If you have asked a few IT companies for a quote, you have probably noticed that the numbers are all over the map. One provider quotes you $60 per user per month, another comes in at $180, and a third gives you a per-device rate that is impossible to compare to either of them. This guide cuts through the noise and explains what managed IT actually costs for businesses in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland in 2026.
How the market prices managed IT, and how Hexafusion prices it
Most managed IT providers in British Columbia quote per user or per device, per month. Hexafusion prices per unit, per month: one unit is one user, one computer and one email address, and we count whichever is highest, never added together. The monthly investment does not change with the number of support requests, and it aligns our interests with yours: stable systems, not repeat repairs.
Two worked examples show how units are counted, followed by the Hexafusion plan rates:
| Example | Users, computers and email accounts | Units counted |
|---|---|---|
| Professional office | 10 staff, 10 computers, 15 licensed email accounts | 15 units (the highest count) |
| Dental office | 8 staff, 20 computers, 3 email accounts | 20 units (the highest count) |
| Hexafusion plans | Protect from $30, Managed from $90, Managed Pro from $190 per unit per month | Enterprise: custom quote, minimum 50 units. Canadian dollars, plus tax. |
For comparison, typical market pricing in Metro Vancouver runs from about $70 to $200 per user per month, depending on the tier; these are market figures, not Hexafusion rates. The per-unit rate stays fixed for 12 months; licence prices follow the vendor. There is no onboarding fee, plans are month-to-month (Enterprise is a 12-month agreement), and you receive a written estimate before any work begins.
What Drives the Price Up or Down?
Several factors affect where your quote lands within these ranges:
- Number of users, computers and email accounts: Coverage grows with the environment. Providers that charge per device can cost significantly more for organizations with shared workstations or many tablets and peripherals.
- On-premise servers: Managing local servers adds complexity and cost. Typical market pricing for server management is $150 to $400 per server per month, depending on role and criticality.
- Industry and compliance requirements: Healthcare, legal, finance, and businesses handling credit card data (PCI DSS) often require additional security controls, documentation, and reporting. This adds to the monthly rate or appears as a compliance add-on.
- Number of office locations: Multi-site businesses require more network equipment coverage, potentially on-site visits to each location, and more complex monitoring setups.
- Remote work ratio: Fully remote teams require strong identity management (Microsoft Entra ID (identity and access control)), secure remote access (VPN or zero-trust), and mobile device management (MDM), all of which add cost.
- Contract length: Month-to-month engagements typically cost more than annual agreements. A 1-year or 2-year commitment usually brings a 10 to 15 percent reduction in the market. Hexafusion plans are month-to-month, with a 12-month agreement on Enterprise.
What Is Usually NOT Included
Common exclusions to watch for:
- On-site labour (some plans include a set number of hours, others bill separately)
- Hardware procurement and setup fees
- After-hours or weekend support (may require a higher tier or add-on)
- Major projects such as server migrations, Microsoft 365 migrations, or office relocations
- Microsoft 365 or other software licences (these are billed separately at cost on top of the managed IT fee)
- Cyber liability insurance (separate product, though strong security practices and documentation help you qualify for better premiums)
Per-user, per-device and per-unit pricing
Many providers price per user or per device. Where each person has one computer, the totals are similar. Where an organization has shared workstations, kiosks, tablets or specialty equipment, per-device pricing can cost significantly more without adding value. Hexafusion counts units instead: one unit is one user, one computer and one email address, and we count whichever is highest, so the monthly investment is predictable and easy to compare.
Hourly Break-Fix vs. Monthly Managed IT
Break-fix IT (calling someone when something breaks and being billed by the hour) is appealing when you think your IT needs are minimal. In Metro Vancouver, IT technician hourly rates range from $120 to $180 from a professional IT provider, plus travel time. A single half-day issue, a server problem, a ransomware incident, or a failed network switch, can easily cost $800 - $2,000 in break-fix billing. Businesses that have experienced one major incident almost always move to managed IT immediately afterward.
Managed IT is not just about cost per incident. It is about having proactive monitoring that catches problems before staff notice them, consistent documentation of your environment, and a team that already knows your systems when something does go wrong.
What to Ask When Comparing Quotes
- Is the price per user, per device or per unit, and what counts toward the total?
- Are on-site visits included, or billed separately?
- What is the guaranteed response time, and does it differ by severity?
- Is 24/7 monitoring included, or only business-hours support?
- What security tools are included, basic antivirus or next-gen endpoint detection and response (EDR)?
- What happens at contract renewal, and is the rate locked?
- How is offboarding handled if you want to switch providers?
Request a written estimate
Every organization is different. Tell us about your environment and we will provide a written estimate based on your unit count and compliance requirements, before any work begins.
Request a Quote View our plans