projects. Migrations, new offices, server replacements and Microsoft 365 rollouts are almost always quoted separately.
- After hours work. Unless your plan includes extended or 24/7 cover, work outside business hours is usually charged at a higher rate.
- Licences. Microsoft 365 and other software licences are usually billed on top of the support fee.
- Hardware. Laptops, network equipment and servers are bought separately, often with a set up fee.
- Backup storage. Some providers include a storage allowance and charge for anything above it.
In house IT vs managed services: what hiring really costs
The alternative to managed IT is employing your own staff. These are 2026 median base salaries from Robert Half, with the 12% superannuation guarantee that has applied since 1 July 2025 added.
| Role | Median base salary | With 12% super |
|---|---|---|
| IT help desk support | $87,200 | $97,664 |
| Systems administrator | $130,800 | $146,496 |
| IT manager | $168,950 | $189,224 |
Those figures do not include recruitment, training, workers compensation, the monitoring and security tools an IT person needs, or cover for around six weeks a year of annual and personal leave under the National Employment Standards. One person also cannot cover every skill or every hour.
For comparison, a 50 person business paying $130 to $220 per user per month for support plus security spends around $78,000 to $132,000 a year on a whole team, with the tools included. That is why most businesses under about 100 staff outsource. Larger businesses often keep an IT manager and use a provider for the help desk, security and overflow, which is known as co-managed IT.
How to compare managed IT quotes like for like
Before you compare totals, check each quote against this list.
- Is remote support unlimited, or is there a set number of hours each month?
- Which security tools are included, and is anyone watching the alerts at night?
- Is Microsoft 365 backup included?
- What are the covered hours, and what does after hours work cost?
- What are the response and resolution targets for each priority?
- Are onsite visits included, and where?
- What counts as a user, and are shared mailboxes or casual staff charged?
- Are servers, extra sites and network devices included or extra?
- Is there an onboarding fee, and what does it cover?
- Where are the engineers based?
A provider that answers every question clearly, in writing, is usually one that will be easy to work with.
Get your price in two minutes
Every business is different, so the most useful number is your own. Our instant price calculator asks a few questions about your team, your servers and the cover you need, and shows your monthly price straight away. No email needed and no sales call. If you would rather talk it through, call us on 1300 787 429.
Managed IT pricing questions
How much do managed IT services cost per user per month?
In Australia, support only plans typically cost $90 to $150 per user per month excluding GST, and plans that add security such as endpoint detection, email filtering and Microsoft 365 backup typically cost $130 to $220. Entry plans with a set number of support hours can start from around $30.
What should a managed IT fee include?
At a minimum: help desk support for your staff, monitoring and patching of devices and servers, and Microsoft 365 administration. Security, backup, after hours cover and onsite visits are often extras, so ask for the inclusions in writing.
Is per user or per device pricing better?
Per user pricing suits businesses where each person has a laptop and a phone, because you are not charged twice. Per device pricing can suit businesses with shared computers, kiosks or shift workers.
What does IT support cost per hour in Perth?
Published business rates in Perth typically sit between $150 and $220 per hour excluding GST. Ask about minimum charges, travel and call out fees, because they change the real cost of a short job.
Do managed IT providers charge onboarding fees?
Many do, from a few hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the size and state of your environment, and some waive it. Ask what the fee covers: documentation, monitoring setup, security fixes and time spent learning your systems.
Is managed IT cheaper than hiring in house?
For most businesses under about 100 staff, yes. A single help desk employee in Perth costs close to $98,000 a year in salary and super before leave, training and tools. It still leaves you without cover when they are away.
What is the difference between a support hours plan and an unlimited plan?
A support hours plan includes a set number of hours each month and usually costs less, which suits stable teams with few requests. An unlimited plan covers every request for a fixed fee, which suits growing or support heavy teams. Check what happens when the hours run out.
Why do managed IT quotes vary so much?
Because providers include different things. Security tools, backup, hours of cover, response targets, onsite visits and what counts as a user all change the price. Compare quotes line by line rather than on the total.
Sources
- Market price ranges: published pricing from 13 Australian managed service providers, reviewed September 2026.
- Salaries: Robert Half 2026 Salary Guide for Perth, IT help desk support, systems administrator and IT manager, accessed September 2026.
- Superannuation guarantee: Australian Taxation Office.
- Leave entitlements: Fair Work Ombudsman, National Employment Standards.
- Cost of cybercrime: ASD Annual Cyber Threat Report 2024 to 2025.
