What a small business pays for managed IT depends on how many people and devices you support, the hours you need covered, how much security is included, and whether you have compliance obligations. DivergeIT, a Los Angeles-based managed IT services provider founded in 1999, publishes its starting prices: fully managed IT (ManageIT) starts at $1,575 per month, managed cybersecurity (SecureIT) starts at $450 per month, and every number is confirmed by a quote based on your actual users and devices.
Here is how managed IT is usually priced, what moves the number, and how to compare quotes.
How is managed IT usually priced?
Most providers use one of three models, or a blend. None is automatically better; what matters is fit.
Per-user pricing
You pay a set amount for each employee supported. This tends to fit businesses where each person uses a laptop, a phone, and a set of cloud apps like Microsoft 365. It is easy to forecast: add a hire, add a user. The catch is that shared devices, servers, and network equipment have to be accounted for somewhere, so ask how they are handled.
Per-device pricing
You pay for each managed endpoint, server, or network device. This fits environments with many shared machines, like a front desk or a lab, but can get harder to predict as devices multiply. Security services are often priced this way because protection runs on each device.
Flat tiers or bundles
You choose a package with a defined scope, such as help desk hours, management responsibilities, and security level, at a starting monthly price. Tiers make it easier to compare what you get, and the quote adjusts for your size. DivergeIT uses tiers with published starting prices, confirmed by users and devices at quote time.
What drives the cost up or down?
Whatever the model, the same factors move the final number.
- Headcount and device count. More people and endpoints mean more tickets, more patching, and more licenses to manage.
- Support hours. Business-hours help desk costs less than extended hours, and 24/7/365 coverage costs the most because someone has to be staffed around the clock.
- Support channels. Email and portal support is the baseline. Adding phone support and guaranteed live answers adds cost.
- Scope of management. Some plans cover only end-user devices and Microsoft 365. Others include servers, networks, cloud infrastructure, and backup and disaster recovery.
- Security depth. Basic antivirus and email filtering cost less than endpoint detection and response with a human team watching around the clock.
- Compliance requirements. Regulated businesses need documentation, testing, risk assessments, and audit evidence. That is real work and it shows up in the price.
- Contract length. Longer agreements typically lower the monthly rate. Ask what the price is at different terms.
- Onboarding. Some providers charge a one-time setup fee to document and standardize your environment. Ask up front.
What does DivergeIT charge?
DivergeIT publishes its starting monthly prices. ManageIT prices assume a 3-year agreement, and the quote confirms your users and devices.
ManageIT (fully managed IT)
- Core, from $1,575/mo. For organizations without a dedicated IT department. Help desk 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday by email, chat, and portal; shared account manager; Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace management; patching, monitoring, and asset inventory; ComplyIT Core baseline.
- Plus, from $4,500/mo. For growing organizations that have outgrown their IT. Extended hours 5am to 8pm Monday through Friday plus phone; assigned account manager; network, cloud, and server management; backup and disaster recovery; SecureIT Core included.
- Pro, from $6,250/mo. For performance-driven teams in regulated industries. 15-minute response 24/7/365 on all channels; assigned account manager; high availability engineering; scheduled recovery testing; SecureIT Plus included.
Every tier includes RITIS, DivergeIT’s Real-Time IT Intelligence System, which gives you live dashboards of IT health and flags inactive accounts and anomalies. Details are on the managed IT services page.
SecureIT (managed cybersecurity, priced per device)
- Core, from $450/mo. Email security, DNS filtering, EDR with automatic response, AI next-gen antivirus, and behavioral and zero-day prevention.
- Plus, from $1,875/mo. A dedicated security team monitoring 24/7 (human-led MDR), secure remote access, Microsoft 365 and Google monitoring, and on-site and cloud breach response.
- Pro, from $3,125/mo. Zero Trust segmentation, SIEM with 30-day retention plus SOAR, dark web credential monitoring with forced password rotation, firewall reviews and IDS/IPS, and governance and compliance readiness.
SecureIT is cheaper when bundled with ManageIT. See managed cybersecurity for details.
ComplyIT (compliance)
ComplyIT Core is included with every ManageIT tier. ComplyIT Plus is $6,890/mo and ComplyIT Pro is $11,500/mo for businesses that need HIPAA, CMMC, or ISO 27001 control mapping and audit support.
What should be included in the price?
When you compare quotes, check that these items are either included or clearly priced:
- Help desk hours and channels, in writing
- A guaranteed response time, and what happens if it is missed
- Patching and monitoring for every device type you own
- Backup, and whether recovery is actually tested
- Security tools, and whether a person or only software responds to alerts
- Onboarding and offboarding of employees
- Reporting you can see without asking
DivergeIT puts several commitments in writing: a 15-minute guaranteed response on every ticket on every ManageIT plan, a live expert within 5 minutes by call or chat or a $100 credit on your next invoice, a ransomware recovery guarantee that restores you to your pre-attack state at no charge if an attack gets through under DivergeIT’s watch, and a switching guarantee that makes your first month free if the move disrupts your operations.
How do you compare two managed IT quotes fairly?
Line quotes up by scope, not the bottom line. A lower number can mean business-hours-only support, no phone line, software-only security, or untested backups. Ask each provider:
- What exactly is excluded, and how are those items billed?
- Are projects like office moves or new servers billed separately?
- What is the response time guarantee, and is there a penalty for missing it?
- Who responds to a security alert at 2am?
- What does the price look like on a 1-year term versus a 3-year term?
If you are weighing whether managed IT is the right fit at all, our guide on the best managed IT provider for a small business under 100 employees walks through the size and readiness question.
Who is DivergeIT not the right fit for?
DivergeIT’s entry point is $1,575 per month. A very small office with a handful of users, no servers, and no compliance requirements may find that more than it needs, and a simpler arrangement could make sense. Businesses that want to pay only when something breaks, with no ongoing management, are also not a match for a managed model.
Get a real number
You can see every starting price on the DivergeIT pricing page, or request a quote for a number based on your actual users and devices. If you would rather talk it through, book a call.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does managed IT cost for a small business?
It depends on headcount, devices, support hours, security depth, and compliance needs. DivergeIT publishes starting prices: ManageIT Core starts at $1,575 per month, Plus at $4,500, and Pro at $6,250, assuming a 3-year agreement. A quote confirms the price for your users and devices.
Is per-user or per-device pricing better?
Neither is better in general. Per-user pricing fits businesses where each employee has their own devices and cloud apps. Per-device pricing fits environments with many shared machines. Many providers, including DivergeIT, use tiered packages with defined scope and confirm the final price by users and devices.
Does DivergeIT charge extra for cybersecurity?
ManageIT Plus includes SecureIT Core, and ManageIT Pro includes SecureIT Plus. SecureIT can also be purchased on its own, priced per device, starting at $450 per month for Core. It is cheaper when bundled with ManageIT.
What guarantees come with DivergeIT’s pricing?
Every ManageIT plan includes a 15-minute guaranteed ticket response. Calls and chats reach a live expert within 5 minutes or you get a $100 credit. DivergeIT also offers a ransomware recovery guarantee and a switching guarantee that makes your first month free if the move disrupts your operations.
