Three IT quotes, three completely different numbers, and no obvious way to tell why. Once you know what to look for in a provider, the next problem is reading the quotes themselves properly, because the cheapest number on the page is rarely the cheapest option once you read what it doesn't include.
Start With What's Actually Included
The biggest source of price variation isn't the hourly rate, it's scope. Ask directly: does this price include project work, or is that billed separately? Does it cover after-hours and weekend support, or only business hours? Is security tooling, endpoint protection, email filtering, backup, bundled in or an add-on? A lower headline price with everything unbundled can easily cost more once you're actually running the business.
Per-User vs Per-Device Pricing
These two pricing models can produce very different totals depending on your setup. A business where staff each use one device roughly breaks even either way, but one where staff share devices, or use several each, laptop, desktop, tablet, will see a meaningful difference. Run the maths on your actual headcount and device count for each quote rather than comparing the per-unit rate alone.
Response Time Commitments, Not Just Numbers
A quote promising a fast response time means little without knowing what counts as urgent, and what happens outside business hours. Ask for the actual SLA document, not just the marketing summary, and check whether critical outages get a genuinely different response path than a routine password reset.
Contract Terms Worth Reading Properly
- Contract length and auto-renewal - a 12-month term that silently renews for another 12 without notice is a common trap.
- Exit notice period - some contracts require 60-90 days' written notice to leave, worth knowing before signing, not when you want out.
- Data and access handoff - what happens to your data, licences, and documentation if you switch providers later, this should be spelled out, not assumed.
- Price increase clauses - whether and how the provider can raise prices during the contract term.
Build a Simple Comparison Table
List every quote against the same set of columns, monthly cost per user, what's included, response time SLA, contract length, exit terms, rather than comparing headline prices in isolation. This turns three inconsistent documents into one genuinely comparable view, and usually makes the real difference between quotes obvious fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do IT quotes for the same business vary so much between providers?
Mostly because of what's included versus billed separately, project work, after-hours support, and security tooling are common exclusions on a lower headline price, while a higher quote may already bundle all of it in.
Is per-user or per-device pricing better?
Neither is universally better, it depends on your ratio of staff to devices. A business where staff share devices or use several each will usually come out ahead on per-user pricing, and vice versa, worth calculating both ways against your actual headcount and device count.
What contract length should we expect?
Twelve months is common, but watch for auto-renewal clauses and the notice period required to exit, a 90-day notice buried in the fine print can trap you in a contract well past when you've decided to leave.
Should the cheapest quote automatically be disqualified?
Not automatically, but it deserves the closest reading of exclusions, response time commitments, and what happens when something goes wrong outside the plan, since that's usually where the real cost difference actually shows up.
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Book a Free IT Health CheckFor related reading, see How to Choose an IT Provider in Perth, How Much Does Managed IT Cost in Perth?, and IT Support vs Managed IT Services.