Product & Strategy Comparison
Managed IT vs Break/Fix IT Support
Understand the cost and security trade-offs of proactive maintenance versus on-call emergency fixes.
Many small businesses struggle to choose between paying a flat monthly fee for proactive IT management or calling a tech only when something breaks (known as 'break/fix' support). Here is a comparison of how they impact your operations and bottom line.
| Feature | Managed IT Support | Break/Fix Support |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Proactive (prevents issues before downtime occurs) | Reactive (fixes issues after they cause downtime) |
| Cost Structure | Flat, predictable monthly fee | Unpredictable hourly fees plus emergency charges |
| Response Time | Guaranteed Service Level Agreement (SLA) | Best-effort availability (can be hours or days) |
| Security | Continuous monitoring, patching, and malware blocking | Basic setup, updates only run when a tech is called |
| Backups | Automated, monitored, and regularly tested | Configured once, rarely verified for recovery status |
| Incentive | Aligned (tech wants systems to stay stable to reduce work) | Misaligned (tech makes money when your systems break) |
Our Recommendation
If your business relies heavily on computers for daily billing, client communication, or operations, Managed IT provides stability and prevents catastrophic losses. If you have under 5 employees and rarely use cloud systems, a structured hourly break/fix agreement might be sufficient to start.
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