Quick answer: in 2026, managed IT for an Ottawa small business typically costs $100 to $200 CAD per user per month, or about $60 to $150 per managed device, usually with a monthly minimum of $500 to $1,500. Published Canadian IT-provider pricing starts around $110 per managed device per month with a $1,000 monthly minimum. Software licences such as Microsoft 365 are usually billed on top. These are typical market ranges, not 1 Club prices.
Owners usually come to managed IT after something has gone wrong: a laptop stolen from a car in Nepean, an email account taken over, a server in the back room that nobody dares restart, or a nephew who "does the IT" and just moved to Toronto. The question is not whether to pay for IT, but how to pay a fair, predictable amount for it.
How managed IT is priced
- Per user per month: one price covers each person and all their devices (laptop, phone, tablet). Simple to budget, and common for offices where everyone has several devices.
- Per device per month: you pay for each managed computer, server or network device. Can be cheaper if staff share machines, such as a clinic front desk or a warehouse.
- Monthly minimum: most providers set a floor so very small offices still cover the provider's tools and on-call time. A five-person office may pay the minimum rather than the per-user rate.
- Hourly or break-fix: you pay only when something breaks, typically $100 to $200 an hour in Ottawa. Cheap in a quiet month, expensive in a bad one, and nobody is watching between calls.
Typical managed IT tiers in Ottawa (2026, CAD)
- Basic support: about $60 to $100 per user per month. Help desk, remote support, patching and antivirus during business hours.
- Full managed IT: about $100 to $200 per user per month. Adds monitoring, backups, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace administration, onboarding and offboarding, network support and planned on-site visits.
- Managed IT with advanced security: about $150 to $250+ per user per month. Adds round-the-clock threat detection and response, security awareness training, stricter access controls and help with compliance paperwork.
- Onboarding fee: often equal to one month's fee, or a fixed $1,000 to $5,000, to document your systems, clean up accounts and install monitoring tools.
What is usually extra
- Software licences. Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Copilot and line-of-business software are normally billed at the vendor's price on top of IT support.
- Hardware. New laptops, firewalls and Wi-Fi access points are bought separately or leased.
- Projects. Moving to the cloud, a new office fit-out in Kanata, a server replacement or a network rebuild are quoted as one-off projects.
- After-hours support. Some plans cover 24/7; many charge extra outside business hours.
What drives the cost
- Number of users and devices, plus whether staff work from home, the office or the road.
- Security and compliance needs. Clinics, law firms, accountants and federal-government suppliers face stricter rules and client security questionnaires.
- On-site needs. A team in the ByWard Market that needs someone at the door in an hour costs more than a fully remote team.
- How messy things are today. Old servers, shared passwords and unknown accounts take time to sort out before day-to-day support gets easier. Our IT inventory guide helps you see what you have.
Red flags in an IT quote
- No list of what is included. Ask exactly which tasks are covered and which are billed by the hour.
- The provider holds your admin passwords. You should always have the top-level admin access to your Microsoft 365, domain and firewall, even if they manage it.
- No backup testing. Backups that are never restored in a test are a hope, not a plan.
- Long contracts with steep exit fees. Ask what it costs to leave and how your data and documentation are handed back.
- Vague response times. Ask for a clear target for urgent, normal and low-priority issues.
How to get a fair IT quote
Make a quick list of users, devices, software and renewal dates before you call anyone; the IT inventory guide gives you the sheet. Then ask each provider to price the same list, say what is included, and explain how you would leave if it did not work out.
While you compare, put the basics in place. The small office cybersecurity routine and the small business cybersecurity checklist cover the steps that stop most attacks. If you are still choosing a platform, see Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace.
Three ways to start
- Do it yourself, free: build your inventory with the IT inventory guide and run the cybersecurity routine this week.
- Done with you: we review your set-up, fix the biggest risks with your team, and leave you with a clear plan and documentation.
- Done for you: we manage your devices, accounts, backups, network and security, and you keep top-level admin access. You get a fixed monthly quote after a short free call.