How Much Does Managed IT Cost per Month? Prices and Pricing Models
Hardly any provider lists prices on their website. So here are the real ballpark figures, the usual pricing models and the items that like to end up in the small print.
Ongoing managed IT in Germany typically costs between €25 and €80 per device per month. The range comes down almost entirely to two factors: which services are included and how quickly the provider has to respond. At Selim-IT, managed IT starts with the Starter plan at a €49 base price per month plus €39 per device per month, including the essentials.
That only answers half the question, though, because "per device" is just one of several pricing models.
The three common pricing models
Per device
The price is based on the number of devices under management: desktops, laptops, servers. The model is easy to calculate and works well for businesses where every employee has one device. The downside: if you have lots of rarely used devices, such as terminals in the warehouse, you pay for capacity that causes hardly any work.
Per user
You pay per person, regardless of whether they use a laptop, a tablet and a work phone. That pays off in businesses with many devices per head. It gets expensive when many people share a few devices.
Time and materials
Classic hourly billing, usually between €90 and €150 per hour. No base fee, but no predictability either, and nobody takes care of anything until you call. Sensible for one-off projects, rarely for ongoing support.
A practical note: many providers combine models. A monthly base fee covers support and monitoring, while larger projects are billed separately by effort. What matters is that the line between the two is clearly drawn in writing.
What a solid base package should include
These items are standard. If one of them is missing from a proposal, it's worth asking why:
- Round-the-clock monitoring, automatic monitoring of devices and services with alerts when something looks off
- Troubleshooting: fixing problems within the agreed scope, without a separate invoice per incident
- Remote maintenance: clean-ups, optimization, configuration changes
- Ticket support, traceable logging and handling of requests
- Patch management, centrally managed updates for operating systems and software
- Antivirus, including the license and central management
- Ongoing documentation, an up-to-date overview of devices, accounts and configurations
- Monthly report: what was done, what's coming up, where action is needed
What’s usually billed separately
These items generally aren't part of the base package and are listed separately. Ideally you should see them in the proposal from the start, so that total costs stay predictable:
| Item | Typical handling |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 licenses | Passed on at list price, sometimes with a management surcharge |
| Hardware | Procurement billed by effort, plus the cost of the devices |
| Backup storage | By volume, often as a separate item |
| On-site visits | Included depending on the package, or billed by effort plus travel |
| Projects (office moves, new setups) | Separate proposal based on effort |
| Support outside service hours | Surcharge or a dedicated emergency package |
The factor that drives the price most
It isn't the number of devices, it's the guaranteed response time. A provider that has to respond within an hour keeps capacity on standby and charges for it. One that has 24 hours can bundle work and offer a lower price.
At Selim-IT, the regular response time is between 4 and 24 hours, and between 1 and 8 hours for emergencies, depending on the package. Regular support hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For your own calculation, one simple question helps: what does a day of downtime cost us? If the answer is well above the monthly support fee, the faster response time is the cheaper choice.
Example: a business with ten workstations
Ten workstations, one server, Microsoft 365, no special compliance requirements. On the Starter plan (€49 base price plus €39 per device per month), basic support for the ten workstations comes to €439 a month. The server is usually priced separately and higher, since it takes more work. On top of that come licenses and, if needed, backup storage.
For comparison: a part-time employee with reasonably solid IT skills costs many times that, with no cover during vacations, no specialist knowledge beyond their own focus and no monitoring outside working hours.
Where you can save without it hurting
- Annual instead of monthly contract: Selim-IT gives you a 10 to 20 percent discount for it. Other providers offer similar savings.
- Clean up licenses: former employees, duplicate licenses, plans that are bigger than needed. There's money here in almost every business.
- Consolidate devices: every managed device costs money. Old computers that nobody uses but that are still running belong out of the contract.
- Choose a realistic response time: not every business needs a one-hour emergency response. An honest assessment saves noticeably.
How to recognize a good proposal
Three things make a proposal comparable and reliable. First, a service description that states exactly what's included and what's billed separately. Second, binding response times in hours rather than vague promises. Third, a contract term that fits your needs: Selim-IT contracts can be cancelled monthly, and an annual contract is an optional extra with a discount.
Frequently asked questions
How much does managed IT cost per month?
In Germany, managed IT usually costs between €25 and €80 per device per month. At Selim-IT, it starts with the Starter plan at a €49 base price per month plus €39 per device per month, including monitoring, troubleshooting, patch management, antivirus, documentation and a monthly report.
How much does IT support cost per hour?
Hourly rates for IT support in Germany are usually between €90 and €150. For ongoing support, hourly billing rarely makes sense because prevention and monitoring fall by the wayside.
What's included in a managed IT package?
A solid base package includes round-the-clock monitoring, troubleshooting, remote maintenance, ticket support, patch management, antivirus, ongoing documentation and a monthly report. Licenses, hardware and larger projects are usually billed separately.
Is an annual contract for managed IT worth it?
Selim-IT offers a 10 to 20 percent discount on annual contracts compared with monthly billing. Since contracts can also be cancelled monthly, the annual option is mainly attractive for businesses whose needs are stable.
