The short answer
Most Perth businesses pay between $110 and $250 per user, per month (ex GST) for fully managed IT services and Managed Security Service Provider agreements in 2026. Where you land in that range depends on how much security is included, how complex your environment is, and how much onsite support is included and what security products you decide to implement.
That number on its own tells you very little, though. Two quotes at $150 per user can deliver completely different outcomes once you look at what is included, what is billed separately, and what happens when something major changes in your business.
This guide explains how managed IT is priced in Western Australia, what a fair quote should cover, and how to compare providers without getting caught by the fine print. We have written it from the provider side of the table, with more than 20 years supporting WA businesses from Port Hedland to Busselton, West Perth to Kalgoorlie.
How managed IT services are priced
Per-user pricing is now the standard model in Perth, but you will still see four approaches in quotes.
| Model | How it works | Best suited to | Watch out for |
| Per user, per month | A fixed fee for each staff member, covering all their devices | Businesses of 15+ staff wanting predictable costs | Servers, sites and security tools sometimes billed on top |
| Per device, per month | A fee for each managed laptop, desktop, server or network device | Shared workstations, shift work, mine sites | Staff with three devices cost three times as much |
| Pre-paid block hours | You buy a bank of support hours each month at a discounted rate | Smaller businesses that need help but not full management | Hours that expire unused if the provider does not roll them over |
| Break-fix (hourly) | You pay for time only when something breaks | Very small or very simple setups | No prevention, no planning, unpredictable bills, cheap until it something breaks or a security breach. |
Perth hourly rates for break-fix support generally sit between $185 and $250 per hour. Break-fix looks cheap until the month a server fails or ransomware hits, which is exactly when the bill is largest and the provider has the least incentive to prevent it happening again.
What WA businesses typically spend, by size
Per-user rates usually fall as headcount grows, because the fixed costs of tools, documentation and account management are spread across more people. These are indicative 2026 ranges for the support fee only, excluding GST, Microsoft 365 licences and hardware.
| Business size | Typical Qbit model | Indicative per-user rate | Indicative monthly support fee |
| Under 15 staff | Service Bank Model | Not usually per user | Depends on hours used |
| 15 to 50 staff | Per user and per-device + MSSP, fully managed onsite included when needed to fix something | $140 to $220 | $2,100 to $11,000 |
| 50 to 100 staff | Per user and per-device + MSSP, fully managed fixed onsite included. From 2 half days a week. | $130 to $200 | $6,500 to $20,000 |
| 100 to 300 staff | Per-user and per-device + MSSP, fully managed services, excluding onsite support, with onsite secondment available from three full days per week. | $120 to $180 + secondment | $12,000 to $54,000 |
Security-first agreements for regulated industries (health, legal, finance, government suppliers) tend to sit at the top of these ranges or above them. That is not padding: those agreements carry more tools, more monitoring and more evidence-gathering for audits.
For comparison, a single internal IT manager in Perth costs well over $120,000 a year once super, leave, pay role tax and training are added, and that buys one person’s skills, one person’s availability and no cover when they are sick or on leave.
What should be included, and what is billed separately
A managed services fee pays for looking after what you already have. Major changes are projects, and a good provider quotes them before any work starts. Knowing where that line sits is the single biggest factor in whether a quote is good value.
Should be in the monthly fee
- Help desk support for staff, by phone, email and portal
- Monitoring, maintenance and patching of computers and servers
- Endpoint protection, email security and multi-factor authentication management
- Backup monitoring and regular test restores
- Network and Microsoft 365 administration
- Up-to-date documentation of your systems
- A dedicated account manager, regular reviews and an IT plan and budget
- Coordination with your internet, phone and software vendors
- Staff security awareness training
Usually billed separately
- Microsoft 365 and other software licences
- Hardware: laptops, servers, firewalls, Wi-Fi
- Projects: office moves, server or cloud migrations, new system rollouts
- Remediation needed before a new provider can take responsibility for your environment
- Travel to regional sites
If a quote does not clearly separate these, ask. A low monthly figure that pushes routine work into chargeable “projects” will cost you more over a year than an honest higher figure.
What pushes the price up or down in WA
The same 30-person business can receive quotes $100 per user apart. These are the factors that explain most of the gap.
- Cyber security scope. Basic antivirus and patching is cheap. Managed detection, email filtering, MFA, backup protection and staff training cost more, and they are what insurers and tender panels now ask about.
- Compliance to a framework. If you need to show clients, insurers or government buyers that you meet a recognised standard such as SMB1001, the provider is doing more work and keeping evidence. Expect that to be reflected in the price.
- The state of your environment. Old servers, unsupported software and undocumented networks take more effort to look after. Most providers will want to fix the worst of it first, quoted as a one-off project.
- Servers and sites. On-premise servers, multiple offices and branch networks often carry their own monthly fees.
- Regional and remote locations. A business in Geraldton, Kalgoorlie or the Pilbara needs a provider that can support remote sites reliably and get someone there when it matters. Check how travel is charged.
- Support hours. Business-hours support is standard. 24/7 support or guaranteed after-hours response costs more.
- Contract length. Longer agreements usually bring a lower monthly rate, because the provider can plan resources with certainty.
How to compare managed IT quotes
Convert every quote to the same basis before you compare. Ask each provider these questions and put the answers side by side.
- What is the total monthly cost for our business, including servers, sites and security tools?
- Which security controls are included in the fee, and which are optional extras?
- How are projects, onboarding and remediation charged, and are they quoted before work begins?
- Is support unlimited, or capped at a number of hours?
- How fast do you answer the phone, and how fast do you start work on a ticket? Can you show us your actual figures?
- Who is our day-to-day contact, and how often will we review our IT plan together?
- How do you support our regional sites, and what does travel cost?
- Can you show independent proof of your own security and quality, such as ISO 27001, ISO 9001 or SMB1001 certification?
- What does it cost to leave, and how do we get our data and documentation back?
A provider that answers these clearly and in writing is usually one that will be easy to work with. For a fuller checklist, see our guide on how to evaluate a new MSP.
How Qbit prices managed IT
Qbit offers two ways to work with us, depending on the size of your business.
- Managed IT Services, for businesses with 15 or more staff. A flat monthly fee based on your users and servers includes a dedicated account manager, a named team of system engineers and quarterly IT planning reviews. Each Managed IT Services agreement is paired with a separate Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) Agreement. When implemented as presented, the combined services bring your business to the SMB1001 Silver standard, with the required security controls included in the monthly service rather than sold as add-ons.
- Service Bank, for businesses with fewer than 15 staff. Pre-purchase support hours at a discounted rate, with any unused hours rolling over from month to month.
We are upfront about the line between support and projects. Your monthly fee covers looking after what is in place. Major changes, and any remediation your environment needs before we take it on, are quoted separately before any work begins, so you know the full cost before you commit.
Qbit is WA’s most certified MSP, holding four ISO certifications plus SMB1001 Gold, and has been named in Cloudtango’s MSP Select four years running. We answer the phone in under 15 seconds on average.
Want a real number for your business? Book a free IT assessment and we will give you a clear, itemised quote based on your actual environment, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
Fully managed IT support in Perth typically costs $100 to $250 per user, per month (ex GST) in 2026. Most businesses with 20 to 100 staff land between $140 and $220 per user.
For most businesses with fewer than about 300 staff, an internal IT manager may cost well over $120,000 a year once salary, superannuation, payroll tax, leave entitlements, training and the required IT management and security tools are included. The business must also recruit, train and manage that person, decide which ticketing and documentation systems they will use, monitor how their time is spent, and ensure accurate records are maintained. You also need a plan for annual leave, personal leave and unexpected absences, as well as access to specialist cyber security skills and after-hours support. A managed IT provider spreads these costs and responsibilities across a qualified team, providing broader expertise, documented processes and ongoing coverage for a predictable monthly fee.
Usually not. Licences, hardware and software are normally billed separately, although many providers, Qbit included, consolidate them onto one monthly invoice.
Mainly because of security scope, what counts as a project, server and site fees, and whether support is unlimited or capped. Compare total monthly cost and inclusions, not the headline per-user rate.
Break-fix is paid by the hour when something breaks. Managed IT is a fixed monthly fee for ongoing support, maintenance, security and planning, so the provider is paid to keep problems from happening.
Not necessarily. Smaller businesses often get better value from pre-purchased support hours, such as Qbit’s Service Bank, with the option to move to full management as they grow.
