How much does IT support cost per user in the UK? (2026 prices)
The short answer: most UK small businesses pay £25–£100 per user per month for managed IT support in 2026. Basic remote-support packages start around £15–£30, full managed support with security sits around £40–£80, and security-first packages for regulated businesses run £60–£150. Here's what those numbers actually buy — and the questions that separate a good quote from an expensive mistake.
The three price bands, honestly explained
| Band | Per user/month | What it should include |
|---|---|---|
| Basic / remote-only | £15–£30 | Remote helpdesk in business hours, antivirus, patching. Fine for very small, low-risk teams — but most breaches happen in this band. |
| Full managed | £40–£80 | Everything above plus email security, Microsoft 365 backup, MFA management, staff training, and quarterly reviews. The right band for most 10–50 person businesses. |
| Security-first / compliance | £60–£150 | Adds 24/7 detection & response (MDR), vulnerability scanning, dark web monitoring, Cyber Essentials — for regulated sectors and supply-chain requirements. |
The catch: two providers quoting £60 can be selling completely different products — one includes endpoint security and backup, the other doesn't. Never compare headline prices without comparing the inclusion list line by line.
The hidden fees to check before signing
- Onboarding fees - many MSPs charge a one-off fee (often £1,000+) to audit and migrate you.
- Out-of-hours surcharges — some providers charge 150–200% of standard rates for evening or weekend incidents.
- Licence admin markups — £2–5 per user/month on top of Microsoft's price, sometimes for nothing more than processing renewals.
- On-site visit charges — check whether visits are included, discounted or billed at a day rate.
- Exit costs — data extraction fees, knowledge-transfer charges and 90-day notice periods. Ask before you sign, not when you leave.
Managed support vs hiring in-house
A fully-loaded junior IT hire costs £40,000–£55,000 a year — roughly £3,500+ per month before tools, training and holiday cover. A 20-person business on a managed plan gets a whole team, a security stack and documented processes. Below roughly 50–60 users, outsourcing is usually cheaper and more resilient; beyond that, a co-managed model (your IT person + our tooling and helpdesk) tends to win.
Why the cheapest quote usually costs the most
Providers priced well below market cut the invisible things: security tooling, proactive patching, response capacity. You find out during your first ransomware incident or week-long outage — when the remediation bill dwarfs years of the "savings". Buy on the inclusion list, not on the headline number.
What we charge (no mystery)
Circuit Minds plans are £35 / £55 / £75 per user/month - published, compared feature-by-feature. Plans require Microsoft 365 Business Premium (or equivalent), billed separately at Microsoft's list price - we manage and right-size your licences. Cancel with 30 days notice anytime in your first 3 months, no questions asked.