What's the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?

Cyber Essentials is a verified self-assessment against five security controls. Cyber Essentials Plus tests the same controls with a hands-on technical audit by a licensed assessor. You must hold Cyber Essentials before doing Plus.

Do you do the work, or just assess us?

We do the work. Foresight runs the gap analysis, carries out hands-on remediation, prepares the evidence and liaises with the assessor, so you pass first time rather than paying to re-sit a failed audit.

How much does Cyber Essentials cost?

The IASME assessment fee is tiered by size from around £320 + VAT and includes £25,000 cyber liability insurance for eligible UK businesses. Cyber Essentials Plus is scoped to your estate, typically from around £1,380 + VAT.

IT Explained

How much does IT support cost in the UK?

IT support pricing can feel like a mystery. Here’s a clear, honest guide to how it’s charged in the UK and what you should expect to pay.

Get an instant quote Call 0161 738 1399

Greater Manchester & UK-wide · free, no-obligation advice

Why Foresight

Cyber Essentials Plus certified
Supporting 130+ organisations since 2006
We reply within one working hour
Plain-English, no jargon

Quick answer

UK IT support is usually priced per device or per user, per month. As a rough guide: co-managed/monitoring from around £15 per device; fully managed IT support typically £25–£50 per device (or roughly £30–£80 per user) per month, often plus a small management or security-baseline fee; and project or one-off work charged separately. The right figure depends on your size, how much you keep in-house, and the level of security included. At Foresight, co-managed starts at £15/device and fully managed from £25/device.

How it’s charged

Per device, per user, or fixed

Most UK MSPs price per device (each laptop, PC or server) or per user (each person, covering all their devices). A small number offer a fixed monthly fee for a defined scope. Per-user tends to suit people with several devices; per-device suits simpler setups.

Typical UK ranges

What you can expect to pay

Level	Typical UK price	What’s included
Co-managed / monitoring	From ~£15/device/mo	Monitoring, patching, security layer — you keep first-line
Fully managed	~£25–£50/device (or ~£30–£80/user)	Complete outsourced IT: helpdesk, security, strategy
Security baseline	~£100–£150/mo	Microsoft 365 hardening (e.g. Inforcer) across the business
Projects / one-off	Quoted separately	Migrations, new setups, hardware, Cyber Essentials

Ranges are indicative; your price depends on size, complexity and how much security is included.

What affects the price

Why quotes vary

The biggest factors are how much you keep in-house (co-managed is cheaper), the level of cyber security included (EDR, backup, monitoring), the number and type of devices, and any servers or specialist apps. Cheapest isn’t always best — make sure security and backup are actually included, not bolted on later.

Want a real number for your business? Our quote builder gives you an instant, transparent figure, and the cost estimator helps you sanity-check it.

FAQs

Common questions

How much does IT support cost per user in the UK?

Fully managed IT support is typically around £30–£80 per user per month depending on the security and services included. Co-managed arrangements cost less because you keep first-line support in-house.

Is IT support priced per device or per user?

Both models are common. Per-device charges for each laptop, PC and server; per-user charges per person and covers all their devices. Per-user often suits people with multiple devices.

What should be included in IT support pricing?

Proactive monitoring and patching, helpdesk (for fully managed), endpoint security, Microsoft 365 management and tested backups. Always check whether security and backup are included or extra.

Why are some IT support quotes so much cheaper?

Usually because security, backup or proactive monitoring aren’t included — or they’re reactive “break-fix” rather than managed. Compare what’s actually covered, not just the headline price.

How much does Foresight charge?

Co-managed starts at £15 per device per month and fully managed from £25 per device, plus a Microsoft 365 baseline where needed. Build an exact quote in two minutes on our quote builder.

Get a real price in two minutes

Skip the guesswork — our quote builder gives you an instant, transparent figure for your business.

Get an instant quote Call 0161 738 1399