If you run a small business in Edmonton, St. Albert, or anywhere in Alberta, one of the first questions you'll ask about IT support is the hardest to get a straight answer to: what does it actually cost? Most providers hide their pricing behind a "book a call" button. We don't. Here's an honest breakdown of how IT support is priced and how to figure out what's right for your business.
The three ways IT support is priced
Almost every managed IT provider uses one of three pricing models — and many, like us, offer all three so you can match the model to your needs.
1. Hourly / on-demand
You pay only when you need help. This is the most flexible option and the lowest commitment, which makes it ideal for very small teams, startups, or businesses that rarely have issues.
In Alberta, hourly IT support typically runs $100–$150 per hour. Our Smart Start plan is $125/hr, billed in quarter-hour increments with no monthly commitment. The tradeoff: no proactive monitoring, so you're reacting to problems rather than preventing them.
2. Monthly support blocks
A middle ground: you pre-purchase a set number of hours each month at a better rate, often with priority response and some included management. This suits businesses that want predictable, regular support without going fully managed.
Our Smart Support plan is $100/month for five hours of remote or on-site support, with Microsoft 365 management included and unused hours that roll over on an annual commitment.
3. Fully managed (flat monthly or per-user)
This is "all-you-can-eat" IT: unlimited support plus proactive monitoring, security, backups, and maintenance for a predictable monthly fee. It's the best value for businesses that depend on their technology and don't want surprise bills.
Managed IT in Alberta is usually priced either as a flat monthly rate (good for a single location) or per user, per month (scales cleanly as you hire). Our Smart Complete plan is $250/month flat, and Smart Corporate is $100/user/month for businesses with more than 10 staff.
What actually drives the price
Two businesses of the same size can pay very different amounts. The biggest factors:
- Number of users and devices — more endpoints means more to secure, patch, and support.
- Number of locations — multi-site networks are more complex.
- Security and compliance needs — a law firm or clinic handling sensitive data needs more protection than a two-person shop.
- Age of your equipment — old servers and workstations break more and cost more to maintain.
- How proactive you want to be — monitoring and prevention cost a little more monthly but save far more in downtime.
The hidden cost most people forget: downtime
The cheapest plan on paper isn't always the cheapest in practice. If a break-fix approach saves you $150/month but a server outage costs you a full day of lost productivity a few times a year, you've lost far more than you saved. When you compare quotes, factor in what an hour of downtime costs your business — that's the number that makes proactive managed IT pay for itself.
How to choose the right model
A simple rule of thumb:
- Rarely have issues, tight budget? Start hourly.
- Want regular help and Microsoft 365 handled? A monthly support block.
- Depend on your tech and want no surprises? Go fully managed.
The best providers will help you right-size the plan rather than pushing you to the most expensive tier. If someone quotes you a big managed contract without asking about your team size, your tools, or your risks, that's a red flag.
The bottom line
For most Alberta small businesses, expect to pay somewhere between $100 and a few hundred dollars a month, depending on your size and how much you want handled for you. What matters more than the number is transparency: flat, predictable pricing with no surprise fees, and a provider who helps you spend smarter rather than more.
Want a straight answer for your specific business? See our full pricing or book a free evaluation and we'll recommend the right level of support — no pressure, no jargon.