Break/fix means you call for IT help when something breaks and pay by the hour. Managed IT services means a provider monitors and maintains everything for a fixed monthly fee. The core difference is incentive: break/fix pays the provider when things go wrong; managed IT pays them to keep things working.
Break/fix
- Pay only when you need help
- No monthly commitment
- But: no monitoring – you find problems the hard way
- Small issues grow into expensive ones
- The provider has no reason to prevent the next failure
- Costs are unpredictable and spike at the worst time
Managed IT
- Fixed, predictable monthly cost
- Monitoring catches issues before they cause downtime
- Security, backups and patching happen automatically
- The provider’s incentive is a stable environment with fewer tickets
- A roadmap and budgeting, not just firefighting
When break/fix still makes sense
A very small office – a handful of staff, no server, everything in the cloud, no compliance needs, and a high tolerance for a day of downtime. Most businesses outgrow this quickly, and the moment you have a server or customer data, managed is the safer model. See managed IT pricing and what an MSP does.
IT buyer’s guides
- What is a managed service provider?
- How much do managed IT services cost?
- Break/fix vs managed IT services
- What to look for in an IT support contract
- In-house vs outsourced vs co-managed IT
- How to switch IT providers
- Signs your IT provider is failing you
Thinking about managed IT in Edmonton? Call +1 (587) 400-9991 (also on WhatsApp) or request a quote. We start with a short review at no cost.
Frequently asked questions
Is managed IT worth the money for a small business?
If you have a server, staff who cannot work during downtime, or data to protect – yes. The monitoring and prevention alone usually pay for themselves in avoided downtime.
Can I mix the two?
Some providers offer managed monitoring and security with block hours for support – a middle ground. Pure break/fix with no monitoring is the risky option.
Does break/fix cost less overall?
Rarely, once you account for the downtime, the emergency rates, and the problems that were never caught early. It looks cheaper month to month and costs more per year.
How does Scandifix work?
We offer monthly managed plans (from $199/month), block hours, and project/break-fix work – most clients start with an assessment and pick the model that fits.