Navigating IT Support Costs: 2025 vs. 2026 Forecast

Navigating IT Support Costs

What Businesses Paid in 2025 & Where Pricing Is Headed in 2026

If you’ve been feeling like IT costs are shifting faster than your tech stack… you’re not wrong. The last year brought major changes to the IT services industry — new security requirements, AI-driven tools, evolving cyber threats, and rising expectations around uptime. And all of that impacts what business IT support actually costs.

So let’s break this down in a way that’s simple, transparent, and genuinely useful. This guide covers:

• What companies paid for managed IT services in 2025
• What’s changing in 2026
• Why prices are shifting
• What’s actually worthwhile to pay for
• How VTG structures pricing so you only pay for what you need

2025 IT Support Pricing: The Baseline

Across the U.S., business IT support in 2025 generally fell into these ranges:

• Per-User Managed IT Services (Most Common): 2025 Range: $95–$165 per user per month. This covered essentials like help desk, monitoring, patching, antivirus/EDR, and basic security.
• Per-Device Costs:
  • Workstations: $40–$70/mo
  • Servers: $175–$350/mo
  • Network devices (firewalls/switches/APs): $20–$75/mo
• Fully Managed Service Plans: 2025 Range: $2,500–$12,000+ per month depending on company size, security needs, and whether advanced services were included (SIEM, SOC, MDR, compliance support).
• Project-Based IT Work: 2025 Average: $150–$225/hr for migrations, network refreshes, Microsoft 365 buildouts, security hardening, etc.

The Big Picture: Most small to mid-sized businesses spent somewhere between $3,500–$18,000 a month depending on complexity, compliance needs, and headcount.

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So What’s Changing in 2026?

The short version: 2026 pricing is trending upward by 8–15% across the industry. Not because MSPs are randomly raising prices — but because the scope of what businesses need has evolved.

Here’s what’s driving it:

1. Security Requirements Are No Longer Optional: CISA standards, insurance requirements, MFA enforcement, and baseline security controls have tightened dramatically. These aren’t “nice-to-have” anymore — they’re required.
2. AI Security & Automation Tools Cost More but Reduce Risk: AI monitoring, automated threat detection, and next-gen EDR tools are being baked into most MSP plans — and they’re more expensive than legacy tools.
3. Cyber Insurance Is Requiring Specific Controls: This forces businesses to upgrade IT environments or risk losing coverage.
4. Labor Costs & Specialized Talent Keep Rising: Security analysts, network engineers, and compliance experts remain in short supply. Demand keeps trending up.

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2026 Forecasted Pricing Ranges

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Note: Highly regulated industries (finance, healthcare, manufacturing) are seeing the biggest increases due to compliance pressures.

What Should You Actually Budget for 2026?

Here’s a simple breakdown based on company size:

• Under 30 employees: $3k–$5k/mo
  
• 30–75 employees: $5k–$10k/mo
  
• 75–150 employees: $10k–$20k/mo‍
• 150–300 employees: $20k–$40k/mo

The biggest cost drivers?

‍Security, monitoring, compliance, and advanced automation — not help desk.

Where VTG Helps You Avoid Surprise Costs

This is where VTG stands apart from the “average” MSP:

• Transparent Pricing, No Stack Padding: We don’t load your plan with unnecessary tools to inflate monthly costs.
• Tailored IT Service Plans: Every plan is mapped to your actual business needs, compliance requirements, and growth model.
• Security Expertise Built In: Our roadmap keeps you aligned with what insurers and regulators expect — without paying for shiny tools you won’t use.
• Predictable Monthly Spend: We help you forecast what your IT budget should look like for the next 12 months and beyond.

2026 Is the Year to Level Up IT Before Costs Increase More

Cyber threats aren’t slowing down. Insurance requirements aren’t easing up. Tech isn’t getting simpler. But the companies who thrive in 2026 won’t be the ones spending the most — they’ll be the ones spending strategically. That’s exactly where VTG comes in.

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Ready to understand what your IT costs should look like in 2026 — and how to right-size your support?

Let’s build your customized Managed IT Plan.

Schedule a consultation with VTG