What IT support costs an Adelaide business in 2027

Below are the three common pricing models, the things that push the cost up or down, and a way to compare quotes side by side. Our own rates are near the end.

The three ways IT support is priced

Hourly support

You pay for time when something needs fixing or setting up. Before you sign anything, check the minimum charge.

Hourly support works for small teams with a simple setup and someone in the office who handles the basics. The catch is that nobody looks after your systems between calls. Updates, backups and security settings can drift for months until something breaks, and then you pay for the repair and the lost time. Your monthly spend is also hard to predict.

Per-user managed IT

You pay a fixed monthly fee for each staff member. That fee usually covers the helpdesk, monitoring, patching, backup checks and a set of security tools.

Managed IT gives you a predictable bill and someone watching your systems all the time. Read the exclusions closely. Projects, new-starter setups, hardware, Microsoft 365 licences and onsite visits are often charged on top. Plans described as “unlimited” usually carry a fair-use clause, and most come with a minimum contract term.

Fractional IT manager

A fractional IT manager is a part-time senior person who handles the planning side: IT budgets, vendor contracts, security policy, staff onboarding processes, project oversight and reporting to the owner or board. They work a few days a month and sit above the day-to-day helpdesk, so most businesses pair one with hourly or managed support.

It suits businesses that have outgrown “the office manager also does IT” but can't justify a full-time IT manager's salary.

Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and security software licences are usually billed separately under all three models.

What drives the cost

Two businesses with the same headcount can get very different quotes. These are the usual reasons:

• The number of users and devices, including laptops, phones, printers and any servers.
• How old and well documented your setup is. Unsupported Windows versions, an ageing server in a cupboard or a network nobody has written down will add hours, especially in the first month.
• Your security requirements. Working toward an Essential Eight maturity level, or answering a cyber insurance questionnaire, takes more work than basic antivirus.
• The response times you need. A one-hour response guarantee costs more than next business day.
• Onsite needs. Multiple sites or frequent visits add travel time, even within the Adelaide metro area.
• Industry software. Accounting, practice management or job management systems sometimes need specialist support or vendor liaison.
• After-hours cover, if your staff work evenings or weekends.
• Planned projects such as an office move, a cloud migration or rolling out Copilot or other AI tools, which are usually quoted separately.

How to compare IT support quotes

Quotes are only comparable once they cover the same things. Start by writing a one-page summary of your business: staff numbers, devices, sites, the software you rely on, and any security or insurance requirements. Send the same summary to every provider.

Then ask each one these questions:

1. What is included in the monthly fee or hourly rate, and what is billed on top?
2. Is there an onboarding or setup fee?
3. What is the minimum billing increment and call-out charge?
4. What response times do you commit to, in business hours and after hours?
5. How long is the contract, and what does it cost to leave?
6. Who does the work? Is it a local technician, an offshore helpdesk, or a mix?
7. How do you handle backups, patching and multi-factor authentication, and how will I know they're working?
8. What would a typical month have cost a business like mine over the past year?

Convert every quote to an annual figure, including licences and likely extras, before you compare. A lower monthly fee with long exclusions can end up costing more than a higher fee that covers most things.

What Essetech charges

Essetech is an Adelaide IT and AI implementation partner for small and medium businesses, based in Brooklyn Park and working across the Adelaide metro area. Our rates are:

• $150 per hour plus GST during standard business hours
• $225 per hour plus GST after hours
• Fractional IT manager: 2 days a month for $2,200 plus GST, or 4 days a month for $4,400 plus GST
• Additional fractional IT days: $1,200 plus GST per day

Managed IT, AI project and website prices are listed on our IT and AI pricing page.

Hourly support covers remote and onsite work. If you'd like a fixed monthly cost, we can look at your setup and recommend whether a managed plan, hourly support or a fractional IT manager makes more sense. To talk through pricing for your business, get in touch, and you can see what our IT support in Adelaide covers.

We're a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner and can supply Microsoft 365 and Azure licences directly, so licensing can sit on the same invoice as your support.

For a quote based on your actual setup, call Jonathon on 0404 311 791 or email jonathon@essetech.com.au.