Price index: every service at a glance
111 published figures from 54 sources, each opened and checked against its page on October 13, 2026. "Range we use" is the range quoted across this site. "Published figures" runs from the lowest to the highest comparable figure we found.
| Service | Unit | Range we use | Published figures | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed IT services | per user per month | $100 to $250 | $50 to $400 | 8 |
| Managed IT, per device | per device per month (workstation; servers listed separately) | $50 to $100 per workstation | $45 to $150 | 5 |
| Co-managed IT | per user per month | $45 to $175 | $40 to $175 | 4 |
| Outsourced help desk, per ticket | per ticket (per-user prices are listed in the source table) | $6 to $40 per ticket | $6 to $45 | 2 |
| Break-fix IT support | per hour | $75 to $250 | $75 to $350 | 6 |
| IT consulting | per hour | $150 to $250 | $100 to $300 | 5 |
| Virtual CIO (vCIO) | per month | $2,000 to $10,000 | $1,000 to $25,000 | 6 |
| Backup and disaster recovery | per month for a small business (size basis in each entry) | $300 to $1,200 (20 to 50 staff) | $300 to $3,000 | 2 |
| Microsoft 365 backup | per user per month | $2 to $5 | $0.42 to $7 | 4 |
| Managed detection and response (MDR) | per endpoint per month | $8 to $25 | $8 to $75 | 5 |
| EDR software only | per endpoint per month | $3 to $20 | $3 to $20 | 2 |
| SOC as a service and managed SIEM | per month | $5,000 to $25,000 (mid-market) | $1,000 to $25,000 | 3 |
| Virtual CISO (vCISO) | per month | $1,500 to $4,000 (under 50 staff) | $2,000 to $25,000 | 5 |
| Penetration test, network | per test | $5,000 to $20,000 (small external test) | $4,000 to $40,000 | 4 |
| Penetration test, web app | per test | $5,000 to $30,000 | $3,500 to $35,000 | 4 |
| Managed firewall | per firewall per month | $50 to $300 | $50 to $300 | 3 |
| Email security | per user per month | $2 to $5 | $2 to $9.42 | 3 |
| Security awareness training | per user per month | $1.50 to $4 | $0.60 to $6 | 3 |
| In-house systems administrator | per year (median annual wage) | $99,130 median pay | $62,640 to $155,050 | 1 |
| Small business cyber insurance | per year | $1,552 a year (Insureon customers) | $323 to $8,000 | 3 |
Cite or reuse this data
Clear IT Pricing, "Managed IT and Cybersecurity Price Index," updated October 13, 2026, https://clearitpricing.com/managed-it-price-index/
Free to reuse with credit and a link to this page (CC BY 4.0).
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Get a quote for my business- Managed IT price index
- A managed IT price index is a side-by-side list of the prices that IT providers, vendors, insurers and government sources publish for business IT and security services, each with its unit, scope, date and source.
What managed IT costs, by the published numbers
Fully managed IT is most often published at $100 to $250 per user per month in 2026 guides 35. Across the eight sources we found, the spread runs from a $50 to $100 band in Kaseya's 2023 survey of MSPs 1 to $400 at the top of one provider's range, for fully hosted or cloud packages 2. Entry tiers start around $100 per user: one provider's basic tier begins at $100 4 and another's at $102 6.
The spread is mostly scope, not markup. The low end usually covers help desk, monitoring and patching. The high end adds 24/7 security monitoring, backup, compliance support and on-site visits. Before you compare two quotes, line them up against the same list: our managed IT pricing guide has one, and the managed IT services guide explains what each piece is.
Per-device pricing is the older model. Kaseya's 2023 survey found $50 to $100 per device per month was the most common band 1. Current provider guides list workstations at $45 to $150 a month and bill servers separately at higher rates (see the per-device sources below).
Why published prices differ so much
Four things explain most of the gaps in this index.
- Unit. Help desk is priced per ticket in some guides ($6 to $40 or $25 to $45) and per user in others ($25 to $110 per month) 91011. Comparing a per-ticket price with a per-user price tells you nothing.
- Scope. A $5,000 to $25,000 monthly SOC retainer for a company with 100 to 1,000 employees 8 and a $1,000 to $10,000 retainer that scales with log volume and user count 12 are different products.
- Who is selling. vCIO services from an MSP are published at $2,000 to $10,000 a month 13. Consulting and leadership firms that sell enterprise or fractional CIO services publish $5,000 to $25,000 1415. Both are called a virtual CIO.
- Age of the data. The newest named MSP survey with per-user price bands that we found is from 2023 1. Everything newer comes from providers' own guides, which is why we never call any of these numbers an industry average.
Every row in the source tables says what the figure covers. Figures in a different unit or for a different scope are listed but kept out of the charts and the low and high columns.
Want a second opinion on your setup? Send a short request and one provider follows up by email within one business day. How it works.
Get a quote for my businessSecurity services: MDR, SOC, pen testing and vCISO
Security prices are easier to compare because the units are more consistent.
- MDR: published prices for mainstream endpoint MDR start around $8 to $10 per endpoint per month, and one security firm puts the typical range at $8 to $25 8. Huntress lists its managed EDR at $8.99 per endpoint 16. Coverage that adds network, cloud and identity monitoring is published at $25 to $50 per endpoint, and one vendor-price index tops out at $75 2517. See our MDR guide.
- Penetration testing: an external network test starts around $4,000 to $5,000, and published ranges run to $12,000 to $30,000 depending on the number of IP addresses 18192024. Internal network tests run higher, to $35,000 to $40,000 1820. Our penetration testing guide covers scoping.
- vCISO: published monthly retainers for companies with up to 50 employees run $1,500 to $4,000, and ranges for larger organizations reach $20,000 21. See the vCISO guide.
- SOC and managed SIEM: most small businesses buy MDR per endpoint instead. Full SOC retainers are a mid-market purchase 8, covered in our SOC as a service guide.
In-house IT and cyber insurance, for comparison
The median pay for a network and computer systems administrator was $99,130 in May 2025, with the lowest 10 percent under $62,640 and the highest 10 percent over $155,050 7. Benefits make up about 30 percent of total compensation for private industry workers 26, and one person cannot cover nights, vacations and every skill. Our outsourced IT vs in-house guide works through the math.
Cyber insurance premiums depend heavily on the coverage limit. Insureon reports its small business customers pay $1,552 a year, or $129 a month, for cyber coverage with limits that are typically $1 million to $5 million 22. Hiscox's published example quotes for a $250,000 limit run $323 to $407 a year 23. Our cyber insurance requirements guide covers the controls insurers now ask for.
How to use these numbers when you get a quote
Use the index to check that a quote is in the published range for its scope, not to pick the cheapest provider.
- Ask every provider for a per-user (or per-endpoint) monthly price and a written list of what it includes.
- Find the matching service below and check the figure against sources with the same unit and scope.
- If a quote is well above the range, ask what is included that the range does not cover: on-site hours, 24/7 security monitoring, compliance work and onboarding fees are the usual reasons.
- If a quote is well below, ask what is excluded. Work billed hourly outside the plan ($75 to $250 an hour for standard break-fix and up to $350 for after-hours escalations in published guides) can erase a low monthly price 34.
- Compare contract terms as closely as price. Our guide on how to choose an MSP lists the clauses to check.
If you want a quote to compare against these numbers, the form on this page sends your request to one provider, who replies by email within one business day.
How we built this index
We started from the price sources already cited across this site, then searched for other published US prices for each service dated 2024 to 2026: provider pricing guides, vendor list prices, named surveys, insurer data and government data. A second reviewer who did not collect the figures opened every source page on October 13, 2026 and confirmed each figure, its unit, its date and what it covers.
We excluded sources that did not state US prices, pages we could not confirm, and anything from forums or AI summaries. Kaseya's survey is the one figure from a global sample (mostly the Americas), and its row says so. We do not average across sources. Where a figure is one provider's own price or estimate, the table says so. Most published IT prices come from companies that sell the service, so treat them as asking prices, not market data.
Spotted a newer or better source? Email contact@clearitpricing.com and we will check it for the next update.
Managed IT prices by source
Managed IT services per user per month
Range we use: $100 to $250. More detail in our managed IT pricing guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (8)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaseya | Survey | $50 to $100 per user per month | Most common per-user price band (22% of MSPs) in Kaseya's 2023 Global MSP Benchmark Survey; global MSP sample; page first published 2022-04-29, last modified 2026-08-16 | Aug 2026 |
| Flamingo | Provider guide | $100 to $250 per user per month | Small business managed IT; MSP software vendor's guide, no named data source | Apr 2026, updated Oct 2026 |
| Consilien | Provider guide | $100 to $250 per user per month | Outsourced IT support nationwide; one provider's guide; compliance and 24/7 coverage push past $250 | Sep 2026 |
| Strategic Micro Systems | Provider guide | $100 to $300 per user per month | One MSP's published range for growing businesses: basic $100 to $125, standard $150 to $200, premium $200 to $300 | May 2026 |
| Dataprise | Provider guide | $102 to $210 per user per month | Starting prices of one MSP's three published tiers (IT Foundation $102, IT Fortify $158, IT Comply $210); its FAQ gives $100 to $200 for midsize companies | Jul 2026 |
| Petronella Technology Group | Provider guide | $125 to $300 per user per month | Comprehensive managed IT; one MSP's figure described as a national average, no survey cited; tiers basic $100 to $150, standard $150 to $225, premium $225 to $350 | Mar 2026 |
| VC3 | Provider guide | $150 to $400 per user per month | One MSP's published range for the US and Canada, low end mid-range support, high end fully hosted or cloud packages; the same page says common per-user charges are $150 to $175; page titled 2026 | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| BRITECITY | List price | $157 per user per month | Single figure; one MSP's published list price, month to month, $2,500 monthly minimum; per-computer ($17.85) and per-mailbox ($16.90) security billed on top | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
No current neutral US survey of MSP prices was found. Kaseya's figures come from a 2023 global survey shown on a page updated in 2026. All other entries are individual providers' published guides or price lists, so each reflects one company's view. Syncro's 2023 report (average $151 per user) was left out because it is dated 2023.
Managed IT, per device per device per month (workstation; servers listed separately)
Range we use: $50 to $100 per workstation. More detail in our managed IT pricing guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (8)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITECS | List price | $45 to $150 per endpoint per month | Starting prices of one Dallas MSP's three published plans (MSP Select $45, MSP Pro $100, MSP Elite $150) | Mar 2026, updated Aug 2026 |
| Kaseya | Survey | $50 to $100 per device per month | Most common per-device price band (28% of MSPs) in Kaseya's 2023 Global MSP Benchmark Survey; 20% charged under $50; global MSP sample | Aug 2026 |
| Petronella Technology Group | Provider guide | $50 to $100 per workstation per month | Workstation; one MSP's published range | Mar 2026 |
| Datastrive | Provider guide | $50 to $150 per device per month | Per-device model; one Chicago MSP's guide, which calls this model older and declining | May 2026 |
| Mako Logics | Provider guide | $75 to $130 per workstation per month | Workstation; one Houston MSP's published buyer guide | Apr 2026 |
| VC3 Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $50 to $100 per workstation (billing period not stated) | Workstation; one MSP's published per-device range; the page does not say per month, per year or one time, so the period is unconfirmed | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| VC3 Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $100 to $400 per server (billing period not stated) | Server; one MSP's published per-device range; the page does not say per month, per year or one time, so the period is unconfirmed | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| Mako Logics Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $250 to $600 per server per month | SERVERS, not workstations: server, from standard to compliance-heavy; one Houston MSP's published buyer guide | Apr 2026 |
Workstation figures cluster at $50 to $100 with some providers higher. Server pricing varies widely ($100 to $600) and depends on compliance scope. Kaseya's 2023 survey found 30% of MSPs do not offer per-device pricing at all. VC3's per-device figures carry no billing period on the page, so they are marked not comparable.
Co-managed IT per user per month
Range we use: $45 to $175. More detail in our co-managed IT guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (5)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Datastrive | Provider guide | $40 to $100 per user per month | Augmenting an in-house IT team; the same table offers a flat fee of $2,500 to $10,000 per month | May 2026 |
| Meriplex | Provider guide | $45 to $175 per user per month | Mid-market organizations; $45 to $75 escalation and basic monitoring, $85 to $130 adding EDR and patching, $130 to $175 with SOC/SIEM; one provider's estimate | Apr 2026, updated Sep 2026 |
| TSP (Technology Service Professionals) | Provider guide | $75 per user per month | Single figure; the source says "in some cases" | Feb 2025, updated Aug 2026 |
| Mako Logics | Provider guide | $75 to $135 per user per month | Co-managed package in Houston; the guide puts it at 40% to 60% of fully managed pricing | Apr 2026 |
| Flamingo Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $3,000 to $10,000 per month (base retainer) | Flat base retainer for a whole mid-market client, plus per-incident or per-project hours; MSP software vendor's 2026 range | May 2026, updated Oct 2026 |
All entries are individual providers' published figures; no survey of co-managed pricing was found. Per-user ranges overlap at roughly $45 to $135, with Meriplex's top tier ($130 to $175) including a SOC/SIEM layer. Flamingo's figure is a flat monthly retainer and is not comparable per user.
Outsourced help desk, per ticket per ticket (per-user prices are listed in the source table)
Range we use: $6 to $40 per ticket. More detail in our help desk outsourcing guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (5)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ScienceSoft | Provider guide | $6 to $40 per ticket | L1 to L2 support, price falls with volume (about $14 per L1 ticket at 200 tickets a month); vendor says these are not its official rates; one-time transition fee $1,500 to $5,000; page titled 2026 | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| Flamingo | Provider guide | $25 to $45 per ticket | A la carte help desk ticket pricing; MSP software vendor's 2026 range | May 2026, updated Oct 2026 |
| MSH Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $25 to $110 per user per month | PER USER, not per ticket: help desk only, from a table of 2026 planning ranges for US small and mid-sized organizations; device-based pricing about $20 to $60 per endpoint | Sep 2026 |
| LosAngeles.IT Different unit or scope | Cost guide | $50 to $110 per user per month | PER USER, not per ticket: unlimited help desk, Los Angeles market; directory's editorial estimates, no named sources | Jul 2026 |
| TSP (Technology Service Professionals) Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $75 to $125 per user per month | Basic managed IT package that bundles help desk with monitoring and patching; starting price | Feb 2025, updated Aug 2026 |
Units differ: two sources price per ticket and three per user per month. Per-user help desk is often sold inside a managed IT plan, so standalone per-user figures are scarce. MSH is a global recruiting and technology consulting firm; its table is labeled for US organizations.
Break-fix IT support per hour
Range we use: $75 to $250. More detail in our business IT support guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (6)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSP (Technology Service Professionals) | Provider guide | $75 to $200 per hour | Break-fix; high end "or more" | Feb 2025, updated Aug 2026 |
| Flamingo | Provider guide | $75 to $250 per hour | Break-fix; emergency rates $300 or more; MSP software vendor's guide | Apr 2026, updated Oct 2026 |
| Unio Digital | Provider guide | $100 to $200 per hour | Break-fix labor plus parts; one Tucson provider's guide | Aug 2026 |
| CMIT Solutions of Las Vegas | Provider guide | $125 to $175 per hour | Standard break-fix rate in Las Vegas; after-hours or emergency $175 to $250 per hour | Jul 2026 |
| Strategic Micro Systems | Provider guide | $150 to $350 per hour | After-hours escalations billed on top of a flat monthly managed IT fee, not standard daytime break-fix | May 2026 |
| VC3 | Provider guide | $175 to $350 per hour | Ad hoc services billed hourly; one MSP's published range | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
Standard daytime rates cluster around $75 to $250 per hour. After-hours and emergency work runs higher ($175 to $350, with Flamingo citing $300 or more). Syncro's 2023 survey average of $110 per hour was left out because it is dated 2023.
IT consulting per hour
Range we use: $150 to $250. More detail in our IT consulting guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (5)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSP (Technology Service Professionals) | Provider guide | $100 to $200 per hour | Project management and general consulting; the same guide puts senior consultants at $200 to $350 or more | Feb 2025, updated Aug 2026 |
| Petronella Technology Group | Provider guide | $150 to $250 per hour | Project engineering time billed outside managed IT | Mar 2026 |
| Meriplex | Provider guide | $150 to $275 per hour | Project work billed outside a co-managed monthly rate | Apr 2026, updated Sep 2026 |
| Consilien | Provider guide | $150 to $300 per hour | General technology advisory, United States; one provider's guide | Sep 2026 |
| Mako Logics | Provider guide | $195 to $275 per hour | Senior engineer (server, cloud, security); project engineer listed at $135 to $195 | Apr 2026 |
Firm rates cluster at $150 to $275 per hour. Freelance marketplace rates (for example Upwork) are far lower and are not US firm rates, so they are not listed here. The Cloudiway entry is marked not verified: the publisher is French and its rates are not stated as US prices.
Virtual CIO (vCIO) per month
Range we use: $2,000 to $10,000. More detail in our vCIO guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (8)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Datastrive | Provider guide | $1,000 to $5,000 per month | Added on top of a managed IT plan as flat fee or separate retainer; covers vCIO and other strategic scope | May 2026 |
| Petronella Technology Group | Provider guide | $2,000 to $8,000 per month | Depends on scope and organization size; typical engagement 10 to 40 hours a month | Mar 2026 |
| Intelligent Technical Solutions | Provider guide | $2,000 to $10,000 per month | Flat monthly fee; provider says there is no standard price point | Mar 2025 |
| Go Fractional | Provider guide | $5,000 per month | Single figure; starting retainer for five to ten hours a week, fractional CIO marketplace | Oct 2026 |
| EPC Group | Provider guide | $5,000 to $25,000 per month | Enterprise-focused Microsoft consulting firm in Houston; the page also states other starting points ($7,500) | Oct 2026 |
| Innovation Vista | Provider guide | $8,000 to $25,000 per month | Fractional or virtual CIO leadership from a Houston leadership consulting firm (Contract CIO+ service); the firm's full range across interim, fractional and virtual roles is $4,000 to $50,000 | Jun 2023, updated Oct 2026 |
| Intelligent Technical Solutions Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $200 to $300 per hour | HOURLY RATE, not a monthly fee; hourly vCIO consulting rate | Mar 2025 |
| Go Fractional Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $190 per hour | HOURLY RATE, not a monthly fee; average reported by this source across the marketplace's live benchmarks | Oct 2026 |
Figures split by buyer type. MSP-delivered vCIO for small businesses sits around $1,000 to $10,000 a month, while executive fractional CIO firms start around $5,000 to $8,000 and run to $25,000. Hourly rates run $190 to $300. No independent pricing dataset exists. Some MSPs include vCIO in premium managed IT tiers at no separate line-item price. Hourly entries are marked not comparable to the monthly figures.
Backup and disaster recovery per month for a small business (size basis in each entry)
Range we use: $300 to $1,200 (20 to 50 staff). More detail in our backup and disaster recovery guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (5)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sequentur | Provider guide | $300 to $800 per month | Managed backup only, 20 to 50 person business; one MSP's estimate | Apr 2026, updated Sep 2026 |
| BRITECITY | Provider guide | $300 to $900 per month | Cloud Backup Essentials tier for businesses with 5 to 25 users, including Microsoft 365 backup; mid-sized business continuity tier $900 to $2,800; page titled 2026 | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| Sequentur | Provider guide | $1,000 to $3,000 per month | Full managed DR with defined RTO/RPO, 20 to 50 person business; backup plus quarterly DR testing is $500 to $1,200 | Apr 2026, updated Sep 2026 |
| Datastrive Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $50 to $200 per server per month | PER SERVER, not a monthly total for a small business: full BDR with on-premises appliances and orchestrated DR, billed on top of managed IT | May 2026 |
| Amazon Web Services Different unit or scope | List price | $0.03 per source server per hour | PER SERVER PER HOUR raw cloud service rate, not a managed service: AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery replication; storage, compute and data transfer billed separately; same rate in every region | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
Only four publishers give numeric BDR prices. Sources measure different things: Sequentur and BRITECITY give monthly totals for small offices, Datastrive prices per server, and AWS lists a raw cloud service rate (about $20 per server per month at 730 hours, before storage and compute, our arithmetic). Simply IT says full BDR is "a few hundred dollars a month for a small office" but gives no number, so it is not listed. Datastrive (per server) and AWS (hourly cloud rate) are marked not comparable.
Microsoft 365 backup per user per month
Range we use: $2 to $5. More detail in our Microsoft 365 support guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (6)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aliteq | Cost guide | $0.42 to $3.75 per user per month | Range of vendor list prices checked October 2, 2026, small company; low end is self-hosted CubeBackup ($5 a user a year plus your own storage); high end is Aliteq's own estimate from Microsoft's $0.15 per GB at an assumed 25 GB per user, not a published per-user price; Aliteq's own table also lists Veeam Premium at $7.00, above this range | Oct 2026, updated Oct 2026 |
| Sequentur | Provider guide | $2 to $5 per user per month | Managed Microsoft 365 backup; one MSP's estimate | Apr 2026, updated Sep 2026 |
| Veeam (listed on Capterra) | List price | $2.63 to $7 per user per month | Veeam Data Cloud for Microsoft 365 plans: Foundation $2.63, Advanced $3.33, Premium $7.00, as listed on Capterra | Sep 2026 |
| Simply IT | Provider guide | $3 to $5 per user per month | Microsoft 365 or SaaS backup; one MSP's rough 2026 framing | Jun 2026 |
| Syncro Different unit or scope | List price | $1.90 per user per month | WHOLESALE COST TO MSPs, not a price a business can buy: Microsoft 365 cloud backup add-on on Syncro's MSP pricing page; single figure | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| Microsoft Different unit or scope | List price | $0.15 per GB per month | PER GB, not per user: Microsoft's native Microsoft 365 Backup, pay as you go through an Azure subscription; single figure | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
Tool list prices run about $1 to $4 per user, and MSP-managed service is quoted at $2 to $5. Microsoft's own service is priced per GB, not per user. Syncro's price is what an MSP pays. Syncro (wholesale) and Microsoft (per GB) are marked not comparable.
Cybersecurity prices by source
Managed detection and response (MDR) per endpoint per month
Range we use: $8 to $25. More detail in our MDR guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (6)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BD Emerson | Provider guide | $8 to $25 per endpoint per month | Mainstream detection and response; 100 endpoints commonly $15 to $25 | Jul 2026 |
| Petronella Technology Group | Provider guide | $8 to $50 per endpoint per month | Endpoint-only $8 to $15, up to endpoint plus network, cloud and identity $25 to $50 | Apr 2026 |
| Huntress | List price | $8.99 per endpoint per month | Single figure; Managed EDR list price (MSRP) per endpoint per month; the page's example price at 100 endpoints is $7.99; 12-month standard term; 50-seat minimum per product for direct buyers | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| Unio Digital | Cost guide | $9 to $75 per endpoint or user per month | Index compiled from vendor pricing pages; range depends on scope | Oct 2026 |
| BCS365 | Provider guide | $10 to $30 per asset per month | Average reported by this source for the wider market, per-asset model | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| MSSP Alert (sponsored post by LimaCharlie) Different unit or scope | Survey | $45 to $73 per endpoint per month | Averages for full basic ($45) and premium ($73) managed security bundles, from MSSP Alert's 2024 MSSP Pricing Benchmark Report covering providers worldwide; sponsored post by LimaCharlie; sample size not stated | Jan 2025 |
Mainstream SMB MDR clusters at $8 to $30 per endpoint per month across BD Emerson, Huntress, Petronella and BCS365. Unio's $75 top end is not tied to a listed vendor row. MSSP Alert's $45 and $73 averages cover full managed security bundles and should not be read as MDR alone. Most named MDR vendors (Arctic Wolf, Sophos, Rapid7, CrowdStrike Falcon Complete) publish no price. Huntress's $8.99 is its list MSRP; its 100-endpoint example price is $7.99.
EDR software only per endpoint per month
Range we use: $3 to $20. More detail in our MDR guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (4)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unio Digital | Cost guide | $3 to $20 per endpoint per month | Index compiled from vendor pricing pages | Oct 2026 |
| CrowdStrike | List price | $7.99 to $19.99 per device per month | Monthly billing, Falcon Go to Falcon Enterprise; annual billing is $59.99 to $184.99 per device per year | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| Microsoft Different unit or scope | List price | $3 per user per month | PER USER, not per endpoint: one license covers up to five devices per user; standalone, paid yearly, up to 300 users; single figure | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| SentinelOne Different unit or scope | List price | $180 to $230 per endpoint per year | PER YEAR, not per month: Singularity Complete to Singularity Commercial list price per endpoint per year, shown for 5 to 100 workstations; Enterprise is quote only; authorized partner pricing controls | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
Three vendor list prices plus one index built from vendor pages, so the index is not independent of the list prices. Microsoft prices per user (covering up to five devices), SentinelOne per endpoint per year; units are kept as published. SentinelOne's annual list works out to roughly $15 to $19 a month (not converted here).
SOC as a service and managed SIEM per month
Range we use: $5,000 to $25,000 (mid-market). More detail in our SOC as a service guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (6)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flamingo | Provider guide | $1,000 to $10,000 per month | Flat retainer, depends on log volume, user count and response depth; top end open ended | Sep 2026, updated Oct 2026 |
| Cribl | Cost guide | $3,000 to $15,000 per month | Managed SIEM for small businesses; same page gives $2,500 to $6,500 for 25 to 100 employees | Jun 2026 |
| BD Emerson | Provider guide | $5,000 to $25,000 per month | Managed SOC monthly retainer, organizations of 100 to 1,000 employees | Jul 2026 |
| Radicl Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $30,000 to $250,000 per year | PER YEAR, not per month: SOC as a service / managed SOC for about 100 endpoints, depending on telemetry volume and response scope; Boulder, CO firm | Jul 2026 |
| Blumira Different unit or scope | List price | $12 to $21 per employee per month | PER EMPLOYEE, not a monthly total: SIEM with detection and response, Detect ($12) to Automate ($21); 24/7 incident backup only in Respond and Automate; Detect support is 9am to 8pm ET | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| Huntress Different unit or scope | List price | $4 per data source per month | PER DATA SOURCE, not a monthly total: Managed SIEM list price (MSRP); the page's example price at 100 sources is $3.50; 12-month standard term; single figure | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
Sources disagree sharply because they price different things: Flamingo's $1,000 floor is an SMB retainer, BD Emerson's $5,000 to $25,000 covers 100 to 1,000 employees, and Radicl's range is annual. Blumira and Huntress publish per-employee and per-data-source list prices that only become a monthly total once headcount or source count is known. Many small firms buy MDR per endpoint instead of a SOC retainer. Radicl (annual), Blumira (per employee) and Huntress (per data source) are marked not comparable.
Virtual CISO (vCISO) per month
Range we use: $1,500 to $4,000 (under 50 staff). More detail in our vCISO guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (5)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compass IT Compliance | Provider guide | $2,000 to $20,000 per month | Ongoing program, lightweight advisory to regulated high-touch; mid-market often $5,000 to $9,000; hourly $200 to $300 or more | Jan 2026 |
| SideChannel | Provider guide | $3,000 to $20,000 per month | Monthly retainer, all sizes; 1 to 50 employees $1,500 to $4,000; hourly advisory $200 to $400 | Apr 2026, updated Oct 2026 |
| Consilien | Provider guide | $3,000 to $20,000 per month | Monthly retainer, all sizes; under 50 people $1,500 to $4,000; hourly advisory $200 to $400 | Jun 2026 |
| BD Emerson | Provider guide | $3,000 to $25,000 per month | Advisory (1 to 2 days a month) to embedded (8 to 12 days a month) retainers | Jul 2026 |
| ICG | Provider guide | $5,000 to $12,000 per month | Typical small and mid-sized business; smaller firms $2,000 to $4,000; hourly $200 to $400 | Mar 2026 |
All five are published by firms that sell vCISO services. Consilien's size bands match SideChannel's figures closely, so treat them as related rather than fully independent. No neutral survey of vCISO pricing was found.
Penetration test, network per test
Range we use: $5,000 to $20,000 (small external test). More detail in our penetration testing guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (8)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synack | Provider guide | $4,000 to $12,000 per test | External network; under 20 IPs about $4,000 to $6,000 | Jun 2026 |
| BD Emerson | Provider guide | $4,000 to $15,000 per test | External network, US market, manual-led testing | Jul 2026 |
| BreachLock | Provider guide | $5,000 to $20,000 per test | External network | Jul 2026 |
| Compass IT Compliance | Provider guide | $5,000 to $30,000 per test | External network; small business (1 to 25 IPs) $5,000 to $10,000, up to enterprise (50 to 100+ IPs) | Jun 2025 |
| Synack | Provider guide | $5,000 to $35,000 per test | Internal network | Jun 2026 |
| Compass IT Compliance | Provider guide | $7,500 to $40,000 per test | Internal network; small environment (1 to 2 VLANs) $7,500 to $12,000, up to multi-location 300+ devices | Jun 2025 |
| BreachLock | Provider guide | $7,500 to $40,000 per test | Internal network | Jul 2026 |
| BD Emerson | Provider guide | $8,000 to $30,000 per test | Internal network, US market, manual-led testing | Jul 2026 |
Five publishers, each with separate external and internal figures (two entries per publisher). All are pen testing firms describing the market or their own quotes; Blaze says its figures draw partly on about 900 quotes it sent in 2025. External tests for a small perimeter cluster at $4,000 to $10,000. Compass's page is titled for 2026 but dated June 3, 2025. Upper ends marked + on the source pages are open ended. Blaze Information Security entries are marked not verified because the firm operates from Europe and Brazil and does not state US pricing, which leaves four verified publishers.
Penetration test, web app per test
Range we use: $5,000 to $30,000. More detail in our penetration testing guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (4)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compass IT Compliance | Provider guide | $3,500 to $35,000 per test | Simple static site (1 to 5 pages) to complex custom application | Jun 2025 |
| Synack | Provider guide | $5,000 to $30,000 per test | Simple static site to multi-role application | Jun 2026 |
| BreachLock | Provider guide | $5,000 to $30,000 per app | Per application | Jul 2026 |
| BD Emerson | Provider guide | $8,000 to $30,000 per test | US market, manual-led testing | Jul 2026 |
Four of five sources put the top of the typical range at $30,000; Compass goes to $35,000 or more for complex custom apps. The low end runs $3,500 (Compass, static site) to $8,000 (BD Emerson). The Blaze entry is marked not verified (non-US publisher).
Managed firewall per firewall per month
Range we use: $50 to $300. More detail in our managed firewall guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (5)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntress | Provider guide | $50 to $300 per month | Managed firewall service; appliance hardware separate (entry level about $1,000) | Dec 2025, updated Jun 2026 |
| EasyITGuys | Provider guide | $100 to $150 per device per month | Advanced devices such as firewalls with enhanced security features; top end open ended | Sep 2025 |
| Petronella Technology Group | Provider guide | $100 to $250 per device per month | Per-device managed IT pricing for a firewall | Mar 2026 |
| VC3 Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $30 to $75 per firewall | Per-device line item in managed IT agreements; the page gives no billing period (per month, per year or one time not stated) | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| ExterNetworks Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $500 to $2,000 per month | WHOLE ENVIRONMENT, not per firewall: standard tier for most small-to-midsize environments; the page attributes a similar range for mid-sized enterprises to Business News Daily; Piscataway, NJ firm | Jul 2026, updated Oct 2026 |
Sources disagree sharply. Per-firewall line items in MSP agreements run $30 to $300 a month (VC3, Huntress, Petronella, EasyITGuys), while ExterNetworks prices a whole small-to-midsize environment at $500 to $2,000 a month. Hardware and subscription renewals are usually extra. VC3 (no billing period) and ExterNetworks (whole environment) are marked not comparable.
Email security per user per month
Range we use: $2 to $5. More detail in our small business cybersecurity guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (3)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | List price | $2 to $5 per user per month | Plan 1 ($2) to Plan 2 ($5), paid yearly | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| UnderDefense | Provider guide | $2 to $5 per user per month | Estimate for Proofpoint Essentials entry plans for small businesses | Jul 2025, updated Feb 2026 |
| Iron Cove Solutions | List price | $3.93 to $9.42 per user per month | Reseller's published Proofpoint Essentials prices, 1 to 25 users, Business Plan to Professional Plus | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
Two of four entries describe Proofpoint Essentials only. Most third-party vendors (Mimecast, Barracuda, Check Point/Avanan, Abnormal) show no public price on their own pages. CostBench says negotiated deals typically land 15 to 40 percent below list for teams over 20 seats. The CostBench entry is marked not verified: no identifiable publisher, no per-user unit, and $0 rows in its medians.
Security awareness training per user per month
Range we use: $1.50 to $4. More detail in our small business cybersecurity guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (5)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnderDefense | Provider guide | $0.60 to $6 per user per month | List price across 15+ vendors; most enterprise contracts settle at $1.80 to $3.50 after discounts | May 2026, updated Jun 2026 |
| KnowBe4 | List price | $1.63 to $3.75 per seat per month | MSRP on a 3-year term; 25 to 50 seats $2.40 (Foundation) to $3.75 (Advanced); 501 to 1,000 seats $1.63 to $2.79 | May 2026 |
| Huntress | List price | $2.08 per learner per month | Single figure; Managed SAT list price (MSRP) per learner per month; the page's example price at 100 learners is $1.75; 12-month standard term; 50-seat minimum per product for direct buyers | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| Consilien Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $12 to $36 per user per year | PER YEAR, not per month: most small and mid-sized businesses; the page states the figure for 2025 although it was updated 2026-05-15; mainstream platforms $1.50 to $3.25 per user per month | May 2026 |
| Petronella Technology Group Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $15 to $50 per user per year | PER YEAR, not per month: SaaS platform fees depending on tier; fully managed programs $3,000 to $15,000 a year | Mar 2026 |
Sources quote per month and per year; units are kept as published. Per-year figures of $12 to $50 equal about $1 to $4 a month. UnderDefense's $0.60 floor is the lowest vendor list price in its table (CanIPhish); its typical negotiated range is $1.80 to $3.50. UnderDefense lists a US (929) phone number but no headquarters address. Per-year entries are marked not comparable to the per-month unit.
Comparisons prices by source
In-house systems administrator per year (median annual wage)
Range we use: $99,130 median pay. More detail in our outsourced IT vs in-house guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (4)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Government data | $62,640 to $155,050 per year | Lowest 10 percent earned less than the low figure; highest 10 percent earned more than the high figure | Aug 2026 (May 2025 data) |
| US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Government data | $99,130 per year | Single figure; median annual wage, network and computer systems administrators (SOC 15-1244), May 2025; wages only, no benefits | Aug 2026 (May 2025 data) |
| US Bureau of Labor Statistics Different unit or scope | Government data | $47.66 per hour | HOURLY, not annual: 2025 median pay per hour from the Quick Facts table; single figure | Aug 2026 (May 2025 data) |
| Strategic Micro Systems Different unit or scope | Provider guide | $95,000 to $125,000 per year | FULLY LOADED COST, not a wage: benefits, payroll taxes, training and turnover added to a $70,000 to $90,000 NJ/NYC base salary for a mid-level IT support hire; one MSP's estimate, not a BLS figure | May 2026 |
BLS is the only government source and the main entry. Wages exclude benefits; BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (June 2026) puts benefits at 30.0% of private industry compensation, so total cost is roughly wages divided by 0.70 (about $141,600 on the $99,130 median, our calculation). The Strategic Micro Systems figure is an MSP's estimate and is shown for contrast. The hourly BLS figure and the fully loaded MSP estimate are marked not comparable to the annual median wage.
Small business cyber insurance per year
Range we use: $1,552 a year (Insureon customers). More detail in our cyber insurance requirements guide.
Range we use Each source's published figure
Sources, dates and what each figure covers (5)
| Source | Type | Figure | What it covers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiscox | Insurer data | $323 to $407 per year | Three illustrative example quotes, $250,000 limit, $10,000 deductible, revenue $100,000 to $250,000 | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| TechInsurance | Insurer data | $400 to $8,000 per year | Range of small business annual premiums from TechInsurance customer policies; median about $129 a month, IT businesses $179 a month | Undated, checked Oct 2026 |
| Insureon | Insurer data | $1,552 per year | Single figure; median of policies sold to Insureon customers (the sentence calls it an average); the same sentence gives $129 a month; limits typically $1 million to $5 million | Apr 2026 |
| The Hartford Different unit or scope | Insurer data | $320 per year | Data breach coverage only, not a full cyber liability policy; average reported by this source for The Hartford's small business customers (about $27 a month) | Feb 2026 |
| Embroker Different unit or scope | Insurer data | $1,200 to $7,000 per year | ALL BUSINESS SIZES, not small business only: 2024 spend by businesses generally (not small business only), median around $2,000; no data source cited | May 2026 |
TechInsurance and Insureon are sister brands using the same customer data, so their $129 a month figures are not independent. Sources disagree sharply because coverage differs: The Hartford's $320 a year is data breach coverage and Hiscox's examples use a $250,000 limit, while Insureon cites limits of $1 million to $5 million and Embroker's $1,200 to $7,000 covers businesses generally. Premiums depend on limit, deductible, industry, revenue and security controls. Insureon's entry now uses its own annual figure ($1,552) to match the per year unit.
Common questions
How much do managed IT services cost per user?
What is the average cost of managed IT services?
There is no current neutral survey that measures an average. The newest named survey with price bands is Kaseya's 2023 MSP benchmark 1, and every 2026 figure comes from providers' own guides. That is why this index shows each source's range instead of one average.
How much does MDR cost per endpoint?
How much does a penetration test cost in 2026?
A small external network test starts around $4,000 to $5,000, and published ranges for external tests run to $12,000 to $30,000 18192024. Internal network tests usually cost more, up to $35,000 to $40,000 1820, and web application tests run from about $3,500 to $35,000 depending on the application 24. Price depends mainly on the number of IP addresses, applications and user roles in scope.
How much does a vCISO cost per month?
Published retainers for companies with up to 50 employees run $1,500 to $4,000 a month, and ranges for larger organizations reach $20,000 21. The price depends mostly on how many days a month the vCISO works with you and whether compliance work is included.
Is outsourced IT cheaper than hiring an IT person?
For smaller companies it usually is. A systems administrator's median pay was $99,130 in May 2025 before benefits 7, while 25 users at $100 to $250 per user comes to $30,000 to $75,000 a year. At $250 per user, the managed price reaches that median wage at about 33 users. A managed team also covers vacations and sick days and brings more skills, though after-hours work is often billed separately.
Can I reuse the data in this index?
Yes. The index and the CSV download are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0, with credit to Clear IT Pricing and a link to this page. Each figure links to its original source, which keeps its own terms.
Sources
- Kaseya, MSP Pricing: A Guide to Managed IT Services Pricing (2023 Global MSP Benchmark Survey data), 2026-08-16.
- VC3, 2026 Managed IT Services Cost and Pricing Guide, 2026.
- Flamingo, Cost of IT Support for Small Business, 2026-04-08.
- Strategic Micro Systems, Managed IT Services Cost Per User: A 2026 Pricing Guide, 2026-05-20.
- Consilien, Outsourced IT Support Cost Per User: 2026 Pricing Guide, 2026-09-09.
- Dataprise, How Much Do Managed IT Services Cost in 2026? A Transparent Breakdown, 2026-07-30.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Network and Computer Systems Administrators, 2026-08-27.
- BD Emerson, SOC as a Service Pricing: What Drives the Number, 2026-07-18.
- ScienceSoft, Outsourced Help Desk Pricing in 2026, 2026.
- Flamingo, The MSP Pricing Playbook for Owners Tired of Underpricing, 2026-05-18.
- MSH, How Much Does Outsourced IT Support Cost In 2026?, 2026-09-27.
- Flamingo, SOC as a Service: Build vs Buy for MSPs, 2026-09-03.
- Intelligent Technical Solutions, How Much Do vCIO Services Cost?, 2025-03-19.
- EPC Group, Virtual CIO & Virtual Chief AI Officer Services, 2026-10-07.
- Innovation Vista, How much do Interim & Virtual CIOs cost?, 2026-10-09.
- Huntress, Pricing, 2026.
- Unio Digital, MDR & EDR Pricing Index (2026): Per-Endpoint Costs by Vendor, 2026-10.
- Synack, How Much Does a Pentest Cost? (2026 Pricing Guide), 2026-06-25.
- BD Emerson, How Much Does a Penetration Test Cost in 2026?, 2026-07-09.
- BreachLock, How Much Does Pentesting Cost?, 2026-07-24.
- SideChannel, vCISO Pricing in 2026: What You'll Actually Pay, 2026-10-02.
- Insureon, How much does cyber insurance cost?, 2026-04-24.
- Hiscox, How much does cyber security insurance cost?, 2026.
- Compass IT Compliance, How Much Does Penetration Testing Cost In 2026? Full Transparency, 2025-06-03.
- Petronella Technology Group, MDR Pricing 2026: Per-Endpoint and Flat-Rate Costs, 2026-04-08.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026, 2026.
Updated October 13, 2026.