If you're an SME based in Liverpool, Manchester, or the wider Northwest, one of the most common questions you’re likely asking is:
“What should we actually be paying for managed IT support in 2025?”
The honest answer is:
Most SMEs in the Northwest pay between £25–£150 per user, per month, depending on the level of service, cybersecurity maturity, and infrastructure complexity.
This guide breaks down EVERYTHING that affects your price — in plain English — so you can budget accurately and avoid the industry pricing traps most business owners never hear about.
Typical Managed IT Support Pricing in Liverpool & Manchester (2025)
Here’s what SMEs are paying this year:
|
Business Size |
Typical Monthly MSP Cost |
Typical Cost Per User |
|
10–20 users |
£500–£2,000 |
£40–£120 |
|
20–50 users |
£1,200–£4,500 |
£35–£100 |
|
50–150 users |
£3,000–£10,000 |
£30–£80 |
The wide range exists because MSPs vary massively in:
-
- services included
- cybersecurity standards
- response times
- project costs
- helpdesk availability
- strategic involvement
Most SMEs also underestimate what’s actually included — or not included — which can lead to unpleasant surprises later.
The 3 Most Common MSP Pricing Models
- Per-User Pricing (Most Common)
Typical cost: £35–£150 per user per month
Easy to understand and predictable. Usually includes:
-
- helpdesk support
- monitoring
- patching
- antivirus
- Microsoft 365 support
Who it suits
10–150 user SMEs wanting predictable monthly billing.
- Per-Device Pricing
Typical cost:
-
- £25–£60 per workstation
- £40–£150 per server
- £5–£15 per network device
Most relevant for businesses with:
-
- shared devices
- multiple shifts
- manufacturing environments
- All-Inclusive (Fully Managed)
Typical cost: £65–£150 per user
Covers almost everything except major projects. Usually includes:
-
- cybersecurity stack
- email security
- backup & disaster recovery
- 24/7 monitoring
- strategic IT leadership
This is the model growing fastest in the Northwest because businesses want fewer surprises.
What Impacts Your IT Support Cost?
Here are the seven biggest factors:
- Cybersecurity Requirements - Cyber Essentials, MFA, advanced threat protection, and compliance (especially finance & healthcare) increase cost — but also reduce risk.
- Number of Users - More users = economies of scale. Larger SMEs actually pay less per user/device.
- Device Types - Laptops, desktops, Macs, mobiles — each impacts cost differently.
- Servers & Infrastructure - More servers = more monitoring, patching, and backups.
- Cloud vs On-Prem - Cloud reduces “break/fix” tickets and lowers maintenance cost.
- Remote/Hybrid Working - More remote staff = more security & support complexity.
- Quality of Your Current IT Setup - An ageing, unstable environment costs more because the MSP needs to stabilise it first.
What’s Typically Included in a Managed IT Package?
-
- Helpdesk (remote & on-site options)
- Device monitoring
- Patch management
- Antivirus & basic security
- Microsoft 365 support
- IT strategy meetings
- Documentation & asset management
- Basic backup services
But here’s the part most SMEs don’t realise—
What’s NOT Usually Included (But You Should Ask About)
-
- projects & major upgrades
- new equipment setup
- advanced cybersecurity
- mobile device management
- out-of-hours support
- IT compliance audits
- cyber awareness training
These are often charged separately — sometimes very separately.
How Much Should You Expect to Pay?
A typical SME in Liverpool or Manchester with 30–50 staff should expect:
-
- £1,200–£4,000 per month total
- Most fall between £1,500–£3,000 per month
If you’re paying far less, there’s usually a reason (and it’s rarely a good one).
When Are You Overpaying?
You might be paying too much if:
-
- you’re billed for basic work you thought was included
- your IT provider is reactive, not strategic
- you still suffer downtime
- projects constantly run over
- your security still feels “patchy”
When Are You Underpaying?
Typical red flags:
-
- IT provider is slow to respond
- little-to-no security included
- limited documentation
- no IT strategy
- unpredictable bills
Cheap MSPs nearly always cut corners on security — the biggest risk for SMEs in 2025.
Final Answer — What Should IT Support Cost in 2025?
Small businesses (up to 20 users): £500–£1,500 per month
Growing SMEs (20–50 users): £1,000–£4,000 per month
Larger SMEs (50–150 users): £3,000–£10,000 per month
Want an Honest, No-Surprises IT Quote?
We can give you a full breakdown of costs, including everything other MSPs leave out.
Just schedule a free consultation with our team today.