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Compare IT services and managed IT (MSPs)

Businesses choosing an IT support provider or a software development partner.

Short answer

How do you choose an IT services or managed IT provider?

A good IT provider answers within times it puts in writing, secures your systems by default, and says plainly what the monthly fee covers. Compare providers on response times, security practices, what is included, and whether you keep your documentation and admin access if you leave.

The OpenlyCompared guide to IT services and managed IT (MSPs) explains what to compare, which questions to ask and which warning signs to look for. The first companies are being checked before they are listed.

Which IT providers are listed?

We are verifying the first companies for this guide. Each listing is built from facts the company has published, and checked before it goes up.

What should you compare when choosing an IT services or managed IT provider?

Response times in writingA service agreement should state how quickly they respond to and resolve problems, by priority.
A security baselineAsk about backups, multi-factor sign-in, patching, and how they watch for threats.
What the fee coversPer-user or per-device pricing should say which support, projects and hardware are included.
Experience with businesses like yoursProviders with clients like you already know your software and your compliance needs.
You own the keysYou should hold the admin access and the documentation you would hand to the next provider.
An onboarding planA clear plan for the first ninety days shows how they will learn your setup.

What should you ask before choosing an IT services or managed IT provider?

  • What are your response and resolution times, by priority?
  • What does the monthly fee include, and what is billed as a project?
  • How do you back up our data, and how often do you test a restore?
  • Do you require multi-factor sign-in on every account?
  • Will we keep our documentation and admin access?
  • What happens in the first ninety days?

What are the warning signs when choosing an IT services or managed IT provider?

  • No written service agreement
  • The provider holding the only admin access to your systems
  • Backups that have never been test-restored
  • Vague answers about who actually does the work

Frequently asked questions about IT services and managed IT (MSPs)

What does managed IT usually include?

Managed IT usually includes help desk support, device and user management, software patching, backups and security monitoring. Projects and hardware are often billed as extra, so ask a managed IT provider for the full list of what its monthly fee covers.

Is per-user or per-device pricing better for managed IT?

Per-user pricing for managed IT suits teams where each person uses several devices, while per-device pricing suits offices with shared machines. If you are unsure which fits, ask the IT provider to quote both.

How do I change IT providers safely?

To change IT providers safely, get your documentation and admin access from the current provider first, plan an overlap between the two providers, and change passwords and access rights after the handover.

Does a small business need cybersecurity services?

A small business needs basic cybersecurity as much as a large one. Backups, multi-factor sign-in and regular software patching matter at any size, and a managed IT provider should set them up by default.

How this page works: companies are listed by the method on our Methodology page. Companies marked “Toutmark client” pay Toutmark, which publishes OpenlyCompared; paying never buys a position or an award. Request a correction.