All Comparisons
Managed IT vs Break-Fix IT
Why paying for IT only when things break is costing you more than you think.
What is Break-Fix IT?
Break-fix IT is the traditional model where you call a technician only when something breaks. You pay hourly rates for repairs with no ongoing relationship or proactive maintenance.
- •Pay per incident or hourly rates
- •No proactive monitoring or maintenance
- •Reactive approach to problems
- •Unpredictable costs
What is Managed IT?
Managed IT services provide comprehensive, proactive technology management for a predictable monthly fee. Your systems are continuously monitored, maintained, and optimized.
- •Flat monthly fee covers everything
- •24/7 monitoring catches issues early
- •Proactive maintenance prevents problems
- •Predictable, budgetable costs
The True Cost Comparison
Break-fix looks cheaper on paper until you factor in the hidden costs.
Break-Fix Hidden Costs
- Emergency service calls$150-300/hr
- After-hours premium rates1.5-2x normal
- Downtime during repairs$5,600/hr avg
- Data loss from no backupsPriceless
- Security breach cleanup$200,000+ avg
- Lost productivityOngoing
The reality: A single major incident can cost more than a full year of managed services.
Managed IT Value
- All support includedUnlimited
- 24/7 monitoringIncluded
- Proactive maintenanceIncluded
- Security protectionIncluded
- Backup & recoveryIncluded
- Strategic planningIncluded
Predictable pricing: Know exactly what you'll spend each month with no surprises.
Key Differences
Response Time
Hours to days depending on availability
Guaranteed <30 minute response with SLA
Problem Prevention
None - wait until something breaks
24/7 monitoring catches 90% of issues before impact
Security
Basic antivirus, maybe
Enterprise security stack with EDR, monitoring, training
Strategic Planning
No technology roadmap or guidance
Quarterly reviews and proactive recommendations
Compliance
On your own
Built-in compliance frameworks (HIPAA, SOC 2, etc.)
Vendor Management
You manage all vendors
Single point of contact for all IT issues
When Each Approach Makes Sense
Break-Fix Might Work If...
- You have fewer than 5 employees
- Downtime doesn't significantly impact revenue
- You have no compliance requirements
- You don't store sensitive data
Managed IT is Essential If...
- Downtime costs you money or reputation
- You have compliance requirements (HIPAA, SOC 2, etc.)
- You store customer or financial data
- Technology is critical to your operations
- You want to focus on your business, not IT