NOC LIVE · 24/7/365 ⬢ MICROSOFT PARTNER · MPN 3318934 📍 NASHVILLE TN · NATIONWIDE SERVICE ⚡ EST. 2003 · 23+ YEARS NOC LIVE · 24/7/365 ⬢ MICROSOFT PARTNER · MPN 3318934 📍 NASHVILLE TN · NATIONWIDE SERVICE ⚡ EST. 2003 · 23+ YEARS
Home/ Knowledge Base/ What's the difference between managed IT and break-fix?
Managed IT Services

What's the difference between managed IT and break-fix?

/ Quick answer

Break-fix means you pay hourly when something breaks; managed IT means you pay a predictable monthly fee for proactive monitoring and unlimited support, which usually costs less over time and prevents more problems.

Break-fix is the traditional model: you call IT when something breaks, they bill you for the time it takes to fix it. Managed IT is the proactive model: you pay a recurring monthly fee, the provider monitors and maintains your environment continuously, and most support is included.

Break-fix pros and cons

Managed IT pros and cons

When break-fix still makes sense

Solo operators, microbusinesses under 5 employees, or organizations with very simple IT (a few laptops, no servers, no compliance requirements) can sometimes economize with break-fix. For any business with sensitive data, regulatory requirements, or where extended downtime would hurt revenue, managed IT is almost always the better economics over time.

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